BUILT

Q. How much cardio can you do before it becomes catabolic, and what things could one do to prevent it from occurring?

A. As a general rule of thumb, I recommend no more than 60 minutes of cardio per session with a heart rate of 120 to 135. I find any more than this causes too much depletion and fatigue, leaving your body open for catabolism to occur. If you’re using large doses of anabolics, you could probably squeeze in an additional 30 minutes before your body starts to go into a catabolic state, but beware – every bodybuilder has a different threshold. If you’re not careful, catabolism can sneak up on you, and once it does, it can be your worst nightmare! You can do two 60-minute sessions per day without becoming catabolic, but I’d ensure you’re taking in a high-quality BCAA product such as Nutrabolics’ Anabolic State before and after cardio.