Working Out the Kinks in 10 Exercise Myths



What actually happens, Endress said, is that when you stop working out, you rapidly lose muscle and gain fat, potentially giving the appearance that muscle is turning into fat.


Also, once people stop working out, they usually don't cut back on the calories they were consuming before but are no longer burning off.

Ho said that muscle can literally turn into fat, but "You only see it in those extreme circumstances."



Fact or Myth? Eating Protein After a Workout Will Build Muscle

Answer: Myth

"That's definitely a myth," said Elisabetta Politi, a nutrition director at the Duke University Diet and Fitness Center. "What you need after a workout are carbohydrates."


The exhaustion you feel after a workout, Politi said, comes from a lack of glycogen.

"The best way to be re-energized is to eat carbohydrates," she said.

Protein is helpful in toning existing muscle. However, Politi said, the average American eats twice the necessary amount of protein already.


Fact or Myth? You Need to Stretch Before Exercising or You'll Injure Yourself

Answer: Probably a Myth



The most recent studies, he said, have found that stretching will not help you avoid injury.








But alone, before exercise, it isn't warranted.

"Stretching in and of itself, for someone who has normal flexibility, has not been injured, may not reduce injury," said Ho, but he said that more research was needed before drawing a definite conclusion.

Fact or Myth? Running Destroys Your Joints

Answer: It Depends


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