Why women should not run | Hacker News Reader

Why women should not run

athlete.io

9 pointsValentineC4 comments

I think the article is designed to be provocative click-bait and shouldn't anywhere near be the final word on the subject. The headline emphatically says that women shouldn't run. Then within the article he clarifies and says that his advice only refers to the following:

>> This is about running, cycling, stair-climbing, or elliptical cardio done for hours at or above 65 percent of your max heart rate.

So right away the headline is misleading and the entire article is suspect because of that. I don't have statistics in front of me, but because of the busy lives that people lead I doubt that most people even come close to qualifying for the hours and hours of physical stress on the human body that he talks about. Men and women shouldn't feel uncomfortable with a moderate amount of physical activity. If its running you enjoy or sports, go out there and do it.

This article is either pseudo-science at best and sexist garbage at worst. I'll be generous and call it the former.

See, I've done 9 Ironmans, and coached several athletes doing them as well, so I know a thing or two about cardio. And I know a heck of a lot of women who regularly do them as well. This just in: they are not fat. Many were heavier when they started, some of them turned lean-and-mean, while others slimmed down and toned up.

Women: yes, run. Yes, bike, yes, swim. Do crossfit. It's good for you, just like you thought it was.

There is an OLD saying that says "diet is for weight control, exercise is for fitness". What this guy is describing is people who are increasing their calorie load (particularly the carb part of it) proportionally to their calorie needs. So they don't lose weight.

Mid-aerobic exercise increases metabolic rate specifically because it tunes your body to better metabolize FAT. That's how getting fitter works. You can oxidize more fat over a period of time. More fat oxidation means more ATP means more fitness/speed/endurance/whatever. All of that takes calories.

Here[1] is the link to the original article, which shows sources.

Here[2] is an article in Runner's World which discusses some studies and provides more links to balance the story.

tldr; The headline of the article is sensationalized.

[1] http://articles.elitefts.com/training-articles/women-running...

[2] http://www.runnersworld.com/health/how-does-endurance-traini...

I am glad someone took the time to debunk the article in [2]. The original article, even with references, did not sit right with me. Partly because of the sensational rhetoric and partly because it contradicted some of what I personally know about physical training. Of course, my knowledge could be wrong but it is hard to convince me otherwise if you use sensational rhetoric with or without scientific references.

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