Running without calorie deficit

Question

Is running beneficial if I cannot achieve a calorie deficit, meaning my calorie intake minus burn remains the same? I have a difficult time being hungry.

My current workout regimen is running 3 mi 3x a week and lifting weight 3-4 days. After running, I usually feel famished and eat a lot of food so I don't think that running actually produces a calorie deficit. Lifting weights is the same way, however that builds muscle mass even if I am in a calorie surplus and gaining fat in addition. But if my fat stays the same because I make up the calories burned during running by eating, does running do anything good for me and should I redistribute those days on lifting weights that I know benefit me despite my inability to be in a calorie deficit?

Answer 1

Yes, running is benefitial for you even if you are not in a caloric deficit. Yes it is true that to lose fat one needs to be in a caloric deficit and if your calories remain the same you won't lose fat. However, you shouldn't run just for the sake of burning calories. Running is also a great exercise to work your heart. Keep in mind that the most important muscle in your body is your heart. Doing cardiovascular activity is the best exercise you can do for longevity and overall health. Also the best your cardiovascular system is, the best your workouts for building muscle will be, hence you can actually have better workouts and build more muscle.

Answer 2

It is normal to have an increased appetite in response to increasing our physical workload. However, most people will never consume more energy than their combined Exercise Energy Consumption and augmented metabolic rate.

However, if we tend to binge eat or otherwise make poor food choices, it is prudent to change our choice of food: to eat 'clean' nutrient-dense foods, unrefined rather than refined foods, carbohydrates instead of sugar, and foods high in protein. Protein not only improves muscle growth and recovery, but it also increases diet-induced energy expenditure whilst also increasing our satiety, thereby making us less likely to overeat.

It is important, also, to consider longer-term trends. Long endurance training, be it running, cycling, swimming, or whatever, increases our cardiovascular fitness and power output. Whilst a recreational 75-kilogram (165-pound) cyclist, for example, may average an output of 80-90 Watts for a two-hour training ride, if well-trained, that same cyclist may average 250 Watts for the same time. The perceived effort would be identical, but with two to two-and-a-half times the power output, and therefore energy consumption.

Simply put, the fitter and more active we become, the more difficult it is to overeat. We should always make good choices for our health, but energy intake becomes something that is difficult to overdo and easy to curb.

I hope that helps.