It’s the best-case scenario for anyone wanting to reduce body fat, improve metabolic health, and reap all the benefits of building more lean muscle mass. That said, it can be a tricky process. You have to really dial in on your nutrition and your workout routine in order to pull it off because the two goals can sometimes undermine each other.
So where does cardio fit in? Online, some will say that cardio is unnecessary or can even hurt your body recomp progress. But, before you swear off running, your favorite dance class, or your weekend sport with friends, keep reading to understand how cardio can—and should—fit into your body recomp goals.
Meet the experts: Brent Momb, PhD, is a muscle biology researcher and body composition coach for Strong Standard. Ethan Young, PT, DPT, is the owner and a physical therapist at Ascend Rehab & Performance. Generally speaking, yes—and it may even help you get there faster.
It comes down to the fat loss piece of the body recomp equation. Research suggests that cardio can help with fat loss, especially when paired with strength training. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found that cardio alone and concurrent training (a routine including both strength and cardio) were more effective at reducing fat mass compared to resistance training alone.
As for why it’s so helpful? That means that cardio can help burn some extra calories and keep you in the calorie deficit needed to lose body fat. What about the other half of the equation: gaining muscle?
Research reviews have concluded that doing cardio in addition to strength training generally doesn’t seem to compromise muscle or strength gains. For example, another 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found that concurrent training is just as effective as resistance training alone for increasing muscle mass in middle-aged and older adults. Other research has found that some small interference is possible, though it’s still unclear whether that meaningfully affects whole-muscle growth, and is most often seen from running compared to cycling or other aerobic sports.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
