Exercise & Inflammation: What You Should Know
Nicole Andrews, RD, LD/N
SALES | Specializing in Innovative Solutions that Improve Outcomes
Exercise-induced inflammation?! Kind of an oxymoron right? If exercise is GOOD FOR US….than why does it cause inflammation, right? Isn’t inflammation the crux of all dis-ease in the body? Yes and No.
Exercise Inflammation is an immune system response due to tissue damage. Its purpose is to remove cellular debris from the site of damage and initiate repair.
Every workout causes microscopic damage to muscle fibers, but the inflammation process repairs this damage during the following recovery period (provided, there?IS?a recovery period!), which begins about two hours after a workout and typically resolves after 48 hours.
The good news is that this mild form of inflammation promotes training adaptations such as satellite cell proliferation, an essential step in the development of bigger, stronger muscle fibers! a.k.a.- a good thing!
This type of inflammation even makes you more resistant to muscle damage in the future (a phenomenon known as "the repeated bout effect").
Although ironically, even though inflammation repairs tissue damage caused during exercise, it may cause further damage, known as secondary muscle damage (between workouts -without you even knowing it!) This is usually the main reason you feel sore, and why you sometimes feel even sorer after two days! Ouch!!!
Secondary muscle damage is believed to be caused by the release of?free radicals from active neutrophils.?If you persist in training too hard and resting too little, you may enter a cycle of persistent tissue trauma and chronic inflammation! Ever feel like your body can't make it through another workout? Do you suffer from chronic inflammation like tennis elbow, and sometimes notice your injury "flares up" on different occasions, and sometimes, it's fine? That's post-exercise-induced inflammation at its best!!!
Joint tissues also suffer damage during exercise and undergo a subsequent inflammation response.
When joint tissues fail to regenerate fully between workouts, they may become chronically inflamed and/or degenerate to the point of a more long-term, chronic injuries- such as runner's knee or tennis elbow.
The most important thing to remember is that regular exercise is overall, ANTI-INFLAMMATORY. It's a known fact!
A few recent studies have shown:
Overall, we need to make sure that we make the recovery process just as important as our workouts! Otherwise, we end up with a chronic low-grade "fire" burning inside of our body, eventually leading to EVEN MORE INFLAMMATION and potential issues like those listed below.
So what can we do to limit post exercise inflammation and its negative effects? The most effective thing you can do is to reduce the amount of muscle damage you experience in the first place during workouts is to learn about?HOW exactly to reduce damage, yet still maintain the adequate amount of inflammation to aid in healing and eventually growing our muscles.
Here are my Top 5 Hacks to Reduce Post-Exercise Inflammation
Studies have shown that untrained individuals become more resistant to exercise-induced muscle damage after just a single workout. So start at your own pace (versus trying to be the HULK right away!) and GRADUALLY BUILD on your OWN strength. Your muscle fibers will thank you later!
It appears that the inflammation response triggered by the first workout increases the activity of neutrophils in the next workout, protecting the muscle fibers from excessive damage.
2. INCREASE PLANT FOODS IN YOUR DIET
Plant-Based foods such as real organic fruits & vegetables provide a plethora of nutrients and fiber that our bodies THRIVE ON! Although when most people think of plant-based diets, they think they won't be able to get enough protein. This couldn't be further from the truth! Protein sources such as lean meat, fish, dairy, and eggs are not healthy in large amounts like the typical American consumes. It's okay to have organic, intelligent sources of these foods in small amounts, however- there are plenty of plant-based options out there as well. These include organic tofu, nuts and seeds, vegetables, and gluten-free grains such as quinoa, to name a few.
As long as you’re eating a variety of healthy foods, getting enough protein on a plant-based diet is perfectly possible. The British Nutrition Foundation confirms that most vegans get enough protein intake from their diet without the need for supplementation.
However - Here at Eternity Warrior, we value convenience and know how difficult it can be to LIVE FRESH in a busy and toxic world. This is why we've created two AMAZING Vegan?(HEALING)?Superfood Shakes!?CHECK THEM OUT HERE!!! https://eternitywarrior.com/top-quality-supplements/
3. PAMPER YOURSELF MORE! IE. BODY CARE
领英推荐
Of course, we know that the ultimate "rest"-oration for our bodies is rest and relaxation. This includes a good night's sleep for optimal repair. Overall rest helps with muscle recovery. Deep tissue massage also helps to reduce the soreness by increasing blood flow, activating lymph, and overall decreasing inflammation that creates those oh-so sore feelings. Other body care ideas to incorporate include things like hot tubs, hot Epson Salt bath soaks, and even cold plunges or cryotherapy has been shown useful in reducing post-exercise inflammation and overall keeping your body from feeling overworked and fatigued.
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4. HYDRATE OFTEN
How much? At least HALF your body weight in ounces. For optimal effects, hydrate with clean, filtered water. I personally believe the Kangean Japanese Water Systems are SUPERIOR to any other water filtration systems on the market. (If you're interested in purchasing a Kangean water filter system, feel free to private message us and we will be happy to lead you to the right source!)
Add electrolytes if needed- Very important if prone to cramping or sweating a lot! My FAVORITE electrolyte personally is in capsule form and is from Douglas Labs. It's called Klean Electrolytes.?
5. ADD THE RIGHT NUTRIENTS
Most people think Collagen, Glucosamine, MSM is what you need for healthy joints and less inflammation and although they can help prevent further breakdown, there are other necessary nutrients specific to preventing post-exercise induced inflammation that should be incorporated for optimal health!
BCAA’S, Added Superfoods, Healthy Fats, Particularly, Omega-3 Fats & Antioxidants (especially for those of us that have the genetic SNP that increases your need for antioxidants!) are what we really need to heal and fight any workout-induced damage caused by free-radical damage.
If you DO have the genetic SNP that increases your need for antioxidants -welcome to the club! J/K
Although, if you’re not mindful enough to find out if in fact you "HAVE THIS SNP OR NOT", and don’t have these additional nutrients “on-board”, and taking them regularly, you may be setting yourself up for accelerated aging and the overall bodily breakdown and continuous damage.
SPECIALITY TESTING COMING SOON!
-MICRONUTRIENT TESTING
-FOOD INFLAMMATION TEST
-GENETIC WELLNESS REPORT
-PERSONALIZED NUTRIENT AM & PM PACKETS
It has to become a lifestyle change, only then will the right supplements help to calm the fire, and eventually become quenched for good!
ETERNITY WARRIOR - Who We Are
It’s no surprise that these two health fanatics teamed up to create the most transformational 6-week, online program offered! While Blake’s main focus is exercise and Nicole’s is Functional health- They BOTH revere QUALITY over quantity any day! Combine Blake’s knowledge of how to shock the muscles for optimal growth and change, all the while keeping your joints and ligaments safe by using the best stackable resistance bands on the market today along with Nicole’s passion for functional testing, health, teaching, healing, and high-quality supplementation….And BADA-BOOM BADA-BING….one fully complete MIND-BODY TRANSFORMATIONAL program is born!
Together, Blake & Nicole are committed to creating ETERNITY WARRIORS everywhere!
Whether your goal is weight loss, more energy, less bloating, hormonal balance, etc….Our signature program is offered twice yearly- The 6-week Eternity Warrior Transformation Program is truly complete and has something for everyone! And the best part is…You can do it from the comfort of your own home with your very own accountability coach. We only offer this 6-week Transformation Challenge TWICE A YEAR (and actually recommend repeating it twice EVERY year for optimal health. RESET & RECHARGE your body and mind. Get back on track & become an Eternity Warrior for life!!!
Are You Ready to RECHARGE Your Body & RESET Your Mind?!
https://eternitywarrior.com/sp/6-week-challenge-sales-page/
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