Cardiovascular and Skeletal Muscle Health With Lifelong Exercise
Written by Ben Bunting: BA(Hons), PGCert. Sport & Exercise Nutrition. British Army Physical Training Instructor.
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Those who exercise for the kajority of their life have cardiovascular and skeletal muscle health that's superior to those who don't exercise.
They also have lower levels of inflammation than their sedentary counterparts, which helps stave off the aging process and improves overall function.
However, the amount of exercise required to achieve these benefits varies considerably with various outcomes, and it is uncertain where the threshold of transition from benefit to harm occurs.
Despite these limitations, lifelong exercise appears to be essential for optimizing physical function and health in late life.
Cardiovascular Health
Cardiovascular disease is a broad term that includes heart attacks, strokes, and other health conditions that affect blood flow to the heart or blood vessels (veins and arteries). Risk factors include high cholesterol, diabetes, smoking, air pollution, obesity, poor diet, lack of physical activity, and stress.
Fortunately, cardiovascular and skeletal muscle health can be improved with lifelong exercise that is sustained. Regular exercise decreases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.
In addition, it improves blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, lipid profile, and the production of vasodilatory mediators like nitric oxide, which dilate blood vessels to increase blood flow. In fact, animal studies suggest that a long period of physical activity is associated with a lower heart rate and less cardiac hypertrophy.
The benefits of lifelong exercise are now being explored in a variety of settings, including older adults.
A recent study by researchers at the Human Performance Laboratory in Muncie, Indiana, examined a group of 70 healthy seniors who were stratified into 4 groups: "sedentary" subjects (2 sessions per week), "casual exercisers" (2-3 times a week), "committed exercisers" (4-5 sessions a week) and "Masters athletes" (6 to 7 sessions a week).
These lifelong exercisers were on average 75 years old, with a history of structured physical activity four or more days a week for at least seven hours a week. In addition, they had a history of participating in cardiovascular activities such as running and cycling.
To find out if the benefits of lifelong exercise extended to heart mass, Trappe and colleagues used cardiac MRI to examine heart tissue in a subset of the group.
The researchers found that the heart mass of the sedentary subjects diminished over time, while the heart mass of committed exercisers and Masters athletes increased.
This is the first large-scale study to demonstrate a link between exercise training and cardiovascular health in healthy older people. It also suggests that increasing the number of sessions per week is important for maintaining optimal heart health.
The findings of the new study are particularly interesting because they show that heart health can be preserved and even reversed in elderly people who have a long history of exercise.
This is especially encouraging for people who are concerned about heart disease and stroke in older age, says study author Dr. Benjamin Levine of Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas.
Skeletal Muscle Health
Skeletal muscle (also known as striated muscles) is an important part of the human body that allows us to move.
These muscles are often under our control, but they can also be affected by diseases and disorders.
Aging is a major cause of loss in both skeletal muscle mass and strength. In addition, the deterioration of muscle function can lead to problems like pain and weakness.
Exercise can help protect against age-related loss of muscle health. Researchers found that people who regularly exercised throughout their lives had healthier, more functional muscles than those who were less active.
There are several ways to improve skeletal muscle health: exercising regularly, eating a healthy diet and maintaining a good sleep schedule.
All of these factors can help prevent sarcopenia, which is an age-related decrease in skeletal muscle mass and function.
One of the most effective ways to improve skeletal muscle health is through aerobic exercise.
This is because it increases the number of mitochondria, which are responsible for producing energy in the body. This increases the amount of oxygen that is able to be used by skeletal muscle and helps reduce oxidative stress.
Another way to improve skeletal muscle health is through resistance training, which can help you build more muscle and strengthen it.
The key is to do different types of exercises and ensure you are getting enough protein in your diet, so your body can repair the micro-tears in the muscles.
Lifelong aerobic exercise can also be beneficial for skeletal muscle health. In fact, a study found that 75-year-old men who exercised regularly were much better off than their inactive counterparts.
In this study, researchers examined the effects of lifelong exercise on a group of men who reported doing 5 days a week of aerobic exercise for decades.
They split the group into two subgroups: a "performance" group that did vigorous exercises and a "fitness" group that did less intense exercises.
The results show that both groups had similar single fiber profiles, although the "performance" group was better at generating power and had more force.
The researchers found that these differences in fast muscle fibre size and function were caused by their respective exercise intensity.
Mental Health
Physical fitness is an important determinant of mental health. It can reduce depression and anxiety in people of all ages.
It can also help people feel better about themselves and their lives. It can also increase their confidence and self-esteem, and it can help them cope with stress.
Studies have shown that the effects of exercise on mental health can be very long lasting.
This is because exercise has a positive effect on feelings of wellbeing, and it helps people improve their emotional and social well-being.
However, many of the studies assessing the link between physical fitness and mental health were conducted on a small sample size.
This was often due to the study design and the lack of a standardized methodology, making it difficult to interpret the results.
This is particularly true of studies with correlational study designs that show a direct link between a specific fitness measure and a specific psychological outcome.
The most common type of mental illness in adults and youth is depression. It can be mild and disabling, or it can be serious and debilitating.
While there are a number of medications and other treatment options available for depression, they often have side effects that are unpleasant or harmful.
This is why it is so important to find a treatment that is safe and effective.
One study showed that just a few minutes of exercise can lower symptoms of anxiety and depression in people with these disorders.
It also showed that regular exercise can reduce the likelihood of having these disorders in the future.
Taking part in team sports may also help people with depression and anxiety. It can also provide them with a sense of purpose and belonging, which can be helpful for those who have mental health disorders.
This is important because people with mental health disorders often have a hard time finding the motivation to start and maintain physical activity.
They might not think it is worth the effort, or they might be afraid of hurting themselves while exercising.
A good way to get started on physical activity is to join a group of people who are interested in fitness and who are ready to commit to a consistent schedule of exercise. They can then support each other in their efforts to reach their fitness goals.
Conclusion
Lifelong exercise is a key to cardiovascular and skeletal muscle health. It is essential for maintaining a healthy weight, preventing chronic diseases and cancers, and ensuring an active lifestyle for years to come.
The National Institutes of Health recommends that adults get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week to promote cardiovascular health and muscle strength and power. But 77 percent of Americans fail to meet that goal.
This is why it is so important to find an exercise routine you enjoy and are consistent with. If you aren’t motivated and don’t feel a sense of accomplishment after each workout, you are unlikely to stick with it.
Cardiovascular health benefits
This study showed that elderly men and women who have been physically active for most of their lives have a cardiovascular system that looks 30 years younger.
They had better heart function, a higher VO2 max, and healthier lipids than sedentary adults of the same age.
Skeletal muscle health
Researchers at Ball State University in Muncie Indiana found that lifelong exercisers were able to preserve and build on their skeletal muscle mass as they aged.
They compared the heart masses of 59 sedentary healthy subjects to 62 committed lifelong exercisers and Masters athletes who were screened for their level of activity.
Sarcopenia, the loss of skeletal muscle mass with aging, is a major concern among the aging population.
This accelerated loss of muscle force-generating capacity reduces mobility and independence, increases the risk of disease and disability, and exacerbates the progression of aging and frailty.
