2016/05/04
Physiological Effects of Running
Physiological Effects of Running
While running can help improve (mood)
+ (overall fitness and health), it can also negatively impact (body) + (mind). Not unlike other forms of exercise, running
gives us the physical activity/outlet to release pent-up energy (once that
initial pain goes away of course) to think about and process our worries,
stressors, etc. You can even figure out solutions to difficult life situations
better because running helps to clear the mind. In addition to the stress
relief we can experience as a result of jogging and the time we get to spend
alone in reflection, thinking, listening to music, etc. there are also clear
benefits for our brains. Cardiovascular
exercise is known to create new brain cells (a process called neurogenesis) in
the area of the brain called the hippocampus.
This part of the brain is primarily responsible for memory function, and
there are strong links between jogging regularly and enhanced memory/brain
power. Have you ever heard (or better
yet experienced) a “runners high”? Interestingly this term is more accurate
than most people realize. When we run
out brain releases a boost of endorphins, which are the body’s natural
“feel-good” hormones. These hormones create a feeling of “internal
goodness”. People who run 3-4 times per
week on average experience greater levels of happiness and report less
depression and anxiety when compared to non-runners. Think of it as a free and really healthy way
to boost endorphins and chaser your own runner’s high. Last, but certainly not lease, once of (if
not the) greatest benefit of running is the positive impact on self-esteem. On
one hand, people often experience weight-loss and improved physical health from
jogging. This makes them feel better
about themselves and is often reinforced by other people in the forms of
compliments or more attention. As we
lose weight and get stronger we feel better about ourselves. There is also a huge psychological impact on
self-concept as we work hard to achieve running goals. We experience a great sense of accomplishment
with each new run, and research supports the idea that the more successful a
person feels the more productive they actually become. So, in a very real way, jogging can help us
be more productive, feel accomplishment, and boost our overall
self-esteem. Running/ jogging has so
many wonderful and significant benefits to offer us all. Jogging for just 30 minutes, 3-4 times per
week can be more than enough to give you these 4 essential benefits. Once you get into the habit of running you
will experience greater stress relief, better mental and cognitive abilities,
an enhanced mood, and heightened self-esteem.
When you look at it this way, it almost seems silly not to lace up your
gym shoes and outside right now. If you
struggle with motivation, or are not sure how to get started working with a
trained professional or a life coach could certainly help you achieve these
amazing benefits of jogging.
As for overall fitness an easy-paced jog, for
a total of one to 2 ½ hours each week, that leaves you a little bit breathless
but still able to talk intermittently provides your body with many
cardiovascular benefits, reports New York University’s Langone Medical Center.
These benefits can extend your life up to six years. Similar to any other
muscle in your body, your heart becomes strengthened and works more efficiently
as you jog regularly. Jogging is an excellent way to lose weight. You’ll burn
approximately 250 calories in a half-hour jog and about 500 calories after one
hour. As you burn 3,500 calories over the course of a week or more without
increasing your food intake, you’ll enjoy the benefit of losing 1 pound of fat.
To boost this benefit of jogging, you can follow a calorie-reduced diet that
adds to your weight loss. A reduction of 250 to 500 calories each day will help
you lose ½ to 1 pound more each week, in addition to the weight you lose
jogging. When you jog, the large muscles of your lower legs are engaged, as are
your abdominal muscles and arm muscles. Regular joggers and runners often look
lean and toned, which is due to the muscle development that occurs naturally as
you jog. You can increase this benefit and burn more calories to promote weight
loss by wearing a 4-to 7 pound weighted vest while you jog. Start out with less
weight and slowly increase it every one to two weeks. Alternatively, you can
also build more muscle and burn more calories during your jog by incorporating
a few hills into your jogging workout. Running makes your heart stronger. While
running, your heart beats faster thus making the blood flow and oxygen exchange
more effective and decreasing a risk of a heart attack. A strong heart will
more easily deal with any kind of stress. You’ll sleep like a baby. If you pump
your heart with a 30 minutes long run, it will actually make your pulse lower
while resting and sleeping. Live longer without pain. Running can increase bone
density and prevent osteoporosis. Results show that running strengthens bones
better than other aerobic activities. Researchers from University of Missouri
who compared the bone density of runners and cyclists said that 63 % had low
density in their spine or hips compared to only 19% of runners. It’s not only
apples that can keep the doctor away. Active people are less likely to develop
colon cancer. And ladies, women who regularly engage in intense workouts like
running can reduce their risk of breast cancer by up to 30 percent. A strong
core improves posture, strengthens limbs, and helps make everyday activities a
breeze. And whether we feel it or not, running engages that midsection,
strengthening those all-important muscles. Bonus: A solid core in runners can
improve performance, too. Running is a natural way to keep high blood pressure
at bay- and fast. Amping up workouts can help lower blood pressure in just a
few weeks. Aerobic exercises such as running, cycling and swimming have a
consistent, demonstrated effect on lowering blood pressure. According to a
report published in November 2013 in “Circulation, “men and women at all blood
pressure levels benefit from regular aerobic activity, including those with
hypertension. This same report suggests reductions in blood pressure are
associated with moderate to vigorous aerobic physical activity of at least 12
weeks’ duration, on average, involving 3 to 4 sessions per week, lasting an
average of 40 minutes per session. Exercise has been shown to help keep the
mind sharp and could even reduce symptoms of dementia. Hitting the track might
also protect the brain against Alzheimer’s, even among those with a family
history of it. The benefits of cardiovascular activity are immense. The body
becomes naturally inclined to consume more oxygen during high-intensity modes
of exercise, which strengthens the lungs and allows runners to breathe at
greater ease during rest. Running has been scientifically tested to improve
heart function. Aerobic exercise also decreases resting heart rate and blood
pressure. Running is often perceived as a daunting activity by average
gym-goers, but it’s part of a complete exercise regimen. The health benefits
realized as an outcome of three to four bouts of running each week can
ultimately transform your lifestyle, and dramatically improve your overall
well-being. According to the American Heart Association, physical activity will
improve your overall quality of life. This sentiment is shared among most
health institutions. It’s no secret that remaining active is important for
sustaining both physical and mental well-being. The benefits of certain types
of exercise outweigh some alternatives, though. Higher intensity modes of
cardiovascular activity, such as running, supply the body with added health
benefits that low-octane exercise, like walking from the couch to the
refrigerator, cannot match. You don’t need to become a marathon runner in order
to enjoy the maximum benefits of aerobic exercise. However, you need to
challenge yourself. Running improves heart health because it forces the body to
operate at a high capacity. This means
heart rate is increased, which causes rapid blood flow. Increased heart rate
during exercise also supplies working muscles with added oxygen. Vital
nutrients are carried to the body’s tissues in this process. The energy needs
of the body are naturally increased while running, forcing blood vessels to
palpitate. The outcome of this symbiotic process ultimately improves the body’s
ability to function at a high level, fueling your overall well-being. People
who have asthma can also benefit from aerobic exercise, including running. A
recent study published in the “American Journal of Respiratory and Critical
Care Medicine” confirmed that 30 minutes of aerobic exercise, like running,
done three times a week can improve asthma control significantly. Although
asthma may be triggered by exercise for some people, others who have their
condition in control can use running to improve overall lung health and
strengthen the breathing muscles. Running can reduce the amount of fat in your
body. According to an article on the Peak Performance website, fat reduction
from running is not immediate, but cumulative results may be impressive.
According to the National Federation of Personal Trainers Endurance Specialist
Manual, 65 percent to 95 percent of the calories your burn during aerobic
exercise such as running comes from your body’s fat stores. The exact
proportion of fat calories that your burn depends on your aerobic condition and
the intensity of the activity. Your body burns calories for energy while you
run, and running harder and longer requires more energy. However, the Peak
Performance website reports that energy contributions from fat calories
decreases as energy demands go up. Longer and more intense running session’s
recruit more calories from glycogen stores in your body and may not burn any
fat calories. Glycogen is energy that your body stores from carbohydrates.
Phasic activities such as cross country running may help reduce the amount of
total cholesterol in your bloodstream more effectively than static exercise
such as weight training or wrestling. Phasic activities use more rapidly
adaptive movements with relatively short periods of muscular contraction,
whereas static activates require less movement and sustained muscular
contractions. According to a study in the “Journal of Lipid Research,” phasic
activities reduced total cholesterol levels in test subjects, but static
activities did not. The study reports that subjects that had greater
cholesterol reductions also reported higher intensity activity, so more intense
running may reduce your cholesterol level more than lower-intensity running.
Running may promote higher HDL cholesterol levels in your blood. According to
the American Heart Association, HDL cholesterol is “good” cholesterol, because
it may protect you from heart disease by transporting cholesterol out of your
arteries. The Peak Performance website reports that the more miles a woman runs
may correspond with higher HDL cholesterol levels. Running 40 miles each week
may increase a woman’s HDL cholesterol and reduce her chances of developing
heart diseases by 30 percent. Peak Performance reports that a man may
experience higher HDL levels that reduce his risk for heart disease by 10
percent for every 10 miles he runs in a week.
As for negative effects, running can
have great impact on body. Patellofemoral pain syndrome (PFPS), or runner’s
knee, got its nickname from an obvious and very unfortunate reason—it’s common
among runners. The stress of running can cause irritation where the kneecap
(patella) rests on the thighbone. The resulting pain can be sharp and sudden or
dull and chronic, and it may disappear while you’re running, only to return
again afterward. While biomechanical issues may be to blame for runner’s knee,
the cause can often be traced back to poorly conditioned quadriceps and tight
hamstrings. Running is a high-impact sport in which no runner is immune to
injury. Runners typically develop knee problems for two reasons: impact and
overuse. Ross Tucker, author of “The Runner’s Body,“ explains that “each time
your foot makes contact with the ground, forces equaling two to four times your
body weight travel upward through your lower leg, knee, thigh, hip and pelvis,
and into your spine.” This repetitive motion puts a great deal of stress on
your body. He goes on to say that “the impact forces from running do not
equally disrupt all the tissues they pass through. Instead, damage is
concentrated in areas of greater susceptibility.” In many people, especially in
women, the knee are very susceptible to injury. Women are more prone to knee
injury than men. Reasons for this include their wider pelvis, leg alignment,
joint looseness and general muscle strength. For this reason, women runners
should be especially careful to take preventative measures against injury. Chafing
is a common ailment among runners and can be extremely painful during and after
running. Chafing is caused by repeated motion—specifically, skin rubbing against
loose fabric or other skin. Chafing most often occurs around the bra line
(women, nipples (men), inner thighs, groin, and under the arms. Moisture,
either from sweat or rain, can worsen chafing. It can also be caused by a
poorly fitted bra and clothes with rough seams.
Running also causes you to have what is called “Black Toenail”, which
comes from your foot sliding forward in your shoe, banging your toes against
the top, front, and sides with each step. Your feet also swell during a walk or
run and get compressed by your socks and shoes. That pressure and impact can
damage your toenail beds, or create a blister under the toenail itself. When
this happens, the extra blood and fluid causes your toenail to separate from
the toenail bed, or the “toenail in training” as the Jeff Galloway site calls
it. The blood colors the toenail black. Shin splints are very common among
beginning runners because they may do too much too soon. With anterior shin
splints, you’ll feel pain on the outside if your lower leg along the shin.
Posterior shin splints, damage to the muscles on the inside of the lower leg,
cause pain in the soft tissue behind the bone. While shin splints are usually
cause by tight calf muscles and weak shin muscles, other factors may have
aggravated the injury. Running on hard surfaces can put added strain on your
front leg muscles. You may also pronate or supinate when your run, causing your
front leg muscles to work harder to keep your feet stabilized. This
biomechanical flaw may be made worse by a shoe with poor support. Another
common cause is simply overtraining. Achilles tendonitis is often a result of
overtraining, or doing too much too soon. Excessive hill running can contribute
to it. Flattening of the arch of your foot can place you at increased risk of
developing Achilles tendonitis because of the extra stress place on your
Achilles tendon when walking or running. Stress fractures most frequently
happen when runners increase the intensity and volume of their training over
several weeks to a few months. A shortage of calcium or a biomechanical
flaw—either in your running style in or your body structure—may also contribute
to the injury. Common stress fractures in runners occur in the tibia (the inner
and larger bone of the leg below the knee), the femur (thigh bone) and in the
sacrum (triangular bone at the base of the spine) and the metatarsal (toe)
bones in the foot. Plantar fasciitis is
common in long-distance runners because running can place too much stress on
your heel bone and the soft tissue attached to it. Wearing old, worn-out
running shoes or ones that lack arch support may be a factor. Other causes of
plantar fasciitis are over pronation (when your feet roll inward too much) or
too-tight calf muscles. Having flat feet or high arches may also cause added
stress. High-heeled shoes can also be lead to plantar fasciitis because they
make your Achilles tendon contract and shorten, which puts strain on the tissue
around your heel.
As for effects to the brain, which
could be good or bad; depending on how much you do it. Running can increase the
production of certain neurotransmitters in the brain. Neurotransmitters are
naturally existing chemicals in the human body. They are involved in the
communication between the nerve cells of the body. The nerve cells control
thought and movement. Nerve cells, called neurons, communicate with each other
by releasing and accepting calcium and potassium. The neurotransmitters affect how
much of the chemicals that excite the neurons are released or accepted.
Serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine are a type of neurotransmitter called
monoamines. Exercise has an effect on the other types of neurotransmitters as
well but the monoamines are studied extensively because of their effect on
mood. “Exercise, like drugs of abuse, leads to the release of neurotransmitters
such as endorphins and dopamine, which are involved with a sense of reward,
“Kanarek said. “As with food intake and other parts of life, moderation seems
to be the key. Exercise, as long as it doesn’t interfere with other aspects of
one’s life, is a good thing with respect to both physical and mental health.”
Me, myself have experienced this first hand,
and have plenty of runner friends that experience this as well. Running can be
addicting; just like drugs or alcohol is to an addict or alcoholic, and many
tend to rely on it as their natural way to feel good. Then comes personal
goals, such as running a 5k, 10k, Half Marathon, or Marathon; some even go the
extra miles by running an Ultra Marathon. Running can be a good thing if you do
it properly, and don’t overdo it! Overdoing it, and doing it improperly are the
main causes of injury from what I’ve gathered.
References
Provis,
C. (2015). 5 Ways Running Helps to Improve Mood! Retrieved March 7, 2016, from http://www.mychicagotherapist.com/5-ways-running-helps-to-improve-mood/
Ylisela,
M. (2016, 03). How long until you see the benifits of jogging?. azcentral.
Retrieved 03, 2016, from http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/long-until-see-benefits-jogging-10389.html
Michelle,
L. (2014, March 7). 10 Ways Running Improves Your Life. Retrieved March 14,
2016, from http://www.blogher.com/10-ways-running-can-improve-your-life
Munoz,
K. (2014, April 3). 30 Convincing Reasons to Start Running Now. Retrieved March
14, 2016, from http://greatist.com/fitness/30-convincing-reasons-start-running-now
Beery,
M. (2015, June 09). Does Running Lower Blood Pressure? Retrieved March 14,
2016, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/384470-does-running-lower-blood-pressure/
Why
Running Improves Heart Health / Fitness. (n.d.). Retrieved March 14, 2016, from
http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/why-running-improves-heart-health.html
Carpenter,
P. (n.d.). How Does Running Help Your Respiratory System? Retrieved March 14,
2016, from http://healthyliving.azcentral.com/running-respiratory-system-10445.html
References
Cavazos,
M. (2014, January 22). Running Effects on Fat and Cholesterol. Retrieved March
14, 2016, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/281637-the-effects-of-running-on-fat-cholesterol/
Bond,
K. (2015, November 14). The Effect of Running on the Knees. Retrieved March 14,
2016, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/526736-running-how-it-affects-your-knees/
Luff,
C. (2016, January 19). Simple Ways to Avoid and Treat Chafing for Runners.
Retrieved March 14, 2016, from http://running.about.com/od/commonrunninginjuries/p/chafing.htm
Bumgardner,
W. (2014, October 10). What is Black Toenail? Retrieved March 14, 2016, from http://walking.about.com/od/blisterfoot/a/blacktoenail.htm
How
to Prevent and Treat Shin Splints. (n.d.). Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://running.about.com/od/commonrunninginjuries/a/shinsplints.htm
Luff,
C. (2015, October 22). How to Prevent, Identify, and Treat Achilles Tendonitis.
Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://running.about.com/od/commonrunninginjuries/p/achillesinjury.htm
Luff,
C. (2016, March 15). How to Prevent, Identify, and Treat a Stress Fracture.
Retrieved March 15, 2016, from http://running.about.com/od/commonrunninginjuries/p/stressfracture.htm
References
Luff,
C. (2015, August 4). How to Kick Your Plantar Fasciitis. Retrieved March 15,
2016, from http://running.about.com/od/commonrunninginjuries/p/heel_pain.htm
Northridge,
K. (2015, July 03). Exercise & Brain Neurotransmitters. Retrieved March 16,
2016, from http://www.livestrong.com/article/96493-exercise-brain-neurotransmitters/
Peterson,
D. (2009, August 26). ‘Runner’s high’ can turn into a real addiction. Retrieved
March 16, 2016, from
http://www.nbcnews.com/id/32573781/ns/health-fitness/t/runners-high-can-turn-real-addiction/#.VumW6v5gmUk
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