Well … it’s complicated.
Its actually only since about the 1950s that exercise has been recognised as having general benefits for health. That extends to cardiovascular benefits, which we all might know, but also to levels of immunity and cognitive ability. But what actually happens when you exercise?
This study measured tens of thousands of molecules before and after exercise and found in short that over half of them changed. Literally thousands of changes.
Volunteers ranged from 40 to 75 in age with an average BMI of around 28. They were subjected to a treadmill VO2 max test that resulted in a majority pushing themselves into anaerobic exercise (RER >1.0) and the remainder at least meeting or exceeding 95% of their calculated maximum heart rate.
The results were described by the authors as an “orchestrated choreography” of biological processes beneficial to health and offering, perhaps, a tantalising glimpse into key markers responsible for overall health – the study mentions beneficial effects on the metabolisation of food, effects on inflammation pathways, tissue repair and growth.
In short, we’re beginning to scratch the surface of an enormously complicated processes running into thousands of molecular changes in the body and which is, frankly, still not entirely understood. But the survey serves to underline again the importance of exercise, if that was ever in doubt.
All you have to do … is get off the couch and do it!