2023-11-12 16:20:38
Our modern societies are facing a growing number of patients suffering not only from chronic diseases, whether pulmonary, cardiovascular or metabolic (metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity, etc.), but also from cancers. In addition to this list – which is not exhaustive – Western countries are also faced with the aging of their populations. Result: healthcare costs are exploding.
However, a very inexpensive treatment/medication exists. Its positive effects on certain symptoms, as well as on morbidity, autonomy and quality of life of patients for the aforementioned diseases or the elderly, are scientifically established. It’s regarding physical exercise.
Regularly, new scientific studies demonstrate the beneficial role of regular physical activity in the prevention or treatment of diseases. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a sedentary lifestyle is the leading cause of preventable mortality. Practicing moderate physical activity (walking, swimming, gardening, etc.) for at least 3 hours per week or intense activity (running, etc.) for at least 20 minutes, 3 times per week reduces the risk of premature mortality.
In medicine, it is traditional to prescribe the most effective treatment with the fewest risks or side effects. Physical exercise in many cases meets this dual requirement, as long as it is well calibrated and executed! Here’s what science tells us regarding its benefits.
Effects of endurance training
In the general population, endurance training is known to lead to improvements in physical fitness. Thus, when we are well trained, we are able to practice physical activity for longer and/or at higher intensity.
These better performances following training are partly linked to pulmonary, cardiovascular and muscular adaptations leading to an improvement in our ability to consume oxygen.
Jenny Hill/Unsplash
Indeed, oxygen is the major “oxidizer” which intervenes in the reactions providing energy to our muscle cells, and endurance training improves all the functions of the body involved in the collection, transport and production. use of oxygen.
Thus, following training, the maximal pulmonary abilities and capacities (involved in the uptake of oxygen) are improved.
If cardiac output (involved in the transport of oxygen and corresponding to the product of heart rate and stroke volume) remains the same for a given intensity following training, its modalities change. Indeed, with endurance training, the chambers of the heart enlarge, which allows more blood to be sent into the body with each heartbeat (the stroke volume increases). As a result, the heart will beat slower following training (decrease in heart rate) for a given activity intensity.
Furthermore, since the maximum heart rate is almost unaffected by training, but the stroke volume is increased, the maximum cardiac output is greatly increased by endurance training. This cardiac adaptation is of prime importance for the supply of blood and therefore oxygen to the body and to the muscles in particular.
Finally, the muscles (skeletal striated, involved in movement and which in fine use oxygen) are also the site of numerous adaptations. The number of small blood vessels (capillaries) which irrigate the muscle is greatly increased by training, which improves the oxygen supply to the tissue. In addition, under the constraints of regular physical activity, the muscle “strengthens”: it becomes a little larger (slight hypertrophy of muscle fibers) and stronger.
Last point: all the “muscular equipment” (in other words the so-called “aerobic” metabolic pathways) which is used for the combustion of fuels (carbohydrates or lipids) and oxidizer (oxygen) to provide the energy necessary for muscular contraction is also improved.
Physical exercise and metabolic diseases
When a person suffering from a metabolic disease (metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, obesity, etc.) practices physical activity, they benefit from all the adaptations mentioned above; above all, other adaptations occur which make it possible to counteract the harmful effects of the pathology.
Indeed, during exercise, the muscle consumes lipids and especially carbohydrates. As a result, these substrates enter the muscle cells for use. They therefore accumulate less in the blood, reducing their contribution to the development of metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. As a result, hyperglycemia, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, bad cholesterol, hyperlipidemia and high blood pressure (among others) will decrease.
All of this is intended to reduce the risks and symptoms of metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and obesity. Obviously, if physical activity is combined with a diet that is too fatty, too salty and too sweet, these benefits will be lost…
Physical exercise and aging
Burçin Ergünt/Unsplash
Aging is inevitable and it affects all levels of the body: pulmonary, cardiac, vascular and muscular. The consequence is unstoppable: physical fitness decreases.
On the other hand, what is remarkable is that the curves of the sedentary, active and highly trained populations evolve in an almost parallel manner. Thus, the physical fitness of active people remains higher than that of sedentary people at all ages.
In practice we notice that the physical abilities of a sedentary 45 year old person and an active 65 year old person are similar! The challenge is therefore to remain active throughout life. In this way, we can hope to delay the onset of pathologies linked to inactivity, such as metabolic diseases.
Being physically active not only can make you live longer, but even better, it helps delay the onset of addiction.
Physical exercise and cancer
Cancer is often accompanied by muscle wasting (cachexia), loss of strength and chronic fatigue, leading to inactivity. The disease also promotes anxiety and even depression. Everything contributes to a deterioration in the quality of life of patients. Additionally, some of these traits may be made worse by treatments like chemotherapy.
Conversely, physical activity helps counteract most of the harmful effects).
Furthermore, epidemiological studies have shown that an active lifestyle including regular physical activity protects once morest the development of colon and breast cancer (25 to 30% reduction in the risk of occurrence) and that physical exercise , even following breast cancer diagnosis, can reduce the risk of death from the disease.
Physical exercise and anxiety, stress or depression
A scientific study showed that people who had carried out regular physical activity showed a reduction in symptoms of stress and anxiety, compared to a control group without physical activity.
Other work has also shown an inverse relationship between physical fitness level and symptoms of depression, and that regular physical activity is associated with a lower incidence/prevalence of depression.
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Physical exercise and sickle cell disease
Sickle cell anemia is a genetic disease that induces the production of abnormal hemoglobin. Among the consequences, we note severe anemia which drastically reduces the physical fitness of patients: the most seriously affected patients are not able to climb a flight of stairs without stopping to recover.
As a precaution in view of certain risks linked to excessively intense physical exertion (vaso-occlusive crises, acute chest syndrome), patients are too often locked into hypersedentary behavior.
However, if physical exercise is well calibrated, it proves not only risk-free, but above all beneficial: our studies have in fact demonstrated that all pulmonary, cardiovascular and muscular levels are improved.
Conclusion et perspectives
All these results indicate how important the recommendations regarding regular physical activity are.
Physical activity can be used prophylactically, to prevent the onset or worsening of an illness, or as a therapeutic means, by being integrated into the therapeutic arsenal of patient care, in order to help eliminate or relieve some of their symptoms.
The main question is no longer whether physical activity is beneficial, but rather to specify the type, doses, intensity, methods of application and indications according to individuals and stages of the pathology. whose care we aim to improve.
Such physical activity, regular, structured in its implementation methods (time, duration, type of exercise, etc.) and individualized, becomes real “physical training”, the objective of which is not to win competitions. , but to avoid losing your health!
This article is published as part of the Science Festival (which takes place from October 6 to 16, 2023 in mainland France and from November 10 to 27, 2023 overseas and internationally), and of which The Conversation France is a partner. . This new edition focuses on the theme “sport and science”. Find all the events in your region on the Fetedelascience.fr website.
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