The stress you need - Exercise do it right!

How the body deals with exercise - Physiological responses

So I can build a better picture on further blogs on what happens to the body in certain scenarios let me give you a brief overview about what happens to the body when you exercise.

Exercise is a stress and when you exercise the body reacts in a certain way to overcome and adapt to this stress. These are called physiological responses.

Think of exercise as a challenge to your body's balance, prompting it to adapt and become stronger over time.

What is Stress in a Biological Context?

In biology, stress refers to any condition that disrupts the normal functioning of an organism, prompting a series of adaptive responses aimed at restoring balance. Exercise disrupts the body's normal state, triggering a wide range of physiological changes to cope with increased demands.

Acute vs Chronic Stress

Acute Stress: Each exercise session acts as an acute stressor. During and immediately after exercise, the body works hard to cope with these demands whilst in a period of rest. Repeating these acute stressors with consistent exercise the body adjusts. These adjustments enhance the body's ability to manage similar stress in the future, resulting in enhanced fitness, strength, endurance, and overall well-being.

Chronic Stress*: Repeating acute stress without the period of rest to adjust. Excessive stress physical and mental can have a reverse effect meaning limited adaptation if at all. It will also cause sickness and injury. It is important whilst providing regular stress you also meet the cost of it with the relevant recovery.

Allostasis: The Dynamic Process of Maintaining Balance

Allostasis refers to the process by which the body achieves stability through a change in behaviour for example exercise it is keeping you alive by altering physiological functions. Unlike homeostasis, which aims to maintain a constant internal environment, allostasis involves dynamic adjustments of physiology and psychology to meet the demands of different stressors, in this case exercise.

Exercise trigger ➡️ Stress ➡️ Response

Here are some examples of this and how the body reacts to remain functioning

Increased Energy Demand

Stress: When you exercise, your muscles require more energy to contract and perform work.
Response: Your body increases the metabolic rate, mobilises energy stores (like glycogen and fat), and enhances ATP production.

Gas Exchange - Oxygen Supply and Carbon Dioxide Removal

Stress: Exercising muscles need more oxygen to support fuelling which is producing more carbon dioxide as a waste product.
Response: Your heart rate and breathing rate increase to deliver more oxygen to the muscles and remove carbon dioxide efficiently, adapting to maintain an optimal internal environment.

Thermoregulation

Stress: Physical activity generates heat, raising your body temperature.
Response: Your body initiates cooling mechanisms like sweating and vasodilation (widening of blood vessels) to dissipate excess heat and maintain a stable internal temperature.

Mechanical Stress on Muscles and Bones

Stress: Exercise, especially resistance training, imposes mechanical loads on the bodies structure.
Response: The body recruits muscle fibres through the neural pathway and then repairs and strengthens these tissues, leading to muscle growth and increased bone density over time.

Cardiovascular System

Stress: The need to deliver more blood to active muscles places additional demands on the heart and blood vessels.
Response: The heart pumps more vigorously, and blood vessels adjust their diameter (vasodilation/vasoconstriction) to direct blood flow where it is needed most. Then creates a bigger and stronger vascular network and eccentric and concentric ability of the heart.

Hormonal Changes

Stress: Exercise triggers the release of various hormones like adrenaline, cortisol, and endorphins.
Response: These hormones help mobilise energy, enhance alertness, and modulate pain perception, aiding in performance during and recovery after.

Benefits of Exercise as a Stress

While the term "STRESS" often has a negative connotation, the stress from exercise is mainly beneficial when managed with rest periods.

Improved Cardiovascular Health
Enhanced Muscular Strength and Endurance
Better Metabolic Health
Increased Bone Density
Mental Health Benefits
Flexible Mindset
Longevity

Appreciate the importance of stress it's aim is to disrupt the regular state of the body just use it wisely

Take home message

Exercise is a form of stress, it challenges the body’s current state, forcing it to adapt and become stronger. Through the process of allostasis, the body makes dynamic adjustments to cope with these demands via physiological responses and adaptations, leading to improved physical and mental health and strength over time.

Understanding this can help you appreciate why pushing your limits during a workout is both natural and beneficial.

Please remember after each bout of stress recovery is needed!