How does exercise boost energy levels?
In: Biology
The body responds to stresses. When you exert a lot of energy, your heart rate increases to pump blood through your body faster. Blood is part of how your body transports lots of nutrients, but especially oxygen, which your muscles need to work. This is why you breath harder when running, because you need more oxygen to supply your body with the things it needs to keep going.
When you stop, your body begins a recovery process. It sends nutrients to repair the tiny strains and tears in your muscles. This includes things like your heart and your lungs. Your body actually senses where you need more strength and support. But like a skyscraper, it can’t be built from the ground up over night. So everytimenyou exercise, it’s like telling your body to build another floor on the skyscraper of your physical health.
As this occurs over time, the cumulative strengthening of muscles and systems that support your muscles, circulation, and everything else can be felt. Your body is prepared for another exertion of energy. The increased efficiency in your heart and lungs provides benefits beyond just running long distances, because the brain uses oxygen and energy, and so do all of your regular body processes. Even if you don’t exercise, you still probably burn around 1500-1800 calories (more or less depending on many factors) just from keeping your body alive, digesting, maintaining temperature, and fighting off bacteria and things that could make you sick. A stronger body can handle these things more efficiently as well, so you feel stronger and more energized in your day to day when you are in good shape.
The caveat is that you can over do it. Exercise is stress on the body, and doing too much of it at once, either by going too long beyond your abilities or trying to exert too much at once (maybe lifting too much weight) can cause bigger damage than the small stresses from healthy exercise. This is also why, early on when trying to get in shape, you might feel very, very tired on days when you exercised. If this happens, you are probably pushing yourself a little too hard too fast. Exercise should make you feel very energized and strong after working out, even when your muscles and lungs feel somewhat weaker.
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