Physical activity is not just a way to lose weight. Sport has major benefits from a medical, social, and economic perspective. It boosts the immune system and promotes general well-being: walking, running, or gardening activate metabolic mechanisms, or biological reactions, in our bodies.
The benefits of exercise can be seen in physical appearance, but also in mental health:
Physical health
Fighting obesity and diabetes-related diseases
Sport does not, strictly speaking, prevent obesity or overweight. However, physical activity is regularly prescribed as a complement to appropriate treatment to help patients achieve their goals.
In general, exercise helps regulate weight with the aim of achieving a more toned figure. Muscles can produce certain hormones, called myokines, which have metabolic effects on several organs. As Cédric Moro (research director at Inserm at the Institute of Metabolic and Cardiovascular Diseases in Toulouse) explains, "In obese patients, muscles contain a small amount of fat. Exercise melts this fat away, allowing insulin to more effectively supply the muscles with sugar. This helps prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes."
The positive effects of exercise on weight problems or diabetes are only beneficial if exercised correctly. There are recommendations that exist and must be followed for this to be effective with minimal side effects.
Cardiovascular diseases
When it comes to cardiovascular disease, the risk factors are well known: smoking, stress, high blood pressure, etc. Regular physical activity improves and regulates the functioning of the heart, leading to a reduction in cardiovascular risks:
- Potential 50% reduction in high blood pressure
- Increase in good cholesterol levels
- Regulation of blood sugar levels
We also know that below a certain VO2 max threshold, which is the maximum amount of oxygen the body consumes during intense exercise, a heart transplant is necessary. Thibaut Guiraud, a physiology researcher at I2MC, explains that "With exercise, we improve our physical capacity and can move out of the red zone, which is above 5 METs (equivalent to the ability to walk at 4-5 km/h for a few minutes)."
Regular physical activity makes the heart stronger and therefore prevents or slows down cardiovascular problems.
Cancer
It's no longer a secret that physical activity can be beneficial in the treatment of certain cancers.
Cancer is the leading cause of death ahead of cardiovascular disease: the number of cases has doubled over the last 30 years.
Exercising during treatment helps the body counteract certain negative effects of treatment, such as fatigue. Of course, this is provided that the exercise is moderate and adapted to the treatment. Béatrice Fervers, an oncologist at the Léon-Bérard Center, explains that "the sooner patients start exercising after their diagnosis, the better they are able to counteract the side effects."
Indeed, exercise changes body composition (decrease in visceral fat and maintenance or even improvement of muscle mass) as well as muscle strength. The possible consequences of regular physical activity on the mechanisms involved in tumor proliferation can be explained: the best-documented effects concern breast cancer and relate to glycemic regulation, increased insulin sensitivity, an anti-inflammatory effect, and hormonal regulation.
According to researchers at ISERM, physical activity may reduce the risk of recurrence in breast and colon cancer.
Mental health
As we saw in the article on meditation, physical activity contributes to better mental health.
Sport not only helps people with illnesses. Sport also promotes the well-being of those who practice it by reducing psychological risks.
Anti-stress
Physical activity can help reduce stress. Exercise triggers the body to produce hormones called endorphins, which are feel-good hormones. As a result, anxiety levels are reduced after physical activity.
Dr. Martine Duclos, endocrinologist and head of the Sports Medicine Department at Gabriel-Montpied and Estaing University Hospitals (Clermont-Ferrand), explains that sport can replace the use of anxiolytics, for example: "In anxious or stressed individuals, regular physical activity provides the same benefits as anxiolytics, without the side effects and addiction; it also has a similar effect to antidepressants in individuals suffering from mild to moderate depression." Sport also induces the secretion of neurotransmitters involved in depression when they are deficient, particularly serotonin.
Beyond its calming effect, exercise also allows us to take a break from everyday life and forget the little worries that usually occupy our minds while we are exercising.
Sleep quality
From reducing stress to improving sleep, it's just one small step.
Dr. Duclos says that "exercise has two positive effects: you'll have less trouble falling asleep, and athletes will wake up less often during the night."
This can be explained in particular by the regulation of blood pressure and the secretion of endorphins, which help you relax better. So, thanks to sport, you feel less stressed, which leads to physical fatigue rather than psychological fatigue.
In addition, practicing sports requires people to be more organized and therefore to regulate their biological rhythm (also known as circadian rhythm). This also means eating better for better performance. All these factors play an important role in sleep quality.
However, it is important not to exercise too late in the day, "because otherwise it will delay your bedtime," Martine Duclos points out.
The brain and depression
Finally, exercise causes the brain to release dopamine. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter involved in the reward mechanism.
Memory, cognition, mood: physical exercise optimizes mental performance and health.
Lisa Weinberg's team at the Georgia Institute of Technology (United States) conducted a study on students: memorizing 90 photos. The first group had to do leg exercises while the other group remained seated. Two days later, the students had to recognize as many images as possible from a set of 180: the trained group was able to recognize 60%, 10% more than the control group.
Researcher Martine Duclos observed a "positive correlation between their physical condition and the type of high school they attended (general, vocational, agricultural). According to Dr. Duclos, this can be explained by the fact that "muscle activity leads to the production of myokines, proteins which, through a complex mechanism, stimulate the brain to produce growth factors, neurotrophins, and more specifically BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor). It promotes the creation of microvessels (angiogenesis) and the production of new neurons (neurogenesis)."
Sports at the university – ASMM Association (AS Médecine Montpellier)
This sports association consists of 3-4 members serving medical students who wish to engage in regular physical activity. With the aim of promoting sports, it provides them with sports fields and equipment and organizes university competitions.
Our projects:
- Creation of a women's volleyball team;
- Development of a rugby team combining medical and dental students;
- Creation of a basketball team made up of medical, pharmacy, and dentistry students;
- Organization of futsal, tennis, pétanque, and beach volleyball tournaments.
Office:
President: Mustapha MOUSTAFAOUI
Secretary: Maxime FOULQUIER
Treasurer: Youssef TRIGUI
Contact:
Institute of Biology
4 Boulevard Henri IV
34965 Montpellier Cedex 2
Sources:
https://lejournal.cnrs.fr/articles/le-sport-est-bon-pour-la-sante-cest-prouve
https://www.naturaforce.com/blog/2017/06/03/bienfaits-du-sport-sur-la-sante/
https://www.sciencesetavenir.fr/sante/bouger-ameliorer-le-cerveau_29226
