The+Effects+of+Exercise+on+Muscles

toc =The effects of exercise on muscles=

Muscles benefit from a regular exercise routine. An exercise routine should alternate from aerobic to anaerobic activities. Of course if a person is training for a particular event or purpose they should focus on the coinciding exercise form. Those who wish to run a marathon would benefit more from aerobic activity compared to anaerobic activity, just as a body builder would want to do anaerobic activity rather than endurance training.

Muscle size and strength can change when it is worked. There are two main types of exercise: [|aerobic] and [|anaerobic]. Aerobic exercise requires oxygen while anaerobic does not. Aerobic exercise includes swimming, running, biking---anything that requires endurance. Aerobic exercise produces results that will benefit muscles for endurance activities; aerobic activity does not produce a large amount of muscle growth. As a result from regular aerobic activity more capillaries, and mitochondria within the capillaries, surround the muscle fibers. The fibers will now be able to synthesize more oxygen. These changes occur throughout the body, but affect the slow oxidative fibers the most (some will transform into fast oxidative fibers). Aerobic exercise results in more muscle metabolism, better strength, resistance, and endurance. Anaerobic, or resistance, exercise also benefits muscles. Resistance activities include weight lifting and isometrics. During these activities muscles are forced to push against immovable highly resistant objects. Instead of the muscle fibers changing in order to perform for a great amount of time, anaerobic activity causes muscles to grow in strength, not in numbers. Resistance exercise requires a short burst of energy, quickly. Results of regular resistance activity include an increase in the number of mitochondria and greater glycogen stores. The connective tissue between muscle fibers increase in order to allow the muscle fibers to contract. Also, fast oxidative fibers can be changed to fast glycolytic fibers, but will return to their normal fiber type as soon as the exercise routine is discontinued.

Anaerobic activity coincides with the [|overload principle]. The overload principle states that when a muscle is overloaded, or stressed beyond normal points, it will increase in size and endurance. An athlete who wants to become better, stronger, and faster must constantly train at arduous levels. However, too much hard exercise, especially weight training, can cause problems. [|Overuse injuries] result from too much work and not enough rest.

For more effects of exercise on muscles, as well as bones, visit http://www.healthcentral.com/diabetes/exercise-000029_5-145.html. Home