The Physical Impact of Sport on Your Body
Regular sport does wonders for your fitness, but it also takes a toll on your body. Understanding what happens to your muscles, joints and tissues helps you train smarter — and recover better.
Sport is undeniably a fantastic way to spend time. It's a great way to meet people who share your passions, learn new skills, and improve fitness and wellbeing. In a time when many of us fall victim to mental health issues, sport and physical activity can help prevent and manage mental health problems, as well as reduce depression and anxiety in children. In this article, we're going to look at some of the biggest impacts that sport and physical activity has on your body — both positive and negative.
Let's Talk Neurochemistry
Endorphins are a group of crafty chemicals produced within your brain (particularly the pituitary gland and spinal cord). They have a variety of effects as well as a variety of causes, but generally can be thought of as "feel-good" hormones and are released when we do something that's good for our lives. That doesn't include recycling carrier bags or tipping the waiter — we're talking primal. You get the idea.
Endorphins have even been compared to morphine and cocaine in terms of their effects on our nervous systems. But because they are actually designed to be functional parts of our physiology, they're not chemically addictive and aren't harmful (and won't get you locked up either).
That satisfying feeling you have after a workout or a match? Say hello to Mr and Mrs Endorphin. The famed "runner's high" that you might have heard of can be traced to the release of a hormone called beta-endorphin, which is specifically released as a result of physical exertion.
How does it work? Endorphins are one part of a quartet of hormones which can have a huge effect on our mood and wellbeing — the others being serotonin (primarily responsible for digestion and sleep cycles), dopamine (the pleasure chemical), and oxytocin (concerned with all things love, bonding and parenthood). One of the key mechanisms of endorphins is how they press the same buttons in our brain as dopamine — giving us a rush of fabulous feel-good. Endorphins also work as natural pain suppressants, which is one of the reasons they're released as a result of physical exertion and pressure.
Musculoskeletal Wear and Tear
The whole point of resistance training of any sort — a rugby scrum, or weightlifting perhaps — is to increase muscle density, and as a result, increased bone density (which is also influenced by serotonin). But injuries or over-exertion can become more and more likely the longer you leave it until a rejuvenating MOT in the form of expert sports massage, which is great for the relief of muscular pain as well as treating sports injuries.
Your expert sports massage professional will be able to identify any causes of pain, treat problem areas directly, and guide you towards a tailored therapy program that will minimise the risk of future, more serious injury.
Lucy Hall Massage offers many services designed to keep you happy and healthy, from sports massage to Cambridge's wider range of clinical and wellbeing treatments.
Sources
[1] https://www.fsem.ac.uk/position_statement/the-role-of-physical-activity-and-sport-in-mental-health/