THE EFFECT OF STRENGTH TRAINING ON THE HUMAN BODY
When doing strength exercises, the functionality of such body systems as the cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system, musculature improves, and posture improves.
The muscles become bigger and stronger
As a result of intensive physical exercises, muscle fibers are strengthened. This provides an increase in the strength of muscle contraction.
The increase in the volume of muscle fibers occurs as a result of a complex process of changing the muscles and surrounding tissues. This requires regular physical activity, as well as a certain amount of energy, and takes time to recover. The muscles will become bigger and stronger only with the right combination of these conditions. In general, it is correct to talk not about the growth of muscles, but about increasing their volume. From a scientific point of view, the number of muscle fibers does not change during life, and this parameter is set genetically. Strength training does not provoke the growth of muscle fibers, but actually makes them more voluminous and strong.
Beneficial effect on the heart
Strength training has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. In the process of performing exercises, the saturation of cells with oxygen increases, the walls of blood vessels are strengthened and the work of the heart improves. In trained athletes, the volume of blood vessels increases several times, due to which they pass more blood. As a result, the strength and speed of heart contractions increases, there is an increase in the mass of the heart muscle and the size of the heart. Systematic loads lead to the fact that the heart begins to work more economically. Due to infrequent heartbeats, he has more time to rest.
The breath becomes deeper
With increased physical activity, the muscles need a large amount of oxygen, which enters the body when breathing. As a result of training, the volume of the chest increases, so that the volume of air passing through the lungs also increases. Breathing in this case becomes deeper and more frequent. In trained people, the volume of air absorbed per minute is much greater than in those who are not prepared for sports. Therefore, an untrained person gets tired faster with any physical activity. During training, the process of proper breathing is practiced and the ability to receive twice as much oxygen during power loads increases.
Changes in blood composition
With regular exercise, the number of red blood cells and white blood cells in the blood increases, and the level of hemoglobin increases. Red blood cells help deliver oxygen to various organs and tissues of the body. Lymphocytes provide the production of antibodies that resist foreign proteins. Thus, training helps to increase the body's resistance to colds and infectious diseases.
Improves posture
Physical activity on the muscles improves their blood supply, due to which there is a change in the state of posture, which is determined by muscle tone. Strength exercises help to correct your posture, thanks to the muscular corset it is easier to maintain it in the right position. By strengthening certain muscles, you can affect the spine, thus correcting congenital or acquired curvatures. Strength exercises for the back muscles are very effective for the prevention and treatment of osteochondrosis. Classes will help to get rid of postural disorders and the initial stage of scoliosis. Incorrect posture can harm the body as it can disrupt the cardiovascular system, reduce the volume of the lungs.
Bone density will increase
Strength training is also necessary to maintain bone health. In addition to strengthening muscles, tendons and ligaments, such exercises increase the strength of bones and joints, thereby improving resistance to injury and helping to fight degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis. Bone density improves with short but regular workouts. Exercises with additional weights strengthen the entire musculoskeletal system: bone tissue is renewed and improved, ligaments and tendons are strengthened. Do not forget that to increase the density of bone tissue, you still need a sufficient amount of nutrients.
Psychological benefits
Strength training helps improve mental health. In the course of the lesson, a surge of strength is felt, the mood rises, the mental tension is removed. By normalizing the heartbeat and breathing with regular exercise, a person becomes less irritable, he normalizes sleep. Sports activities increase self-esteem, develop confidence, willpower, endurance. Strength training helps with stress and depression. Experts have found that physical exercise acts on certain neurotransmitter centers of the brain like antidepressants. Therefore, classes with a depressive state can return a positive attitude to life. Constantly exercising, a person feels energetic, he experiences more positive emotions. Prolonged strength training, aimed at developing endurance, increases the level of beta-endorphin, which has a strong euphoric effect, helps to get out of a depressive state and helps to find peace of mind. Training is able to remove negative emotions and reduce the excess of adrenaline, which is obtained as a result of stress.
What happens to the body after weight training ?
Intensive training promotes changes in the body. During classes, energy consumption occurs as the body receives an increased load. After strength training, the body begins to regenerate the balance. Experts distinguish several stages of recovery:
Fast recovery
The stage starts immediately after the training and takes 30 minutes. During this time, breathing slows down, the hormonal background and pulse return to normal. During this period, the body restores the reserves of glucose, adenosine triphosphate, and creatine phosphate.
Repair phase
It begins from the moment when the body reaches metabolic balance. During this phase, the process of repair begins: the rate of assimilation of nutrients increases, the synthesis of proteins, amino acids, and enzymes is activated, and the water-electrolyte balance returns to normal. The body, having replenished the necessary substances, begins to restore damaged tissues and cells.
Supercompensation
The third phase, which occurs after 2-3 days and lasts about five days. It is during this period that the process of muscle recovery takes place and the build-up of muscle mass begins. This phase is also characterized by the fact that the strength indicators and the size of the muscle tissue begin to exceed the initial level. If during the supercompensation stage the body has not experienced a load, then the transition to the fourth phase begins — a gradual return to the initial indicators.
Delayed recovery
Occurs a week after training in the absence of repeated load. The body returns to the original indicators, that is, the benefits of training are almost zero.
Attention!The process of regeneration of muscle fibers lasts about two days. Therefore, there is no need to perform strength training every day. You need to give your muscles time to recover naturally.
What is necessary for the result?
To achieve high-quality results of strength training, you need not only intense physical activity on the body, but also a full rest, good sleep, proper nutrition and a training regime.