Move It or Lose It: The Real Impact of Exercise on Your Body

Here at The Plug, we value living life to the fullest – after all, there’s so much to do and see in this world! Why not do our best to keep our health in check? By adopting healthy habits such as prioritizing physical exercise and taking The Plug, you can bring your body back into balance, setting you up for a great life – both future and present.

But why is exercise always considered a “must” in the realm of health? Many believe that the sole purpose of exercise is to lose unwanted weight or gain muscle. However, exercise can impact your body so much more! The CDC states that, “Being physically active can improve your brain health, help manage weight, reduce the risk of disease, strengthen bones and muscles, and improve your ability to do everyday activities” (1). See? What happens internally during exercise is more important and beneficial than the appearance it can provide for your body! Let’s take a further look at the internal effects of physical exercise and see how its different types can affect your body in the short term and the long term.

Get Your Heart Pumping

Let’s first discuss the circulatory system! This controls how blood flows throughout your body. When your body ages, the rate of blood flow slows down, which can lead to cognitive function failure (2). Luckily, regular physical activity can help increase the flow of blood and reduce the chance of blood clots and decay that is seen with cognitive performance (2). 

Exercise also helps increase the production of red blood cells that transport oxygen and carbon dioxide in your circulatory system. A scientific analysis saw that younger red blood cells release more oxygen, thus increasing your body’s supply; this can lead to “vascularization in muscles… further improving gas exchange and metabolic capacity” (3). This oxygen then improves your heart in terms of increased heart mass, increased ventricular diameter, and an elevated heart rate (4); all of this results in overall improvement of the heart’s functions (4). 

The way the circulatory system touches several different organs demonstrates just how easily exercise can positively impact your body! Without physical activity, not only is there a risk for circulatory diseases like heart failure, stroke, and dementia but also for more common ones like fatty liver disease.

The Connection to Fatty Liver Disease

Fatty liver disease develops when there is an excess of fat cells that have built up around the liver, hindering its functions. The stages of this disease don't correlate directly with body weight but are actually due to physical inactivity (5); this means that intense fitness routines aren’t required to begin reversing this disease! It is possible for routines to be formed around a targeted health issue and one’s personal capabilities.

Recent studies, as confirmed by Andrew Weil, M.D., have discovered that “resistance training may be an effective way to reduce fatty liver just as aerobic activity is” (6). Resistance training includes lifting weights and performing squats and lunges, whereas aerobic activity is anything that involves cardio. A study monitored a group of adults diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) as they performed resistance training exercises for eight weeks; the conclusion displayed “a 13% relative reduction in liver lipid(s)” and an improvement in “glucose control and insulin resistance” (7). These activities placed the focus not on weight loss but on reducing the amount of fat surrounding the liver and helping break down sugar. While those with obesity have an increased chance of developing NAFLD (8), it’s important to note that anyone can be diagnosed with it – it’s called the silent epidemic for a reason!

The Benefits of Yoga

If you’re not a fan of resistance training or aerobic exercise, try out yoga! In case you’re not familiar, yoga is a discipline that combines a series of stretches and poses to increase physical and mental strength. All types of yoga put a particular emphasis on the regulation of breathing. In fact, a two-week study done on asthmatics showed an improvement in “forced expiratory volume in 1s (FEV1)... and inhaler use” (9). By practicing purposeful and meditative breathing, you can increase your lung capacity and positively impact your respiratory system (9). 

Yoga was shown to also have anti-inflammatory effects – much like The Plug! Several studies found that practicing yoga “revealed decreases in IL-1beta, as well as indications for reductions in IL-6 and TNF-alpha” (10). These are all types of proteins that are responsible for inflammation. Reducing the amount of these proteins in the body can be helpful if you have a chronic disease with underlying inflammation, such as heart disease and arthritis (11). Yoga is usually not done to lose weight, but the respiratory and anti-inflammatory benefits are definitely worth it! An added plus is that it’s a discipline that is feasible to anyone, regardless of weight or physical condition, with minimal drawbacks.

Don’t Overexert Yourself!

Even though exercising regularly has many benefits, it’s still important to address some of the harm it can do. A study on overexertion found that rats produced more inflammatory proteins after a week of repetitive and exhaustive running. The rat's “heart, kidneys, lungs, liver, and small intestine reveal[ed] morphologic damage and dysfunction” (12) because running spread the inflammatory proteins throughout the body. This showcases that when you consistently overexert yourself, multiple organ dysfunction can take place.

A similar study created a robust weightlifting program for several healthy men, ultimately revealing a significant increase of creatine kinase and myoglobin. Creatine kinase is an enzyme found in your heart and skeletal muscles (13), whereas myoglobin is a protein that moves oxygen from your bloodstream to your muscles (14). When both are processed at high levels, they are showcasing that there is damage to your organs or muscles (13, 14). One week after the weightlifting program, most of the participants “still had increased enzyme concentrations” (15). 

Your gastrointestinal system can also quickly feel the effects of high-intensity exercise. During exercise, blood is redirected to where it’s needed most – like your sore muscles. According to Dr. Elena Ivanina, a significant loss of blood to your gut can “lead to inflammation that damages the protective gut lining” (16). Luckily, mild symptoms of overexertion can be easily alleviated by ensuring proper sustenance and nourishment!

The possibility of overexertion can be regulated by being in tune with how your body feels, having adequate nutrition, and staying hydrated. The Plug Drink is an excellent way to rehydrate your body through the power of electrolytes – we’re always here to help you restore, recover, and recharge! No matter how intense or minimal your exercise routine is, we’ve got your back.

A Note From Us

Keep in mind that you don’t need to become a gym rat to stay healthy. Even a minimal amount of exercise can leave a significant impact on your well-being – that is, if you’re being consistent. If exercise is a foreign concept for you, starting with something practical like resistance training, aerobic exercise, or yoga is an achievable goal to begin your own fitness journey. Add The Plug on top of that, and you’re well on your way towards better health!

Remember what Hippocrates wrote: “If we could give every individual the right amount of nourishment and exercise, not too little and not too much, we would have found the safest way to health.” So make sure that you pave a safe way to health with the help of The Plug!

Bibliography 

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2. Heinonen I, Kalliokoski KK, Hannukainen JC, Duncker DJ, Nuutila P, Knuuti J. Organ-Specific Physiological Responses to Acute Physical Exercise and Long-Term Training in Humans. Physiology [Internet]. 2014 Nov 1;29(6):421-436. Available from: https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physiol.00067.2013 

3. Patel PN, Horenstein MS, Zwibel H. Exercise Physiology. StatPearls [Internet]. 2024 Oct 6. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29489294/  

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6. Weil A. Exercise For Fatty Liver Disease? [Internet]. Dr. Weil. 2015 Sept 29. Available from: https://www.drweil.com/health-wellness/balanced-living/exercise-fitness/exercise-for-fatty-liver-disease/  

7. Hallsworth K, Fattakhova G, Hollingsworth KG, Thoma C, Moore S, Taylor R, et al. Resistance exercise reduces liver fat and its mediators in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease independent of weight loss. Gut [Internet]. 2011 June 27;60:1278-1283. Available from: https://gut.bmj.com/content/60/9/1278  

8. Fabbrini E, Sullivan S, Klein S. Obesity and Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Biochemical, Metabolic and Clinical Implications. Hepatology [Internet]. 2010 Feb;51(2):679-689. Available from: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3575093/ 

9. Saoji AA, Raghavendra BR, Manjunath NK. Effects of yogic breath regulation: A narrative review of scientific evidence. Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine [Internet]. 2019 Jan-Mar;10(1):50-58. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0975947617303224  

10. Falkenberg RI, Eising C, Peters ML. Yoga and immune system functioning: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials. Journal of Behavioral Medicine [Internet]. 2018 Aug;41(4):467-482. Available from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29429046/  

11. Djalilova DM, Shulz PS, Berger AM, Case AJ, Kupzyk KA, Ross AC. Impact of Yoga on Inflammatory Biomarkers: A Systematic Review. Biological Research For Nursing [Internet]. 2018 Dec 20;21(2):198-209. Available from https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1099800418820162  

12. Liao P, He Q, Zhou X, Ma K, Wen J, Chen H, et al. Repetitive Bouts of Exhaustive Exercise Induces a Systemic Inflammatory Response and Multi-Organ Damage in Rats. Frontiers in Physiology [Internet]. 11:685. 2020 June 22. Available from: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2020.00685/full  

13. Creatine Kinase (CK) [Internet]. Cleveland Clinic. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22692-creatine-kinase-ck 

14. Myoglobin Test [Internet]. Cleveland Clinic. Available from: https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diagnostics/22142-myoglobin 

15. Pettersson J, Hindorf U, Persson P, Bengtsson T, Malmqvist U, Werkström V, et al. Muscular exercise can cause highly pathological liver function tests in healthy men. British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology [Internet]. 2007 Aug 31;65(2):253-259. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2291230/  

16. WebMD Editorial Contributor. Health Benefits of Exercise [Internet]. WebMD. 2023 Sept 13. Available from: https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/news/20170616/high-intensity-exercise-may-be-bad-for-the-bowels