EFFECTS OF RUNNING

What Happens To Your Body When You Run?

Last updated May 16, 2012 by William McConnell Leave a Comment

What happens to your body when you run? Well, quite a lot happens, in fact. This article will briefly consider what happens when you head out the door and begin running; and what happens over a period of time – what one would call adaptation to training.

You pull on your shoes, head out the door and start to run. A lot starts to happen to your body, physiologically. It is fairly obvious that you will pretty quickly find yourself breathing heavily and rapidly; accompanying this, your heart rate will go up from somewhere around 70 or so beats a minute to as much as 200, depending on how hard you are exerting yourself and how old you are. (Your maximum heart rate decreases as you age). These respiratory and cardiovascular changes are all necessary to supply your exercising muscles with the large supply of oxygen, carried in the red blood cells, which they require for sustained exercise. After a while you will probably find yourself sweating, perhaps profusely.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Actually, the previous paragraph assumes that you are going out for a jog over several miles. Perhaps you are actually going for a sprint. There is a big difference between the two and it is not just how fast you are moving.

   Respiratory   and   cardiovascular changes to your body when you run

Whether you sprint 100m or jog 5 miles, your muscles require energy. Nonetheless, the way in which that energy is obtained is very different. Ultimately, that energy requires chemical reactions involving fats or carbohydrates within your muscle cells using the oxygen supplied by the heart and lungs.  However, sprinters are working anaerobically, meaning in the absence of oxygen. That is not to say that they are sprinting through outer space! It merely means that, even with the heart pumping flat out and breathing heavily, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems simply cannot supply oxygen to the muscles as fast as they might need it. The muscles have developed a mechanism for producing energy in the absence of sufficient oxygen; however, it only works for a limited time and you can only sprint for 30s or so. Eventually you stop and breathe very heavily for a minute or so. During this time, your body is paying back the so-called oxygen debt which it has accumulated.

If, however, you are jogging at a moderate pace, you can keep it going for several miles. Your heart and lungs can supply sufficient oxygen for your muscles to produce the energy which they need – they are acting aerobically. They will eventually tire but not for lack of oxygen.

Your muscles are wonderful but they are not tremendously efficient. A lot of the energy which they use is actually converted to heat and this must be dissipated by your body. This is why you sweat when you run. As the sweat evaporates from the skin, it takes heat with it, thus helping you to cool down. As clever as this may seem, it comes at a price. You are losing fluid from your body – you are becoming dehydrated – and this ultimately causes problems. As your blood is mostly water, it somewhat reduces the volume of blood in your body and plenty of blood is essential to supply the muscles with oxygen. It also reduces the amount of fluid in and around muscles cells which eventually leads to the stiffness which everyone who has run any distance has eventually felt. Eventually you must replace this lost fluid – it is a good idea to do so during your runs if you can.

Another way which the body uses to cool down is to circulate more blood to the skin. The blood carries heat with it, which then escapes from the body when it reaches the surface. However, this is where the body finds itself compromised. During a run, the body diverts blood to the muscles from other organs where it is not essential for the time being – the gut for example. However, blood flowing to the skin is blood not flowing to the muscles and that is not good when you are running.

The problems associated with dissipating heat from the body are why it is difficult to run your fastest marathon on a hot day. Cooler weather means less sweating and less dehydration.

You may have heard of the runner’s high. Whether you experience it or not is another matter. It is a sense of well-being, or semi-euphoria or similar which you usually feel shortly after a run – or other forms of exercise – and is very pleasant and may last for an hour or two. It is believed to be due to the release of endorphins, the brain’s natural feel-good chemicals.

Long term effects on your body when you run

Increased heart rate, increased breathing, sweating – these are short-lasting physiological changes which occur during your run. What about the long term effects of running?

Long lasting changes in your body are what you are aiming at with training. Perhaps you want to lose weight. If you run enough, your body will gradually use up the fat stored around your stomach to provide to the energy for your runs. Perhaps you want to run faster, or further. There will be physiological changes which allow you to do just that. The main adaptations to distance running occur to the cardiovascular system and the muscles. Changes will occur to your heart allowing it to pump blood around your body more efficiently. You should notice this as a lower resting heart rate (you find this by taking your pulse when you are sitting quietly doing nothing strenuous). Your heart improves to pump more blood with each beat and it can therefore beat more slowly and supply the same amount of blood. To help improve the flow of blood to your muscles themselves, new blood vessels will grow within the muscles. The muscles themselves will adapt to training. They may become larger; they will become more efficient at using the energy sources provided to them. These changes will allow you to run further, longer and faster.

A lot happens to your body when you run. In the long term most of it is good. So get out there, and get running!

WHAT ARE DREAMS

Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, as well as a subject of philosophical and religious interest, throughout recorded history. The scientific study of dreams is called oneirology.

Dreams mainly occur in the rapid-eye movement (REM) stage of sleep—when brain activity is high and resembles that of being awake. REM sleep is revealed by continuous movements of the eyes during sleep. At times, dreams may occur during other stages of sleep. However, these dreams tend to be much less vivid or memorable.

The length of a dream can vary; they may last for a few seconds, or approximately 20–30 minutes. People are more likely to remember the dream if they are awakened during the REM phase. The average person has three to five dreams per night, but some may have up to seven dreams in one night. The dreams tend to last longer as the night progresses. During a full eight-hour night sleep, most dreams occur in the typical two hours of REM.

Changes when we SLEEP

Sleep-such a peaceful word, isn't it? It evokes images of closed eyes, slow breathing, dreams and relaxation. But while you're dozing, your body's systems are doing lots of crazy things that will blow your mind. Don't worry: They're all normal. Still, you may never think of hitting the hay the same way after reading this. Photo by Getty Images. 
1.Your body temperature drops. 
Just before you fall asleep, your core body temperature begins to decrease, says Michael Breus, PhD, a clinical psychologist and sleep specialist in Scottsdale, AZ, and author of The Sleep Doctor's Diet Plan: Lose Weight Through Better Sleep. This drop signals to your brain to release melatonin, which affects your circadian rhythm (or sleep/wake cycle) and tells your body it's time for bed. Your temperature is lowest around 2:30 A.M., so if you're able to, program your thermostat to rise one degree at that time for an hour or two. Otherwise, you may find yourself stealing your spouse's covers for extra warmth. 

Related: 20  Ways To Burn More Fat  

2.You lose weight. One reason you should always step on a scale in the morning, not in the evening: You lose water through perspiring and breathing out humid air during the night, according to Dr. Breus. This happens during the day too, but eating and drinking while you're awake negates any weight loss. If you're sleeping just four or five hours per night, you could be canceling out whatever smart diet and exercise choices you're making during the day. To whittle your waistline, get at least seven hours of sleep per night. 

3.You get taller. You won't exactly wake up feeling like the Jolly Green Giant, but you do gain height while you sleep. "The discs in your spine that act as cushions between the bones rehydrate and get bigger because the weight of your body isn't pressing down on them, like it is when you're standing," says Dr. Breus. "If you have a firm mattress, sleeping on your side in the fetal position may be best for getting taller because it decreases the load on your back." 

 4. Your blood pressure and heart rate decrease. 
When you're resting, your body doesn't need to work as hard or pump as much blood, so these systems slow down. Blood pressure needs to dip at night so your cardiac muscle and circulatory system have time to relax and repair, says Dr. Breus. It's especially important for people with high blood pressure to get at least seven hours of sleep to experience that temporary drop-it reduces the risk for heart disease. And if you have sleep apnea, get treatment right away because that condition can increase nighttime blood pressure, says Dr. Breus. 

5. Your muscles are temporarily paralyzed. 
Sounds scary, but it's actually what keeps you from acting out your dreams, says Lisa Shives, MD, an internist and sleep medicine specialist in Evanston, IL, and the medical expert for SleepBetter.org. Comedian Mike Birbiglia, the writer and star of the film Sleepwalk With Me, has a rare condition called REM Behavior Disorder. In his performances, he shares how dangerous it can be to do whatever weird thing is going on in your head in the middle of the night. So this is one type of paralysis you want. 

6. Your eyes twitch. 
During REM (aka rapid eye movement) sleep, your eyes dart from side to side, not that scientists know why exactly. Dreams occur during REM sleep, so it can be disconcerting to wake up during this deep-not light-sleep stage. You might feel most refreshed if you wake up right after you cycle through all the sleep stages, with REM occurring toward the end. Though it varies from person to person, one sleep cycle usually lasts 90 minutes, so try sleeping in intervals of 90 minutes. For example, you may find it easier to awaken after sleeping for 7.5 hours (five cycles) than after 8 hours (5⅓ cycles). 

7. You get sexually aroused. 
Just as men get erections during REM sleep, women become sexually stimulated then, too. And no, it's not tied to whether you're having that Brad Pitt dream again. Your brain is more active during REM sleep (since you're dreaming), so it requires more oxygen-as a result, blood flow all over the body increases. "There is natural clitoral engorgement because blood rushes to that area and causes swelling," says Dr. Shives. Does that make you more likely to orgasm if you engage in middle-of-the-night nooky? Scientists aren't sure, but go ahead and experiment! 

8. You're more likely to have gas. 
You won't be happy to hear this, but during the night, your anal sphincter muscles loosen slightly, making it easier to let out a toot or two. Luckily, your sense of smell (and your spouse's) are reduced while you sleep-that's why fire alarms were invented, because it's hard to smell smoke while you're snoozing. So even if you experience flatulence, rest assured: Nobody is likely to notice. 

9. You may have a full-body spasm. 
"As people fall asleep, many of them experience a full-body jerk, and it's totally normal," says Dr. Shives. As many as 70% of people experience this phenomenon in which muscles suddenly contract (the technical name for it is "hypnic jerk"). Some experts think that these spasms may have to do with anxiety and/or an irregular sleep schedule, while others think they're unavoidable. So if you like to snuggle with your spouse as you wind down in bed, be sure to pry yourselves apart before you're both out cold, or else you may accidentally shake each other awake. 

10. Collagen production in your skin increases. 
Collagen is a protein that strengthens blood vessels and gives skin its elasticity. When you're asleep, you're in a fasting state, so growth hormone is released to tell your fat cells to release energy stores-as it turns out, growth hormone also stimulates collagen growth. "Since collagen production spikes while you sleep, moisturizing facial creams that contain retinols and retinoids are best to use before bed because these products boost collagen turnover, combat pigment problems and fight fine lines and wrinkles," says Melanie Palm, MD, a dermatologist in Solana Beach, CA, an assistant clinical professor at the University of California, San Diego, and a staff physician at Scripps Encinitas Memorial Hospital. 

EFFECTS OF SMOKE IN NATURE

FILE - Smoke pours from a chimney at a cement plant in Binzhou city, in eastern China's Shandong province, Thursday, Jan. 17, 2013. Scientists from around the world have gathered in Stockholm in September 2013 for a meeting of a U.N. panel on climate change and will probably issue a report saying it is "extremely likely" - which they define in footnotes as 95 percent certain - that humans are mostly to blame for temperatures that have climbed since 1951. (AP Photo)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Top scientists from a variety of fields say they are about as certain that global warming is a real, man-made threat as they are that cigarettes kill.

They are as sure about climate change as they are about the age of the universe. They say they are more certain about climate change than they are that vitamins make you healthy or that dioxin in Superfund sites is dangerous.

They'll even put a number on how certain they are about climate change. But that number isn't 100 percent. It's 95 percent.

And for some non-scientists, that's just not good enough.

There's a mismatch between what scientists say about how certain they are and what the general public thinks the experts mean, specialists say.

That is an issue because this week, scientists from around the world have gathered in Stockholm for a meeting of a U.N. panel on climate change, and they will probably release a report saying it is "extremely likely" — which they define in footnotes as 95 percent certain — that humans are mostly to blame for temperatures that have climbed since 1951.

One climate scientist involved says the panel may even boost it in some places to "virtually certain" and 99 percent.

Some climate-change deniers have looked at 95 percent and scoffed. After all, most people wouldn't get on a plane that had only a 95 percent certainty of landing safely, risk experts say.

But in science, 95 percent certainty is often considered the gold standard for certainty.

"Uncertainty is inherent in every scientific judgment," said Johns Hopkins University epidemiologist Thomas Burke. "Will the sun come up in the morning?" Scientists know the answer is yes, but they can't really say so with 100 percent certainty because there are so many factors out there that are not quite understood or under control.

George Gray, director of the Center for Risk Science and Public Health at George Washington University, said that demanding absolute proof on things such as climate doesn't make sense.

"There's a group of people who seem to think that when scientists say they are uncertain, we shouldn't do anything," said Gray, who was chief scientist for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency during the George W. Bush administration. "That's crazy. We're uncertain and we buy insurance."

With the U.N. panel about to weigh in on the effects of greenhouse gas emissions from the burning of oil, coal and gas, The Associated Press asked scientists who specialize in climate, physics, epidemiology, public health, statistics and risk just what in science is more certain than human-caused climate change, what is about the same, and what is less.

They said gravity is a good example of something more certain than climate change. Climate change "is not as sure as if you drop a stone it will hit the Earth," Princeton University climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer said. "It's not certain, but it's close."

Arizona State University physicist Lawrence Krauss said the 95 percent quoted for climate change is equivalent to the current certainty among physicists that the universe is 13.8 billion years old.

The president of the prestigious National Academy of Sciences, Ralph Cicerone, and more than a dozen other scientists contacted by the AP said the 95 percent certainty regarding climate change is most similar to the confidence scientists have in the decades' worth of evidence that cigarettes are deadly.

"What is understood does not violate any mechanism that we understand about cancer," while "statistics confirm what we know about cancer," said Cicerone, an atmospheric scientist. Add to that a "very high consensus" among scientists about the harm of tobacco, and it sounds similar to the case for climate change, he said.

But even the best study can be nitpicked because nothing is perfect, and that's the strategy of both tobacco defenders and climate deniers, said Stanton Glantz, a medicine professor at the University of California, San Francisco and director of its tobacco control research center.

George Washington's Gray said the 95 percent number the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change will probably adopt may not be realistic. In general, regardless of the field of research, experts tend to overestimate their confidence in their certainty, he said. Other experts said the 95 percent figure is too low.

Jeff Severinghaus, a geoscientist at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, said that through the use of radioactive isotopes, scientists are more than 99 percent sure that much of the carbon in the air has human fingerprints on it. And because of basic physics, scientists are 99 percent certain that carbon traps heat in what is called the greenhouse effect.

But the role of nature and all sorts of other factors bring the number down to 95 percent when you want to say that the majority of the warming is human-caused, he said.

Exercises for the EYES

Exercises for the EYES        

  

1. Sit comfortably on a chair. Rub your hands together until they feel warm. Close your eyes and cover them lightly with your cupped palms. Avoid applying pressure to your eyeballs. Your nose should not be covered. Make sure no light rays can enter your eyes though gaps between your fingers or the edges of your palms and nose. You may still see other lingering traces of colors. Imagine deep blackness and focus on it. Take deep breaths slowly and evenly while thinking of some happy incident, or visualize a distant scene. After you see nothing but blackness, remove your palms from your eyes. Repeat thepalming for 3 minutes or more.

2. Close your eyes tightly for 3-5 seconds. Open them for 3-5 seconds. Repeat 7 or 8 times.

3. Massage your eyes.

• Hot and Cold Compress: Soak one towel in hot water, and the other in cold. Take one and lightly press it to your face, focusing on your eyebrows, closed eyelids, and cheeks. Alternate between the two as desired, making sure to end with a cold compress.
• Full Face Massage: Soak a towel in hot water. Rub your neck, forehead and cheeks with the towel, avoiding the eyes. Then, use your fingertips to gently massage your forehead and closed eyes.
• Eyelid Massage: Close your eyes and massage them with circular movements of your fingers for 1-2 minutes. Make sure you press very lightly and have washed your hands to avoid damaging your eyes.

4. Lightly press three fingers of each hand against your upper eyelids. Hold them there for 1-2 seconds, then release. Repeat 5 times.

5. Sit and relax. Roll your eyes clockwise, then counter-clockwise. Repeat 5 times, blinking in between each time.

6. Focus on a distant object (over 150 feet or 50 m away) for 10-15 seconds.Then, slowly refocus your eyes on a nearby object (less than 30 feet or 10 m away) without moving your head. Focus for again for 10-15 seconds, and go back to the distant object. Do this 5 times.

• Try sitting about 6 inches (15 cm) from a window. Make a mark on the glass (ideally a small red or black sticker) at eye-level. Look through this mark and focus on something far away, then adjust your focus to the mark.

7. Hold a pencil in front of you at arm's length. Move your arm slowly to your nose. Follow the pencil with your eyes until you can't keep it in focus. Repeat 10 times. (Another approach is to tie an object to a hanging light string and swing it to and fro while you try to keep the dangle in focus.)

8. Look in front of you at the opposite wall and pretend that you are writing with your eyes. Don't move your head. This may seem difficult at first, but with a bit of practice it is really fun. The bigger the letters, the better the effect.

9. Practice rhythmic movements.

• Bar Swings: Stand in front of a fence, barred window, or something else with evenly spaced vertical lines. Focus loosely on a distant object on the other side of the bars. Relax your body and rhythmically transfer your weight from one foot to the other. Keep your breathing steady and relaxed. Don't forget to blink while performing this exercise. Continue for 2-3 minutes.
• Round Swings: Focus on an object in the distance that is close to the ground. Sway as instructed for Bar Swings. Keeping your gaze on the same object, use your peripheral vision to observe your surroundings as you sway. Continue for 2-3 minutes.
• Head Movements: Close one eye. Slowly form a figure 8 with your head. Repeat for the other eye. Continue for 2-3 minutes.

10. Imagine that you are standing in front of a large clock. Look at the middle of the clock. Then look at any hour mark, without turning your head. Look back at the center. Then look at another hour mark. Do this at least 12 times. You can also do this exercise with your eyes closed.

11. Focus on an object in the distance (as far as possible) with a low contrasting background. Do this for a few minutes every half hour or so.

12. Make up and down eye movements, starting from up to down. Do this 8 times. Then do the side to side eye movement, starting from left to right. Repeat this 8 times. Be sure not to force your eyes further than they want to go in any particular direction, or you risk making your vision worse.

13. Always finish up either with palming or another eye relaxation technique.

Sneezing is serious Business

   SNEEZES -- NOTHING TO SNEEZE AT

   Sneezing is serious business according to these myths:

   ·        In ancient times, many people believed that a person's soul was made of air and was         located inside the head. Therefore, sneezing seemed like an activity that would dislodge   the soul and allow it to escape.

   ·        In the Middle Ages, minor illness could lead to death, so the sound of someone sneezing   was frightening. People would say "God bless you" in an attempt to protect the sneezer     from sickness or death.

   ·        Today, many people believe that the heart stops during a sneeze. This is also a myth, but   you can see why people believe it: During a sneeze, when the chest expands and               contracts, pressure builds up and is then released in the chest. This change in pressure     can lead to a change in blood flow, which can cause a change in the heart's rhythm.

  Why Do Your Eyes Shut When You Sneeze?

Some people's eyes don't shut when they sneeze, but most people's do. So if there's no concern that our eyes will pop out of our heads, then why do they close automatically?

You might think the eyes close as a defensive mechanism -- to keep all those projectile germs and bacteria out of the eye. But that's unlikely to be the case since the force of a sneeze sends the particulates away from the face, not toward it.

The more likely reason that eyes close during a sneeze is for no reason. It's just an involuntary reaction with no real purpose. The eyes may close during a sneeze for the same reason your leg kicks out when your knee is tapped. It's not just the muscles in your eyelids that react during a sneeze. Many muscles all over your body react. For example, many people with stress incontinence experience urine leakages when they sneeze -- the result of those muscles tensing and releasing involuntarily.

So it's a pretty disappointing conclusion: The body forces your eyes to shut during a sneeze, but there's no real purpose for this action. Instead, it's a reflex that may have had a purpose at one time, but serves no function now.

SIX STIMULATING STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE BLOOD CIRCULATION

 SIX STIMULATING STRATEGIES TO ENHANCE BLOOD CIRCULATION


I can remember it like yesterday. Sitting in sixth grade history class trying desperately to pay attention. I remember little of what I was taught that year but for some reason I could never forget the story of the Nile River. No I don't remember how long the Nile river is or how many countries it flows through. The one thing I do remember is how fertile the land was along the River. Why was the land so fertile? The reason why so many people have been able to enjoy the richness of the soil for so many centuries is due to the fact that the Nile would routinely overflow producing the right environment for vegetation to grow along the river banks.

The reason I took us back to sixth grade history was to make a comparison between how the flooding of Nile river promoted the growth of countless varieties of vegetation and how adequate blood flow to the scalp will promote healthy (and perhaps faster) hair growth. 

A scalp that doesn't get stimulated is like a receding river. Our hair follicles rely on an adequate supply of blood flow constantly bringing with it precious nutrients the hair desperately needs. In fact, a study was done measuring the blood flow amount to the hair follicles of men with baldness and those with without the condition. Unsurprisingly, scientists found the group of normal-haired subjects measured higher in the amount of blood flow to the scalp than the other group. 

I feel that as a part of a healthy hair regimen, healthy blood flow to the scalp and/or scalp stimulation should be a given. Let's talk about some options we have to help us grow the flow. 

*Exercise*
What better way to increase blood flow to the entire body faster than by exercising. Something as simple as a walk around the block will bring more blood flow to the body than being sedentary. Think about it, a person who's donating blood may be given a ball to squeeze as a way of increasing flow. This simple act quickly increases blood flow which causes the vein to suddenly become apparent. If you are not yet accustomed to a physical lifestyle, no worries, why not start off with something light like yoga or daily stretching. Stretching involves little physical stress on the body but still works to help increase the level of blood flow to the body overall. 




*Massage*
Stimulation to a certain part of the body via massage is a sure fire way to increase blood flow. In this case you want to make sure to focus on your scalp for the hair's direct benefit. Scalp massages are key. Especially for those of us who are always protective styling in an attempt to leave the hair alone. Scalps massages also feel wonderful, there is no reason why you shouldn't be doing them regularly. 








*Stimulating products*
You know how you get that little bit of tingle on your scalp when you use certain shampoos and conditioners. Enjoy that feeling because you are experiencing scalp stimulation. I've used a spray once with cayenne pepper and other stimulating ingredients that worked together to promote hair growth. Not only was it beneficial to my scalp, it felt great! Best of all I could use it on dry hair anytime my scalp felt like it needed a little kick. For those of us too lazy for consistent scalp massages, why not get some stimulating products that do all the work for you?





*Foods* 
If you like it hot, than Cayenne pepper is perfect for you. That stuff increases blood circulation in the body like nobody's business. For those of you how've done the lemonade cleanse, you know that one sip of the cayenne pepper water and your whole entire body began to feel alive! Increased blood flow in an instant. Taking cayenne pepper also benefits the heart and the digestive system. Some have even used it directly on the scalp during the wash. I did it once and got a little bit in my eye. I didn't appreciate feeling like I just got maced in my shower. Not a keeper for me. I prefer to use it as an internal stimulator.





*Cold showers*
Speaking of showers, some of you may already know that I am a believer in cold shower therapy. This is were one takes cold showers in the morning both as an act of courage and to enjoy the myriad of benefits from deciding to do. Warm temperatures does increase blood flow but cold water therapy causes the body to increase capillary size in an attempt to warm you up. Your skin glows afterwards from the increase in blood flow. You also get this wonderful rush as the water hits you. Taking a cold shower isn't a chore, it's an experience! 









*Belly breathing*
One thing taking a cold shower does is cause you to breathe deeper. But you don't have to jump into icy waters to get the blood-flow increasing benefits of belly breathing. Belly breathing is simple the act of taking deep full breaths way into the belly as opposed to the shallow chest breaths we normally take. As we take in large breaths we allow the oxygen we breathe in to reach all the way down to the lower parts of the lungs. More blood is pumped into the body when we take deeper breaths hence increased circulation. Belly breathing is beneficial to the entire body. Every cell within you will gladly reap the benefits of this breathing method. Start belly-breathing today!

Increased blood circulation is not just about healthy hair its about a healthier you. Each one of these methods described above will benefit you entirely. May your cells to be as rich and nourished as the banks of the Great Nile.