Featured Image Credit: Mike Harrington / Getty
Exercise is a key component of a healthy lifestyle, right alongside proper nutrition and adequate sleep.
But have you ever wondered what's actually happening inside your body when you're pushing through those reps?
A fascinating science video breaks down what happens to our muscles during exercise.
YouTube channel The Infographics Show has previously shown how various scenarios can affect our body, from what happens when we skip eating for 24 hours to how our system responds when we quit drinking alcohol.
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To start, we must first understand the three types of muscle tissues: cardiac, smooth and skeletal.
Cardiac muscle forms the heart wall and powers the heart's contractions. Meanwhile, smooth muscle tissue forms the walls of organs such as the intestines and uterus, as well as the blood vessels and the internal muscles of the eye.
The one we're focusing on it skeletal muscle, which makes up the bulk of your musculature and accounts for 30 to 40 percent of your total body mass. It connects to bones via tendons and includes muscles such as the shoulder, hamstrings, and abs.
"When you exercise, you're forcing your muscle fibres to contract and stretch repeatedly," the video explains.
The process involves muscles tightening, shortening and lengthening during physical activity. Heat is generated at the same time to help regulate your body temperature, which is why you warm up during a workout. In fact, 40% of your body's temperature converts into muscle movement, according to the YouTube channel.
What happens in the body depends largely on the exercise you're doing, as the 'exercise's duration and intensity influence the effect on the body.'
Exercise mainly involving cardio 'can help enlarge your heart for better blood flow, increase lung capacity, improve metabolism and buff your coordination.'
But for strength training, the effects are different.
"You muscle size will increase if you continue to challenge your muscles to deal with higher levels of resistance or weight," The Infographics Show added. "This is known as muscle hypertrophy, which occurs when the fibres of muscle sustain damage or injury. It can also help improve muscle endurance, build muscle mass, burn fat and build strength."
Hormones like testosterone can also stimulate muscle growth, as the video stated: "They can improve how the body processes proteins, stimulate anabolic hormones, and activate satellite cells, a type of stem cell that helps muscle development."
Furthermore, strength and resistance training trigger the release of growth hormone from the pituitary gland, which can also promote more testosterone production.
"Once you finish exercising and cool down, your body will return to homeostasis," the video confirmed, adding that recovery time depends on the duration and intensity of the workout.
As muscle mass declines with age, medical experts are advising people to engage in some form of strength training to maintain muscle mass and live a longer, healthier life.
