Every
time you step out to break a sweat, your cells set off a near total-body chain
reaction that leads to awesome mental and physical benefits.
In
the first few seconds
Your muscles start using adenosine
triphosphate (ATP), energy molecules your body makes from food.
That burst of power you feel ? It’s ATP
converting into another high-powered molecule, adenosine diphosphate (ADP).
Muscle cells-expert recyclers-will turn ADP back into ATP after the initial
surge.
In
the first 90 seconds
In order to unleash more Atp, your cell
break down glycogen, a form of glucose fuel stored in your muscles. Cells also
pull glucose directly from your blood (one reason exercise is helpful in
fending off high blood sugar).
Your body gobbles more glucose, and your
muscles release lactic acid-also known as the burn in the age-old workout
mantra ”feel the burn”-which signals the brain that you’re under physical
stress.
In
the next few minutes
Your heart starts beating faster and
directing blood toward your muscles and away from functions you don’t need at
the moment, such as digestion.
To make the best use of glucose, your
muscles the gluteus maximus (I,e., your butt), your legs, and your core help
keep you upright, control your gait, and extend your hip joints so your feet
can push off the ground.
You begin to torch calories (in general,
runners work through about 100 per mile), including some that might have been
stored as fat.
All this burning of glycogen and oxygen
raises your body temperature.
To cool you down, your circulatory system
diverts blood flow to your skin, lending you a healthy flush. Your sweat glands
start releasing moisture to keep you from overheating.
Within
10 minutes
If you’re in decent shape, your muscles and
their ATP supply are ample. And your body can efficiently shuttle oxygen and
burn fat and glucose. You feel strong.
If, however, you;ve been slacking on
exercise, your ATP supply can’t keep up with the demand. You can’t suck in or
process oxygen fast enough, and lactic acid starts to flood your body. Every
minute feels more like a slog.
After 30 minutes
Whew! It’s over. As you slow to a walk,
your energy demand falls and your breathing rate gradually returns to normal.
Chances are, you feel energized. Your brain
has triggered a rush of the mood-elevating hormone dopamine. The effect of
exercise can be so great that it can even decrease chocolate cravings. (Don’t
worry- even if you still indulge in the sweet stuff, you’ve created some room
in your glycogen stockpile, so those extra calories are less likely to be
converted into fat.)
