Too much exercise may age you faster

Due to the pandemic, many people have started to work out at home. However, whether it is for health or to lose weight, diet plays a huge role in shedding those extra weights in combination with exercise. Apparently, pairing weight training with cardio is the best strategy for weight loss. Gaining lean muscle helps boosting your resting metabolism, which makes you burn more calories even when you’re sitting; and pairing it with at least 30 minutes of cardio exercises after, such as running, cycling helps you to effectively burn calories. 

However, exercising too much can lead to muscle fatigue, increasing the risk of injury and even causing production of free radicals in the body, in which when in excessive can damage our body cells and accelerate aging. Studies have shown that not only long-term oxidative stress can accelerate skin aging, these free radicals can also affect our immune system, leading to higher risk of infection.

You are what you eat. Eating the right food before and after exercise not only helps to boost your workout performance, but to also help you to recover faster, loss weight effectively and prevent oxidative damage.

Before workout: Eat enough carbs to improve performance

Eat a 1:1 ratio of carbs, such as whole wheat bread, brown rice, fruits and vegetables and protein two hours before a workout helps your body to store energy and enhance performance in your workout by delaying fatigue.

After workout: Eat enough carbs, protein and antioxidant-rich food

Eating right after an exercise is the key to faster recovery and building lean muscle. Eating enough carbs such as sweet potato, fruits, oats and rice helps to stimulate insulin, which helps in increasing muscle protein synthesis, while consuming high protein food such as milk, yogurt, egg and fish after a workout helps in muscle-repair and growth. One is recommended to eat a 2:3 ratio of carbs and protein after a workout session.

Exercising too much can cause the body to produce too much free radicals, which can cause aging. Hence, one should consume enough antioxidant-rich food, such as blueberries, apples, broccoli, spinach, onion and turmeric to fight free radicals and lower oxidative stress.

Daily: Eat enough protein

Consuming enough protein daily is the key to maintain lean muscle mass and resting metabolism. A lack of protein in the diet while you are trying to lose weight can cause muscle loss, which decreases metabolism and can make your weight rebound in the future. Hence, consume enough high-quality protein, such as animal source protein to maximize weight loss. For adults, a daily protein intake of 0.8g/kg body weight is recommended; while for those who are physically active, aim for a daily intake of 1.2-1.4g/kg body weight per day. 

Reference:

Healthline