A latest study shows that many of the health benefits that we get from aerobic exercises are due to the most recent exercise session (rather than weeks, months and even years of exercise training), and the nature of these benefits can be greatly affected by the food we eat afterwards.
Different foods (and thus the nutrients) that we consume after exercise produce different effects on the body's metabolism. There have been several studies before, which show that the many health benefits of exercise are transient i.e. one exercise session produces benefits to the body that taper off, generally within hours or a few days. Interestingly, many of the improvements in metabolic health associated with exercise stem largely from the most recent session of exercise, rather than from an increase in 'fitness' per se, from months or years of physical training. But it is very important to look at both the effects of exercise and what you're eating after the exercise.
This new study found out that exercise enhanced insulin sensitivity, particularly when meals eaten after the exercise session contained relatively low carbohydrate content. Enhanced insulin sensitivity means that it is easier for the body to take up sugar from the blood stream into tissues like muscles, where it can be stored or used as fuel. Impaired insulin sensitivity (or 'insulin resistance') is a hallmark of Type II diabetes, as well as being a major risk factor for other chronic diseases, such as heart disease.
Interestingly, when the research subjects in this study ate relatively low-calorie meals after exercise, this did not improve insulin sensitivity any more than when they ate enough calories to match what they expended during exercise. This suggests that you don't have to starve yourself after exercise to still reap some of the important health benefits.
During the study, when the participants ate less carbohydrates after exercise, this enhanced insulin sensitivity significantly more. Although weight loss is important for improving metabolic health in overweight and obese people, these results suggest that people can still reap some important health benefits from exercise without under-eating or losing weight.
The study clearly also reinforces evidence that each exercise session can affect the body physiology and also that differences in what you eat after exercise can produce different physiological changes.
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