Should I apply ice or heat first when I get hurt? Nutritionists help you decipher exercise myths!

In recent years, the trend of exercising has become increasingly popular, and more and more people have begun to develop good exercise habits. Aerobic exercise (jogging, swimming, dancing) and anaerobic exercise (weight training) are both popular sports. It is recommended to exercise 5 times a week, at least 30 minutes each time, with a heart rate of 110 beats per minute, which is beneficial to physical and mental health!

Exercise plays a very important role in maintaining human health. In addition to increasing calorie consumption, it can also increase metabolic rate and is very effective for weight loss. In addition, exercise can improve insulin sensitivity, lower blood lipids, increase HDL, and thus avoid metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. It can be said that there are many benefits! But at the same time, many people also have many myths about the field of sports. Today, let nutritionists Huang Xiaotong and Cai Yixuan help you debunk the rumors one by one!

Myth 1: Girls tend to become big and fat when exercising, and too much muscle doesn’t look good

don’t worry! It is actually very difficult for girls to become as strong as boys. This is mainly because the testosterone level in women's bodies, which can promote muscle growth, is lower than that in men, so unless androgen, growth hormone, etc. are used, it is unlikely that they will grow developed muscles! So don’t be scared girls! Weight training can help you maintain a well-proportioned body and make your curves more attractive, but it will definitely not turn you into a Barbie doll overnight!

Myth 2: Excessive exercise can cause joint wear and tear, so what should I eat?

Long-term joint wear and tear can easily lead to arthritis, causing pain, stiffness, and even swelling! Arthritis is an inflammatory response of the body, and prostaglandins are the culprits that cause tissue inflammation. Therefore, if you want to alleviate the symptoms of inflammation, the most important thing is to inhibit prostaglandins. It is recommended to achieve the effect of alleviating the symptoms by taking the following foods:

• Omega-3 fatty acids: deep-sea fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel (small bluefin tuna), herring, halibut, etc. Eat fish 3 to 4 times a week

• Fish oil (about 6 grams per day)

• Onion, ginger, garlic

In addition, if you want to take care of your joints, you can also supplement more collagen, because collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body's connective tissue. It is a component of cartilage, tendons, bones, and ligaments. It can provide support for the body structure and help reduce the symptoms of damaged cells and tissues.

• Collagen (animal source): pig skin, fish skin, but due to the high fat content, the calories are relatively high, so you need to pay special attention to the amount.

• Gelatin (plant source): fungus, okra, yam, etc.

Myth 3: Can exercise help with partial weight loss?

Nutritionist: My thighs are so thick, is there any way to slim down only my thighs? The cruel truth is that which parts of the body are prone to storing fat and which parts are more likely to lose weight first mainly depend on genes. I'm afraid we can only ask God!

We cannot reduce fat in specific parts of the body. Fat reduction is whole-body, not local slimming. Strength training such as bridge pose and squats can make local muscle lines tighter. Therefore, if you want to lose weight, you still need to combine whole-body exercise and diet!

Myth 4: Should I apply ice or heat first for sports injuries?

When an acute sports injury occurs or there is obvious redness, swelling, heat, or pain, do not apply hot compresses. Please choose ice compresses first! Ice compress can quickly cool the skin, constrict the blood vessels in the skin and under the skin, reduce local blood circulation, lower blood flow rate, help relieve pain and control acute inflammation, etc.

When applying ice, remember to wrap the ice with a towel to avoid direct contact with the skin. In addition, ice pillows or ice bags are also good helpers for ice compresses and can be used more often. It should be noted that ice compress should not be applied for more than 20 minutes at a time in principle, and the time should not be too long.

Myth 5: Should I eat before exercising?

Many office workers choose to exercise early in the morning or after get off work. At this time, they will be very confused about whether to eat breakfast or dinner first. On the one hand, they are worried that they will not have time to eat, and more people are afraid that eating will affect the effect of weight loss.

However, frequent exercise on an empty stomach can easily cause muscle loss, reduce the basal metabolic rate, and affect weight loss and exercise performance. Therefore, it is recommended that you eat some well-absorbed carbohydrates + low-fat protein 1 hour before exercise. Low-fat milk + toast is a good choice.