BE LESS INFLAMED:

To simplify the relationship between exercise and inflammation, we need to understand that strength training can be inflammatory in nature. However, it can be good inflammation or bad. Some call the good inflammation “adaptive” and the other maladaptive. Adaptive inflammation triggers an anti-inflammatory response that can clean up older inflammation in a specific area.

As the body tries to repair the exercised muscle, it also repairs other structures in that area. The right amount of new inflammation can potentially have a healing affect. We just have to be careful with the “when” and the “how” of strength training.

Strength training and its impact on cytokine (immune protein cells) release can re-start a cascade of events that can be healing. In addition, strength training done correctly acts like a pump, bringing nutrients and removing waste. The use of loads or resistance while moving through a large functional range of motion engages/activates more muscular fibers within a given muscle. Blood flow follows the muscles being used, meaning, the benefit of using resistance with body movement is that it creates extra blood flow. “The pump” is real, and it can be used to thoroughly infuse a muscle and the surrounding area. Whereas light resistance exercise would only use a small amount of tissue and therefore less blood flow. 

Strength training can also relax or loosen a muscle that was stuck in a contracted state. This relaxation will improve blood and lymph flow in the area being trained. Think of strength training like keeping the scales balanced for repair and breakdown. We want balance on the pro-inflammatory / anti-inflammatory scale, keeping these systems primed for use as we age.