Here's a strange study I found. It looks at the effect of bed rest on muscle mass. In one group, subjects were allowed to naturally decrease their food intake to match the lowered activity of bed rest. The second group continued to consume their normal level of calories.
Both groups lost muscle mass. What's interesting is that the group that was eating more actually lost more muscle mass. You might think that from an evolutionary perspective, a little bit of activity and a lot of food is a winning situation. Apparently, not. Instead, the authors conclude that:
"Positive energy balance during inactivity is associated with greater muscle atrophy and with activation of systemic inflammation and of antioxidant defenses."
One way to look at this finding is that daily exercise/movement is what's normal from an evolutionary perspective. Inactivity is not the physical norm, and prolonged inactivity actually triggers inflammation.
Here's a strange study I found. It looks at the effect of bed rest on muscle mass. In one group, subjects were allowed to naturally decrease their food intake to match the lowered activity of bed rest. The second group continued to consume their normal level of calories.
Both groups lost muscle mass. What's interesting is that the group that was eating more actually lost more muscle mass. You might think that from an evolutionary perspective, a little bit of activity and a lot of food is a winning situation. Apparently, not. Instead, the authors conclude that:
"Positive energy balance during inactivity is associated with greater muscle atrophy and with activation of systemic inflammation and of antioxidant defenses."
One way to look at this finding is that daily exercise/movement is what's normal from an evolutionary perspective. Inactivity is not the physical norm, and prolonged inactivity actually triggers inflammation.