All the specialists claim loud and clear that sport is good for your health. No one will question this statement.

However, in sports as in any other field, our body hates excess and extremes. Therefore, when practicing sports, there must be a balance between training periods and recovery times. Beyond a training volume that is too intense, this activity may generate stress rather than benefits.

The effects of sport on our body

Two endocrine glands are particularly mobilized when you practice a sport activity.

The thyroid is a gland responsible for adaptability and all homeostasis processes. Thanks to the thyroxine that it secretes, it allows the fixation of oxygen on the hemoglobin. At this time, the body needs more oxygen. The heart rate and circulatory activity will then increase. At the heart of the cells, the Krebs cycle will produce the energy necessary for the effort by consuming glucose, but it also generates a production of lactic acid.

The adrenal glands are involved in muscle tone and contraction processes, but also, and especially, in the phenomenon of neutralization of lactic acid. The latter is neutralized by the action of adrenaline produced by these glands.

All athletes know the phenomenon of cramp. This occurs when the thyroid - adrenal tandem becomes exhausted. As the thyroid becomes fatigued, there will be less tissue oxygenation and as the adrenals become fatigued, the lactic acid will be less well neutralized and will accumulate in the muscle fibers.

Moderation, the optimal solution

When a person is stressed in general, their thyroid and adrenal glands are weakened and fatigued. A gentle sport practiced reasonably will then allow to detoxify the body, to clear the head and to de-stress. On the other hand, in case of extremely intense and prolonged effort, these two endocrine glands, already weakened, will become even more exhausted and the long-term damage can lead to deep demineralization, to a phenomenon of chronic acidosis and contribute to the phenomenon of general exhaustion, currently known as burnout. It can also contribute to the development of other health problems such as repeated inflammation (tendonitis, osteoarthritis), depression-like disorders (insomnia, decreased appetite, headaches, nausea ...), immune system imbalances (allergy or intolerance) or other more serious degenerative problems.

No matter what type of sport you play, if you go to your workouts with bad feet, if you take 2 or 3 days to recover, or if you experience chronic or unusually long pain after workouts, you know there's a problem somewhere.

Either you do too much, or the sport is not, or no longer, adapted to you (the demands of the body and psyche change with age), or it is carried out in poor conditions (environment, equipment, supervision, etc.). Before you burn out, acidify or demineralize yourself completely, it's time to ask yourself the right questions.

A beneficial practice?

A beneficial and adapted sport practice should always :

• To give you pleasure, to bring you a feeling of joy and to de-stress you;
• Make you feel a healthy fatigue after training, but in the end, a boost of vital energy.

For a sport practice to be beneficial, it is necessary :

• Avoid excessive practice: maximum 3 to 4 sessions per week. You should always have at least one day of recovery between sessions;
• Avoid experiencing: pain, cramps or other injuries;
• The sport must be performed in optimal environmental conditions: good coaching or supervision, infrastructure (flooring, ventilation, machines in good condition ...) and equipment (rackets, shoes, clothing ...) quality;
• From a physiological point of view, the ideal is to practice a sport outside in order to promote good oxygenation, in a quiet place. It is imperative to hydrate properly and sufficiently during sports sessions. The best hydration is provided by pure, low mineralized water in sufficient quantity. Be wary of remineralizing or energy drinks designed for athletes. They almost always contain (toxic) dyes, synthetic (chemical) vitamins and minerals that cannot be assimilated and which overload your liver and are toxic in the long term. But above all, many of them contain sweeteners (aspartame, acesulfame-K, neotame) considered as excitotoxins (neurotoxic).

So with all these tips in mind, we wish you a good practice. Above all, keep in mind that as Pierre de Coubertin said: "The important thing is to participate! "