What are the changes that our body undergoes during an average run?
Body Composition
Body composition refers to how much of your body is lean muscle, organs, water, bone or fat. So how does running affect our muscle/fat balance? In general, the amount of energy in versus the amount of energy out is what determines our weight. With a balanced diet in place, running can create a calorie deficit and promote fat loss through energy expenditure.
But it’s important to note that at a certain point, the lean muscle will not continue to increase with running, as the exercise only requires so much muscle recruitment for sustainability. Therefore, running combined with weight training is recommended to provide an extra push that creates a shapely body composition with a desirable level of fat versus muscle.
System Improvements
Running also provides an important metabolic boost, as your caloric burn increases for an extended time period even after you end your run and take off your sneakers.
The longer you practice the art of running, the longer you are able to maintain the exercise, which in turn allows your muscles to increase their capacity to efficiently create energy.
Circulation improves as blood vessels dilate and your lung capacity increases. Over time, these ancillary systems — lungs, vessels, capillaries and cells — adapt to a higher level of energy expenditure and also increase their efficiency in kind. This results in better overall cardiovascular health in conjunction with a heart that is less taxed by activities of daily living.