Sports practice could make it possible to treat several diseases, in particular heart disease, cancer or arthritis, thanks to the production of endocannabinoids, chemical substances having effects similar to cannabis.
- Osteoarthritis, one of the arthritis conditions, affects 10 million people in France, including 65% of people over 65 years old.
- Playing sports can prevent health problems related to arthritis but also prevent the onset of cancer and heart disease.
According to’World Health Organization (WHO), at least 75 to 150 minutes of physical activity per week, of moderate to vigorous intensity, is recommended for adults aged 18 to 64 years. Ideally, you should also walk at least 10,000 steps a day. The reason is simple: the health benefits of sport are numerous. It helps maintain good physical condition, the cardiovascular system, reduce the risk of developing diabetes, improve sleep, etc.
According to a new study published in the journal Gut Microbes, doing physical exercise would have another virtue: this practice would allow the human body to produce endocannabinoids. These are chemicals produced by the body and have effects similar to cannabis, that is to say, reduce inflammation, which helps relieve pain and physical ailments. Thus, scientists believe that physical exercise, via the production of endocannabinoids, could treat several pathologies, such as arthritis, cancer and heart disease.
Less pain and inflammation in athletes
To achieve this result, the researchers measured the impact of sport on the health of 78 people suffering from arthritis. Of these, 38 did 15 minutes of muscle-strengthening exercises every day for six weeks. The other 40 volunteers did not exercise during the study. Results: Exercise reduced participants’ pain and also decreased the number of inflammatory substances they had in their bodies.
According to the authors, these changes are primarily observable in the intestinal microbiota. It is a part of the intestine where a whole set of micro-organisms live: bacteria, viruses, parasites and non-pathogenic fungi. The intestinal microbiota influences a large part of the body, such as the immune system, the brain, the cardiovascular system or the bone system… In detail, the study estimates that at least a third of the anti-inflammatory effects from the gut microbiome is thought to be the result of higher endocannabinoid production in exercisers.
Sport rather than cannabidiol oil
The anti-inflammatory effect of sport was already known. But, until now, scientists did not know precisely the physical phenomenon that produced this action. It is now done: it would be linked to the production of endocannabinoids. In the long term, it could reduce the risk of developing cancer, heart disease and arthritis.
“Our study clearly shows that physical exercise increases substances with cannabis-like effects in the body, believes Amrita Vijay, one of the authors. This can have a positive impact on many other physical aspects. As interest in cannabidiol oil grows, it is important to know that simple lifestyle interventions, such as exercise, can influence endocannabinoid production.”.
Joint pain affects 93% of French people
93% of French people have already suffered from joint pain, according to a survey IFOP entitled “The French and rheumatism” conducted for Inserm and “Together against rheumatism”. Rheumatism, more commonly grouped under the term arthritis today, refers to various conditions that are characterized by pain in the joints, ligaments, tendons, bones or other elements of the musculoskeletal system.
The Inflammatory joint disorders can affect a single joint – this is called monoarthritis – or several, and the patient then suffers from polyarthritis. Over time and as these pathologies develop, the pain increases and people’s mobility is reduced. As this study underlines, regular practice of sport is therefore essential to maintain one’s physical condition and avoid long-term health problems.
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