How Inflammation Can Affect Sports Performance

Inflammation is a state that the body goes in to when there’s some kind of problem going on, such as sickness or an injury. Small doses of inflammation every now and again are perfectly healthy and even good for the body, but many people in the world today suffer from long-term bouts of inflammation that can eventually lead to serious health conditions.

People that are big into sports and athleticism will suffer the most from having high levels of inflammation. Not only can it lead to health issues, but it can also mean decreased performance while training. Let’s look at some of the most common ways in which chronic inflammation can affect an athlete’s performance.

It Can Prolong Recovery Times

A state of inflammation within the body requires a lot of energy and nutrients to upkeep, and it means that an athlete that’s suffering from inflammation won’t be able to give their all out on the track or in the gym. But it also means that the resources that would otherwise be used to help heal any injuries will instead be used within the inflamed parts of the body, and this means that injuries can take that much longer to heal. This might not be a problem for most people, but for a person that’s training for an event and any setbacks can be disastrous, being able to recover quickly is extremely important.

Lower Energy Levels

The mark of a good athlete is one that’s able to keep on going, even when everyone else has given up. Stamina can be heavily affected if said athlete happens to also be suffering from chronic inflammation. They will battle to maintain the same levels of exercise as many of their peers, and it will affect their performance, even if it takes some time. Lower than normal energy levels are common among those that suffer from a lot of inflammation, and it’s why it’s so important to try and maintain a lifestyle that reduces inflammation as much as possible.

Cutting Down On Inflammation

There are lots of ways of reducing inflammation, and they can all be traced back to lifestyle and diet. Diet plays a particularly large role, as the Standard Western Diet tends to be backed with inflammatory foods. Junk foods are extremely bad when it comes to inflammation, but anything that’s highly processed or deep fried in oil can release a lot of inflammation into the body. Many people are also unaware that salt can also cause inflammation. So, cutting down on salt intake is good both for reducing inflammation as well as high blood pressure, and to get lots of rest – the perfect time in which to enjoy playing Kiwi mobile pokies.

Smoking causes a lot of inflammation, even if it’s just second-hand smoke, and it should be avoided as much as possible. Alcohol has also been shown to cause excessive amounts of inflammation, and most experts agree that any more than a single glass of red wine a day can cause damage both to the body and to the brain.