The most important tool in the fight against coronavirus, in addition to self-isolation and the implementation of sanitary and epidemiological recommendations, is adherence to a special diet and physical activity. What products to give preference to and how to organize physical activity - said the expert.
How exactly and by what means sports and nutrition activate the body's defenses - Alexander Filimonov, nutritionist, sports medicine specialist, explained to us.
What to include in the menu?
A sufficient amount of protein in the human diet can not only provide muscle building material, but also prevent health problems. This is because amino acids perform a number of important functions in the body, regulating complex biochemical processes. Immune, catalytic, enzymatic, reserve - far from the whole list of functions subject to proteins.
So, for example, in the quarantine regime and the spread of the virus, the most important is the reserve and protective role of proteins. The high protein content in food replenishes the amino acid balance of the muscles, and in the event of a viral or bacterial attack, it is the amino acids that take the "blow", being a kind of buffer in the fight against the disease. In the absence of such a reserve, the internal organs become vulnerable, which just donate their proteins to solve this problem, thereby increasing the risk of adverse consequences.
Thus, a menu of easily digestible proteins in the form of fish, eggs, seafood, dietary chicken breast and rabbit meat are able to maintain the required level of protein in the body and muscles, in particular. For the proper functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, it is especially important to add fiber in the form of vegetables to the diet, including for a higher assimilation of consumed protein.
Workouts to boost the immune response
Particular attention should be paid to physical activity, even in the absence of access to a fitness club.
It is important to remember about the processes of sarcopenia: age-related depletion of muscle mass with its subsequent replacement with fat. And, as you know, an insufficient amount of muscles is the absence of a natural shield for the body. The high content of fat in the body, again, has negative consequences for both immunity and the cardiovascular system, worsening the quality of a person's life, endangering not only the figure, but also health.
The process of sarcopenia begins to intensify from the age of 25, accelerates by the age of 40, and after 60 it becomes almost irreversible.
author
The process of sarcopenia begins to intensify from the age of 25, accelerates by the age of 40, and after 60 it becomes almost irreversible.
But still, nature has invented a way to avoid this kind of "trouble". It is physical activity that can create a powerful barrier to foreign agents and increase the body's immune response.
Even exercises with your own body weight and with improvised means at home can prevent changes in muscle tissue, and become a sufficient load to tone the muscles. And full-fledged workouts in a fitness club 3-4 times a week for 30-40 minutes will seriously protect a person from possible negative factors.
So, a proper diet and exercise regimen is not only a guarantee of weight loss and excellent appearance, but also support of the body in the fight against the virus.