Playing with a child can be exhausting. Surely on more than one occasion you have found that your son seems to have all the energy in the world, while you have been robbed of everything. My theory was that they stole it while we slept or something similar, but it turns out that there is a scientific explanation behind it.
A new study shows us why our children never seem to get tired: the secret is in their muscles and how they produce energy. We share the results.
The study
Published in Frontiers in Physiology, the study analyzed the metabolic profiles of children and compared them with those of high-strength athletes, to analyze them during high impact exercises, considering among other things, muscle recovery after participating in these exercises.
The study divided its participants into three groups: 12 children between the ages of 8 and 12, 12 men without physical activity or training between the ages of 19 and 23, and 13 high-strength athletes between the ages of 19 and 27. Participants participated in two experimental sessions, separated from each other by 48 hours.
They were subjected to different tests and different measures were taken in each experimental session. It was particularly analyzed how their bodies produced energy, whether aerobically (in need of oxygen) or anaerobic (without the need for oxygen and regularly causing muscle fatigue.
It was found that Children use their aerobic metabolism more, and they get less tired when doing high intensity exercises. In addition, the speed at which your heart rate returns to normal is faster than that of athletes.
The researchers also found that as we mature, there is an adverse effect on energy production when exercising muscles, so aerobic training could be a priority before and after adolescence, so that the body its aerobic potential and delays the development of fatigue caused by physical activity.
Dads, let's move more!
Spend an afternoon playing, jumping and running with children It can feel like a marathon, especially if you are not used to physical activity. In my case, I often remember feeling exhausted, when my three-year-old daughter wanted us to keep running or playing, wondering where my energy went.
For a long time I wondered if it was normal to feel so tired, doubting if I would be the only mother in the world who spent so little time playing with her daughter. I even wondered if it was age, although I was barely 30 years old.
But in reality, as we saw in the study, It is not only a matter of age, but of the muscular endurance and recovery that we have each. Basically, of the physical condition we have.
For six months I have been attending a gym daily where I follow the routines indicated by a personal trainer, and in addition to feeling better, I have noticed that I no longer feel fatigued as before when I play with my daughter.
I think that by exercising we set a good example, We encourage staying active as they grow, of course, of the benefits we obtain for our physical and emotional health.
So now that we know why children never seem to get tired, Let's get more active! Well, in this way we can enjoy even more those afternoons with our children.
Photos | iStock
Via | The reason
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