By Dr. Antonio Parolisi
In the context of sport, all organic systems are subjected to a high level, which can lead to a reduction in the energy component of the general organization system. It is true that in our genetic code there is a programming that allows us to carry out all the tasks that are due to us in order to safeguard the integrity of the species, but the comparison made with the "hunter of the past" with respect to "modern man", finds imperfections in the form; these imperfections are due to the fact that often we want at all costs to relate the life of a man a million years ago with the employee of today, because in fact, organically, many studies have shown that substantially there was no "radical" change in biological systems. In reality it is also true that we modern men are still the same as in the past; the problem, however, subsists when analyzing the concept of physical activity of the past with the current one. The man of the past spent whole days hunting, looking for a prey and perhaps without even great success, perhaps remaining fast for days, until, finally, he captured his meal and jealously guarded it in his home, consuming it with all calm and serenity and enjoying the deservedly won "trophy". At this point his task was almost finished and he could quietly devote himself to rest, to procreation - if it was time for mating - and then "enjoyed life"; he had nothing to think about the electricity, gas, water or garbage bills, or whatever, he had no mortgage to pay, because his cave was given by the municipality in free formula ... He fed on food basically based on proteins and fats, oilseeds, nuts, and the many natural foods as they were, without being gobbled up by elaborate or refined products. If we wanted to make a stress / rest relationship we could easily conclude that the ratio was probably 1 to 3; it is true that he had to hunt even for whole days, so he was subjected to important workloads, but then the "comfortable" time without stressful events was far superior. So he rested much more than he worked.
The modulator of the life of every human being is represented by the Neurovegetative System, that set of cells and fibers that innervate the internal organs and glands, with the task of controlling the vegetative activities, or rather that set of functions that, generally, are outside of voluntary control; then from the Ortosimpatico System, for stress and physical activity (fight or flight) and from the Parasympathetic System, for the quiet and tranquility (eat and rest), even if in reality there is not a clear distinction between the one and the other but often we talk about a kind of modulation of one in the other. Therefore, in principle, it could be defined that in the past the system that worked most and therefore managed our body systems was represented by the Parasympathetic System, with its modulators of calm induced by rest and tranquility.
Currently, despite the progress of humanity and technological advances, many envy their beloved great-great-great-grandfather, as modern life is characterized solely and exclusively by stress, apart from some moments of relaxation in some spa, for whom can afford it, of course ... Too much work, exhausting thoughts, thirst for success, worries and more, have moved that famous relationship to 3: 1; in other words, we work (stress) much more than we rest. So, at present, we could say that in modern life the system that works the most, and that manages our biological systems, is mainly represented by the Ortosimpatico System, which puts the rest abilities of each of us into serious difficulties. This situation is often very dangerous, because the response of our system to a stress event can lead to an inhibition of insulin secretion, with a consequent increase in circulating glucose (increase in blood glucose), which plays an indispensable role in the activity physical and cerebral; those phlogistic mediators are inhibited, causing damage to the structures; the immune reaction is inhibited; an alteration of aldosterone is determined, with consequent excessive water retention and pressure increase; Neuropeptides are inhibited, including Beta-endorphins, which attempt to end the neurochemical cascade to prevent a neuropsychic problem from being created. As a result of the stressful event, symptoms such as tachycardia, sweating, hot and cold flushes occur, which can have times ranging from a few hours to a few days.
Since these are all phenomena that relate to "fight or flight" events, not having their physiological outlet, they are kept inside our body creating problems. It's like preparing a formula one car, bringing the engine, oil, tire pressure and heat to the right temperature, and filling up with fuel, and then putting it in the garage.
Many scholars, years ago, came to the conclusion that these stress factors had to be "indulged" in some way, to prevent them from being left unused in the human body and to do damage; and this is what led to think that physical activity could be a winning weapon in combating the stress accumulated with everyday life.
Unfortunately, however, it often happens that too many cripples and in fact many subjects exaggerate with the approach to motor activities, resulting in a state of fatigue that at this point has no more health benefits but can even be additional to daily stress.
Second part "
