From burning fat and building muscle to improving mood and reducing stress, most of the benefits of exercise are well-known. But, if you need yet another reason to hit the gym, research suggests that exercise can boost collagen levels, helping you tone not only your muscles but also your skin.
According to Audrey Kunin, dermatologist and author of The DERMAdoctor Skinstruction Manual, exercise increases delivery of nutrients to skin's cells and provides optimum conditions for collagen production, thus keeping away wrinkles and those oft-discussed fine lines.
This is because regular physical activity helps to increase blood flow and circulation, which in turn helps bring more nutrients and oxygen to the skin. This can help keep your skin looking healthy and radiant, and can even help reduce inflammation and blemishes.
Collagen levels drop naturally as we age, and while it is true that eating a healthy diet and taking exercise can help us to mitigate (or at least not exacerbate) these falls, regular high-intensity exercise actually depletes our collagen supplies more quickly.
“HIIT training, and resistance workouts are the best forms of exercise to focus on in the gym for collagen production because they stimulate the human growth hormone.” For those who are intimidated by the acronym, HIIT workouts don't require a gym membership, fancy classes or a personal trainer.
Ultraviolet rays, aka sunlight, cause collagen to break down faster. With sun exposure, those UV rays damage the skin by entering the dermis (the second and thickest layer of our skin) which causes collagen to break down faster.
Eggs don't contain fully synthesized collagen; however, egg whites are a rich source of proline, one of the two amino acids needed to synthesize collagen in the human body. They also contain some glycine. Pair eggs with foods high in vitamin C, copper, and zinc.
Endurance exercise–like running, swimming, or bicycling–and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) both slowed signs of aging compared to lifting weights–at least on the cellular level.
Sweat acts as a skin purifier. It helps you get rid of impurities and dirt and opens up the pores. This enables your skin to get a fresh dose of oxygen. What's more, it improves its elasticity and makes you look younger.
Extreme workouts can result in fat loss throughout the body as well as the face. This subsequent decrease in facial fat and volume is one of the main reasons why exercise makes you look older, especially for anyone over the age of 35.
Exercise
Building muscle mass through weight training exercises can help decrease the appearance of loose skin, especially if the loose skin is from weight loss. If excess fat distends the skin for a long time, the skin can lose some of its ability to shrink with weight loss.
Sweating gives your skin glowing results
It can also stimulate the body's production of collagen over time, helping your skin to appear plumper and healthier[5].
What is runner's face? If you haven't heard the term, you've likely seen it. It is the face of a lifelong runner with leathery, saggy skin and a gaunt appearance. It is the result of lots of sun exposure and little body fat.
What Hurts Your Collagen Levels? Besides time, three main things will lower your collagen levels: sunlight, smoking, and sugar. Too much exposure to ultraviolet light makes its fibers unravel. This can lead to sun damage, such as wrinkles.
Manganese in bananas is good for your skin
One medium-sized banana provides approximately 13% of your daily manganese needs. Manganese helps your body make collagen and protects your skin and other cells against free radical damage.
Proponents claim that the silica in bananas can help increase collagen production, the natural proteins that help keep skin hydrated and smooth. Bananas contain nutrients, some of which may help with skin health.
Conclusion. Caffeine reduces collagen synthesis in human cultured skin fibroblasts. HA did not have any significant protective effect on this process. This is the first study to our knowledge that reports caffeine-induced inhibition of collagen synthesis in human skin fibroblasts.
In fact, our collagen production decreases as soon as we turn 20. At Rejuvenation Clinics of Australia, we have many anti-ageing treatments which can slow down the effects of ageing. However, in order to understand why we age, it is important to know the basics of the skin.