Wednesday, 27 August 2008

STRETCH MARKS FROM EXERCISE?

By: Mujuthaba

Bombarded by many questions and a bit of curiosity trapped me in a corner to write about stretch marks in exercise. When I started to add up information, I found a number of commercially towed researches out there; of which promotes a certain cream or product to shade away these marks. So I decided to bias myself on these researches and other similar literature, which has common scientific ground on the issue.

Stretch marks (scientifically known as 'striae distensea') are caused mainly by over-stretching of the skin tissue. They are extremely common and are mostly visible in areas where fat deposits are abundant. These areas include the upper arm, the breasts, waist, hip and the thighs.

The mid-layer of the skin (known as the 'dermis') is made up of the stretchy elastin fibers and the strengthening collagen fibers. As the tissue below the skin (either fat or muscle) grows too quickly, giving less time for the skin to build up, the tissues that make up the dermis of the skin breaks away. Eventually these breakages cause scars (following inflammation), which we refer to as stretch marks.

The main cause of stretch marks is, as described above, gaining too much fat or muscle mass too quickly. Such is the adverse effects of training using anabolic steroids (hormone replacement therapy). It would be wise to train gradually to build up muscle at a pace where the skin can keep up.

Losing weight slowly (about 0.5kg/week) would help the possibility of the stretch marks to be invisible. If an over-weight person tries to lose fat too quickly (using fat-loss supplements or extreme diets), there is the chance of a more visible bundle of stretch marks. If one's weight goes up and down on a roller coaster ride in a short time frame, stretch marks would be hard to miss.

The only way to reduce existing stretch marks from exercising is through toning up the body. Other clinical therapies do exist, some of which are effective and some aren't. Caring for a healthy diet with foods such as fish, meat, dairy, fruits and vegetables (collectively vitamins A, C, D and zinc) help reduce stretch marks. Hydration is also very important (6-8 glasses of water daily), in which case drinks such as coffee, tea or coke should be avoided as they have dehydrating properties.

Stretch marks are not only limited to dieting and exercise. Stretch marks are common in over 95 percent of pregnant women, women on birth-control pills and children who get growth spurts as they pass puberty.

In conclusion, control your weight, eat healthy, train gradually and avoid quick fixes to reach your training goal. Even though stretch marks are a visible menace, they pose no health risks. In the exercising arena, they are just scars that show irresponsibility towards ones body at some stage or the other in your life.


Bibliography:
- Billing, M. (2002) Stretchy subjects. American Fitness, 20(5), 61-62
- Buffalo, J. (2005) Advice on stretch marks. Shape, 24(8), 82

- Cardellino, C. (2007) Stretch mark solutions. Shape, 26(12), 94

- Shelly, B. (2006) Shea butter. Massage and Bodywork, 4

- Sports dermatology part 1: common dermatoses (2004) Canadian Medical Association Journal, 171(8), 851-853

1 comment:

how to said...

Stretch marks are an unfortunate and often unavoidable effect of rapid weight gain, loss, or pregnancy for some people. Many people feel very self conscious about their stretch marks, and wish to reduce their appearance or eliminate them if at all possible.