Obviously none of this applies to someone with ME https://getpocket.com/explore/item/this-is-your-brain-on-exercise?utm_source=pocket-newtab
I find it very demoralizing to read about all of the benefits of exercise. I do wonder what constitutes exercise for a person with ME. If I get my heart rate up to my anaerobic threshold, am I exercising even though my activity level is low?
It may not be so depressing Human beings have evolved to only be as fit as they need to at any given time. I can't remember exactly how the process works but if you go into anaerobic respiration (aerobic exercise) mitochondria die. The byproducts of their death are the signal to the cell that we are not fit enough so it produces more mitochondria. The number of mitochondria we have determine how fit we are so when they talk about aerobic exercise being good for you this is what they mean. This means that (healthy) unfit people can increase their fitness easily but athletes can't as they are already near the limit. So it is possible that our bodies are more like an athlete's because the cell is continually upping our fitness! It could explain why we don't have as much muscle loss as you would expect from what we can do. Also means that the horror stories of what happens when you lie in bed for a few weeks may not apply to us as the people they have tested will not be going into anaerobic respiration while lying flat but we do. Anyway I will believe this is true until it is proven otherwise, because it makes me worry less
