Save Energy by Smiling While Running

Study Results on Smiling and Energy Consumption in Runners

A recent study shows that runners who smile during endurance running use less energy and feel more relaxed. Endurance, or the ability to tolerate physical activity, is influenced by both physical and psychological factors. Physiological factors include cardiovascular fitness and how energy is consumed during exercise. Meanwhile, psychological factors refer to perceived exertion, which describes how hard an athlete feels their effort is during an activity. The lower the perceived exertion, the easier the activity feels. Crucially, any strategy that reduces perceived exertion can have a positive impact on endurance performance. One such strategy is manipulating the athlete’s facial expression.

The results of the study show that smiling consistently during physical activity can reduce perceived exertion compared to frowning. Researchers asked 24 club-level runners to run four 6-minute blocks on a treadmill. Athletes ran each block consecutively, with 2-minute breaks between blocks. Participants were asked to either smile or frown while running, and each wore a breathing mask that allowed researchers to measure their oxygen consumption during the run. The researchers used oxygen consumption data to calculate the energy expenditure. After each run, participants rated their perceived exertion during the six-minute intervals.

Key Findings of the Study

A key finding from the study was that runners who smiled during their run consumed less energy compared to those who frowned. Specifically, oxygen consumption was 2.8% lower for those who smiled compared to those who frowned, and 2.2% lower than those with neutral expressions. Moreover, the perceived exertion was higher in runners who frowned compared to those who smiled.

Additional Benefits of Smiling While Running

For athletes of all levels, endurance is influenced by both physical and psychological factors. Physiological factors include cardiovascular fitness and how energy is used during activity. Psychological factors are based on perceived exertion, or how difficult the athlete feels the activity is. The lower the perceived exertion, the easier the activity feels.

The key takeaway is that any strategy that lowers perceived effort can positively impact endurance performance. One effective strategy is smiling, as it can significantly reduce perceived effort and improve overall endurance.

Other Benefits of Smiling During Exercise

Smiling offers many benefits that contribute to mental and physical well-being. You may already be familiar with these benefits, but did you know that smiling while running helps you expend less energy and boosts your endurance performance? Here’s more on the topic:

• Increased Energy: A good run can quickly boost your energy levels and reduce fatigue. Research shows that workers who exercise regularly are more productive and have more energy than their sedentary peers. So, next time you feel tired, instead of resting, put on your running shoes. Even if you woke up early, you'll feel refreshed and energized for the whole day. A quick tip: while running to improve speed and strength, try listening to some music.

• Improved Endurance: Running regularly improves your overall endurance. Over time, you’ll find that you can run longer distances without feeling strained.

• Stronger Heart: Running strengthens the heart, increases its efficiency in pumping oxygen throughout the body, and lowers the risk of heart disease. In fact, just one hour of running per week can nearly halve your risk of heart-related issues.

Conclusion

We hope you’ve enjoyed learning about the therapeutic benefits of exercise and smiling. If you know someone interested in fitness, feel free to share this article. For more informative content, be sure to check out the Therapeutic Sports section on SaedNews.

Thank you for your support!