Can we be tireless?

In many cases, when work reaches a critical moment or a sports game reaches the final stage, people hope to maintain sufficient energy and physical strength. Ancient books record that many sages read all night long by candlelight, which shows their extraordinary energy.

However, humans have their physiological limits after all. Even a god like Kuafu could not overcome his own fatigue, let alone ordinary people like us. Why do people get tired? Psychological effects are one of the reasons for fatigue. After an intense basketball game, when the final whistle sounds, the tense mood will immediately relax, and the feeling of fatigue will immediately appear in the mind. But from a chemical point of view, fatigue is closely related to the metabolism of carbohydrates.

In order to complete a series of physiological activities such as muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmission, cells in the human body need to consume high-energy compounds, such as adenosine triphosphate, or ATP. ATP releases a large amount of energy during the hydrolysis process for cells to use. When people exercise vigorously, the frequency and intensity of muscle fiber contraction increase, which accelerates the process of cell energy consumption. If the ATP stored in human muscles and blood is quickly consumed and cannot be replenished in time, the feeling of "tiredness" will immediately be transmitted to the brain through nerve fibers, reminding us: it's time to replenish energy!

During long-distance running, we often feel muscle soreness and can hardly continue running. This is because during intense exercise, blood circulation accelerates, but the oxygen supply required by the muscles is still insufficient. At this time, muscle cells must mobilize the decomposition of glucose to continuously provide energy. However, in an oxygen-deficient environment, lactic acid (C6H12O6→2C3H6O3) is produced when glucose is decomposed. Lactic acid will hinder muscle movement and cause muscle fatigue. There is a concept of "extreme" in exercise physiology, which refers to this phenomenon. During intense exercise, muscles consume oxygen and energy at a very high level, and also produce a lot of metabolites (mainly carbon dioxide and lactic acid). At this time, the heart and respiratory organs will intensify their work, transport the required oxygen and nutrients to the muscles, and transport the produced metabolites to the lungs and kidneys for excretion. However, because the heart and respiratory organs "start" slowly, muscles often work in the absence of oxygen. Many acidic metabolic products produced during this activity will stimulate the nerve centers that regulate heart and respiratory movements, causing circulatory and respiratory disorders, such as a sharply increased heartbeat, rapid breathing, muscle soreness, etc., which in turn leads to a decrease in the muscles' working ability and various symptoms of fatigue.

At the same time, during exercise, as the glucose in the blood decreases, the glycogen in the liver, which is a reserve energy source, will decompose and release glucose, keeping the sugar content in the blood at a relatively stable level. At the same time, part of the lactic acid in the liver is oxidized, producing carbon dioxide that is excreted from the body, and the rest is converted into glycogen. Therefore, during exercise, we instinctively take deep breaths to increase oxygen supply and promote lactose oxidation, which can alleviate the feeling of fatigue to a certain extent.

So eliminating or reducing fatigue can be achieved in two ways:

1. Rapidly replenish energy. Marathon runners often collapse during running. Infusion is the best way to help them recover quickly. Similarly, if we want to eliminate fatigue as soon as possible, we can intravenously inject glucose solution or take glucose orally. In martial arts novels, there are often various magical pills that can restore internal strength, improve cultivation, and even rejuvenate. I think they are just some substances rich in sugar that can quickly replenish energy. In "The Return of the Condor Heroes", the old beggar and the old poisoner competed in internal strength. The two old men were already over 100 years old, and they were doing all kinds of dangerous actions beyond their age on the top of the snowy mountain in the cold weather. It would be strange if nothing unexpected happened. If Yang Guo could boil a pot of thick ginger and brown sugar water for the two old men at that time, such a tragedy would not have happened.

2. Enhance body strength. A person who regularly exercises will not easily feel tired during exercise and will recover more easily. Research data shows that the maximum oxygen uptake of professional athletes is far higher than that of ordinary people. This is also the most widely accepted standard for measuring the fitness of athletes. The specific measurement unit is the volume of oxygen consumed per kilogram of body weight per minute. The more oxygen is consumed, the longer the aerobic breathing time during exercise, so when doing activities of the same intensity, it is less likely to feel tired.

Of course, psychological suggestion is necessary to some extent. Some incredible phenomena happen almost every day on the earth, such as an old woman who grabbed a car to save her grandson. This shows that humans have many potential abilities that have not been stimulated. The Japanese thriller "Hypnosis" describes such a phenomenon: a hypnotized sprinter rushed across the finish line at an astonishing speed, broke the world record, and aroused cheers from the audience. However, a terrible thing happened. She kept running, seemingly tireless, and the staff could not stop her. In the end, all the muscles in her legs were torn, and the bones came out of the muscles... This is of course the plot setting of the screenwriter, but we can imagine that if we give ourselves positive psychological hints, we can completely reduce our fatigue.

So, if we exercise regularly, eat properly, have a regular work and rest schedule, and have a positive attitude, I think we can be more comfortable in work and life and always maintain high energy? Oh my God, that's probably the legendary perpetual motion machine!