Exercise And Hair loss | Side Effects Of Crash Diet

Absolutely there is no doubt that exercise is good for your health and it’s true that it helps in blood circulation but does this also apply to your hair health?

According to Dr. Ken Washenik, Bosley medical director and hair loss researcher, “Heavy exercise, moderate exercise, daily routines of movement and activity do not cause hair loss, or cause hair loss to become worse” Although, they don’t appear to help hair loss either. He continued, “There is no reasonable amount of exercise —- daily routine, training for a marathon — that’s going to cause you to lose your hair.”

Although there is no evidence that exercise causes hair loss but when good nutritional practices are neglected or when you try to lose a lot of weight within a short period of time — this practice may have hairy repercussions. 

“Crash diets are detrimental and can reflect in hair health,” says Lee Cotton, RDN, in Stuart, Florida. “Over-exercising and not providing the body with the fuel needed can lead to hair loss or brittle hair,” she adds. Hence after exercise or daily work out, you need to refuel your body with good nutrients to keep your body system functional. 

Extreme weight loss, unhealthy changes in diet and iron deficiency can all trigger Telogen Effluvium (TE), a condition in which hair follicles go into a resting phase prematurely and shed hair, according to Harvard Medical School. Livestrong added, “Female athletes are at especially high risk for being iron deficient. TE shows up as thinning hair all over the scalp. This shedding might not be even, with some areas of the scalp losing more hair than others.” 

Insufficient protein to fuel your workouts can be another cause of hair loss, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). Cotton concurs: “A lack of protein will slow hair growth and strands may become weaker. Protein is essential because hair is made of protein.”

In conclusion, make sure your daily or weekly work out is accompanied with good nutritional practice. There are healthy ways to lose weight, if you are indulging on crash diet – Your health can seriously pay the price. 

‘Quite simply, crash diets are bad news,’ says Helen Bond. ‘They are nutritionally unbalanced and can lead to long-term poor physical and mental health.’

‘Low blood sugar levels can leave us feeling tired, irritable, lacking in concentration and unable to function properly,’ Bond explains, ‘while extreme hunger means we can end up overeating when we finally do eat – and often choose less healthy foods – and the pounds start to pile back on.’

According to Bond and the NHS, the main side-effects of a crash diet can include the following negative symptoms:

• Weakened immune system
• Dehydration
• Dizziness
• Irregular bowel movements
• Fatigue
• Irritability
• Headaches
• Hair thinning