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The focus this week on Health 360 is how over-exercising remains a big concern and can cause irreversible damage to one's overall well-being. This is a problem that has barely been recognised or even talked about.
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00:00Hello and welcome to a brand new episode of Healthy 60.
00:03On the show this week, we are addressing a problem that has barely even been recognized.
00:10Over-exercising is a real concern and it can cause irreversible damage.
00:15Also on the show, what is the truth behind actor Tamanna Bhatia's saliva pimple cure claim?
00:22What is the link between blocked arteries and a high-protein diet?
00:28That much more up ahead on the show.
00:31I'm Sneha Mordani, this is Healthy 60.
00:52Well, there's a lesser-known issue that's starting to ring alarm bells in the fitness world.
01:15And it's called over-exercising.
01:17While staying active is crucial, too much of it without proper rest is doing more harm than good.
01:24Well, experts warn that pushing the body beyond its limits can lead to chronic fatigue,
01:29hormonal imbalances, even injuries that can take months to heal.
01:34What's worrying is that many young people, especially in urban settings,
01:38are falling into this trap in the name of staying fit.
01:42Overtraining is quietly breaking down bodies instead of building them up.
01:47That's why rest days aren't just optional, they are absolutely essential.
02:17Love for exercise is way beyond just a good habit.
02:27It's deep appreciation for strength, for mobility, for flexibility.
02:31The joy is that small victories in the gym, or for that matter,
02:35any other form of physical activity like swimming or running ring.
02:39Exercise lovers understand that there is deep passion to push themselves beyond their boundaries,
02:47to push them off the limit stream.
02:49But what if this love, this passion for exercise becomes a dangerous, a deadly obsession?
02:56We're talking about an unhealthy obsession with exercise,
03:00which, by the way, is a real problem.
03:03It's been experienced by just so many people.
03:11Many people push themselves hard during workouts,
03:14so hard that they burn themselves down.
03:17Actor Bhoomi Pednekar, who's known for her sculpted body and drastic weight loss,
03:22has recently opened up about this.
03:24When I started my workout journey, I thought,
03:30the only way to be fit is when you overexert,
03:33and you burn many hundreds of calories in the gym.
03:36I used to feel very proud of it.
03:38But what was actually happening was I was damaging my body
03:41because I never gave my body the chance to heal.
03:44Due to this, I got a lot of underlying conditions.
03:48I don't want to talk about them yet,
03:49but one of the biggest things that I changed
03:52is that I prioritised not overdoing it.
03:55Today, I work out 20% of what I used to four years ago,
03:59and I think I'm my fittest.
04:01So what exactly is exercise obsession?
04:06Well, exercise addiction is when a person compulsively resorts to exercising
04:11to sort of evade the realities of life,
04:15the responsibilities of life,
04:18the stresses of life.
04:19So much so that that person does not have any control over,
04:23let's say,
04:24the duration on the number of times he works out,
04:27the frequency of it.
04:28Basically, it's escaping reality
04:30by using exercise.
04:36Pednikar has spoken about how overexercising
04:39left her body worn out without time to heal.
04:42Rest, experts say, is of utmost importance.
04:45Overtraining can lead to muscle fatigue,
04:50mental fatigue,
04:51and even hormonal imbalance.
04:54And one of the major risks of overtraining is that
04:56it increases the chances of injury.
05:00That's why I ask people,
05:01please avoid overtraining at all costs.
05:04If you're having a total meltdown because you missed your morning or your evening workout,
05:10that is the starting signs that you have some sort of exercise addiction
05:14because it starts to impair your mood,
05:17your quality of life.
05:19Also, there are other symptoms like you'll start falling sick a lot often.
05:23You will have colds, coughs,
05:25you might have fevers,
05:27you know,
05:27and in the extreme cases,
05:29you might have like,
05:30you know,
05:31damage to your muscles,
05:33damage to your ligaments,
05:35damage to your joints.
05:36So, how do you know if you're exercising way too much?
05:42If you're overtraining,
05:44there are some signs to look out for.
05:46If you're getting sleep disturbances,
05:49if you're getting mood swings,
05:50if you're getting injured often,
05:52and if you're getting soreness every day,
05:56that these are the signs of overtraining.
05:59If you're training every day for seven days,
06:02that to high intensity exercise,
06:04that can be a counterproductive approach.
06:07That's why I ask people
06:08to work out only for three to five days,
06:11give two days for active recovery habits,
06:14and one day complete rest.
06:19Overexercising is now recognized
06:21as a mental health problem.
06:23Research on the causes of compulsive exercises
06:26or exercise addiction is limited.
06:29What causes exercise addiction?
06:31One big reason could be tough life experiences.
06:37For example, imagine someone
06:39who has recently had a breakup.
06:41They might start working out obsessively,
06:45thinking, if I just exercise enough,
06:47I won't feel the pain.
06:49Or someone who has just lost a loved one.
06:53They might throw themselves
06:54into daily gym sessions as a distraction.
06:56So, then there is another thing
06:59that we can talk about is narcissism,
07:02which means wanting to look perfect
07:04or get approval from others.
07:07So, generally, whenever we do
07:08small amount of exercise,
07:09everything is fine.
07:11But once it goes beyond
07:12the limit of body's repair,
07:14we get the strain,
07:15the pain,
07:16or the muscle rupture.
07:17Overexertion and exercise
07:19may also cause the invisible harm
07:20to the heart
07:21in the form of excessive endurance training,
07:24causing irregular heartbeats
07:26and elevated blood pressure.
07:28In some conditions,
07:29we may even have hormonal
07:30and immune disruptions.
07:31When the cortisol level increases,
07:33it causes immunity-compromised,
07:36sleep disturbances,
07:37increase in anxiety,
07:38and also in men and females
07:40can cause a toll of the fertility.
07:43Remember, it's not just about movement.
07:46It's also a very healthy
07:47sort of a relationship
07:48with exercise and movement.
07:51Listening to your body
07:52is extremely important.
07:54Rest days are absolutely important.
07:57Fitness should be there
07:58to support your wellness,
08:00to support your body
08:01and not to control it.
08:04Actor Tamanna Bhatia
08:05has recently endorsed
08:07a rather unconventional
08:09skincare remedy,
08:11talking about using her saliva
08:12as a cure,
08:14as a home cure
08:15for pimples,
08:16for acne.
08:17While some people swear
08:19by this age-old trick,
08:20experts warn that saliva
08:23contains bacteria
08:24that would actually
08:26worsen the skin problems
08:27rather than help us.
08:29What's the truth?
08:31But then is a myth.
08:32We're decoding this for you
08:33in our next report.
08:36Sujata, listen.
08:37Spit spray is something
08:48we'll all want to save ourselves from.
08:50It's absolutely disgusting.
08:52But guess what?
08:53The same saliva,
08:54the same spit
08:55is being touted
08:56as a cure for pimples.
08:59As something that would fix
09:00your zits,
09:00your acne.
09:02Well, I'm clearly not saying it.
09:03Actor Tamanna Bhatia is.
09:05But that really is far
09:07from the truth.
09:09Listen in first
09:10to what Tamanna Bhatia said.
09:12Pimple hack, spit,
09:14thook.
09:16Yeah, the silence
09:18in the music.
09:19It works.
09:22It's, I mean,
09:23but the morning spit,
09:24so like,
09:25which is
09:26before brushing, basically.
09:29You do that?
09:31Yeah.
09:31What did she just say?
09:34Pimple cure
09:34using your own saliva.
09:36The first saliva
09:37in the morning
09:38when you get up
09:38and it's gross
09:40because what's recommended
09:41by all kinds of people
09:43is that you don't brush your teeth
09:44and use that saliva
09:46on your pimple.
09:47Well, I'm sure
09:48you must have heard this
09:49from somebody,
09:50either your grandmother
09:51or somebody else.
09:52But what really
09:53is the science behind it?
09:56What's the truth?
09:57Is this saliva
09:59really going to help
10:00fix your zits?
10:01Let's find out.
10:04Can saliva cure acne?
10:07No, it's actually
10:08absolutely false.
10:10Saliva cannot cure the acne.
10:13In fact,
10:13saliva has a lot of elements
10:15in it like enzymes,
10:17like mucus,
10:19like bacteria.
10:20We can actually
10:21aggravate skin conditions
10:23rather than just
10:24curing the acne.
10:27A little bit of research
10:29will throw up
10:30some basic facts
10:31that saliva is not sterile.
10:34It has bacteria.
10:36It has microorganisms.
10:38So will that not end up
10:40giving you even more trouble?
10:44The pH of saliva
10:45is basically acidic.
10:47So if you're going to put
10:48an acidic pH on your skin,
10:50it can lead to irritation
10:52and it can also lead to burns.
10:54The enzymes also further
10:56can lead to inflammation
10:58which can cause redness
11:00to the skin.
11:01Now, because of the break
11:02in the continuity
11:03of the skin
11:04or because there is
11:05a problem in the skin,
11:06there is a bacteria
11:07which is present
11:09can multiply.
11:10It can get a medium
11:11to multiply
11:12and that's why
11:13it can lead to
11:14more bacterial infections.
11:15So where did this myth start?
11:23Due to the alkaline nature
11:25of human saliva,
11:26many thought of it
11:27as a remedy.
11:29Maybe it's potential
11:29to cause a low-grade burn.
11:32Burn, that's it?
11:34Yes, no maybe?
11:38So actually,
11:39this was a treatment
11:40which used to be done
11:41in old age
11:42where our grandmas
11:42used to say this.
11:44To some extent,
11:46there was a little bit
11:47of truth in it
11:48in the sense that
11:49there is some
11:50anti-inflammatory enzymes
11:51which are present
11:52in our saliva.
11:54But however,
11:55there's no evidence
11:56base over it.
11:57There's no scientific
11:58proof to it
11:59which can actually
12:01say that
12:02the saliva
12:04can help
12:05in improving
12:05the acne.
12:09If you have
12:10a skin breakout,
12:11then the top layer
12:12of the skin
12:13is damaged anyway.
12:14Applying saliva
12:15to the broken skin
12:16can introduce
12:16these pathogens
12:17to the inner layers
12:18and potentially
12:20lead to infections.
12:21That's the reason
12:22that children have
12:23what we call
12:24the drool rash.
12:25The excess saliva
12:26on their skin
12:27leads to red blotches.
12:31Saliva contains enzymes
12:33and has a somewhat
12:35acidic pH
12:36which can cause
12:36irritation or dryness,
12:38especially on
12:39sensitive skin.
12:41The enzymes in the
12:42saliva can break down
12:43lipids and proteins
12:44in the skin
12:44which form a
12:45protective layer.
12:47Combined with
12:47a constant wetness,
12:48it can irritate
12:49and weaken the skin
12:50barrier.
12:51This can make the skin
12:52more vulnerable
12:53to damage.
12:54So what then
12:55is the best way
12:56to treat acne?
12:57The dermatologist
12:58on Health360
12:59will have the
13:00last word here.
13:03So ideally
13:04if you have acne,
13:06first of all
13:06you can use
13:07a good antibiotic
13:08face wash
13:08which can help you.
13:10Something like
13:11a benzoyl peroxide
13:12will help you
13:12along with
13:13antibiotic creams
13:15which can help you.
13:16If you have
13:16severe acne
13:17then you can
13:18probably shift
13:19to retinoids,
13:20retinoids based
13:21creams for topical
13:22application
13:22and sometimes
13:23you may need
13:24oral antibiotics
13:25also or
13:26vitamin A derivatives
13:28like retinoids,
13:29isotretinoids
13:30which can help you
13:31in taking care
13:31of your acne.
13:32If you have
13:33small wrists
13:34like one odd
13:35which comes in
13:36the night
13:36and you want
13:37to take care
13:37of it,
13:37you get pimple
13:38patches
13:38which contain
13:39salicylic acid
13:40which work well
13:41in settling
13:42down the pimples.
13:43In recent years
13:44there have been
13:45several videos
13:46of gym deaths
13:46and deaths
13:47of younger Indians
13:49visibly fit
13:50and in good shape.
13:51Clearly
13:51something is
13:53very unsettling
13:54about this.
13:55Doctors are
13:56pointing towards
13:57a possible
13:58connection
13:58between
13:59high protein
14:00diets
14:01especially those
14:02rich in animal
14:03sources
14:04and an increased
14:05risk of blocked
14:06arteries.
14:07Research suggests
14:08that excessive
14:08protein,
14:09even protein
14:10supplements
14:11may promote
14:12plaque buildup
14:13and impair
14:14artery function.
14:16Plant-based
14:17protein sources
14:17appear to pose
14:19less cardiovascular
14:20risk in comparison.
14:22we delve deeper.
14:27Gym deaths
14:28one by one
14:31of celebrity
14:35of regular folks
14:39deaths on camera
14:44of ostensibly
14:46young
14:46healthy Indians
14:48is it the vaccine
14:54against COVID?
14:57Is it COVID?
15:00Is it the lifestyle?
15:04Are Indians
15:05predisposed
15:06to heart disease?
15:09Are causes
15:10genetic?
15:11What is it?
15:14Has it got to do
15:16with the obsession
15:16with protein
15:17supplements
15:18being overdone?
15:22Protein supplements
15:23are extremely
15:24popular
15:24and protein
15:25supplements
15:26are also
15:27over consumed
15:28to the extent
15:29that the Indian
15:30Council of Medical
15:31Research and
15:32Nutrition
15:32has had to
15:33step in
15:34and warn us
15:35against it.
15:37Protein supplements
15:38are widely used
15:39in gyms,
15:40fitness studios
15:41and health
15:41food stores
15:42but they come
15:43with potential
15:44problems
15:45that are often
15:46overlooked.
15:49Protein is
15:50essential for
15:51muscle repair,
15:52immune function
15:53and metabolism
15:54but it is
15:56creating an
15:57imbalance
15:57that the heart
15:58simply cannot
16:00ignore.
16:05If you have
16:06increased proteins,
16:08proteins beyond
16:09what is required
16:09in your body,
16:10excessive protein
16:11intake can be
16:12pro-inflammatory
16:13and cause the
16:14vessels to rupture.
16:16If you have
16:17a substandard
16:18proteins which
16:19are actually
16:19mixed with
16:20performance enhancing
16:21drugs like
16:22steroids,
16:23anabolic steroids
16:24or even heavy
16:25metals or
16:26preservatives
16:27like aspartame,
16:28sucral fate,
16:29all those things
16:30can actually
16:31damage your
16:32heart,
16:33cause arrhythmias,
16:34abnormal rhythms
16:35and can be
16:36injurious to
16:36your heart.
16:41So can
16:42protein powder
16:43inflame you?
16:44Studies show
16:46chronic,
16:47low-grade
16:47inflammation
16:48is linked
16:49to protein
16:50excessive
16:50consumption.
16:51The problem
16:54arises if you
16:55overshoot it
16:56then it becomes
16:57inflammatory
16:58or if you
16:59use a substandard
17:00quality,
17:01non-third-party
17:02tested,
17:04any international
17:04plant which is
17:05there which has
17:06not been tested
17:06properly,
17:08which contains
17:08a lot of
17:09performance enhancing
17:10drugs like
17:11steroids,
17:12like anabolic
17:13steroids or like
17:14other preservatives
17:16like aspartame
17:18or probably like
17:19sucralose
17:20or emulsifiers
17:21to make them
17:22thick can be
17:23dangerous and
17:24deadly.
17:26Doctors also
17:27indicate that
17:28key signs of
17:29poor heart health
17:30may go missed.
17:32Blood pressure
17:33may remain
17:34normal.
17:35So will
17:36cholesterol.
17:39Our blood
17:40vessels are
17:41lined with
17:41endothelial cells.
17:43Imagine your
17:44blood vessels
17:44are like a
17:45smooth road
17:46and suddenly
17:47because of
17:48stress,
17:49inflammation,
17:51there are
17:51potholes like
17:52you have
17:53potholes in
17:53a city.
17:54So you have
17:54potholes.
17:55So these
17:56potholes are
17:57basically a
17:58fertile milieu
17:58where the
17:59body tries to
18:01cover these
18:01potholes with
18:03formation of
18:04small clots.
18:05So these
18:06clots cover
18:07the potholes
18:08and these
18:08clots ultimately
18:09result in
18:10blockages.
18:11So once the
18:11blockage to
18:12the heart
18:13occurs, the
18:14heart muscle
18:14starts dying
18:15which is called
18:16myocardial infarction
18:17or a heart
18:18attack.
18:22Excessive
18:22protein from
18:23animal sources
18:24and overuse of
18:26protein powders
18:27is what
18:28doctors warn
18:29against.
18:33What
18:34excessive
18:35proteins do
18:35beyond a
18:36certain level,
18:37they are
18:37pro-inflammatory,
18:39they cause
18:40plaque rupture
18:42and as a
18:43result what
18:44happens is
18:44they cause
18:45increased
18:45blockages in
18:46the heart if
18:47you go beyond
18:47a certain amount
18:48of protein
18:49levels,
18:49number one.
18:50Second, in
18:51the diet if
18:52you increase
18:52the amount
18:52of proteins
18:53or increase
18:54the amount
18:54of fats,
18:55let's say
18:55gym trainers
18:56are telling
18:57you to eat
18:5710 eggs,
18:5712 eggs which
18:58is not
18:58physiological.
18:59You don't
19:00require 10
19:00eggs a day.
19:01So if you
19:01take too much
19:02of protein,
19:03it will burn
19:03up your
19:03kidneys.
19:05So is
19:05plant protein
19:06safer?
19:06Buildup of
19:26arterial plaque
19:27and increased
19:28risk of
19:29heart disease
19:29are linked
19:30to protein.
19:31There are
19:32half a dozen
19:32studies done
19:33to establish
19:34that link.
19:36But it
19:36is a problem
19:37that needs
19:38more attention
19:39given how
19:40increasing
19:41heart attacks
19:42in young
19:42Indians has
19:43caused so
19:44much concern
19:45in recent
19:46times.
19:50A major
19:51decade-long
19:52US study
19:52has found
19:53that drinking
19:54diet soda
19:55every single
19:56day may
19:56triple the
19:57risk of
19:58stroke and
19:59Alzheimer's
19:59disease.
20:00Researchers
20:01have observed
20:01a strong
20:02link between
20:02artificial
20:03sweetness
20:04and long-term
20:05brain health
20:06decline.
20:07Experts
20:08advise limiting
20:09intake and
20:10opting for
20:10healthier
20:11beverage
20:11choices.
20:13Cheers more.
20:14Well it's
20:15just one
20:15can of
20:16diet soda.
20:17What harm
20:17could it
20:18possibly do?
20:19It doesn't
20:19even have
20:19sugar.
20:20It's got
20:20artificial
20:21sweeteners.
20:22It's
20:22refreshing.
20:23Everybody
20:24seems to
20:24be drinking
20:25it.
20:26Are these
20:26your thoughts
20:27when you're
20:27told about
20:28the problems
20:29associated
20:30with diet
20:30soda?
20:31If yes
20:32is the
20:32answer
20:33then this
20:34is what
20:35you need
20:36to know
20:36on a
20:37priority
20:37basis.
20:41People
20:42who drank
20:42one or
20:43more diet
20:43sodas
20:44daily
20:44had nearly
20:45three times
20:46the risk
20:46of Eskermark
20:47stroke and
20:48Alzheimer's.
20:49A study
20:50published in
20:50August 2025
20:51by the
20:52American Heart
20:53Association's
20:54journal
20:54stroke
20:55has found
20:56monitoring
20:58over 2,800
20:59adults
21:00above the
21:00age of
21:0145 for
21:02a decade.
21:03The research
21:03offers new
21:04evidence linking
21:05artificially
21:06sweetened
21:07rings with
21:08heightened
21:08neurological
21:09risks.
21:10As you
21:10know that
21:11diet
21:11cokes
21:12are without
21:13sugar but
21:14they still
21:14can cause
21:15cognitive
21:16decline.
21:17They
21:17sometimes
21:18can alter
21:19the
21:19microbiome
21:20environment
21:22in the
21:22gut and
21:23that can
21:24give rise to
21:26neuroinflammation
21:26in the
21:27brain.
21:29Within
21:2920 minutes
21:30blood
21:31sugar spikes
21:31and your
21:32body responds
21:33with an
21:33insulin burst.
21:34At around
21:3540 minutes
21:35the caffeine
21:36is fully
21:37absorbed
21:37increasing
21:38your blood
21:39pressure
21:39and triggering
21:40your liver
21:41to release
21:41more sugar
21:42into your
21:43bloodstream.
21:45Dopamine
21:45surges
21:46stimulate
21:46the brain's
21:47pleasure
21:47centres.
21:49After
21:4960 minutes
21:50phosphoric acid
21:51binds
21:52calcium and
21:53other essential
21:54minerals in
21:54your gut
21:55while the
21:56caffeine's
21:56diuretic
21:57effect begins
21:58to flush
21:59them out
21:59through urine.
22:02Soft
22:03drinks are
22:03also linked
22:04to obesity,
22:05heart disease,
22:06type 2
22:07diabetes,
22:08tooth decay
22:08and bone
22:09loss,
22:09also to
22:10kidney damage.
22:12Soft
22:13drinks are
22:13all rich in
22:14sugar.
22:14It might be
22:15very refreshing
22:15after a
22:16warm and
22:17humid day.
22:18But when
22:18if you are
22:19taking the
22:19soft drinks
22:20and beverages
22:21and colas
22:21what happens
22:22is that
22:23you are
22:23taking a
22:23lot of
22:24sugar
22:24and fructose
22:25so they
22:27will have
22:27a negative
22:28impact
22:28in terms of
22:30obesity,
22:30in terms of
22:31diabetes,
22:32even they
22:33increase the
22:33risk of
22:34conditions like
22:35fatty liver
22:35disease.
22:36So all
22:37this put
22:39together
22:40actually will
22:40increase the
22:42risk of
22:43heart disease
22:44also in
22:45future.
22:46The artificial
22:46sweeteners
22:47which are loaded
22:48in the diet
22:48cokes are
22:49probably causing
22:50this problem.
22:51Remember the
22:51artificial sweeteners
22:53cause a gut
22:54dysbiosis that
22:55means an
22:55alterations in
22:56the gut
22:56microbiome which
22:58of course is
22:58directly related
22:59to causing a
23:00lot of
23:00neurodegenerative
23:02diseases and
23:03causing an
23:03inflammations in
23:04the brain leading
23:06to dementia
23:07Alzheimer's
23:08Parkinson's and
23:09even stroke.
23:11Well it does
23:11look like that
23:12there is not
23:13very much of an
23:13upside to having
23:14sugary drinks and
23:16substituting the
23:17sugar with
23:18artificial sweetness
23:19clearly doesn't
23:21seem to have.
23:23The study does
23:24not show causation
23:25but in
23:25association and
23:27that however is
23:28something that
23:29one may not
23:30want to overlook.
23:31In New Delhi
23:32Sneha Mordani
23:33for India
23:34Today Television.
23:34Well that brings
23:38us to the end of
23:39this edition of
23:40Health 360.
23:41We hope you
23:41enjoyed watching
23:42the show as
23:43much as we did
23:44putting it
23:44together for you.
23:46Find these
23:46reports and much
23:47more up on our
23:47website that's
23:48indiatoday.in.
23:49You can download
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24:04share.
24:05Thank you so much
24:05for watching.
24:06Take very good
24:07care of yourself.
24:08Bye for now.