AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
The Peter Attia Drive
#217 ‒ Exercise, VO2 max, and longevity | Mike Joyner, M.D.
Aug 8, 2022
01:52:50
Episode guests
AI Summary
Highlights
AI Chapters
Episode notes
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Regular physical activity improves longevity and reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health issues.
- Exercise helps counteract the negative effects of aging, improving muscle strength, flexibility, and bone density.
- Regular exercise improves cardiovascular health, lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow, and reducing the risk of heart disease and stroke.
- Increasing levels of physical fitness and exercise are associated with a decrease in mortality rates.
- Aiming for a higher VO2 max, around 30-31, contributes to maintaining an active lifestyle as individuals age.
Deep dives
Exercise and its Impact on Longevity
Exercise is a key factor in promoting longevity and overall health. Numerous studies have shown that exercise plays a significant role in reducing the risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease, all-cause mortality, and other health issues. Regular physical activity has been found to have positive effects on blood pressure, diabetes, lipid levels, autonomic nervous system function, and endothelial function. It also improves heart rate recovery, heart rate variability, and maximum heart rate. Exercise, specifically aerobic exercise, increases VO2 max, which is the maximum amount of oxygen the body can utilize during exercise. The higher the VO2 max, the better the cardiovascular fitness and overall health. Research has shown that the relationship between exercise and mortality follows a more is better phenomenon, with mortality rates being lowest among individuals with the highest levels of physical fitness.
The Importance of Physical Fitness and Exercise as We Age
Physical fitness and exercise become even more crucial as we age. Aging is associated with a decline in physical function and an increased risk of developing chronic diseases. Regular exercise helps counteract these negative effects by improving muscle strength, flexibility, and bone density. It also helps maintain a healthy weight, reduces the risk of falls, and improves overall quality of life. Studies have shown that older adults who engage in regular physical activity have lower mortality rates and a reduced risk of age-related diseases. It is important for individuals to engage in both cardiovascular exercise and strength training to maintain optimal physical fitness as they age.
The Impact of Exercise on Cardiovascular Health
Exercise has a profound impact on cardiovascular health. Regular physical activity helps lower blood pressure, improve blood flow, and reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and stroke. The autonomic nervous system, which regulates heart rate and blood pressure, is positively affected by exercise. Heart rate recovery, heart rate variability, and blood pressure all tend to improve with regular exercise. Furthermore, exercise promotes the growth of larger coronary arteries, reduces the risk of blood clot formation, and improves the health of blood vessel linings. While excessive exercise may pose risks, the overall benefits of regular physical activity on cardiovascular health are well-established.
The Link Between Exercise and Mortality Risk
Research has consistently shown that there is a strong inverse relationship between exercise and mortality risk. Increasing levels of physical fitness and exercise are associated with a decrease in mortality rates. Studies have demonstrated that individuals with higher levels of physical activity, as measured by their VO2 max, have a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality. The protective effect of exercise on mortality remains even after adjusting for various confounding factors. While there may be potential risks associated with extreme exercise, the overall evidence suggests that regular exercise at appropriate levels provides significant health benefits and reduces the risk of premature death.
Importance of VO2 max for active aging
VO2 max plays a significant role in determining an individual's ability to maintain an active lifestyle as they age. By considering the VO2 max above which there are no limitations on an individual's activities, such as going on a hard hike or having the agility to do certain movements, we can understand the importance of maintaining a higher VO2 max. Research suggests that aiming for a VO2 max around 30-31 can be a beneficial goal for active aging. Factors like genetics and a history of physical activity contribute to achieving higher VO2 max levels.
Importance of cardiovascular training and strength/stability training
To achieve and maintain a high VO2 max for active aging, it is crucial to prioritize both cardiovascular training and strength/stability training. Cardiovascular training focuses on improving the efficiency and capacity of the cardiovascular system, while strength/stability training helps in maintaining muscle mass and preventing orthopedic issues. These two types of training should be performed concurrently with equal intensity. By emphasizing both cardiovascular fitness and strength/stability, individuals can ensure better overall health and a higher likelihood of maintaining an active lifestyle in their older years.
Benefits and limitations of exercise mimetics
The concept of exercise mimetics, or creating pharmaceuticals that replicate the benefits of exercise, is an ongoing area of research. While some compounds have shown promise in animal models by increasing mitochondrial biogenesis, replicating the wide range of benefits that exercise provides remains a challenge. Additionally, focusing on exercise itself, as opposed to relying solely on pharmaceutical solutions, has shown to have significant health benefits. Utilizing the concept of a polypill, which combines different medications that can improve cardiovascular health, may be a more feasible and effective strategy for individuals who are unable to exercise.
Active rest for recovery and maintenance
The speaker discusses the concept of active rest and its importance for physical recovery and maintenance. Active rest refers to engaging in low-intensity workouts that aim to loosen up the muscles and promote relaxation, rather than focusing on intense training. The speaker shares their personal routine, which includes warm-up exercises followed by 20-minute intervals of lower intensity. This routine helps the speaker recover from intense workouts and prepares them for longer rides. The emphasis is on finding a balance between workout intensity and rest to promote overall fitness and well-being.
Effective protocols for increasing VO2 max
The podcast explores different protocols that can help enhance VO2 max. One discussed protocol is the 'four by four' interval training, where individuals perform four minutes of high-intensity exercise followed by four minutes of rest, repeating this pattern for several rounds. The speaker also mentions 'mile repeats' as a classic training method among elite runners, where they run one mile at a time and rest in between repetitions. These training methods aim to push individuals to their limits and improve cardiorespiratory fitness. The importance of maintaining form, tempo, and managing suffering during these intense workouts is highlighted.
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode
Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content
Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter
Mike Joyner is a physician-researcher and one of the world’s leading experts on human performance and exercise physiology. In this episode, Mike discusses how to combat age-related declines in health and fitness levels by using various modes of exercise to improve lifespan and healthspan. Mike explains the impact of exercise on the autonomic nervous system, blood pressure, heart rate, heart rate variability, heart rate recovery, and max heart rate. He dives deep into VO2 max, including how it’s measured, what is driving it, and how to improve it. Mike provides training insights for the average person, including training volume and exercise intensity as well as simple metrics to track. Furthermore, he gives his take on the theoretical “J-curve” relationship between exercise and longevity, as well as whether possible health dangers may be associated with excessive exercise.
We discuss:
- Mike’s training as an anesthesiologist and interest in exercise physiology [2:30];
- How exercise increases longevity [7:00];
- The impressive data on the benefits of exercise [9:45];
- The Centenarian Olympics and other ways to mitigate age-related decline in strength and stability [15:00];
- The violent dropoff in strength and activity with age and how exercise preserves fitness in old age [19:00];
- Benefits of exercise on mortality and fracture risk, and the interplay of nutrition and exercise [22:00];
- How exercise benefits the autonomic nervous system and why this plays an important role in our health [26:30];
- VO2 max, heart rate recovery, heart rate variability, and other metrics of fitness positively impacted by exercise [28:30];
- Reduction in all-cause mortality with increased fitness levels and VO2 max [32:45];
- Does the relationship between exercise and longevity follow a J-curve? [40:00];
- Mitigating age-related decline in fitness by elevating your VO2 max at a young age [46:15];
- Breaking down the variables that drive VO2 max [54:30];
- Learning from elite athletes: Training regimens, aerobic efficiency, and other impressive metrics [1:00:15];
- Health benefits of light exercise for the average person [1:09:00];
- Simple training metrics to track, and Mike’s current exercise regimen [1:11:15];
- How to boost your VO2 max, and the importance of form and tempo with interval training [1:18:15];
- Training advice for the average person [1:25:15];
- Why professional athletes have longer careers than they’ve had in the past [1:27:30];
- Use of performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports [1:29:45];
- Can the miracle of exercise be put in a pill? [1:36:00];
- Mike’s current research and questions he’s most interested in answering [1:39:00];
- Use of convalescent plasma to treat COVID-19 [1:41:15];
- Parting thoughts on the current state of fitness and exercise in society [1:47:15];
- More.
Connect With Peter on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and YouTube
Get the Snipd
podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any
moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share
& Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered
podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover
highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode