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I recently had the privilege of presenting at the CrossFit Health Summit, where I explored a constellation of factors contributing to longevity. In this context, I placed a special emphasis on the pivotal role of vigorous exercise throughout life.
In this episode, I discuss:
(03:12) Why "below normal" cardio may be a great starting point (for adding years to your life) (05:07) The simple math of 45 days of life extension (per 1 mL/kg/min VO2max) (05:15) Is there an upper limit to the longevity benefits of VO2 max? (06:12) Why poor cardiovascular fitness is nearly as bad as a chronic disease (06:52) Why zone 2 training may not improve VO2 max (for some people) (08:08) Protocols for improving VO2 max quickly (09:10) How to estimate VO2 max in 12 minutes (without a lab) (10:07) What it takes to reverse 20 years of heart aging (12:41) Blood pressure benefits of vigorous exercise (13:10) The role of blood pressure in dementia (13:29) The BDNF brain benefits of high-intensity exercise (14:05) The signaling role of lactate production by muscle (16:13) How training effortfully improves focus & attention (17:04) Protocols for maximizing BDNF from training (HR training targets and duration) (17:23) Anti-cancer effects of vigorous exercise (18:11) Why shear stress kills circulating tumor cells — an experiment in three cell lines (18:33) Why reducing circulating tumor cells likely greatly increases survival (19:00) What if you exercise in short bursts all day long? (20:06) Why "exercise snacks" are a crucial pre- and post-mealtime activity (20:49) The best ways to improve mitochondrial biogenesis — and metabolism (21:47) The mortality benefits of breaking up sedentary time (26:17) Why the protein RDA is too low (and the flawed experiments that lead to that) (27:19) How much protein is needed for muscle? (29:07) Does omega-3 reduce muscle atrophy? (30:41) Why we should lift for aging and to prevent the 8% per decade decline of muscle (32:03) Is lifting heavy necessary for gaining muscle? (33:06) What the sauna has in common with exercise (34:45) Does the sauna enhance the benefits of exercise? (36:44) How heat shock proteins prevent plaque aggregation & slow muscle atrophy (38:23) Can sauna after resistance training boost hypertrophy? (39:06) Sauna parameters (temperature, duration, frequency, & humidity) (39:59) Comparing traditional saunas to infrared (40:59) Are hot baths a valid sauna alternative? (42:15) Audience Q&A (42:19) Is EPA or DHA responsible for omega-3's effects on disuse atrophy? (43:53) Are endurance athletes at risk for cardiovascular injury? (44:57) What mechanisms are responsible for sauna's benefits? (47:08) Is a sauna temperature above 200 °F too hot? (49:31) My recommended sauna temperature & duration Watch this episode on YouTube
Show notes are available by clicking here

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Discover my premium podcast, The Aliquot
If you’ve been following FoundMyFitness for a while, you may remember that we have our members-only podcast, The Aliquot. I want to share a preview of our newest Aliquot episode, "The Science of Optimizing Sleep," available to everyone, not just our Premium Members.
Adequate, quality sleep is essential for the body's recovery and repair, promoting optimal physical and mental health. Getting a good night's sleep can be challenging, especially in our modern world, but we can take steps to overcome those challenges. In this Aliquot, we present a mashup of our best resources on sleep, featuring insights from Dr. Matthew Walker, Dr. Satchin Panda, and me.
 
In this preview, we discuss:
 
(00:02:13) How exercise timing affects deep sleep (00:08:03) Do saunas and hot baths increase sleep-enhancing hormones? (00:12:33) Can learning and meditation boost deep sleep? (00:14:10) Do scented oils, like lavender, impact sleep? (00:14:47) The insulin-tryptophan-melatonin connection (00:19:20) Why carb-heavy meals make us sleepy
In the full episode available only for Premium Members, we also discuss:
Can calming music, akin to lullabies, curb pre-sleep ruminations? The effect of air quality on sleep The effect of low-level noise on sleep fragmentation Whether or not time in nature transforms sleep quality Could melatonin supplementation increase REM sleep — at the cost of decrease deep sleep? How my sauna and hot tub routine preps me for sleep Is there evidence white noise helps sleep and can calming music curb pre-sleep ruminations? The differential impact of morning vs. evening light in slow wave sleep Can adjusting our body's thermal cues unlock deeper sleep? (increase deep sleep) Improving sleep with science-backed heat therapy protocols and how my sauna and hot tub routine preps me for sleep The four pillars of sleep How much sleep is enough? (from newborns to older adults) The surprising lifestyle factors that synergize to maintain glymphatic clearance in aging brains (sleep, exercise, and omega-3s) Are modern lifestyles and "social jetlag" turning us into shift workers? Building resilience against circadian disruptions Five immediate steps to enhance sleep quality tonight How long caffeine stays in the system The effect of alcohol and marijuana on sleep, particularly REM sleep

Download the 9-Page "Cognitive Enhancement Blueprint"
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In this solo episode, I'm taking an in-depth look at magnesium – a critical yet frequently underestimated mineral in our health. Magnesium stands tall among vital nutrients for its significant role in multiple aspects of human physiology. During this podcast, we'll delve into the widespread negative health effects caused by a lack of magnesium and discuss why increasing your magnesium intake might be key to achieving optimal health.
In this episode, I discuss:
(00:04:27) Why the effects of magnesium are far-reaching (00:06:47) Why athletes need at least 10-20% more magnesium than the RDA (00:10:54) Why magnesium deficiency & insufficiency are common (00:12:19) How to determine if you're getting enough magnesium (00:12:23) The problem with magnesium blood tests (00:15:14) Magnesium supplements (00:18:17) Is magnesium threonate better at crossing the blood-brain barrier? (00:25:08) Why magnesium threonate shouldn't count toward your RDA goal (00:17:50) The effectiveness of epsom salt baths (see also 01:12:41) (00:26:04) What magnesium supplement do I take? (00:26:31) The effect of stress on magnesium balance (00:30:15) Why the energy demands of workouts affect magnesium balance (00:32:56) Does magnesium supplementation improve sleep? (00:34:04) Why trials in the field of nutrition are often misleading (00:37:26) Does higher magnesium intake improve cognition? (00:39:07) Does magnesium have a role in preventing Alzheimer's disease? (00:42:09) The effect of creatine on the brain (and its relationship to magnesium) (00:42:42) Why magnesium may prevent excitotoxicity in the brain (00:43:32) Magnesium's potential for managing migraines (00:46:41) The role of magnesium in aging (00:47:39) Why magnesium deficiency impairs DNA repair (00:49:13) Magnesium's role in cancer prevention (00:51:14) Why magnesium is intertwined in genomic stability (00:54:04) Why we shouldn't disregard observational data in nutrition (00:54:52) How magnesium intake affects mortality risk and cancer (00:57:49) Magnesium in osteoporosis prevention (00:59:21) Why magnesium intake in early life affects bone accretion (01:01:06) The effect of magnesium on vitamin D metabolism (01:06:36) Does magnesium treat high blood pressure? (01:10:12) Does magnesium help manage muscle cramps? (01:12:41) Is transdermal absorption of magnesium effective?
Watch this episode on YouTube
Show notes are available by clicking here

Download the 9-Page "Cognitive Enhancement Blueprint"
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In today's episode, I'm bringing you along to the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine's Longevityfest Conference, where I had the honor of presenting a keynote last December. We'll explore some foundational yet effective tactics to enhance longevity and prevent diseases. Additionally, we'll delve into more intensive lifestyle modifications that, despite their demands, offer significant longevity benefits.
 
In this episode, I discuss:
(04:48) Vitamin D (09:08) How vitamin D deficiency affects all-cause mortality risk (12:34) Optimal vitamin D levels & supplementation (14:20) Why magnesium deficiency impairs DNA damage repair (18:00) Dangers of inadequate omega-3 intake (20:17) The correct omega-3 index level (24:42) How to correct vitamin D, omega-3, & magnesium inadequacies (26:27) Vigorous exercise is the best longevity drug (28:00) How increasing VO2 max affects life expectancy (32:46) Protocols for increasing VO2 max (35:37) How to measure VO2 max (36:44) What it takes to reverse 20 years of heart aging (39:41) Blood pressure benefits of vigorous exercise (40:58) The BDNF brain benefits of vigorous exercise (44:08) How vigorous intensity exercise improves focus & attention (45:21) Exercise protocols for maximizing BDNF (46:23) Anti-cancer effects of vigorous exercise (48:40) Exercise snacks ​ Watch this episode on YouTube
Show notes are available by clicking here

 

Download the 9-Page "Cognitive Enhancement Blueprint"
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Peter Attia, MD is a highly respected expert in preventive medicine, focused on the crucial subject of longevity and cardiovascular health. He's also the author of the NY Times best selling book Outlive - which I highly recommend if you have not read it already. Peter's philosophy transcends the conventional goal of merely extending lifespan; it's about enriching the quality of every year, ensuring that each stage of life is lived with optimal health and vitality.
In this episode, we discuss:
(00:07:36) Defining cardiovascular disease (00:09:43) Coronary plaque and fatality risk (00:11:09) What is cholesterol? (00:13:34) How ApoB predicts heart disease (00:21:34) Factors elevating ApoB (00:25:24) ApoB reference range explained (00:27:23) Does high ApoB cause cardiovascular disease (00:37:01) ApoB thresholds for ASCVD prevention (00:40:27) Dietary factors raising ApoB (00:39:33) Genetics of ApoB and LDL (00:53:24) Does low LDL increase cancer? (00:56:19) Cholesterol-lowering drugs (00:59:59) Statins, uses, and side effects (01:03:12) Are statins toxic to mitochondria? (01:09:56) Ubiquinol for statin-induced muscle soreness (01:11:09) How to train in zone 2 (01:17:09) Statins and neurodegenerative disease risk (01:21:54) Cholesterol synthesis in the brain (desmosterol role) (01:25:58) Statin alternatives – pros and cons (01:27:30) Ezetimibe (01:31:01) Bempedoic acid (01:36:49) Berberine for CVD Risk Reduction? (01:39:36) Muscle as a glucose sink (01:45:58) Chronic glucose toxicity and vascular impact (01:51:38) Hemoglobin A1C Levels and Mortality Data (01:55:35) 80/20 Zone 2/VO2 Max Training Protocol (02:02:12) Insights from VO2 max testing data (02:12:17) How obesity increases cancer risk (02:15:03) Cancer screening benefits and risks (02:20:47) Dr. Attia's recommended cancer screening age (02:28:54) Liquid biopsies for detecting cancer (02:34:48) CT scans, mammograms and radiation concerns (02:40:32) Menopause – hormonal shifts and health effects (02:45:13) Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) (02:58:57) Perimenopause diagnosis with hormone levels (03:02:04) HRT's impact on dementia, cancer, and heart disease risk (03:04:49) Estrogen's role in bone density (03:07:42) Vitamin D (03:16:24) Testosterone replacement for women's sexual function (03:18:47) HRT safety 10 years post-menopause (03:23:05) Treating low testosterone in men (03:29:53) TRT side effects and risks (03:32:33) Ways to reduce blood pressure (03:39:33) How to measure blood pressure (03:45:30) Peter's longevity optimization routines Become a FoundMyFitness premium member to get access to exclusive episodes, emails, live Q+A’s with Rhonda and more: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/premium

Download the 9-Page "Cognitive Enhancement Blueprint" companion guide at bdnfprotocols.com.
This episode challenges common perceptions about exercise, delving deep into the benefits of vigorous exercise for not just physical health but also brain function, aging, and even cancer prevention. It tackles fundamental questions, like what genetic and metabolic adaptations occur with vigorous exercise and how it can contribute to combating heart's age-related changes. We also unpack how these rigorous exercises affect glucose transport, mitochondrial health, and brain health at an intricate level. Lastly, it introduces practical applications like the Norwegian 4x4 interval training protocol, the benefits of "exercise snacks," and how to incorporate vigorous-intensity exercise into everyday life.
In this episode, I discuss:
(00:00) Introduction (04:34) What differentiates "vigorous" from "zone 2" training (08:34) Ties between VO2 max & life expectancy (11:55) Why zone 2 training doesn't guarantee VO2 max improvements (14:17) How to balance zone 2 training & vigorous-intensity workouts (16:17) Why the Norwegian 4x4 protocol may improve your VO2 max (19:35) Evidence-based methods to estimate VO2 max outside a lab. (22:33) What it takes to reverse 20 years of heart aging: a two-year protocol (28:24) HIIT and type 2 diabetes – how vigorous exercise can reduce risk. (29:38) The mitochondria argument: HIIT vs. Zone 2 – which intensity is better? (32:09) Rethinking the 80-20 rule for everyday exercisers (less zone 2, more effort) (35:18) The role of high-intensity workouts in enhancing mitophagy (38:03) Why lactate accumulation from higher training intensity benefits the brain (40:28) Why the "glucose sparing" effect of lactate benefits brain injury and aging (43:26) The unique BDNF benefits of high-intensity exercise: the lactate advantage (44:42) The angiogenic effects of VEGF on the blood-brain barrier (in response to lactate) (46:58) The greater the exercise intensity, the greater the myokine release (49:48) How physical activity affects death risk in breast & colorectal cancer survivors (50:56) How vigorous aerobic exercise kills circulating tumor cells (52:36) Why exercise reduces depression and neurotoxicity (kynurenine mechanism) (54:13) The surprising power of "exercise snacks" against mortality (1:01:36) Download "The Cognitive Enhancement Blueprint" at bdnfprotocols.com  Watch this episode on YouTube
Show notes are available by clicking here
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