#089 Why Exercise Intensity Matters for Longevity | CrossFit for Health 2024

Download the 9-Page "Cognitive Enhancement Blueprint" Discover my premium podcast, The Aliquot Join over 300,000 people and sign up for my newsletter Become a FoundMyFitness premium member to get access to exclusive episodes, emails, live Q+A’s with Rhonda and more 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