Anti-Aging & Integrative Medicine

Zone 2 training and Zone 5 training (VO2 Max)

Investing in Longevity: The Power of Exercise

Exercise is the single most powerful tool we have to live a longer and healthier life. It is time to invest in your health bank by compounding your time and energy into physical activity. Just as building wealth requires consistent effort over time, cultivating health also demands sustained commitment. Exercise not only enhances physical fitness but also bolsters mental and emotional health by stimulating the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). Increased BDNF levels, attained through cardiorespiratory fitness, are linked to reduced risk of cognitive decline, neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer’s, and various mental disorders.
(6-7).

Understanding Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Cardiorespiratory fitness refers to the efficiency with which your body transports oxygen to muscles and extracts it for energy. Cardiorespiratory fitness (CRP) is divided into TWO categories: maximum aerobic efficiency (Zone 2 training) and peak aerobic output (Zone 5/Vo2 max). At Sizar Wellness, we offer precise measurements and tracking tools to guide and motivate you towards optimal health. Resting metabolic rate testing and active Vo2 max testing are reliable methods we employ to monitor and enhance cardiorespiratory fitness. As we age, factors such as Vo2 max, lung function, and cardiac output decline significantly. Our goal is to empower individuals not only with knowledge of their unique data points but also to help them reach the top 25% of their age and sex group in terms of fitness.

Research consistently demonstrates the profound benefits of increased cardiorespiratory fitness, including reduced mortality rates across all causes, as well as decreased risks of cancer and cardiovascular diseases. Building cardiorespiratory fitness is paramount in mitigating chronic diseases, inflammation, and overall mortality risk( 1-5).

Zone 2 Training-Maximum Aerobic Efficiency

Zone 2 training, which focuses on mitochondrial health, is a cornerstone of longevity medicine. With aging, both the quantity and quality of mitochondria decline. Regular exercise, particularly in Zone 2, facilitates mitochondrial improvement through mitophagy and biogenesis. Individuals with metabolic issues often exhibit higher resting lactate levels, indicating suboptimal mitochondrial function. Assessing baseline resting metabolic rate aids in crafting personalized plans to optimize health goals.

Zone two training involves exerting maximum effort while maintaining lactate clearance. Enhanced mitochondrial efficiency allows for swifter lactate clearance and prolonged effort within this zone.
If we’re feeling the BURN in this type of workout then we are going too hard, creating more lactate then we can eliminate.

VO2 Max-Peak Aerobic Capacity

Peak aerobic cardiorespiratory fitness, as measured by Vo2 max, serves as one of the most potent marker for longevity (9). VO2 max represents the maximum rate at which a person can utilize oxygen. Measuring VO2 max is a procedure that requires equipment to analyze the amount of oxygen inhaled and the amount of carbon dioxide exhaled. This test will take an individual to the absolute maximum exercise intensity that he or she can achieve and will not be started on anyone. An optimal resting metabolic rate test is required to ensure a safe VO2 max test. Increasing Vo2 max yields numerous health benefits, including cardiac remodeling, epigenetic modifications, enhanced lipid metabolism, increased mitochondrial biogenesis, improved muscle oxygen extraction, and heightened plasma oxygen-carrying capacity (10).

Health Optimization 

Do you desire enhanced balance, flexibility, muscle mass, strength, aerobic efficiency, and peak aerobic capacity? Research indicates that cardiorespiratory fitness is inversely correlated with long-term mortality, with no discernible upper limit of benefit (8). It’s clear: cardiorespiratory fitness is a modifiable indicator of longevity, making exercise an indispensable component of a healthy lifestyle.

Health Optimization 
From (10)

  1. 1. Matthew N Ahmadi, Philip J Clare, Peter T Katzmarzyk, Borja del Pozo Cruz, I Min Lee, Emmanuel Stamatakis, Vigorous physical activity, incident heart disease, and cancer: how little is enough?, European Heart Journal, Volume 43, Issue 46, 7 December 2022, Pages 4801–4814, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehac572
  2. Wen CP, Wai JP, Tsai MK, Yang YC, Cheng TY, Lee MC, Chan HT, Tsao CK, Tsai SP, Wu X. Minimum amount of physical activity for reduced mortality and extended life expectancy: a prospective cohort study. Lancet. 2011 Oct 1;378(9798):1244-53. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60749-6. Epub 2011 Aug 16. PMID: 21846575.
  3. Lee DC, Pate RR, Lavie CJ, Sui X, Church TS, Blair SN. Leisure-time running reduces all-cause and cardiovascular mortality risk. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014 Aug 5;64(5):472-81. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2014.04.058. Erratum in: J Am Coll Cardiol. 2014 Oct 7;64(14):1537. PMID: 25082581; PMCID: PMC4131752.
  4. Clausen JSR, Marott JL, Holtermann A, Gyntelberg F, Jensen MT. Midlife Cardiorespiratory Fitness and the Long-Term Risk of Mortality: 46 Years of Follow-Up. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2018 Aug 28;72(9):987-995. doi: 10.1016/j.jacc.2018.06.045. PMID: 30139444.
  5. Ross R, Blair SN, Arena R, Church TS, Després JP, Franklin BA, Haskell WL, Kaminsky LA, Levine BD, Lavie CJ, Myers J, Niebauer J, Sallis R, Sawada SS, Sui X, Wisløff U; American Heart Association Physical Activity Committee of the Council on Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health; Council on Clinical Cardiology; Council on Epidemiology and Prevention; Council on Cardiovascular and Stroke Nursing; Council on Functional Genomics and Translational Biology; Stroke Council. Importance of Assessing Cardiorespiratory Fitness in Clinical Practice: A Case for Fitness as a Clinical Vital Sign: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2016 Dec 13;134(24):e653-e699. doi: 10.1161/CIR.0000000000000461. Epub 2016 Nov 21. PMID: 27881567.
  6. Sofi F, Valecchi D, Bacci D, Abbate R, Gensini GF, Casini A, Macchi C. Physical activity and risk of cognitive decline: a meta-analysis of prospective studies. J Intern Med. 2011 Jan;269(1):107-17. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.2010.02281.x. Epub 2010 Sep 10. PMID: 20831630.
  7. Sleiman SF, Henry J, Al-Haddad R, El Hayek L, Abou Haidar E, Stringer T, Ulja D, Karuppagounder SS, Holson EB, Ratan RR, Ninan I, Chao MV. Exercise promotes the expression of brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) through the action of the ketone body β-hydroxybutyrate. Elife. 2016 Jun 2;5:e15092. doi: 10.7554/eLife.15092. PMID: 27253067; PMCID: PMC4915811.
  8. Mandsager K, Harb S, Cremer P, Phelan D, Nissen SE, Jaber W. Association of Cardiorespiratory Fitness With Long-term Mortality Among Adults Undergoing Exercise Treadmill Testing. JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(6):e183605. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3605
  9. J. Lee, X.L. Zhang, Physiological determinants of VO2max and the methods to evaluate it: A critical review, Science & Sports, Volume 36, Issue 4, 2021, Pages 259-271, ISSN 0765-1597, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scispo.2020.11.006.
  10. Kim DS, Wheeler MT, Ashley EA. The genetics of human performance. Nat Rev Genet. 2022 Jan;23(1):40-54. doi: 10.1038/s41576-021-00400-5. Epub 2021 Sep 14. PMID: 34522035.

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