Why Exercise Intensity Matters for Longevity | CrossFit for Health 2024

Download my free Cognitive Enhancement Blueprint — packed with my specific protocols for boosting BDNF with heat stress, omega-3s, and exercise: bdnfprotocols.com/ Here are the timestamps for the episode: (00:52) Why "below normal" cardio may be a great starting point (for adding years to your life) (02:47) The simple math of 45 days of life extension (per 1 mL/kg/min VO2max) (02:54) Is there an upper limit to the longevity benefits of VO2 max? (03:52) Why poor cardiovascular fitness is nearly as bad as a chronic disease (04:32) Why zone 2 training may not improve VO2 max (for some people) (05:47) Protocols for improving VO2 max quickly (06:50) How to estimate VO2 max in 12 minutes (without a lab) (07:47) What it takes to reverse 20 years of heart aging (10:21) Blood pressure benefits of vigorous exercise (10:51) The role of blood pressure in dementia (11:09) The BDNF brain benefits of high-intensity exercise (11:46) The signaling role of lactate production by muscle (13:54) How training effortfully improves focus & attention (14:45) Protocols for maximizing BDNF from training (HR training targets and duration) (15:04) Anti-cancer effects of vigorous exercise (15:52) Why shear stress kills circulating tumor cells — an experiment in three cell lines (16:14) Why reducing circulating tumor cells likely greatly increases survival (16:41) What if you exercise in short bursts all day long? (17:47) Why "exercise snacks" are a crucial pre- and post-mealtime activity (18:30) The best ways to improve mitochondrial biogenesis — and metabolism (19:28) The mortality benefits of breaking up sedentary time (23:58) Why the protein RDA is too low (and the flawed experiments that lead to that) (25:00) How much protein is needed for muscle? (26:49) Does omega-3 reduce muscle atrophy? (28:22) Why we should lift for aging and to prevent the 8% per decade decline of muscle (29:45) Is lifting heavy necessary for gaining muscle? (30:47) What the sauna has in common with exercise (32:27) Does the sauna enhance the benefits of exercise? (34:26) How heat shock proteins prevent plaque aggregation & slow muscle atrophy (36:05) Can sauna after resistance training boost hypertrophy? (36:48) Sauna parameters (temperature, duration, frequency, & humidity) (37:42) Comparing traditional saunas to infrared (38:42) Are hot baths a valid sauna alternative? (39:54) Audience Q&A (40:02) Is EPA or DHA responsible for omega-3's effects on disuse atrophy? (41:36) Are endurance athletes at risk for cardiovascular injury? (42:40) What mechanisms are responsible for sauna's benefits? (44:50) Is a sauna temperature above 200 °F too hot? (47:14) My recommended sauna temperature & duration

This is one of the reasons I subscribed to her channel , love Rhonda's pure content.

Great discussion. Unfortunately, most people don’t understand the improved quality of life for much longer we gain from working out hard consistently. Longevity is one thing but, how well you live during that is very important

Such a great conference... So much information I just love this Dr Rhonda Patrick's TRUTH~ SHE IS THE BEST~

🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation: 00:40 🧠 Importance of High-Intensity Interval Training - High-intensity interval training (HIIT) offers cognitive and mood enhancements in just 10 minutes. - HIIT boosts cognition through lactate production, which influences neurotransmitterrelease like norepinephrine and serotonin. - Studies indicate HIIT as a potent method for improving brain function and mood rapidly. 01:52 💓 Significance of Cardiovascular Fitness for Longevity - Cardiovascular fitness, especially measured by VO2 Max, correlates strongly with longevity. - Improving VO2 Max from below normal to elite levels can significantly increase life expectancy. - Each unit increase in VO2 Max is associated with an approximately 45-day increase in life expectancy. 06:56 💪 Best Practices for Improving Cardiovascular Fitness - The Norwegian 4x4 protocol, involving high-intensity intervals followed by recovery, is an effective method for enhancing cardiovascular fitness. - High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is superior to moderate-intensity exercise for increasing VO2 Max. - The 12-minute run test provides a practical estimation of VO2 Max for those without access to laboratory testing. 08:02 🏋️‍♂️ Structural Heart Changes with Vigorous Intensity Exercise - Vigorous intensity exercise can reverse structural heart changes associated with aging, making hearts more malleable and akin to those of younger individuals. - Ben Levine's study demonstrated significant heart structural improvements in sedentary 50-year-olds engaging in vigorous exercise. - These findings underscore the profound impact of vigorous exercise on cardiac health and aging. 10:24 🩺 Cardiovascular Benefits Beyond Heart Health - Vigorous intensity exercise significantly improves blood pressure, comparable to anti-hypertensive medications. - Lowering blood pressure through exercise reduces the risk of dementia and Alzheimer's disease. - Exercise's benefits extend to reducing circulating tumor cells, thus acting as a preventive measure against cancer metastasis. 11:18 🧠 Cognitive Benefits of High-Intensity Exercise - Lactate, produced during intense exercise, plays a crucial role in enhancing brain function. - High-intensity exercise triggers the release of neurotransmitters like norepinephrine and serotonin, improving focus, attention, and mood. - Even short bouts of high-intensity interval training can lead to significant cognitive improvements, attributed to lactate's influence on brain function. 16:53 🍎 Metabolic Health and Exercise Snacks - Exercise snacks, brief bursts of high-intensity exercise, improve metabolic health by reducing postprandial glucose response and increasing mitochondrial biogenesis. - These snacks, integrated into daily routines, significantly reduce mortality risk, even in individuals who identify as non-exercisers. - Implementation of exercise snacks offers a feasible and effective strategy for enhancing overall health and longevity. 21:16 🏃 Importance of Avoiding Sedentary Behavior - Sedentary behavior, such as prolonged sitting, is an independent risk factor for health issues, including cancer. - Incorporating short breaks of physical activity, termed "exercise snacks," can help break up sedentary time and mitigate its negative effects. 22:10 💪 Muscle Preservation and Protein Intake - Peak muscle mass occurs around ages 20-30, with a gradual decline thereafter, leading to muscle loss over time. - Skeletal muscle serves as a reservoir for amino acids, necessitating regular protein intake to prevent muscle breakdown. - Recommended protein intake levels may need to be revised upwards, especially for older adults, to maintain muscle health and functionality. 28:36 🏋️‍♂️ Benefits of Resistance Training for Aging Adults - Resistance training is crucial for maintaining and even recovering muscle strength and mass in older adults. - Even short periods (8-18 weeks) of resistance training, one to three times a week, can help regain lost strength from years of inactivity. - Older adults can benefit from resistance training with lighter weights, as long as the effort and volume are sufficient, offering a safer and effective approach to muscle preservation. 30:56 🌡️ Deliberate Heat Exposure for Health - Deliberate heat exposure, such as sauna use, induces physiological responses similar to moderate-intensity aerobic exercise, including increased heart rate and improved cardiovascular function. - Sauna use, along with exercise, can enhance cardiovascular fitness and other health markers, offering benefits for both active and less active individuals. - Heat shock proteins activated during heat exposure play a crucial role in preventing protein aggregation, potentially slowing muscle atrophy and offering neuroprotective effects. 41:51 🧬 Exercise Intensity and Elite Athletes - Elite endurance athletes, despite potential cardiovascular risks like coronary calcification, still exhibit lower cardiovascular death rates compared to non-athletes. - Coronary calcification risks may be relatively lower even with higher levels among elite athletes. - Endurance athletes demonstrate unique physiological adaptations that contribute to their overall lower risk of cardiovascular mortality. 42:48 🧖‍♂️ Finish Saunas vs. Infrared Saunas - Finish saunas and infrared saunas both provide benefits through mechanisms such as increased heart rate and elevation of core body temperature. - Finish saunas, operating at around 174 degrees Fahrenheit, offer robust benefits, including improvements in cardiovascular fitness and reduced dementia risk. - Infrared saunas work differently, requiring longer durations to achieve similar benefits, and may not provide the same cardiovascular improvements as traditional saunas. 47:20 🌡️ Optimal Sauna Temperature - The ideal sauna temperature typically ranges around 174 to 180 degrees Fahrenheit, with personal preferences varying. - While some may prefer temperatures up to 190 degrees Fahrenheit, caution should be exercised to avoid exceeding 200 degrees Fahrenheit, as it may lead to adverse effects. - Maintaining a temperature range below 200 degrees Fahrenheit appears to offer optimal sauna benefits without unnecessary risks. Mad

so i just went to the gym 2 times, for the first time in years and years and years. Im pretty fat and struggle with putting my shoes on, and JUST after 2 days, of 5 mins on one machine (moving around like a sloth) and 5 mins on another (totaled 1.5 hours in 2 days) I found myself putting my shoes on with ease after the 2nd day. =D that's some fast improvement

Also kudos to the tech crew by the way, awesome audio quality for a live presentation!

I loved Rhonda in that movie she did as a kid where she threw that boomerang that cut the fingers off the wasteland guy.

ty for doing the work you do and getting the information about health out there for the masses.

Thank you so much for the cancer info. Battling lung cancer although I’ve never smoked & have exercised all my life . 🙏🏻

Thank you very much. Very informative

Thank you so much for this awesome presentation!!!

Isn't there reverse causation because only healthy, mobile, non-diseased people can engage in the vigorous exercise needed to increase VO2 max? So are we just saying that healthy people live longer? The authors of the discussed study admit that they don't know: "The degree to which high CRF preselects patients with lower mortality vs causes a reduction in mortality is not discernible from our study."

right on, RP! i know a shitload of Sardinian Centenarians who optimize protein intake, incorporate HIIT, partake in exercise snacks and savored super sauna sessions. so you know it's good! and my 93 y.o. Uncle Clyde was always doing intense shit like fishing & playing golf!

Excellent info..thank you Dr. Patrick

The most longevous person I have had notice of was a russian man who worked in agriculture every day (low load , low intensity) and had to climb a hill on the way to work every day. Most longevous people belong in the older times. None of which seem that developed activities that would match these modern theories about longevity, yet their testament remains. Most of them were not even that active but had lived an active life with peace of mind and eat moderately. Its amazing how many theories and relationships we can articifially conjure up to explain something that was quite common back 200 years ago when deaths were mostly by infections.

Awesome!...TY LOVE DR RHONDA

I listened to your talk at CrossFit 3 times!! It is not easy to be 80% of heart rate for 30-40 mins... i do 60 min boot camp and circit clases my heart rate in that zone is 10min or less total. I would appreciate if you have any exercise/workout examples...i know it all depends on individual...Thank you

This is excellent, thank you.

You’re awesome, Dr. Patrick! Thanks for the fantastic episode