#285 - AMA #55: Exercise: longevity-focused training, goal setting, improving deficiencies, managing emotional stress, and more

The Peter Attia Drive

Peter Attia, MD

Health & Fitness, Medicine, Fitness

4.7 • 7.3K Ratings

🗓️ 15 January 2024

⏱️ 22 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

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In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter delves into the crucial topic of exercise, starting with the importance of having a goal in training, including how and why Peter uses the goal of training for the “Centenarian Decathlon” when structuring his training plans. Peter elaborates on how to identify deficient areas within the four pillars of exercise and guides listeners on incorporating periodization training for optimal improvement and training variety. The episode explores diverse case studies, offering insights into tailored workouts for individuals of various training backgrounds, from seasoned enthusiasts to complete beginners. Additionally, Peter tackles the universal issue of emotional stress and its impact on training, as well as how exercise can help manage stress and how to determine when training should be adjusted during a high-stress period.

If you’re not a subscriber and are listening on a podcast player, you’ll only be able to hear a preview of the AMA. If you’re a subscriber, you can now listen to this full episode on your private RSS feed or our website at the AMA #55 show notes page. If you are not a subscriber, you can learn more about the subscriber benefits here.

We discuss:

Overview of exercise topics [2:15];
Importance of training with a goal in mind, the Centenarian Decathlon, and the natural decline of fitness with age [4:00];
The four pillars of exercise [12:15];
Measuring peak aerobic output with VO2max, and the importance of VO2max as a predictor of longevity [16:45];
Measuring aerobic efficiency with zone 2 [25:45];
Measuring and tracking muscle mass and strength [27:30];
Case study of a fit person with a neglected pillar: why adding more training volume may not the best strategy [30:30];
Periodization training: what it is and why it is beneficial [36:15];
Periodization case study: high cardio fitness, lacking muscle and strength [40:00];
Periodization case study: adequate muscle, low cardio fitness [44:45];
Case study: significant improvement needed across all exercise pillars [48:45];
Best ways to do zone 2 exercise and how to use relative perceived exertion (RPE) to find your zone 2 level [56:30];
How the body responds to physical and emotional stress, its impact on training, and the consequences of chronic stress [1:01:00];
The difference between “good” stress and “bad” or chronic stress [1:10:30];
The complex relationship between exercise and stress, and the importance of adjusting exercise goals during high-stress periods [1:13:30];
Clues that stress may be impacting your training [1:19:15];
The use of wearables and devices for tracking trends and making decisions related to training [1:21:00];
Parting thoughts regarding the importance of exercise for longevity and stress management [1:32:00]; and
More.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey everyone.
0:02.0	Welcome to a sneak peek,
0:03.0	ask me anything,
0:04.0	or
0:05.0	Oh!
0:08.0	Hey everyone,
0:11.0	Welcome to a sneak peek, Ask Me Anything, or AMA episode of the Drive Podcast.
0:16.5	I'm your host, Peter Attia.
0:18.3	At the end of this short episode, I'll explain how you can access the AMA episodes in full along with a ton of other membership
0:24.4	benefits we've created or you can learn more now by going to Peter Attia MD.
0:29.2	com forward slash subscribe. So without further delay here's today's sneak peek of the Ask Me Anything episode.
0:36.0	Welcome to Ask Me Anything episode number 55, I'm once again joined by my colleague Nick Stenson.
0:47.2	Given that it is now officially the new year, today's AMA is focused all around exercise. This is a topic we speak about a lot and it's not only because of how important it is, but also because of how many questions we see come through from our audience around it.
1:02.0	And the majority of these questions revolve in one way or another around how someone can improve their cardio respiratory fitness, increase their muscle mass, increase their strength, or all of the above.
1:13.8	As such in today's AMA, we cover the importance of having a goal in your training.
1:18.9	And why for myself and a lot of my patients, it's training for the centenary and decathlon that provides the structure.
1:26.0	How can we help identify the pillars of exercise where people are most efficient and from there
1:31.4	how can people use periodization training to not only make the most
1:35.3	improvements in those areas but also create some variety in training.
1:40.0	Through this we look at case studies of different phenotypes and what a typical workout might look like for different types of people.
1:48.5	For example, those who come to exercise with a strong background in one area but not in another or people who show up without any exercise training at all.
1:57.0	We then focus on how stress can impact training and by that I mean emotional stress and this is something I think we can all relate to that we go through periods of our life when we're under great emotional stress and the question is how should that factor into the decisions we make around training.
	...

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