Is Dr. Peter Attia mistaken about the importance of VO2Max?
Dr. Peter Attia, a prominent health podcaster, says VO₂Max is the #1 measure of longevity. It assesses your max oxygen uptake and represents aerobic capacity, mitochondrial function, and heart health.
Some of his key points:
Use an 80/20 balance between Zone 2 and Zone 5 intensity
Train Zone 2 4 to 6 hours a week (optimally)
Train Zone 5 1-2x week, 60 minutes max
For optimal VO2Max training, you need to train your cardiovascular system approximately 5 hours a week.
And that’s my - and probably your - biggest problem.
Most of us don’t have 5 hours a week to allot for “just” cardio.
We still need to:
Strength train
Focus on joint health (stability, mobility, flexibility)
And -
Have a life.
It’s not that I disagree with Dr. Attia per se…
I just disagree with his strategy .
Several reasons:
First, if you have lower back, knee, or hip pain, stiffness, or tightness, one of the best ways to MAKE IT WORSE is to engage in high repetition cardio.
Why?
It engrains those negative compensatory movement patterns and muscle imbalances deeper into your CNS (Central Nervous System) making them much harder to resolve, and keeping you in pain longer.
And pain inhibits the normal functioning of your joints and muscles.
The more you train into and through pain, the here faster you’re risking a catastrophic injury or joint replacement.
Second, you require MUSCLE to move.
It’s a documented fact that men lose 10% of their muscle - predominantly fast-twitch muscle fibers - the ones for running faster, jumping higher, and lifting more…
At a rate of 10% per decade if not directly trained.
These are the ones that consume the most energy.
And they are the fibers responsible for keeping your metabolism elevated - your ability to burn calories at rest.
Training your VO2Max trains your slow twitch (endurance) fibers.
And too much endurance training actually changes your fast twitch fibers into slow twitch fibers.
And that’s exactly the contrary of what we’re after.
Third, an overabundance of cardio ( considering the individual) elevates circulating cortisol levels which reduces:
It diminishes testosterone, leading to fatigue and muscle loss, especially in men over 40.
The number of fast-twitch muscle fibers you have… which are the ones you lose the fastest but depend on most over 30
Increases fatigue… something many men already battle , so we want to avoid that!
Might damage mitochondria if not done right … which may seem minor at first until you comprehend that mitochondria damage → mitochondria death → YOUR death!
So, it’s not that I take issue with Dr. Attia’s understanding of the research…
I just DISAGREE with his solution(s).
They are very impractical for most of us over-40 types.
That is unless you have all the time in the world, then you should go for it .
What should you do as an alternative?
1- Focus on JOINT HEALTH
It’s a well known fact that the reason people end up in nursing homes ( besides Alzheimer’s and dementia) is that they lose mobility .
Why’s that?
We’ll cover that in a second .
But first, eliminate your joint limitations to the best of your ability.
If you’re pursuing that [INSERT YOUR PET LIFT HERE] but you’re constantly beaten up, sore, and in pain as a result …
You might want to rethink that.
You’re not going to win any gold medals or corporate sponsorships at your age .
(Said the pot to the kettle. For real, I’ve had to have this conversation with myself several times over the last 15 years .)
2- Focus on building strength
Work on improving your fast-twitch muscle fibers .
Then increase their size .
Use the kettlebell Grinds - Press, Front Squat, etc., and keep your reps between 1 and 6.
You can also use the kettlebell ballistics and keep your reps around 10 to 12.
Doing so increases your metabolism and is another way to avoid or reverse Type 2 Diabetes onset .
And as a result, you’ll improve longevity .
3- Focus on training for power
Why?
Power training builds fast-twitch fibers and reaction time, often diminished after 40.
Kettlebells are excellent for this.
4- Focus on VO2MAX TRAINING
Now, fortunately, as you get more skilled with #3 - Power Training…
You can “slide into” this type of training, according to your approach .
“Yeah, but how well does it work compared to Zone 2 training that Dr. Attia recommends?”
Yes, several meta analyses* revealed HIIT - which, when you come right down to it - is a form of power training -
Was advantageous to MICT - Moderate Intensity Continuous Training - for improving VO2Max in older populations.
But you can still add in 1-2 Zone 2 sessions a week if you have the time.