Zone 2 training: impact on longevity and mitochondrial function, how to dose frequency and duration, and more | Iñigo San-Millán, Ph.D. (#201 rebroadcast)
Release Date: 07/08/2024
Building & Changing Habits | James Clear (#183 rebroadcast)
The Peter Attia Drive
James Clear is the author of the New York Times bestseller Atomic Habits. His extensive research into human behavior has helped him identify key components of habit formation and develop the “Four Laws of Behavioral Change.” In this episode, James provides insights into how both good and bad habits are formed, including the influence of genetics, environment, social circles, and more. He points to changes one can make to cultivate more perseverance and discipline and describes the profound impact habits can have when tying them into one’s self-identity. Finally, James breaks down his...
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#329 ‒ Special AMA: Peter on exercise, important labs, building good habits, promising longevity research, and more
The Peter Attia Drive
In this special episode of The Drive, Peter tackles a wide range of listener questions submitted over the past year. The discussion spans essential topics such as exercise—covering grip strength, traveling workouts, and why Peter doesn’t consider exercise an ideal weight-loss strategy—and the top biomarkers everyone should track. He also explores promising new longevity research, his evolving views on longevity, and frameworks like “objective, strategy, tactics” for personalized decision-making. The episode wraps up with insights on building good habits and a glimpse into...
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#328 - AMA #66: Optimizing nutrition for health and longevity: myth of a “best” diet, complexities of nutrition science, and practical steps for building a sustainable diet
The Peter Attia Drive
In this "Ask Me Anything" (AMA) episode, Peter dives deep into one of the most frequently discussed and often misunderstood topics: nutrition. From weight loss and maintenance to the intricate relationship between nutrition and exercise and body composition, Peter addresses the complexities of nutrition research and explores the perennial question of whether there is a "best diet." He provides practical insights on how to choose the right diet for your unique needs, discusses the role of protein and processed foods, and outlines the key questions to help you optimize your approach to...
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#327 - Choices, costs, and challenges in US healthcare: insurance intricacies, drug pricing, economic impacts, and potential reforms | Saum Sutaria, M.D.
The Peter Attia Drive
Dr. Saum Sutaria is the Chairman and CEO of Tenet Healthcare and a former leader in McKinsey & Company’s Healthcare and Private Equity Practices, where he spent almost two decades shaping the field. In this episode, Saum unpacks the complexities of the U.S. healthcare system, providing a detailed overview of its structure, financial flows, and historical evolution. They delve into topics such as private insurance, Medicare, Medicaid, employer-sponsored coverage, drug pricing, PBMs and the administrative burdens impacting the system. Saum’s insights help connect healthcare spending...
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Optimizing life for maximum fulfillment | Bill Perkins (#237 rebroadcast)
The Peter Attia Drive
Bill Perkins is one of the world’s most successful hedge fund managers and entrepreneurs, and the author of the bestseller, Die With Zero. In this episode, Bill unpacks the Die With Zero philosophy which challenges conventional thinking related to the balance between health, wealth, and time—the three variables important for fulfillment. Bill makes the case that we should strive for maximum net fulfillment rather than net worth (or even health). He argues that we need to optimize our life to have memorable experiences before it’s too late and that most people are over-saving and...
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#326 - AMA #65: Red light therapy: promising applications, mixed evidence, and impact on health and aging
The Peter Attia Drive
In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter dives into the world of red light therapy in response to frequent questions from listeners. Peter provides a comprehensive exploration, starting with the basics of red light therapy and why it’s getting so much attention. The conversation examines the latest data on various applications, including aging, skin health, acne, wound healing, hair loss, eye health, exercise performance, metabolic health, weight loss, inflammation, injury recovery, and menstrual cramps. Peter analyzes the scientific literature on each use case and concludes...
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#325 ‒ Peter’s key takeaways on bone health, calorie restriction and energy balance, dopamine and addiction, gene editing, and testosterone therapy safety with a prostate cancer diagnosis | Quarterly Podcast Summary #3
The Peter Attia Drive
In this quarterly podcast summary (QPS) episode, Peter summarizes his biggest takeaways from the last three months of guest interviews on the podcast. Peter shares key insights from his discussions on diverse topics such as dopamine and addiction with Anna Lembke, the current state and exciting future of CRISPR-mediated gene editing with Feng Zhang, how to build and maintain strong bones from youth to old age with Belinda Beck, how calorie restriction may influence longevity and metabolic health with Eric Ravussin, and the role of testosterone and TRT in prostate cancer with Ted Schaeffer....
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#324 ‒ Metabolism, energy balance, and aging: How diet, calorie restriction, and macronutrients influence longevity and metabolic health | Eric Ravussin, Ph.D.
The Peter Attia Drive
Eric Ravussin is a world-renowned expert on obesity, metabolism, and aging whose pioneering research has shaped much of what we understand today about energy balance and caloric restriction. In this episode, Eric shares insights from his cutting-edge work on energy expenditure—a critical factor in understanding how our bodies regulate weight and appetite. He discusses methods for measuring energy output, energy balance, food intake, and appetite regulation, and explores key studies on macronutrient manipulation. Eric then delves into the CALERIE study on caloric restriction, highlighting...
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#323 - CRISPR and the future of gene editing: scientific advances, genetic therapies, disease treatment potential, and ethical considerations | Feng Zhang, Ph.D.
The Peter Attia Drive
Feng Zhang, a professor of neuroscience at MIT and a pioneering figure in gene editing, joins Peter to discuss his groundbreaking work in CRISPR technology, as well as his early contributions to optogenetics. In this episode, they explore the origins of CRISPR and the revolutionary advancements that have transformed the field of gene editing. Feng delves into the practical applications of CRISPR for treating genetic diseases, the importance of delivery methods, and the current successes and challenges in targeting cells specific tissues such as those in the liver and eye. He also covers the...
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#322 - Bone health for life: building strong bones, preventing age-related loss, and reversing osteoporosis with evidence-based exercise | Belinda Beck, Ph.D.
The Peter Attia Drive
Belinda Beck, founder of The Bone Clinic and a leading authority on exercise physiology and bone health, delves into the science of osteoporosis, bone density, and the lifelong importance of maintaining skeletal health. In this episode, she explains how the foundation for strong bones is established during childhood, offering valuable advice for parents on optimizing bone health for their kids. She also explores how bone remodeling occurs throughout life, driven by activity, nutrition, and hormones. Belinda highlights the power of resistance training in improving bone strength, even for...
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Iñigo San-Millán is an internationally renowned applied physiologist and a previous guest on The Drive. His research and clinical work focuses on exercise-related metabolism, metabolic health, diabetes, cancer metabolism, nutrition, sports performance, and critical care. In this episode, Iñigo describes how his work with Tour de France winner Tadej Pogačar has provided insights into the amazing potential of elite athletes from a performance and metabolic perspective. He speaks specifically about lactate levels, fat oxidation, how carbohydrates in food can affect our lactate and how equal lactate outputs between an athlete and a metabolically unhealthy individual can mean different things. Next, he discusses how Zone 2 training boosts mitochondrial function and impacts longevity. He explains the different metrics for assessing one’s Zone 2 threshold and describes the optimal dose, frequency, duration, and type of exercise for Zone 2. Additionally, he offers his thoughts on how to incorporate high intensity training (Zone 5) to optimize health, as well as the potential of metformin and NAD to boost mitochondrial health. Finally, he discusses insights he’s gathered from studying the mitochondria of long COVID patients in the ICU.
We discuss:
- The amazing potential of cyclist Tadej Pogačar [2:00];
- Metrics for assessing athletic performance in cyclists and how that impacts race strategy [7:30];
- The impact of performance-enhancing drugs and the potential for transparency into athletes’ data during competition [16:15];
- Tadej Pogačar’s race strategy and mindset at the Tour de France [23:15];
- Defining Zone 2, fat oxidation, and how they are measured [26:00];
- Using fat and carbohydrate utilization to calculate the mitochondrial function and metabolic flexibility [35:00];
- Lactate levels and fat oxidation as it relates to Zone 2 exercise [39:15];
- How moderately active individuals should train to improve metabolic function and maximize mitochondrial performance [51:00];
- Bioenergetics of the cell and what is different in elite athletes [56:30];
- How the level of carbohydrate in the diet and ketogenic diets affects fuel utilization and power output during exercise [1:07:45];
- Glutamine as a source for making glycogen—insights from studying the altered metabolism of ICU patients [1:14:15];
- How exercise mobilizes glucose transporters—an important factor in diabetic patients [1:20:15];
- Metrics for finding Zone 2 threshold—lactate, heart rate, and more [1:24:00];
- Optimal Zone 2 training: dose, frequency, duration, and type of exercise [1:40:30];
- How to incorporate high intensity training (Zone 5) to increase VO2 max and optimize fitness [1:50:30];
- Compounding benefits of Zone 2 exercise and how we can improve metabolic health into old age [2:01:00];
- The effects of metformin, NAD, and supplements on mitochondrial function [2:04:30];
- The role of lactate and exercise in cancer [2:12:45];
- How assessing metabolic parameters in long COVID patients provides insights into this disease [2:18:30];
- The advantages of using cellular surrogates of metabolism instead of VO2 max for prescribing exercise [2:25:00];
- Metabolomics reveals how cellular metabolism is altered in sedentary individuals [2:33:00];
- Cellular changes in the metabolism of people with diabetes and metabolic syndrome [2:38:30]; and
- More.
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