Peter Attia: Top 5 Exercises to Boost Longevity & Reverse Aging

Summary

The video script discusses the significant impact of muscle mass and cardiorespiratory fitness on longevity. It reveals that low muscle mass individuals face a 200% increase in all-cause mortality, while cardiorespiratory fitness shows an even more profound effect, with a 5x difference in mortality rates between the least and most fit. The speaker emphasizes the importance of strength training and cardiovascular exercise, suggesting specific metrics like dead hangs, wall sits, and V2 Max as benchmarks for a healthy lifestyle. The conversation also touches on the overemphasis on dietary nuances and supplements without first addressing the more critical aspect of physical fitness.

Takeaways

• 💪 Low muscle mass individuals face a 200% increase in all-cause mortality compared to those with high muscle mass as they age.
• 🏃 Cardiorespiratory fitness has a profound impact on longevity, with a 5x difference in all-cause mortality observed between the least fit and the fittest individuals.
• 🚬 Smoking increases the risk of all-cause mortality by approximately 40%, meaning smokers are at a consistently higher risk of death.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Strength is a critical factor in longevity, with a 250% greater risk of mortality for those with lower strength.
• 🤔 The importance of muscle strength is often overlooked in favor of debates about diet and supplements, which should be secondary to physical fitness.
• 🏃‍♀️ A simple test for quad strength is to see how long one can sit in a squatted position at 90° without support.
• 🏃‍♂️ High-intensity cardiovascular exercises, such as running a mile in a specific time, are strong indicators of good V2 Max and overall health.
• 🏋️‍♀️ The Strength Metrics Assessment (SMA) is a program that includes 11 challenging tests to measure various aspects of strength.
• 👨‍⚕️ Health professionals use specific metrics and tests, like the SMA, to provide tailored exercise recommendations for patients.
• 🌟 Achieving high levels of cardiovascular fitness and strength can significantly reduce the risk of all-cause mortality, emphasizing the importance of physical activity over dietary nuances.

Q & A

What is the impact of low muscle mass on all-cause mortality as compared to high muscle mass?

Low muscle mass people have about a 200% increase in all-cause mortality as they age when compared to high muscle mass individuals.

How does cardiorespiratory fitness affect all-cause mortality, and what is the difference between low and high achievers?

Cardiorespiratory fitness has a profound impact on all-cause mortality. There is a 5x difference in all-cause mortality between the bottom 25% and the top 2.5% for a given age and sex.

What is the approximate increase in the risk of all-cause mortality due to smoking?

Smoking is associated with approximately a 40% increase in the risk of all-cause mortality.

How does muscle strength relate to mortality risk, and what are some ways to measure it?

Muscle strength is highly associated with mortality risk, with a hazard ratio of about 3.5x or 250% greater risk. Grip strength, leg extensions, and the ability to hold a squat for a certain duration are some ways to measure it.

What is the Strength Metrics Assessment (SMA) and how does it help in assessing an individual's strength?

The Strength Metrics Assessment (SMA) is a program that involves 11 challenging tests to measure an individual's strength, including dead hangs and other exercises, providing a granular insight into their physical capabilities.

What is the significance of V2 Max in determining cardiorespiratory fitness and its impact on mortality risk?

V2 Max is a key indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness, and its levels can predict the risk of all-cause mortality. Being in the top percentiles of V2 Max can significantly reduce this risk.

What are some benchmarks for achieving good cardiorespiratory fitness as per the script?

Some benchmarks for good cardiorespiratory fitness include being able to run a mile in under seven minutes or having a V2 Max at or above the 75th percentile for one's age and sex.

How long should a 40-year-old aim to hold a dead hang to be considered fit according to the script?

A 40-year-old should aim to hold a dead hang for at least one minute to be considered fit.

What is the significance of the ability to perform a wall sit in assessing leg strength, and what are the standards for it?

The ability to perform a wall sit is a demonstration of quad strength. The standard for both men and women at 40 is to hold a squat at 90 degrees for 2 minutes.

What is the recommended farmer carry duration for males and females as per the script?

For males, the recommended farmer carry duration is to carry half their body weight in each hand for 2 minutes. For females, it's 75% of their body weight for the same duration.

How can one estimate their V2 Max if they don't have access to the necessary equipment?

One can estimate their V2 Max using online estimators that take into account their performance on activities like biking, running, or rowing, and provide an approximation of their V2 Max.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Importance of Muscle Mass and Fitness for Longevity

The paragraph emphasizes the significance of muscle mass and cardiorespiratory fitness in determining longevity. It contrasts individuals with low muscle mass, who face a 200% increase in all-cause mortality, with those who have high muscle mass, enjoying a threefold improvement in mortality risk. The discussion also highlights the profound impact of cardiorespiratory fitness, with a 5x difference in mortality risk between the lowest and highest achievers. The speaker introduces strength metrics such as grip strength, leg extensions, and squats as indicators of muscle strength and suggests that strength, rather than muscle mass alone, is a critical factor. The SMA (Strength Metrics Assessment) is mentioned as a comprehensive program that evaluates patients' strength through 11 challenging tests, including dead hangs and other bodyweight exercises. The paragraph concludes by underscoring the importance of cardiovascular exercise, suggesting that achieving a high V2 Max can significantly reduce the risk of all-cause mortality.

05:01

🏋️‍♂️ Practical Strength and Cardiovascular Exercises for Health

This paragraph delves into practical exercises that can be used to gauge and improve one's strength and cardiovascular health. It suggests that being able to run a mile within a certain time can serve as an estimator of V2 Max, a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness. The speaker mentions various strength tests such as deadlifts, farmer carries, and vertical jumps, which are used to assess different aspects of physical fitness like grip strength and mobility. The paragraph also discusses the development of a strength and stability program by Beth Lewis, which aims to identify and promote exercises that contribute to optimal health and longevity. The focus is on setting achievable goals for strength and cardiovascular fitness, such as being able to perform a dead hang for a minute or completing a farmer carry for two minutes with half one's body weight, to ensure that individuals are on track for maintaining good health as they age.

Keywords

💡Muscle Mass

Muscle mass refers to the amount of muscle tissue in the body. In the context of the video, it is a significant factor in determining longevity and health as individuals with higher muscle mass have a lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those with lower muscle mass. The video emphasizes the importance of strength training to increase muscle mass, which is associated with a 3x improvement in mortality risk.

💡All-Cause Mortality

All-cause mortality is a measure of the total number of deaths from any cause within a population. The video discusses how certain lifestyle factors, such as low muscle mass and poor cardiorespiratory fitness, can significantly increase all-cause mortality. It is used as a benchmark to compare the health impacts of different behaviors and fitness levels.

💡Cardiorespiratory Fitness

Cardiorespiratory fitness is the ability of the heart, lungs, and blood vessels to deliver oxygen to the muscles during sustained physical activity. The video highlights that individuals with higher cardiorespiratory fitness have a substantially lower risk of all-cause mortality, with a 5x difference noted between the lowest and highest performers.

💡Strength

Strength, or muscular strength, is the ability of a muscle or group of muscles to exert force against resistance. The video suggests that strength is a key component of overall health and longevity, with a strong association between high strength and reduced risk of all-cause mortality. Examples given include grip strength and the ability to perform leg extensions and squats.

💡V2 Max

V2 Max, or maximal oxygen uptake, is a measure of the maximum amount of oxygen an individual can utilize during intense exercise. It is a key indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness. The video discusses how individuals with higher V2 Max values have a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality, emphasizing the importance of aerobic exercise.

💡Smoking

Smoking is the act of inhaling and exhaling the smoke of burning tobacco. The video mentions that smoking increases the risk of all-cause mortality by approximately 40%, illustrating the significant health risks associated with this habit and its impact on life expectancy.

💡Dead Hang

A dead hang is an exercise where an individual hangs from a bar with arms fully extended and body straight, supporting their body weight. The video uses the dead hang as an example of a strength test, suggesting that the ability to maintain a dead hang for a certain duration is an indicator of upper body strength.

💡SMA (Strength Metrics Assessment)

SMA, or Strength Metrics Assessment, is a program mentioned in the video that involves a series of 11 tests designed to measure various aspects of strength. It is used to assess and improve an individual's physical capabilities, with the goal of enhancing overall health and longevity.

💡Farmer Carry

The farmer carry is an exercise where an individual carries a weight in each hand, walking for a certain distance or time. The video uses the farmer carry as an example of a strength test, suggesting that the ability to carry one's body weight for a specified time is a good indicator of overall strength and fitness.

💡Vertical Jump

A vertical jump is a measure of an individual's explosive leg strength and power. The video mentions using the vertical jump as a test to assess lower body strength, with ground contact time being a specific metric that can indicate the efficiency and power of the jump.

💡Supplements

Supplements are substances added to the diet to increase the intake of nutrients. The video discusses the common debate over the benefits of different supplements, suggesting that the focus should be on exercise and fitness first before considering dietary supplements for health and longevity.

Highlights

Low muscle mass people have about a 200% increase in all-cause mortality compared to high muscle mass people as they age.

Cardiorespiratory fitness shows an even more profound impact, with a 5x difference in all-cause mortality.

Smoking increases the risk of all-cause mortality by approximately 40%.

Improving muscle mass can significantly reduce the hazard ratio for all-cause mortality.

Strength, rather than just muscle mass, is highly associated with reduced mortality risk.

Grip strength, leg extensions, and wall sits are examples of tests that measure strength.

The ability to perform a squat at 90° without support is a good demonstration of quad strength.

The Strength Metrics Assessment (SMA) involves 11 challenging tests to evaluate strength.

Cardiorespiratory fitness is the single strongest association for modifiable behavior and mortality risk.

People with higher V2 Max scores have significantly lower all-cause mortality rates.

Training to improve cardiovascular fitness can have a substantial positive effect on longevity.

Dead hanging for at least a minute is a suggested goal for improving strength.

Aerobic capacity can be estimated by running a mile in a certain time, such as under eight minutes.

Farmer carries, where one carries their body weight for a certain time, are used to measure grip strength and mobility.

Vertical jump and ground contact time are additional measures of physical fitness.

The development of strength and stability programs is an ongoing process, evolving with new research.

The 'centenarian to cathete' concept refers to living in one's marginal decade at the best possible physical state.

Transcripts

what are the things that anyone and

everyone can do should do to live longer

so if you compare low muscle mass people

to high muscle mass people as they age

the low muscle mass people have about

200% increase in all cause mortality if

you look at cardiorespiratory Fitness

it's even more profound you're talking

about 5x difference in all cause

mortality that's probably the single

strongest Association I've seen for any

modifiable

Behavior so let's start with a couple of

the things that you've already

highlighted so smoking how how much does

smoking increase your risk of all cause

mortality smoking is approximately a 40%

increase in the risk of ACM it doesn't

mean your lifespan is going to be 40%

less it means at any point in time

standing there your risk of death is 40%

higher so now the question is like how

do you improve so what are the things

that improve those so now here we do

this by comparing low to high Achievers

and other metrics so if you look at low

muscle mass versus high muscle mass what

is the

Improvement and it's pretty significant

it's about 3x so if you compare low

muscle mass people to high muscle mass

people as they age the low muscle mass

people have about a 3X Hazard Ratio or

200% increase in all cause mortality now

if you look at the data more carefully

you realize that it's probably less the

muscle mass fully doing that and it's

more the high association with strength

and when you start to teas out strength

you can realize that strength could be

probably 3 and 1/2x as a hazard ratio

meaning about

250% greater risk so they're usually

using like grip strength um leg

extensions and like wall sits squats

things like that so how long can you sit

in a squatted position at 90° without

support would be a great demonstration

of quad strength a leg extension um you

know how much weight can you hold for

how long relative to body weight things

like that um you know we we have a whole

strength program that we do with our

patients we have something called the

SMA so the strength metrics assessment

and we put them through 11 tests that um

are really difficult you know like a

dead hang is one of them like how long

can you dead hang your body weight stuff

like that so we're trying to be more

granular in that Insight but tie it back

to these principles if you look at

cardiorespiratory Fitness it's even more

profound so um if you look at people who

are in the bottom 25% for their age and

sex in terms of V2 Max and you compare

them to the people that are just at the

50 th to 75th percentile um you're

talking about a 2X difference roughly in

um in in in the risk of ACM if you

compare the bottom 25% to the top 2.5%

so you're talking about you know bottom

quarter to the elite for a given age um

you're talking about

5x

400% difference in all cause mortality

that's probably the single strongest

Association I've seen for any modifiable

Behavior so maybe we could talk a little

bit about the specifics around the

training to get into that um you know

top two tiers there because it seems

that those are enormous positive effects

of cardiovascular exercise far greater

than the sorts of numbers that I see

around let's just say supplement a or

supplement B and that's you know like

this is my whole pet peeve in life right

it's like I just can't get enough of the

masting and arguing about this

supplement versus that supplement and I

feel like you shouldn't be having those

arguments until you have your exercise

house in order um you know you shouldn't

be arguing about your this Nuance of

your carnivore diet versus this Nuance

of your paleo diet versus this Nuance of

your vegan diet like until you can

deadlift your body weight for 10 reps

like then then you can come and talk

about those things or something like

let's just go up with some metrics like

until your V2 Max is at least to the

75th percentile and you're able to dead

hang for at least a minute and you're

able to wallit for at least two like we

could rattle off a bunch of Rel L loow

hanging fruit dead hang for about a

minute seems like a a really good goal

for a lot of people at least that's our

that's our goal I think we have a minute

and a half is the goal for a 40-year-old

woman 2 minutes is the goal for 40-year

old man so we adjust them up and down

based on uh age and gender great and

then uh the walls sit what's what are

some numbers we don't use a walls sit we

do a just a straight squat air squat at

90 de um and I believe 2 minutes is the

standard for both men and women at 40

great and then uh because for some

people thinking in terms of E2 Max is a

little more complicated they might not

have access to the equipment or the to

measure it Etc um what can we talk about

think about in terms of cardiovascular

so run a mile at uh seven minutes or

less eight minutes or less that's a good

question so there are V2 there are

really good V2 Max estimators online and

you can plug in your activity dour so be

at a bike run or rowing machine and it

can give you a sense of of that and I I

don't I used to know all of those okay

but now that I just actually do the

testing I don't recall them but it's

exactly that line of thinking like can

you run a mile in this time if you can

your V2 Max is approximately this and

then um you mentioned deadlifting body

weight 10 times I just made that one up

we don't that's not one that we include

but but something something like that um

we use we use farmer carries so we'll

say for a male you should be able to

Farmer carry your body weight for I

think we have 2 minutes so that's half

your body weight in each hand um you

should be able to walk with that for for

2 minutes um for women I think we're

doing 75% of body weight or something

like that yeah it's basically grip

strength it's Mobility I mean again

walking with that much weight for for

some people initially is really hard um

you know we use different things like

vertical jump ground contact time if

you're jumping off a box things like

that so it's it's really trying to

capture and it's it's an evolution right

like I think the the test is going to

get only more and more involved as we as

we as we get evolved because it took us

about a year Beth Lewis did the majority

of the work to develop this um Beth runs

our strength and stability program in

the practice and you know basically I

just tasked her with like hey go out to

the literature and come up with all of

the best movements that we think are

proxies for what you need to be like the

most Kick-Ass you know what we call

centenarian to cathete which is the

person living in their marginal decade

at the best

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