Zone 2 Training: Dose, Frequency, and Duration | Iñigo San-Millán, Ph.D. & Peter Attia, M.D.

Summary

In this podcast, the host discusses the importance of steady-state, sustained cardio training for individuals new to this type of exercise. The expert emphasizes the need for a structured program, suggesting a frequency of three to four days a week with one to one and a half hours per session. They also highlight the significance of duration, starting with shorter sessions and gradually increasing to the target duration. The conversation touches on the challenges of maintaining consistent intensity during outdoor activities compared to indoor training on a trainer.

Takeaways

• 🏃‍♂️ High-intensity training alone is not sufficient for optimal health benefits; a combination of different types of exercise is recommended.
• 👨‍⚕️ The speaker emphasizes the importance of steady-state, sustained cardio alongside strength training for a well-rounded fitness program.
• 📈 For beginners in steady-state cardio, the training program should ideally be structured to include three to four sessions per week.
• ⏱ Each session should aim for a duration of one to one and a half hours, which can be adjusted based on the individual's fitness level and time availability.
• 🚴‍♂️ The choice of exercise, such as running, walking, cycling, rowing, or swimming, can be personalized based on individual preferences and needs.
• 🔧 Strength training should complement cardio, ideally taking up about half of the total weekly exercise time.
• 📊 The speaker shares insights from laboratory studies, indicating that training frequency and duration significantly affect mitochondrial and metabolic adaptations.
• 📉 Training once a week may not be enough to see improvements, while two days might only maintain current fitness levels without significant progress.
• 🛣️ Consistency is key; three to four days of training per week are suggested for noticeable and sustainable health benefits.
• 🚴‍♀️ Using a trainer can help maintain a steady workout by isolating variables like wind and hills, which might be difficult to manage outdoors.
• ⚠️ The podcast is for informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice or treatment.

Q & A

What is the main topic discussed in the podcast transcript?

The main topic discussed is the importance and structuring of steady-state, sustained cardio training for individuals new to this type of exercise.

Why is high-intensity training not sufficient according to the speaker?

The speaker mentions that high-intensity training is not sufficient because it lacks the steady-state, sustained cardio aspect that can lead to important mitochondrial and metabolic adaptations.

What is the recommended frequency for this type of training?

The recommended frequency for this type of training is ideally between three to four days a week.

What is the suggested duration for each training session?

The suggested duration for each training session is one to one and a half hours.

Why is strength training also important according to the speaker?

Strength training is important because it contributes to overall fitness and health, and the speaker mentions that it should ideally take up half of the total weekly exercise time.

How does the speaker suggest starting the training for beginners?

The speaker suggests starting with shorter durations such as 20 to 30 minutes and gradually increasing to the target of one hour to one and a half hours as the individual's fitness improves.

What are the potential benefits of steady-state, sustained cardio training mentioned in the transcript?

The potential benefits include improved mitochondrial function, increased fat oxidation, and enhanced lactate clearance capacity.

Why does the speaker mention that one hour of this type of training can be effective?

The speaker states that one hour of steady-state, sustained cardio can lead to significant mitochondrial and metabolic adaptations, making it an efficient and effective training duration.

What is the speaker's opinion on the use of a trainer for biking?

The speaker finds using a trainer efficient because it allows for a more controlled and consistent workout, despite acknowledging that it might feel like a less enjoyable experience compared to being outdoors.

How does the speaker address the issue of not being able to maintain a constant level while exercising outdoors?

The speaker acknowledges the challenges of outdoor training, such as starting and stopping, wind, and hills, and suggests that using a trainer can help isolate these variables for a more consistent workout.

What is the disclaimer provided at the end of the transcript regarding the podcast's content?

The disclaimer states that the podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute professional health care services or medical advice. It also mentions that the content should not be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Outlines

00:00

🏋️‍♂️ Introduction to Training for Beginners

The speaker begins by addressing two scenarios: one for individuals new to steady-state sustained cardio training and another for those who have some experience. They emphasize the importance of this type of training over high-intensity workouts, suggesting that it offers significant mitochondrial and metabolic adaptations. The focus is on how to structure a training program for beginners, including considerations for dose, duration, and frequency. The speaker also mentions their preference for certain activities over others, such as running, walking, cycling, rowing, and swimming, and apologizes for not being able to respond to all emails received on the topic. The ideal frequency for beginners is suggested to be three to four days a week, with each session lasting one to one and a half hours, which is based on the speaker's observations from laboratory studies.

05:00

🚴‍♀️ Training Duration and Frequency for Improved Fitness

In this paragraph, the speaker delves deeper into the specifics of training duration and frequency, particularly for individuals who may be pre-diabetic, out of fitness, or returning to exercise after a long break. They recommend starting with shorter sessions and gradually increasing to one hour, and emphasize that even 20 to 30 minutes can be beneficial for beginners. The speaker also discusses the importance of consistency and the challenges of maintaining a steady workout on the road versus the controlled environment of a trainer. They suggest that an hour and a half of cycling on a trainer might equate to about an hour of outdoor cycling due to various factors like wind and hills. The paragraph concludes with a reminder that the podcast is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice, and the speaker discloses potential conflicts of interest.

Keywords

💡High Intensity Training

High Intensity Training (HIT) refers to short, intense exercise sessions that are designed to improve cardiovascular health and burn calories quickly. In the video, it is mentioned that while HIT is beneficial, it is not sufficient on its own for certain health benefits, such as mitochondrial and metabolic adaptations, which are the focus of the discussion.

💡Steady State Sustained Cardio

Steady State Sustained Cardio is a type of exercise where the intensity is kept at a moderate level for an extended period. It is contrasted with high intensity training in the script, where the speaker emphasizes the importance of incorporating this type of training for better health outcomes, such as improved mitochondrial function.

💡Mitochondrial Function

Mitochondrial Function relates to the ability of mitochondria, the energy-producing structures in cells, to generate energy. The script discusses how certain types of exercise can improve mitochondrial function, which is crucial for overall health and fitness.

💡Metabolic Adaptations

Metabolic Adaptations refer to changes in the body's metabolic processes in response to exercise. The script mentions that exercise can lead to important metabolic adaptations, which are different from the immediate benefits of high intensity training.

💡Dose and Duration

Dose and Duration are terms used to describe the amount and length of exercise needed to achieve health benefits. The speaker in the script explains that for steady state sustained cardio, a dose of one to one and a half hours per session, done three to four times a week, is ideal.

💡Frequency

Frequency in the context of the script refers to how often one should engage in a particular type of exercise. The speaker suggests that for optimal results, steady state sustained cardio should be performed ideally three to four times a week.

💡Endurance Training

Endurance Training is a form of exercise that focuses on improving one's ability to sustain physical activity for longer periods. The script mentions that some people may think they need to dedicate several hours a week to this type of training, but the speaker argues that less time can be effective.

💡Strength Training

Strength Training is a type of exercise that aims to improve muscular strength and endurance. The speaker mentions that half of the weekly exercise time should be dedicated to strength training, emphasizing its importance alongside cardio.

💡Fat Oxidation

Fat Oxidation is the process by which the body breaks down fat to use as energy. The script discusses how certain exercises can enhance fat oxidation, which is an indicator of improved mitochondrial function.

💡Lactate Threshold

Lactate Threshold is the point at which the body begins to produce more lactate than it can clear, leading to fatigue. The script uses lactate threshold as an example of a metric to measure the effectiveness of different exercise regimens on mitochondrial function.

💡Zone Two

Zone Two refers to a specific heart rate zone often used in exercise training, typically associated with moderate-intensity aerobic exercise. The speaker mentions that it can be challenging to maintain this zone on the road due to external factors like wind and hills, making a trainer a more controlled environment.

Highlights

Introduction to the importance of steady-state sustained cardio training for beginners.

The inadequacy of high-intensity training alone and the need for a balanced approach.

The speaker's personal bias towards certain types of exercise and openness to others.

Three main rules or parameters for structuring a training program.

The optimal duration of training sessions for maximal benefits.

The frequency of training sessions per week for effective adaptation.

The importance of strength training alongside steady-state cardio.

The speaker's personal struggle with balancing exercise and other responsibilities.

The role of laboratory research in understanding exercise adaptations.

The impact of training frequency on mitochondrial function and fat oxidation.

The risks of inadequate training for long-term health and fitness.

The benefits of starting with shorter durations and gradually increasing.

The challenges of maintaining a consistent training level on the road versus a trainer.

The efficiency of training on a trainer and the ability to maintain constant effort.

Recommendations for incorporating steady-state cardio into a busy schedule.

The speaker's personal preference for outdoor exercise despite the benefits of indoor training.

The importance of setting achievable goals for exercise duration and frequency.

A disclaimer about the podcast's informational nature and the importance of professional medical advice.

Transcripts

so now let's talk about two scenarios

the first is the person who is new to

this type of training so they've

listened to this podcast

or they're one of my patients and i've

made the case convincingly to them that

you really need to do this type of

training

i want to come back by the way to

a justification for that so let's

explain why high intensity training is

not sufficient but we'll park that for a

moment

but they really don't have much of a

background in this type of training

right they

you know maybe they do some high

intensity training they do some weights

they play some tennis

but they really don't do the sort of

steady state sustained cardio that we're

talking about

um

how would you structure a training

program in dose

duration frequency

uh for that individual and tell me a

little bit about the choices that you

would take it make if they're agnostic

to running walking

cycling rowing

swimming

you know again i have my biases there

but i want to kind of hear what you have

to say about it

yeah no i think yeah that's a great um

question and i also you know before that

i want to apologize to many of your

audience um um because

i i i get a lot of emails you know

asking me about these questions and it's

hard to uh well that's why we're doing

the podcast so yeah you don't have to

apologize it's easier to appreciate it

this way but see i get emails um and uh

and and before i used to see people here

at the university but now the university

you know we don't have these services so

i'm trying to convince them that these

services are important to offer to to

population but anyways i want to

apologize because i cannot answer to

everybody but yeah so uh

my my i have the three three main

rules or parameters i have learned over

the years so one is the duration right

um we have in mind sometimes that this

is like endurance training one day like

like i only have six hours a week or

seven hours a week at most right to do

this type of training or less

so there's no way i can do that it's

usually less because they might have six

hours a week for total exercise exactly

and we're going to take half of that for

strength training exactly because which

is very important as you know uh it um

is it's my it's where i fail because i i

should do more of that and i try to to

get a little bit more of time to do that

but i

uh it's not easy but i aspire really to

to to dial that in but uh but yeah

you're right they might have less than

six hours and they might think like well

i'm not an endurance athlete so you need

to do four hours to do to accomplish

this so therefore i'm just going to move

to do just high intensity and just get

out of the way well that's not

completely true right you can accomplish

very important mitochondrial adaptations

and very important um

metabolic adaptations by exercising one

hour

right so this is what is the uh

um

the duration let's start by the duration

right so

if you try to do that one hour to one

hour and a half range uh you're on

target

um and is that in one setting six hours

i'm sorry is that total or one setting

what do you mean

uh meaning is it one to one and a half

hours per week or

does that need to be in one continuous

yeah so exercise bout yeah i'm sorry let

me let me maybe go back to that the

frequency right that the dose so the

frequency that i see is that

this type of training

ideally needs to be done between three

to four days a week

ideally

what i've seen and how can i know this

i know this because i've seen in the

laboratory everything right the person

who trains one day at these

zones or two days or three days or four

days or high intensity low intensity and

i see the adaptations how do i see their

attention again looking at mitochondria

i mean that fat oxidation lactate

cleanse capacity both surrogates of

mitochondrial function right so i've

been identifying the the dose of that

training so if you train once a week

there uh chances are that uh you're

gonna deteriorate over time and

especially as we age

something that i see for example in high

intensity exercisers and bodybuilders

that they have a very poor mitochondrial

function

compared to people who do more

a little bit of everything right so one

day a week is not going to work two days

a week

it might maintain what you have

but if you are new to an exercise

program might not be enough

three days a week

now we're starting to to to see for sure

for this week now we're talking ideally

five days a week or six but not

everybody has obviously six days a week

to train but i think that

we all can i mean you are very busy guy

i'm very busy guy uh and we try to

squeeze four or five days a week maybe

six in the summer but four or five days

it's achievable for most individuals and

and and put aside an hour to an hour and

a half right so i would say the four

days a week is ideal

right that's the that that's the first

principle the second principle is the

duration going back to what i'm saying

right

with with one hour maybe pogazza needs

four hours five hours

to keep increasing those huge

mitochondria for a long time but a more

moral

especially someone who might be

pre-diabetic or might be out of fitness

or has an exercise in a long time or or

someone who coming from a disease or

or a mother who just had a baby and it's

been out of uh of say for a while

you know one hour um if you walk or if

you run

uh my do might be very very good for you

uh one hour walk

you know you or run you might have to

bring it up that's that's part of the

plan too right you cannot start off the

bat with one hour you might start by 20

minutes 30 minutes 40 minutes increasing

it but maybe about an hour and if you

bike for example

about an hour 20 minutes hour and a half

that's what i see that if you do that

for four days a week

things are starting to move

even even if you bike on a trainer where

you can be much more efficient and you

can really get straight to the wattage

and stay there because we we tell

patients

you know again it depends where they are

in their cycle but if they're starting

out i mean we'll be happy if they give

us 30 minutes three to four times a week

of dedicated exercise

um

so so do you see a difference between i

don't i can't do zone two on the road i

can really only do it on the trainer i

just can't stay at a constant level on

the road with starting and stopping and

wind and hills and stuff like that

that's very good point that's why an

hour and a half on the bike

it might actually be one hour or so

right because you have all these

artifacts but you're right when you're

on the trainer you isolate everything

completely and and what i also recommend

is about an hour if you can get there

but again you know like yeah sure you

might

it's it's to me it's

it feels like a torture sometimes you

know to be an hour and the trainer i

hate it i like to be outside uh but we

have had to do it i do it i like watch a

movie or just catch up on work i have

one do special desks right where i can

type or

read articles or answers and emails low

key activity because again you know

you're not very sharp to think uh very

intellectually but um but yeah one hour

might do the trick uh what i've seen is

like yeah and those people who haven't

done much at all even 30 minutes 20

minutes might start moving the needle

but eventually it's not enough

dose

right uh um uh it's like if the body

needs more right yeah so if you can get

to a goal about an hour to an hour and a

half

that's that that should really work in

my modest opinion in my experience so

that's that's the uh

the duration

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nursing or other professional health

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substitute for professional medical

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