Simple Steps to Improve Your Metabolism | Dr. Casey Means & Dr. Andrew Huberman

Summary

The transcript emphasizes the significance of daily walking, suggesting at least 7,000 steps to enhance glucose disposal and mitochondrial function. It highlights the impact of muscle contractions on health, equating walking to a powerful medicine. The discussion points to studies showing reduced all-cause mortality and benefits for conditions like Alzheimer's, diabetes, and depression with increased steps. The conversation also advocates for regular, short bursts of movement throughout the day rather than prolonged periods of inactivity punctuated by intense exercise, emphasizing the importance of integrating movement into daily life for improved health outcomes.

Takeaways

• 🚶 Walking is a low-cost, high-impact activity that can significantly improve health outcomes without requiring gyms or fancy equipment.
• 🔢 Aiming for 7,000 steps per day can reduce the risk of all-cause mortality by up to 70%, as shown in a study with 6,300 participants over 10 to 11 years.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Muscle contraction through activities like walking activates AMPK, which helps glucose channels move to the cell membrane, improving glucose disposal.
• 🕒 Taking short walks or breaks for light exercise every 30 minutes throughout the day can be more beneficial than longer, less frequent exercise sessions.
• 🧠 Walking can have positive effects on mental health by reducing anxiety and stress through the optic flow experienced during movement.
• 🍽️ A short walk after a meal can dramatically reduce blood glucose levels, enhancing metabolic health.
• 💊 If walking were a pill, it would be considered one of the most impactful in modern medicine due to its wide-ranging health benefits.
• 🏃‍♂️ Different types of exercise, such as resistance training, high-intensity interval training, and endurance training, have specific impacts on mitochondrial health.
• 🌟 High-intensity interval training is particularly good for mitochondrial fusion, while endurance exercise stimulates the production of more mitochondria.
• 🌐 Current physical activity guidelines recommend resistance training two to three times a week and 75 to 150 minutes of moderate to strenuous activity per week.

Q & A

What is the significance of walking 7,000 steps a day as mentioned in the script?

Walking 7,000 steps a day is significant because it has been associated with up to a 70% lower risk of all-cause mortality according to a study with 6,300 participants followed for 10 to 11 years. It's a simple activity that can be done without fancy equipment and has a profound impact on health.

How does muscle contraction through activities like walking impact glucose disposal and mitochondrial function?

Muscle contraction activates AMPK, which stimulates cells to push glucose channels to the cell membrane, facilitating glucose uptake and utilization by the mitochondria. This process is crucial for energy production and overall metabolic health.

What is the recommended number of short walks per day for health benefits as discussed in the script?

The script suggests aiming for at least three short walks per day, with the idea that more than that is beneficial. These walks can help stimulate glucose channels to be active throughout the day.

How does walking after a meal affect blood glucose levels?

Walking after a meal can drastically reduce blood glucose levels by 30-35%. This is because the muscle contractions from walking bring glucose channels to the cell membrane, promoting glucose uptake and utilization.

What is the role of higher-intensity exercise in improving mitochondrial function?

Higher-intensity exercise, such as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), is beneficial for mitochondrial fusion, which is the process of combining mitochondria to increase their efficiency and function.

What are the different types of exercises mentioned in the script that impact mitochondria differently?

The script mentions walking, resistance training, high-intensity interval training (HIIT), endurance training, and zone 2 training. Each type of exercise has a different impact on mitochondria, such as biogenesis, mitophagy, and mitochondrial fusion.

What is the current physical activity status of the average American according to the script?

The script states that the average American takes 3,000 to 4,000 steps per day, which is less than two miles, and that 80% of Americans are not meeting the basic physical activity guidelines.

What are the basic physical activity guidelines mentioned in the script?

The script refers to guidelines that recommend resistance training for all major muscle groups two to three times a week and 75 to 150 minutes of moderate to strenuous aerobic activity per week.

How does the script relate the increase in gym memberships in the US to the obesity rate?

The script points out a mismatch between the doubling of gym memberships since the year 2000 and the concurrent rise in obesity rates, suggesting that the focus on exercise alone may not be enough to combat obesity.

What is the significance of muscle contraction in the context of the script's discussion on health?

Muscle contraction is described as a form of medicine in the script, emphasizing that even low-grade contractions like walking or air squats can activate cellular processes that improve glucose disposal and mitochondrial health.

Outlines

00:00

🚶‍♂️ The Impact of Walking on Health

The first paragraph emphasizes the significance of lifestyle factors like walking for human health. It suggests that walking can be a low-cost, time-efficient activity that doesn't require gyms or equipment. The conversation highlights the benefits of walking for glucose disposal and mitochondrial function, including mitophagy. The speaker, a doctor, recommends at least three short walks per day, noting that walking could be the most impactful 'pill' in modern medicine. Research cited from 'JAMA' shows that individuals who walked 7,000 steps daily had up to a 70% lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who walked less. The paragraph also discusses the physiological effects of muscle contractions during walking, which activate AMPK and promote glucose channel activity, contributing to better health outcomes.

05:04

🏋️‍♂️ The Role of Movement in Daily Life and Exercise

Paragraph two delves into the importance of integrating movement into daily life rather than relying solely on exercise. It contrasts the Western concept of exercise with the more movement-centric lifestyles found in 'blue zones' where centenarians live. The speaker suggests that the biochemical effects of all-day movement are not replicated by sporadic exercise sessions. The conversation points out that despite a rise in gym memberships, obesity rates have also increased, indicating a disconnect between exercise habits and health outcomes. The speaker advocates for more frequent, light movement throughout the day, such as standing or walking, to stimulate glucose channel activity and mitochondrial function. The paragraph also touches on the benefits of walking after meals to reduce blood glucose levels and the psychological benefits of walking, such as reducing anxiety and stress.

10:06

🏃‍♂️ The Benefits of Different Types of Exercise

The third paragraph discusses the various types of exercise and their specific impacts on mitochondrial health. It explains that endurance exercise, particularly in zone 2, stimulates the production of more mitochondria, while high-intensity interval training (HIIT) improves mitochondrial fusion. Resistance training leads to muscle hypertrophy, which in turn requires more mitochondria. The paragraph also references government guidelines recommending resistance training and moderate to strenuous activity for overall health. It points out that most Americans do not meet these basic activity levels, with the average step count being significantly lower than recommended. The speaker concludes by emphasizing the importance of walking at least 7,000 steps per day, as supported by research, and suggests that this, combined with other forms of exercise, can significantly enhance mitochondrial capacity and health.

Keywords

💡Glucose Disposal

Glucose disposal refers to the process by which the body clears glucose from the bloodstream after a meal. It is an essential aspect of maintaining blood sugar levels and is closely tied to the body's metabolic health. In the video, the importance of regular muscle contraction through activities like walking is emphasized as it stimulates glucose channels to move to the cell membrane, facilitating glucose uptake and disposal. This is exemplified by the discussion on how walking can significantly reduce the glucose response after a meal.

💡Mitochondrial Function

Mitochondrial function pertains to the efficiency and effectiveness of mitochondria, which are the energy-producing structures within cells. The video discusses how lifestyle factors, particularly exercise and movement, can improve mitochondrial function, leading to better overall health. This is linked to the concept of 'mitochondria as the powerhouse of the cell,' and the script mentions that regular muscle contractions can enhance the function of these cellular components.

💡Mitophagy

Mitophagy is the process by which cells eliminate damaged or dysfunctional mitochondria to make way for new, healthy ones. This is a critical cellular housekeeping mechanism that contributes to overall cellular health. The video script mentions mitophagy as one of the benefits of certain lifestyle practices, suggesting that regular movement and exercise can stimulate this process, thereby improving cellular health.

💡AMPK

AMPK, or AMP-activated protein kinase, is an enzyme that plays a key role in cellular energy homeostasis. When activated, it helps regulate energy levels within the cell. In the context of the video, AMPK is mentioned as a cellular signal that is activated by muscle contraction, such as walking, which in turn stimulates the cell to move glucose channels to the cell membrane, aiding in glucose disposal.

💡Steps

The term 'steps' in the video refers to the number of steps taken in a day, which is a proxy metric for physical activity. The script emphasizes the health benefits of walking 7,000 steps a day, as supported by research showing a significant reduction in all-cause mortality for those who achieve this level of activity. The concept is used to encourage regular movement throughout the day, rather than just focusing on structured exercise sessions.

💡Muscle Contraction

Muscle contraction is the process by which muscles generate force and move. The video script highlights that even low-grade muscle contractions, such as those involved in walking, can have significant health benefits. It is described as 'medicine' due to its ability to activate AMPK, stimulate glucose channels, and enhance mitochondrial function, which are all crucial for metabolic health.

💡All-Cause Mortality

All-cause mortality refers to the total number of deaths from any cause within a particular population. The video cites research showing that individuals who walk 7,000 steps per day have a significantly lower risk of all-cause mortality compared to those who walk less. This statistic is used to underscore the profound impact of regular physical activity on longevity and health.

💡High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)

HIIT is a form of exercise that involves short bursts of intense activity alternated with recovery periods. The video mentions HIIT as a type of exercise that can improve mitochondrial fusion, which is the process of combining mitochondria to increase their efficiency. This form of exercise is presented as a way to enhance mitochondrial health and overall fitness.

💡Resistance Training

Resistance training involves exercises that work against an external force to build muscle strength, endurance, and size. In the video, it is discussed as a type of exercise that can lead to muscle hypertrophy, which in turn necessitates the creation of more mitochondria to support the increased muscle mass. Resistance training is recommended as part of a balanced exercise routine for overall health.

💡Endurance Training

Endurance training, also known as aerobic exercise, involves low to moderate intensity activities performed over an extended period. The video script suggests that endurance training is particularly beneficial for mitochondrial biogenesis, which is the creation of new mitochondria. This type of exercise is important for improving overall mitochondrial capacity and health.

Highlights

The importance of lifestyle factors in health and the sense of agency people have over their well-being.

Low time investment and low financial cost activities can significantly improve health.

Walking as a simple yet impactful activity for health, comparable to a potent medicine.

The recommendation of at least three short walks per day for better health outcomes.

Research from 'JAMA' showing 7,000 steps per day can reduce all-cause mortality by up to 70%.

Higher step counts, such as 8,000 to 12,000 per day, are associated with even lower mortality rates.

The broad health benefits of walking, including reduced risks of Alzheimer's, dementia, obesity, and more.

Muscle contraction as a form of medicine that activates AMPK and glucose channels.

The significance of regular, short walking breaks throughout the day for metabolic health.

Clinical research showing the benefits of short, frequent movements over longer, less frequent exercise sessions.

The concept that exercise should not replace all-day movement, which is crucial for health.

The paradox of increased gym memberships alongside rising obesity rates.

The role of resistance training in muscle hypertrophy and the need for more mitochondria.

High-intensity interval training's impact on mitochondrial fusion and function.

Endurance exercise as a stimulus for the production of more mitochondria in cells.

Government guidelines on physical activity and their alignment with mitochondrial health.

The average American's physical activity level and the gap from recommended guidelines.

The comprehensive approach to increasing mitochondrial capacity through various types of exercise.

Transcripts

- Maybe we could just touch on some of the lifestyle factors

that you just mentioned.

'Cause I do think it's important

that people really start to feel into their sense of agency.

And here we're talking about things

that are relatively low time investment,

certainly don't have much financial cost

in the sense that they could be done in gyms

and with fancy equipment,

but they don't require that.

Again, I want to point out that

these are not strict prescriptives,

but if you had a magic wand,

and because you are interested in the health of humans,

let's talk about a few of these things

that can improve glucose disposal

and mitochondrial function,

mitophagy, the removal of dead or dysfunctional mitochondria

so they can be replaced.

Let's talk about the walking one first.

- Yeah.

- You said 7,000 steps a day.

I don't track my steps.

What are we really talking about there?

We're talking about taking the stairs

and trying to walk as much as possible.

If we were going to just give a really crude prescription.

You're a doctor, so you can prescribe things.

- Yes!

- What would you tell people to do?

How many short walks per day?

Is it three, is it five?

What are we talking?

- I would say, I mean at least three.

I would say aiming for more than that is good though.

So to sort of just give a sense of the picture of walking.

If walking were a pill,

it would be the most impactful pill we've ever had

in all of modern medicine.

There was a paper in "JAMA",

6,300 participants followed for 10 to 11 years.

And the people who simply walked 7,000 steps per day

compared to less than that

had an up to 70% lower risk of all-cause mortality

in the follow up period.

- Amazing. - So not causality,

but it's pretty incredible.

They've done follow-up research

with slightly different numbers showing,

again, though, many thousands of people in the study

followed for about 10 years,

8,000 to 12,000 steps per day

was associated with 50 to 65% lower all-cause mortality.

And this has been played out in many studies

showing about a 50% reduction in Alzheimer's,

dementia, obesity, Type 2 diabetes,

depression, cancer, gastric reflux,

just all across the board.

And I think the key thing is that it's not about the steps,

it's about the fact that muscle contraction is medicine.

When we contract our muscles,

even in a very low-grade way,

like walking or doing a couple air squats,

we're activating AMPK,

and we are essentially causing that cell

to have a stimulus to push glucose channels

to the cell membrane.

Most of the time the glucose channels

are in vesicles, in little bags inside the cells.

They're not on the cell membrane.

So of course that's going to keep the glucose

in your bloodstream,

not being processed by the mitochondria.

So when we think about steps, it's a proxy metric

for just moving more throughout the day.

So let's take two people.

You have a person who's walking for one to two minutes

every 30 minutes throughout the day.

Maybe they're exercising

at the end of the day or the beginning of the day,

maybe they're not.

That person is stimulating glucose channels

to be at the membrane all day.

Now let's take another person who works out really hard

for one hour in the beginning or the end of the day.

They feel great about it,

they've checked that off their box,

but they're sitting the entire rest of the day.

Yes, they have gotten the benefits from the exercise,

but for a lot of that day,

those glucose channels are inside the cell

not doing the work they could be doing.

So I think about these little teeny short walking breaks

or pushup breaks or air squat breaks

every 30 minutes or so throughout the day

as me essentially inside the cell

pushing the glucose channels, the cell membrane

to make them constituently active.

It's totally different physiology and it's so easy.

So it's not about the steps,

it's about muscle contraction regularly throughout the day.

And this has been shown out

in actually more clinical research, which has taken,

there's been several studies,

two that I think are fascinating,

where they basically took two groups and they said,

"Okay, we're going to have you walk 20 minutes

before each meal, three times a day,

20 minutes after each meal."

So that's also three times a day.

"Or for two minutes every 30 minutes throughout the day.

- So these are three groups. - Three separate groups.

- Either 20 minutes before, either 20 minutes after, or?

- Two to three minutes every 30 minutes.

- Okay.

- All added up to 60 minutes of walking

or light jogging a day.

I'm kind of paraphrasing two different studies

that showed the same thing.

One was jogging, one was walking,

but it was basically chunks versus short walks

every 30 minutes throughout the waking day.

The groups that do the short movement

regularly throughout the day,

even though the total time

is the same across all the groups,

have significantly lower 24-hour glucose level averages,

24-hour insulin level averages.

They are metabolically healthier.

And I believe, and the research mechanistically has shown,

that it's because we're constituently putting

these channels of the membrane

to take up the substrate, use the substrate.

So this is not to replace exercise,

but I think it's a reframe.

I think the concept of exercise is something

we're really very wedded to in our Western culture.

And you look at more like the blue zones

and the centenarians,

and it's like moving is built into their everyday life.

So we've taken movement out of our everyday life

as these knowledge workers, as we've industrialized.

And then we think that exercise replaces

that all-day movement,

but biochemically it does not.

So I think a big part of

kind of digging ourselves out of this chronic disease mess

and creating capacity for mitochondria

is finding ways to take a lot

of the activities we do now seated

and just find a way to do more of them

moving, standing, or walking;

or if that's tough,

you really need to sit at your desk all day,

then every 30 minutes, taking two minutes

to do some just light movement, flex those muscles,

get the glucose channels at the membrane,

get the mitochondria active.

So, and I think another fascinating stat is

that our gym memberships in the US have doubled

since the year 2000

and obesity has gone up in the same period.

So there's some mismatch between our obsession with exercise

and our actual outcomes that we're seeing.

And I think it's

that we have not actually rebuilt constitutive movement

into our daily lives.

- Very interesting, 'cause I think a lot of people

are now working out, so to speak,

doing resistance training, which I think is terrific.

- Terrific. Yeah.

- Used to be so restricted to niche subculture stuff,

like bodybuilding, preseason football, military, et cetera.

And now it's more ubiquitous for everybody.

Men, women, young, old, it's terrific.

Same thing with things like yoga

and cardiovascular training.

I mean I like to study the history of exercise culture,

and it wasn't but in the '60s

when jogging was considered kind of like,

"Whoa, that's a really esoteric niche culture thing."

So a lot's changed.

I love the prescriptives you gave,

because it's just very straightforward,

a couple of short walks.

It just makes so much sense,

and I love the visual,

and I hope people will really hold it in mind.

So I'll reiterate it.

The translocation of these energy utilization stores,

vesicles, as you call them, these little packets,

from the center of the cell out to the cell surface

where then they can be involved, excuse me,

in metabolic processes and the utilization of energy

in ways that otherwise they wouldn't.

And glucose disposal being a big part of this.

So I have heard that a short walk after a meal

will reduce blood glucose in a way that's really dramatic.

- Huge amount, 30, 35%

just taking a walk around the block after a meal.

That's definitely a prescription I think everyone should do,

'cause the research is so strong on it,

is that building in simply a 10-minute walk around the block

or a dance party in the kitchen, moving your muscles,

for 10 minutes after a meal

can drastically reduce your glucose response.

'cause you're just bringing

all those channels to the membrane.

You're taking up the glucose, you're using it.

It's a whole different physiology

than sitting on the couch after a meal.

That's very high impact.

It's high leverage if it's after a meal.

So highly recommend that.

And the levels data and clinical data

has shown that out time and time again.

- Whenever I go to a city like New York,

when I am forced to walk more,

I always just feel so much better.

We also know that the optic flow

that one experiences with walking

has some interesting effects on the limbic pathways

and quieting of some of the anxiety

and stress-related pathways.

This links up with things like EMDR,

although there are factors that are separate from EMDR.

Basically, moving through space, not outer space,

but walking through space with optic flow,

has a certain anxiety reduction function in the brain,

which there are beautiful data there, in my opinion.

Okay, so that touches on walking.

You did mention higher-intensity exercise,

so let's keep it within the cardiovascular realm for now.

So getting heart rate way, way up,

getting breathing hard for some minutes each week,

maybe a couple times per week.

Seems that's a good way to increase mitochondrial function

and mitochondrial number.

Is that right?

- Yeah, so you take sort of each type of exercise.

We've got walking, we've got resistance training,

we've got high-intensity interval training,

we've got endurance training,

and then we've got sort of more like zone 2.

So we've got these different flavors

of how we get our heart rate up,

how we get the blood flowing, what we signal to the cells.

And each one actually has like a

slightly different impact on the mitochondria.

When we think about biogenesis,

we're thinking mostly endurance exercise

and really more of that zone 2,

and that is really going to be a stimulus inside the cell

to print more mitochondria.

When we think about improving mitochondrial fusion,

high-intensity interval training

is really, really good for that.

When we think about resistance training,

that's like muscle hypertrophy.

We're going to be creating more muscle cells,

and we need more mitochondria for those.

So each one has kind of a different impact.

And I think this is where, honestly,

I think the regular guidelines

that we have even by our government

actually make a lot of sense.

It's like work every major muscle group three times a week

in a resistance-type training,

and then work to get 75 to 150 minutes

of moderate strenuous activity.

So 75 minutes of strenuous activity

or 150 minutes per week of moderate activity.

So that actually makes a lot of sense.

80% of Americans are not meeting those very basic guidelines

and 20% of Americans don't get any physical activity

really at all.

Activity for the average American

is 3000 to 4,000 steps per day,

which is less than two miles.

So we are not even close to even meeting

the basic recommendations that are out there.

But I think those are pretty reasonable:

resistance training two to three times a week,

most major muscle groups,

and working to get the heart rate up moderate level

for 150 minutes a week or strenuous for 75 minutes a week.

Those are going together to be potent stimuli

for biogenesis, mitophagy, mitochondrial fusion,

for increasing antioxidant enzymes

that are going to protect the mitochondria

from that oxidative stress.

And the one that's just actually not in there,

in the sort of the basic recommendations for Americans,

is the walking, and I would just absolutely add to that

at least 7,000 steps per day

based on what the data is showing,

which honestly would probably take less

than an hour total to do.

And if you break it up throughout the day,

it's just a few minutes a day.

So that right there are going to be

a big, multifaceted set of signals

for increasing mitochondrial capacity in different ways.

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