This Type of Exercise Reverses Heart Aging, Lowers Blood Pressure, & Has Anti-Cancer Effects
Summary
TLDRThe video script highlights the transformative effects of vigorous exercise on heart health, reversing age-related changes and reducing cardiovascular disease risk. Dr. Ben LaVine's study shows that even sedentary individuals can rejuvenate their heart by 20 years through consistent aerobic activity. The script also delves into the molecular benefits, such as lactate's role in boosting brain function and the exercise-induced reduction of circulating tumor cells, emphasizing exercise as a multifaceted approach to prevent diseases and promote overall health.
Takeaways
- 💪 Vigorous exercise is crucial for maintaining a healthy heart and can significantly impact the aging process of the heart.
- 🏥 A study by Dr. Ben LaVine at UT Southwestern in Dallas showed that a two-year exercise program can reverse structural heart changes by 20 years.
- 🧘 The study involved two groups: a control group doing stretching and yoga, and an exercise intervention group that started with moderate intensity and progressed to vigorous exercise.
- 🏋️♂️ The exercise intervention group performed 5-6 hours of aerobic exercise per week, including periods at maximal steady state, which is around 75-80% of max heart rate.
- 📉 The exercise program resulted in a 25% improvement in heart elasticity, particularly in the left ventricular muscle, and a 20% increase in V2 Max.
- 💊 Exercise has been found to have drug-sized effects in reducing blood pressure, which is a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease and dementia.
- 🚴♀️ Aerobic exercise, especially vigorous intensity, can significantly reduce the risk of hypertension, affecting up to 20% of young people and about half of older adults.
- 🔬 Lactate, produced during vigorous exercise, acts as a signaling molecule that can increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is essential for neuroplasticity and neurogenesis.
- 🧠 BDNF is linked to improved learning, memory, and depression symptoms, and lactate's role in increasing BDNF can enhance these cognitive benefits.
- 🏃♂️ High-intensity interval training and sustained vigorous exercise can maximize BDNF levels, with protocols suggesting 30-40 minutes at 80% max heart rate is most effective.
- 🛡 Vigorous exercise can have anti-cancer effects by increasing blood flow, which can kill circulating tumor cells and reduce the risk of cancer metastasis and recurrence.
Q & A
What is the main finding of the study conducted by Dr. Ben LaVine at UT Southwestern in Dallas?
-The study found that vigorous exercise is extremely important for the heart's health and can reverse the structural changes associated with aging by about 20 years.
What are the inevitable changes that the human heart undergoes as we age?
-As we age, the heart gets smaller, stiffer, and less flexible, which affects cardiovascular disease risk and the ability to perform aerobic exercises.
How were the participants in Dr. LaVine's study divided into groups?
-The participants were divided into two groups: a control group that did stretching and yoga, and an exercise intervention group that engaged in vigorous exercise protocols.
What was the intensity of the exercise protocol in the study after six months?
-After six months, the participants in the exercise intervention group were doing 5 to 6 hours a week of aerobic exercise, with a large percentage of that time at the maximal steady state, which is around 75-80% of their max heart rate.
What improvements were observed in the participants' hearts after two years of the exercise intervention?
-The participants' hearts showed more than a 25% improvement in elasticity, and their V2 Max increased by about 20%, essentially reversing the structural changes of the aging heart by 20 years.
How does vigorous exercise impact blood pressure and its relation to cardiovascular disease and dementia?
-Vigorous exercise can significantly reduce blood pressure, which is a key risk factor for both cardiovascular disease and dementia, potentially having drug-sized effects in reducing hypertension.
What is the lactate shuttle theory and its significance in the context of exercise?
-The lactate shuttle theory, pioneered by Dr. George Brooks, suggests that lactate produced by muscles during vigorous exercise serves as an energy source and a signaling molecule that can directly communicate with other parts of the body, including the brain.
How does lactate influence brain function and what role does it play in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)?
-Lactate has been shown to increase BDNF levels, which is crucial for neuroplasticity, adaptation to changing environments, and is important for combating depression and promoting neurogenesis, particularly in the hippocampus.
What are the effects of lactate on neurotransmitters in the brain and their relevance to mental health?
-Lactate is a signaling molecule that increases neurotransmitters in the brain, such as serotonin, which is important for impulse control and focus, and norepinephrine, which is linked to attention and the brain's ability to work harder during exercise.
What protocols have been shown to maximize BDNF levels in humans and what are their exercise characteristics?
-Protocols that involve vigorous intensity exercise at about 80% max heart rate for 30 to 40 minutes have been shown to most robustly increase BDNF levels in plasma and the brain.
How does vigorous exercise impact the risk of cancer metastasis and what are the related findings?
-The mechanical forces of increased blood flow during vigorous exercise can kill circulating tumor cells, reducing their ability to establish new tumors elsewhere in the body. Studies have shown that aerobic exercise can significantly reduce circulating tumor cells and is associated with reduced cancer recurrence and mortality.
Outlines
💪 The Impact of Vigorous Exercise on Heart Health and Aging
The script discusses a study by Dr. Ben LaVine from UT Southwest in Dallas, emphasizing the significance of vigorous exercise in maintaining heart health and potentially reversing the aging process of the heart. The study involved sedentary individuals aged 50, who were divided into a control group doing light activities like stretching and yoga, and an exercise group undergoing a progressively intense aerobic exercise regimen. After two years, the exercise group showed a reversal of age-related heart changes by approximately 20 years, with improved elasticity and a 20% increase in their V2 Max. The script also mentions the benefits of exercise in reducing cardiovascular disease risk, improving aerobic fitness, and its effects on blood pressure comparable to hypertension medication. It highlights the molecular benefits of reaching 80% of maximum heart rate during exercise, which triggers glycolysis and lactate production, a signaling molecule with various health benefits.
🧠 Exercise-Induced Lactate: A Key Molecule for Brain Health
This paragraph delves into the molecular mechanisms by which vigorous exercise benefits the brain. It explains the lactate shuttle theory, introduced by Dr. George Brooks, which describes how lactate, produced during intense exercise, serves as both an energy source and a signaling molecule for various organs, including the brain. The script outlines how lactate is linked to increased levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is crucial for neuroplasticity, adaptation during aging, and combating depression. It also discusses the role of lactate in enhancing neurotransmitters like serotonin, which affects impulse control, and norepinephrine, which is linked to focus and attention. The summary includes research findings on the optimal duration and intensity of exercise to maximize BDNF levels and the benefits of high-intensity interval training in this context.
🏃♂️ The Anti-Cancer Effects of Vigorous Exercise
The final paragraph explores the anti-cancer effects of vigorous exercise, focusing on the impact of increased blood flow on circulating tumor cells (CTCs). It explains that the mechanical forces exerted by blood flow can induce apoptosis in CTCs, thereby reducing the risk of metastasis. The script cites studies showing that aerobic exercise can significantly decrease CTC levels in colon cancer patients and is associated with reduced cancer recurrence and mortality rates. It concludes by emphasizing the importance of exercise as an adjunct therapy in cancer treatment, highlighting its role in both preventing metastasis and improving outcomes for cancer patients.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Vigorous Exercise
💡Cardiovascular Disease
💡Maximal Steady State
💡Elasticity of the Heart
💡V2 Max
💡Hypertension
💡Lactate Shuttle
💡Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF)
💡Norepinephrine
💡Circulating Tumor Cells
💡Metastasis
Highlights
The study by Dr. Ben LaVine from UT Southwestern in Dallas emphasizes the importance of vigorous exercise for heart health and its impact on how the heart ages.
Cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death in developed countries, is influenced by the heart's aging process, which includes shrinkage and reduced flexibility.
Dr. LaVine's study involved a cohort of 50-year-old sedentary individuals without pre-existing conditions like diabetes or hypertension.
Participants were divided into a control group doing stretching and yoga, and an exercise intervention group.
The exercise intervention group progressed to 5-6 hours a week of aerobic exercise, including time spent at maximal steady state.
After two years, the exercise group showed a reversal of heart aging by approximately 20 years, with improved elasticity and cardiovascular fitness.
The study demonstrated a 25% improvement in heart elasticity, particularly in the left ventricular muscle, after the exercise regimen.
V2 Max, a measure of cardiovascular fitness, increased by about 20% in the exercise group.
Analysis of randomized controlled trials shows that moderate to vigorous exercise can have drug-sized effects in reducing blood pressure.
High blood pressure is a significant risk factor for both cardiovascular disease and dementia, including Alzheimer's.
Aerobic exercise, especially vigorous intensity, can significantly modify the prevalence of hypertension.
The molecular mechanism of vigorous exercise involves the lactate shuttle, where lactate acts as a signaling molecule and energy source.
Lactate generated during exercise has been linked to increased brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which is crucial for neuroplasticity and neurogenesis.
Exercise-induced lactate is associated with improved impulse control and focus through its effects on neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine.
Protocols combining vigorous intensity with duration have been shown to robustly increase BDNF levels in humans.
High-intensity interval training also significantly boosts BDNF levels, with potential cognitive benefits.
Vigorous exercise has anti-cancer effects, including reducing circulating tumor cells through increased blood flow and mechanical forces.
Aerobic exercise can significantly decrease cancer recurrence and mortality rates in cancer patients.
Transcripts
this uh this this study out of um UT
Southwest um in in Dallas by Dr Ben
LaVine was is really what has convinced
me that vigorous exercise is extremely
important for for for the heart and the
way the heart ages so I mentioned
cardiovascular disease I mean that's the
number one killer in developed countries
right um so as we age our heart go
undergoes certain inevitable changes um
it it gets smaller it shrinks it gets
stiffer less flexible and this affects a
lot of things it affects our
cardiovascular disease risk it affects
our cardiorespiratory Fitness they have
ability for us to do aerobic
exercise um and so what Ben did in the
study Dr LaVine did in the study was
really remarkable he took a a cohort of
participants that were 50 years old on
average and these were sedentary
individuals that were otherwise healthy
so they didn't have any you know types
of diabetes hypertension Etc they they
were quote unquote healthy but they were
sedentary and he separated them into two
groups so the first group was the
control group who did sort of stretching
and yoga for two years and then the
second group was the exercise
intervention group so these are the
people that were going to be doing the
exercise uh and it ended up being a
vigorous exercise protocol but because
they were saries started out sort of
lower to moderate intensity and by the
time it was six months these individuals
are doing 5 to six hours a week of
aerobic exercise with a large percentage
of that time um being in What's called
the the maximal steady state so that's
what I'm talking about when you you're
you're you're going as hard as you can
and you maintain that for about 20 or 30
minutes so it's usually around 75 80%
max heart rate and you're doing that for
about you know 20 to 30 minutes they
also did the Norwegian 4x4 protocol once
a week and after 2 years
they essentially reverse these
structural changes in their aging Heart
by like 20 years so they're their hearts
were essentially looking more like a
30-year-old heart after that two years
of vigorous intensity exercise now like
I mentioned they were doing five to six
hours a week a vigorous a lot a large
portion of it in vigorous vigorous
exercise but it's simply astonishing um
you know the structural changes that
they found so there was more more than
25% Improvement in the elasticity of the
heart after after those two years um
particularly in the left ventricular
muscle of the heart um of course they
did increase their their their V2 Max by
about 20 20% as well so um it's just
quite a sounding that you can take a
50-year-old put them on a pretty intense
exercise program for two years and
essentially reverse a lot of the
structural changes that happen you know
in in with the heart with the aging
process blood pressure improvements are
also um you know for people that are
willing to put in the effort most of the
time and there's always non-responders
but they can have drug-sized effects in
other words it can be comparable to some
drugs that are given to reduce
hypertension so there's been an analysis
of 24 different randomized controlled
trials found that six weeks of a pretty
you know moderate to vigorous intensity
um exercise 20 to 60 Minutes of that 3
to four days a week like had almost drug
size effects in reducing blood pressure
so you know High hypertension is not
only a a risk factor for cardiovascular
disease um it's also a very very
important risk factor for dementia and
Alzheimer's disease so there's every
reason to want to not have hypertension
and 20% of young people aged you know 18
to 39 have hypertension and then half
the you know about half the US
population of you know older adults have
have hypertension so it's a very common
um you know thing that um again can be
modified to a to quite a bit of an
extent with aerobic exercise
particularly in vigorous intensity
exercise um let's talk a little bit
about on the molecular level why why I'm
talking about vigorous exercise and and
really that 80% max heart rate it has to
do with the fact that you are pushing
when you push your muscles to work
harder than um the oxygen can get to
them them to make energy they shift to
um from using mitochondria and using
oxygen for energy to using glucose
through glycolysis and it's a quick
process that doesn't require oxygen it
it makes lactate as a byproduct only
it's not a byproduct we often thought
about it as a metabolic byproduct but
it's so much more than that so lactate
generated from muscles is um is what
it's an extra kind it's a mocine and
it's a signaling molecule it gets into
circulation and it is consumed by the
brain it's consumed by the Heart by the
liver also by the muscle it's it's
consumed as a a very easily utilizable
source of energy but also as a singling
molecule as we'll talk about and this is
called the lactate shuttle it was
pioneered by Dr George Brooks at um out
of UC Berkeley and when I say A sing
molecule it's a way for your muscles to
directly communicate with other parts of
the body like the brain um and so
lactate itself has been shown to be
responsible for increasing brain derived
neurotropic Factor both in the plasma
this is in human studies um humans at
exercise lactate correlates with the
bdnf activation in plasma bdnf can cross
over the blood brain barrier but also
animal studies showing that it directly
increases brain derive neurotropic
factor in the brain so bdnf is um a very
important neurotropic factor it's
responsible responsible for um
neuroplasticity so that's the ability of
your your brain your neurons in your
brain to adapt to changing environment
it's very important during the aging
process you know as things are you know
changing and stuff uh you you want your
your your brain to adapt to those
changes it's also important for
depression um people with depression
don't often adapt to the changing
environment and it is partly responsible
for some of the depressive symptoms but
a brain Drive neurotropic Factor also is
important for neurogenesis the increase
of new neurons particularly in some
brain regions like the hippocampus which
is involved in learning and memory um
it's an it's it helps you know existing
neurons survive there have been animal
studies that have shown that when you
when you induce them to do exercise and
they get those learning and memory
improvements that have also been found
in human studies that if you give them a
drug and block brain Drive neurotropic
Factor they don't get those learning and
memory benefits so really seems as
though brain Drive neurotropic factor is
important to get those learning and
memory benefits from exercise and again
lactate is a key signaling molecule that
increases brain dve neurotrophic Factor
lactate is generated from your
exercising muscles when you're forcing
them to work hard this isn't just going
on a brisk walk this is really getting
your heart rate up sweating getting
flush in the
face lactate is also a singling molecule
to increase neurotransmitters in the
brain um this has been shown in both
human studies and animal studies so uh
it's important for the production of
Serotonin so Studies have found that
people that exercise produce a lot of
lactate this correlates with an
increased in serotonin which also
correlated with improved impulse control
uh serotonin plays an important role in
many neurological processes including
impulse control so they're being able to
um um have this inhibitory effect which
also plays a role in focus andent and
attention uh norepinephrine is another
one that's been shown so as we're
exercising really hard our muscles are
working harder our heart is working
harder but our brain is also working
harder and there have been human studies
out of I believe it's Norway that I
found that the lactate produced during
vigorous intensity
exercise crosses the blood brain barrier
is consumed by the brain and this
correlates with a burst of
norepinephrine production um which fuels
the brain to work harder during exercise
it's also important for focus and
attention and some of those effects that
you get after uh you know after you do
like a vigorous intensity
workout so there's some protocols that
have been shown to maximize brain Drive
neurotropic factor in humans and some of
these have also correlated with lactate
levels um it seems as though like the
the the best is getting getting the The
Best of Both Worlds so you want vigorous
intensity about 80% max heart rate but
you also want duration so you want to
get like 30 to 40 minutes of that is the
most robust at increasing brain Drive
neurotropic Factor as measured in plasma
and people but 20 minutes will also
increase it as well just 30 to 40
minutes does it even more um there's
also some protocols that are more
high-intensity interval training so
doing six rounds of 40 second intervals
where you're going as hard as you can
for 40 seconds followed by a recovery
period um also really increases brain
Drive neurotrophic factor in fact it
increases it four to five times more in
people um compared to to individuals
that are doing about an hour and a half
of more lower intens intensity cycling
at about 25% their their BO2 Max
Peak I want to just um shift gears for a
minute and talk about some of the
anti-cancer effects of vigorous
intensity exercise um you know
independent of the immune system so the
immune system exercise activates the
immune system there's a robust effect on
a variety of um you know anti-
antimetastatic effects there
but um just the mechanical force of
blood flow blood flow actually affects
what are called circulating tumor cells
so circulating tumor cells escape from
the primary site of the tumor get into
circulation eventually travel to distant
sites and then they take residence and
establish a new tumor elsewhere so this
is
metastasis um so circulating toer cells
you obviously uh do not want to have
them in circulation because they can uh
play a role in metastasis well the sheer
in forces of blood flow itself can kill
these circul circulating tumor cells
because on every cell surface we have a
mechanical um we have these mechan
mechano receptors that respond to
movement and cancer cells are all wonky
and disrupted and messed up and so they
just can't handle that movement and they
die so the um the more intense the
exercise the more the greater the blood
flow the the higher um proportion of
circulating tumor cells that are that
are actually um undergo apoptosis and
die there have been some studies looking
at people that undergo about six months
of aerobic exercise anywhere between 50
to 70% max heart rate for 150 minutes a
week that significantly reduces the
circulating tumor cells in people with
anywhere between stage one to stage
three colon cancer other Studies have
found and correlated that circulating
tumor cells are linked to a three times
higher risk of Cancer recurrence and a
four times higher risk of cancer
mortality in people with cancer um also
stage three colon cancer patients that
engage in aerobic exercise have a 40%
reduction in Cancer recurrence and a 63%
reduction in cancer mortality so
exercise is also a very important plays
a very important role in in you know
cancer metastasis and also in in helping
as an adjunct therapy to treating cancer
as well
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