5 Thought Friday
5 Thoughts for the week focusing mainly on Zone 2 training!
1. What I am currently reading, viewing, or listening to:
Zone 2 Training podcast with Dr. Peter Attia and Dr. Inigo San Millan
I watched at 1.5x speed but this podcast is very technical. I recommend 2:10:00 to the end, which uses average person vocabulary to explain how to implement Zone 2 Training.
If you are saying, “What the F* is Zone 2 training”, see # 3 below on wellness ideas to consider.
2. Gratitude Practice (for improved happiness):
Grateful for my internal mental fortitude to get started on a new Zone 2 training program for the past 2 weeks. Based on all the research coming out on Zone 2 training in terms of improving cell strength, this could be a key component to a longer health span.
3. Wellness ideas to consider:
Dr. Howard Luks explains Zone 2 training and all the benefits HERE.
Per Dr. Luks' article, Zone 2 or low HR training is one of the best tools we have to achieve metabolic health and longevity. Low, zone 2 heart rate cycling, swimming, rowing, and running are key to improving performance and minimizing the risk of developing stress-related injuries.
Zone 2 heart rate training enables you to use fat as an energy source for longer, and more efficiently. Thus you preserve your glycogen stores for longer.
70% of your “heart rate reserve” is a great estimate of the upper bounds of your Zone 2. If you choose to use approximately 70% of your heart rate reserve… here’s the formula. 70% of your heart rate reserve added to your resting heart rate (so your aerobic threshold would be 0.7*(HR max — HR at rest) + HR at rest.
In my case, 0.7*(160–40)+40 = ~120 beats per minute)
4. What I’m eating, drinking, buying, or whatever else is on my mind:
Resveratrol: Experimenting with 1 - 2 grams daily each morning with a spoonful of high-fat yogurt (Fage, pronounced “Fa Yay”, brand).
For transparency, based on my research the benefits of resveratrol are not proven so it’s a personal decision to experiment. Here is a potentially biased consumer report on its benefits.
5. Quote(s) I am Pondering:
“Training too hard and too often might actually take years off your life.” Dr. Luks
“…studies suggest that 2.5 to 5 hours/week of moderate or vigorous physical activity will confer maximal all-cause mortality benefits. But studies dating back decades have shown that more than 10 hours/week may reduce those health benefits. This is known as the reverse J curve of exercise. The most physically active among us in middle age have a predicted life expectancy eight years longer than those who are more sedentary. But the proper “dose” of exercise is critically important.”
Happy Friday!
Mike
