Aerobic
Episodes
In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick explains how cardiorespiratory fitness impacts life expectancy and highlights the best aerobic exercises to increase VO2 max.
In this clip, Dr. Martin Gibala discusses how functional training simultaneously boosts cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle conditioning.
In this clip, Dr. Martin Gibala highlights the benefits of high-intensity sprint training for general fitness and elite athletes.
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In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick explains how cardiorespiratory fitness impacts life expectancy and highlights the best aerobic exercises to increase VO2 max.
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In this clip, Dr. Martin Gibala discusses how functional training simultaneously boosts cardiorespiratory fitness and muscle conditioning.
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In this clip, Dr. Martin Gibala highlights the benefits of high-intensity sprint training for general fitness and elite athletes.
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In this clip, Dr. McGlory discusses the pros and cons of combining aerobic conditioning and resistance training.
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Dr. Axel Montagne discusses blood-brain barrier dysfunction in dementia and early-stage age-related cognitive decline.
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MedCram co-founder Kyle Allred discusses sauna's exercise mimetic, anti-inflammatory, mood-elevating, and detoxifying properties in this episode.
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In this clip, Dr. Patrick explains how intense exercise beneficially alters tryptophan and kynurenine metabolism in a way that may benefit depression.
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Fasting before exercise and the effect on endurance, aerobic, and strength training | Rhonda PatrickDr. Rhonda Patrick discusses the circumstances under which eating prior to exercise is beneficial versus detrimental.
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Heat Stress Alzheimer's Aging Heart Disease Podcast Video Blood Pressure Protein Aerobic CardiovascularDr. Jari Laukkanen discusses the role of heat stress in the prevention of cardiovascular & Alzheimer’s disease.
Topic Pages
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Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise, physical activity that increases breathing and heart rate, promotes cardiovascular, brain, and whole-body health.
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Exercise and Weight Loss
Exercise is promoted widely as a strategy for weight loss as it increases total daily energy expenditure and creates an energy deficit.
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Exercise Intensity
Vigorous exercise exerts several benefits on cardiovascular health, metabolic health, and longevity.
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Hallmarks of aging
The hallmarks of aging are observable biological patterns of dysfunction that accrue in a biological organism over time.
News & Publications
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Short-term aerobic conditioning prior to resistance training augments muscle hypertrophy and satellite cell content in healthy young men and women pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Aerobic exercise pre-conditions muscles for optimal returns from resistance exercise.
Skeletal muscle contains a designated population of adult stem cells called satellite cells. These cells are typically inactive, but if the muscle is injured or stressed (as in exercise), they can be recruited to participate in the regeneration of muscle fibers. As such, satellite cells play important roles in muscle maintenance, repair, and hypertrophy, the increase in muscle size that accompanies exercise. Findings from a new study suggest that engaging in aerobic exercise prior to resistance training increases satellite cell numbers and promotes muscle hypertrophy via increased muscle capillarization.
Muscle capillarization refers to the formation of capillaries in muscle tissue. Capillarization facilitates the delivery of oxygen, nutrients, and various signaling and growth factors to muscle tissues and plays critical roles in muscle maintenance and growth. Previous research indicates that muscle capillarization decreases with age.
The study involved 14 healthy, recreationally active young adults (average age, 22 years). Using a specially adapted exercise bike that challenged only one leg, participants engaged in 45 minutes of progressively difficult aerobic exercise conditioning three times a week for six weeks. Previous research has demonstrated that six to eight weeks of conditioning is sufficient to promote muscle capillarization.
Two weeks after completing the conditioning program, the participants began a 10-week resistance training program using both legs and primarily targeting the muscles of the thighs. Immediately after each resistance training session, participants received a whey protein supplement that contained leucine, a branched-chain amino acid that promotes muscle protein synthesis, which is essential for muscle gains. The investigators collected muscle tissue samples from the participants' legs before and after the interventions to assess muscle capillarization, fiber size, and satellite cell content and activity.
They found that aerobic conditioning promoted muscle capillarization in the conditioned leg, amplifying muscle hypertrophy in response to resistance training. They noted that the number of satellite cells increased in the conditioned leg relative to the non-conditioned one. In addition, they observed a significant relationship between the degree of capillarization and hypertrophy.
These findings suggest that engaging in aerobic exercise prior to resistance training promotes muscle capillarization, which in turn increases satellite cell numbers and promotes muscle protein synthesis and hypertrophy. Learn about other factors that promote muscle hypertrophy in this episode featuring Dr. Stuart Phillips.
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Intense cycling exercise at 80% maximum heart rate improves memory via endocannabinoid action on the hippocampus www.sciencedaily.com
Exercise activates the endocannabinoid system to promote learning and memory formation.
Scientists have identified robust links between physical exercise and brain health. Some of the mechanisms that drive the beneficial effects of exercise on the brain include increases in brain volume and connectivity, improved blood flow, enhanced synaptic plasticity, and increased neurogenesis – the formation of new neurons. Findings from a 2020 study suggest that moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise improves motor sequence memory via endocannabinoid action on the hippocampus.
Motor sequence memory involves learning predefined sequences of interrelated motor actions, such as playing the piano or dancing. The hippocampus interacts with various neural networks to support the formation of motor sequency memory.
Endocannabinoids are small lipid molecules produced in the body that bind to cannabinoid receptors in the central and peripheral nervous systems. Endocannabinoids regulate many physiological processes, including movement control, pain processing, brain development, and learning and memory. The two major endocannabinoids in the body are anandamide and 2-arachindonyl glycerol.
The study involved 15 healthy adults (average age, 23 years) who had at least fair respiratory fitness, as measured via VO2 max. Participants completed a serial reaction time task (a widely used measure of learning and memory) before and after three conditions: moderate-intensity exercise, vigorous-intensity exercise, and rest. Prior to performing the task, participants consumed a standardized carbohydrate-rich breakfast. During the task, the investigators measured the participants' behavior, brain activity, and circulating anandamide (endocannabinoid) levels.
They found that vigorous-intensity exercise markedly improved motor sequence memory compared to rest. Moderate-intensity exercise also improved motor sequence memory, but to a lesser degree. The improvements coincided with increased levels of the endocannabinoid anandamide and enhanced hippocampal activity.
These findings suggest that vigorous-intensity exercise promotes motor sequence memory and learning and underscore the benefits of exercise on cognitive function. Learn about the beneficial effects of aerobic exercise in our overview article.
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Liver-derived hormone FGF21 dramatically reduces appetite for alcohol Researchers believe that humans first encountered alcohol long before we learnt how to control the process and make it ourselves – through the consumption of fermented fruit. One plausible result of this long history of alcohol exposure is that we have evolved a suite of biological mechanisms for detoxifying and regulating our appetite for alcohol, which may be useful for developing new treatments for alcohol use disorder. Now, a recent randomized controlled trial suggests that the liver-derived hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) is a candidate treatment capable of altering the reward system of the brain and profoundly reducing alcohol intake in primates.
The researchers carried out their study in vervet monkeys – a species that parallels human populations in containing a mix of alcohol avoiders, moderate consumers, and heavy consumers who will drink to the point of intoxication. Twenty monkeys were selected based on having at least a slight interest in consuming alcohol. The researchers then quantified each individual’s preferred alcohol intake level by monitoring their behaviours when the animals received four hours of daily access to a bottle of 10% ethanol solution alongside plain tap water.
After a baseline observation period of nine days, monkeys were randomly selected to receive a daily injection of either a sterile saline solution (placebo) or a pharmacological analog of the liver hormone FGF21 for a total of 16 days.
The FGF21-mimicking drug was found to produce a 50 percent reduction in alcohol consumption, without influencing the monkeys’ intakes of food or water. Looking into the effects of FGF21 in the brain, the researchers uncovered that both FGF21 and its synthetic analog increased the transmission of signals to a specific group of brain cells in the nucleus accumbens – a hotspot of the brain’s reward system. These cells were distinguished by the presence of specifically D2-type dopamine receptors, which have been strongly implicated in reigning in impulsive and repetitive consumption of other substances like sugar. Human variants in the D2 receptor gene have also been linked to greater risk of alcohol dependence.
The findings suggest that FGF21 serves as a regulatory message between the liver and the brain’s impulse control circuits, and that boosting this signal may aid in the treatment of substance addictions.
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20 minutes of running/cycling per day beginning at age 70 reduces the risk of heart attacks, CHD, and heart failure by 52 percent in men www.eurekalert.org
Just 20 minutes of exercise daily reduces heart disease risk in older adults. The benefits of regular physical exercise on cardiovascular health are well established. However, most studies investigating the benefits of exercise have been conducted in younger adults rather than older ones, for whom cardiovascular disease risk is greatest. Findings from a recent study demonstrate that 20 minutes of exercise daily reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease in older adults.
The authors of the study drew on data from the Progetto Veneto Anziani, a long-term cohort study of more than 3,000 older adults (65 years and older) living in northern Italy. They identified participants with cardiovascular disease based on information gleaned from medical exams or hospital records. Every five years (at 65, 70, 75, 80, and 85 years of age), the authors assessed the participants' physical activity levels based on information provided in questionnaires.
The risk of cardiovascular-related events or premature death was lower among older adults who were physically active. Men, in particular, were half as likely to experience a cardiovascular event if they were physically active. The effects of exercise were dose-dependent, with 20 minutes of moderate- to vigorous-intensity exercise daily providing the greatest benefits, especially when performed earlier in one’s later years, between the ages of 70 and 75 years. Exercising more than 40 minutes daily provided no additional benefits.
Although the authors of this study did not differentiate between the effects of different types of exercise, their findings demonstrate that aerobic exercise is particularly beneficial for cardiovascular health. Learn more about aerobic exercise in our overview article.
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Intense aerobic exercise modulates testosterone levels. Testosterone is the primary male sex hormone. It plays critical roles in reproductive health and contributes to bone and muscle mass accretion. A recent review summarizes the effects of aerobic exercise on testosterone levels.
Aerobic exercise can be defined as physical activity that increases aerobic metabolism – the body’s energy-producing processes that require oxygen. Examples of aerobic exercise include walking, running, swimming, dancing, and other activities that increase heart rate and respiration. Exercise intensity – the physiological demand it creates on the body – is a critical modulator of exercise-induced changes in testosterone concentrations. Intensity is often captured as a percentage of a person’s maximal oxygen consumption (VO2max).
The reviewers highlighted the findings of studies that focused on exercise intensity and testosterone response. In one study, investigators assessed changes in testosterone after low, moderate, or high intensity aerobic exercise on an exercise bike and found that only high-intensity exercise increased testosterone. Another group of investigators found that exercise intensity was the critical determinant in whether testosterone levels increased, especially if the number of repetitions remained constant. The group conducted another study in which runners using a treadmill experienced incremental increases in exercise intensity, ranging from 60 to 100 percent of the runner’s VO2max. They found that the runners' testosterone levels began to increase when the runners reached 90 percent of their VO2max and remained high at 100 percent VO2max. About one hour post exercise, the runners' testosterone returned to baseline levels. The reviewers also described research demonstrating that duration and hydration status influence testosterone levels, as well.
The findings presented in this review suggest that intense aerobic exercise promotes increases in testosterone levels, ultimately influencing reproductive and musculoskeletal health. Learn about other beneficial health effects of aerobic exercise in our overview article
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Cardio exercise increases the production of FGF21 3x more than strength training: a hormone with relevance to metabolic disorders www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
In a new study published in the scientific Journal of Clinical Investigation – Insight, the researchers show that cardio training on an exercise bike causes three times as large an increase in the production of the hormone FGF21 than strength training with weights. FGF21 has a lot of positive effects on metabolism.
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Endurance training on a bicycle has such a marked effect on the metabolic hormone that we know ought to take a closer look at whether this regulation of FGF21 is directly related to the health-improving effects of cardio exercise. FGF21’s potential as a drug against diabetes, obesity and similar metabolic disorders is currently being tested, so the fact that we are able to increase the production ourselves through training is interesting', Christoffer Clemmensen elaborates.
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From linked article:
The researchers gave the monkeys a two-bottle choice between water and ethanol, and administered one group an analog of FGF21 to see what effect it had. Sure enough, the test monkeys drank 50 percent less alcohol than the control group. Similar tests in mice also saw a 50-percent reduction in alcohol consumption after being given either human FGF21 or an analog. Interestingly though, the mice and monkeys still chose the ethanol just as often as before, but they drank far less each time.
Fibroblast growth factor 21 happens to be modulated by aerobic exercise:
In a new study published in the scientific Journal of Clinical Investigation – Insight, the researchers show that cardio training on an exercise bike causes three times as large an increase in the production of the hormone FGF21 than strength training with weights. FGF21 has a lot of positive effects on metabolism.
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Combining aerobic exercise and strength training may be the best strategy for improving healthspan. www.bmj.com
Current public health guidelines recommend that adults engage in regular physical activity for optimal health. Findings from a new study suggest that a combination of both aerobic and strength activities reduces the risk of death from all causes as well as specific causes.
According to the guidelines, adults should engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity or at least 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity each week, or an equivalent combination of both. They should also engage in muscle-strengthening activities of moderate or greater intensity on two days or more each week.
The population-based cohort study, which involved nearly 480,000 adults, drew on data from the National Health Interview Survey, an ongoing, cross-sectional survey of people living in the United States. The study participants reported how much leisure time aerobic and strength physical activity they engaged in each week. Then the authors of the study categorized them as having insufficient activity, aerobic activity only, strength activity only, and both aerobic and strengthening activities, based on the guidelines.
The authors found that the participants who engaged in recommended amounts of aerobic or muscle-strengthening activity had a lower risk of death from all causes, and these benefits were even greater if they engaged in both types of activities. They noted similar reductions in risk of death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and chronic lower respiratory tract diseases.
These findings suggest that adherence to public health guidelines for exercise reduce the risk of disease and death and provide support for interventions to improve compliance.
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Increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor from aerobic exercise associated with appetite suppression, weight loss, and improved blood pressure www.sciencedaily.com
From the article:
The team evaluated blood levels of BDNF before and after a three-month program of aerobic exercise in 15 overweight or obese men and women. The seven men and eight women, ages 26 to 51, worked out on a treadmill and bicycle. They were asked about their calorie intake and told to continue eating their usual number of calories. The participants were unaware that one of the study’s objectives was to evaluate changes in food intake.
At the end of the study, the subjects had decreased BMI, waist circumference, and blood pressure, the data showed. They also reported consuming fewer calories than at the beginning of the study. Over the three months, BDNF levels greatly increased. This higher the concentration of BDNF, the less the subject’s intake of calories and the greater the weight loss, Araya said.
Thus, it is possible that increases in BDNF suppress appetite, she said. They did not test appetite suppression directly, but some past studies have shown that aerobic exercise suppresses appetite.