In preparation for the upcoming National Health and Fitness Day, on September 28, I asked my favorite and most trusted Nutritionist for advice. Here is what Catherine Kruppa had to say on a health issue facing all of us……
Your longevity depends on numerous factors, including gender, blood pressure, cholesterol, age, family history and lifestyle choices. A 2020 study in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings suggests there may be something else to add to the list: cardiorespiratory fitness level, which is determined by your VO2 max.
VO₂ max refers to how much oxygen your body can absorb and use during exercise. This means that your body can better handle aerobic fitness activities that require a lot of oxygen intake like running, swimming, and other types of cardiovascular exercise.
The study shows that among subjects with a low risk and without diseases, greater fitness level was strongly associated with a lower risk of premature death.
Increase your physical activity and maintain it. That is what changes your VO2 max and provides benefits not just in your cardiovascular system, but also in metabolic function, skeletal muscle, and the pulmonary system.
No matter your fitness level, there are plenty of ways to work on boosting your VO2 max, such as adding high intensity interval workouts, track sessions, and tempo runs to your routine. It could be as easy as walking at a faster pace for 1-2 minutes and then at a slower pace for 2-5 minutes and back to the faster pace.
The fitter you are the less chance you have of dying in the next 5, 10 to 15 years.
If you compare someone of low fitness to elite, it is a fivefold difference in mortality over a decade. To put this in the context of other things that we commonly understand as being problematic for mortality such as smoking, coronary artery disease, Type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and end-stage renal disease, that is a 41% increase in mortality over the decade.
- Coronary artery disease, 29%.
- Diabetes, 40%.
- High blood pressure, 21%.
- End-stage renal disease, about 180% increase in mortality
But when you compare that to the differences in these fitness levels, it gives you a greater appreciation for how much improvement in mortality comes from improving your fitness.
If you look at the biggest driver of mortality, which would be end-stage renal disease, it is the same as going from low cardiorespiratory fitness to above average cardiorespiratory fitness. The good news is that is a totally achievable feat!
VO₂ max is also a strong predictor of your quality of life as you age. It is worth tracking to find and maintain your VO₂ max score to help you stay healthy throughout your life.
The is no intervention that will rival exercise. Blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes as well as dealing with stress are all positively influenced by exercise.
“The good news: we have a “drug” that is very effective at delaying the onset of death and preserving health span. This drug is called exercise, and nothing else rivals it. The bad news: it takes more time and effort than ingesting any pill or employing any “hack.”, Peter Attia
You can have your VO2 max tested at Memorial Hermann Sports Medicine Institute at 713-222-2273.
For more info on Catherine Kruppa, Advice For Eating….
Advice for Eating – Nutrition and Wellness Consulting2132 Bissonnet, Suite 302Houston, TX 77005
281-974-1559
www.adviceforeating.com
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