#144 | Muscle for Athletics & Healthspan | Mark Tarnopolsky MD, PhD, FRCP(C)

Professional Grade Supplements for WiseAthletes Mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell....yes, but what does that mean? What can we do, as Wise Athletes, to have enough healthy mitochondria in our muscles and everywhere else powering our bodily functions for optimal brain power, energy levels, we well as muscle power and endurance? These questions and more are addressed by Dr. Mark Tarnopolsky, neurologist, mitochondrial researcher, lifelong elite athlete. Mark is the real deal who knows both sides of the story....the science and the practice of building muscle and VO2Max for performance today and a long stay on the planet as a strong athlete. All right, let's talk to Dr Tarnopolsky about the single best way to stay healthy and strong as we get older....exercise. BIO: Mark Tarnopolsky, MD, PhD, FRCP(C) Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, CEO and CSO, Exerkine Corporation, Director of Neuromuscular and Neurometabolic Clinic, McMaster University Medical Center Bullet points -- Muscle & Mitochondria "We all are suffering from the mitochondrial disease called aging" "An ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure"...Muscle loss prevention is ideal but it’s never too late to restart exercising; benefits accrue to everyone who starts exercising at any age. Aerobic training is very good, but we also need weight training.  Exercise provides a modest 4-year lifespan extension but a 10-year healthspan extension as it lengthens the time in life we can be mobile and take care of ourselves. Do at least 30 minutes of exercise everyday VO2Max is a function of and delivery of oxygen (heart stroke volume and heart rate) and extraction of oxygen (capillarization of blood vessels into muscle and mitochondrial volume to use oxygen) Vo2max:  At rest:  3.5 milliliters of oxygen per kg of body weight per minute Min. to live without assistance:  12 ml/kg/min Mark's VO2Max at his athletic peak: 88.2 ml/kg/min VO2Max falls from 25/30 yo but older athletes have higher vo2max than sedentary young people  But VO2Max isn’t enough for longevity.  We need 3x/week of endurance training for VO2Max and 2-3x week of resistance training to build and maintain muscle mass. Longevity metrics:  VO2Max, leg strength, waist-to-hip circumference Elite athletes need 2x the protein of sedentary people Don’t train with futility:  Get enough high quality protein (aim for 1.2g/kg), don’t be deficient in Vit D (take a supplement), get sufficient calcium in diet.  Milk and egg whites are the best quality proteins.  Collagen is low quality protein (used as the no-protein control in experiments) Running or cycling at 65% of VO2Max (approx. lactate threshold; top of zone 2) 3-5x per week for 30-60 minutes a day will increase mitochondria. Interval training will increase the pace and HR possible at a zone 2 (“all day pace” of work) by increasing the lactate threshold.  Once lactate starts to accumulate, it is only a matter of time before exhaustion sets in. Weight training in untrained older people does build mitochondria, and there is a spill over into VO2Max development Weight training for endurance athletes is about building muscle mass for strength and healthspan Fast vs. Slow twitch: Slow are the endurance fibers that are full of mitochondria, can go all day without fatigue, can burn every fuel we have with oxygen, but are smaller (to allow better oxygen delivery) and slower to turn fuel into