The 'Fat but Fast' Paradox

Happy New Year and Best Wishes from the BreathNow team! We continue to share outcomes of recent health research projects in digestible format which can be easily implemented in everyday’s life. A short text summary is provided below and the more detailed 14 minute audio version is above. This post is based on the recent Dr. Rhonda Patrick's article on the importance of muscle power for longevity and healthy ageing.Main Themes:* Muscle power as a predictor of longevity: Muscle power, the ability to generate force quickly, is a stronger predictor of longevity than leanness alone. This is evidenced by a study showing that older adults with high muscle power had better 9-year survival rates, regardless of body fat levels.* Powerpenia as a critical ageing biomarker: Age-related decline in muscle power, termed "powerpenia," is a significant concern as it impacts functional abilities like mobility, fall prevention, and independence.* Benefits of power training: High-velocity resistance training, focused on speed and power, is crucial for improving muscle power and functional outcomes, exceeding the benefits of traditional strength training.Key Insights and Facts:* "Fat but powerful" paradox: While maintaining a healthy weight is important, the study highlighted that being "fat and powerful" provided similar mortality benefits to being "lean and powerful," both reducing mortality by 43-45% compared to being "fat and weak.""Being lean and weak, however, provided no survival advantage compared to being fat and weak."* Muscle power decline with age: Around age 50, muscle strength declines by 3% per year, while muscle mass decreases by 1% per year. However, muscle power declines at an even faster rate.* Power training recommendations: Engaging in power training 2-3 times per week is recommended. Examples include fast stair climbing, rapid chair stands, quick step-ups, and explosive push-ups or pull-ups. Traditional exercises can also be modified for power training by emphasizing the concentric phase (lifting or pushing phase) with maximal speed.Call to Action:Dr. Patrick urges everyone to engage in resistance training, emphasizing that muscle is crucial for metabolic and brain health and overall healthy ageing."It's time that we retire the myth that strength training is just for athletes and body builders—there is not a single person on earth who won't benefit from a structured resistance training program."Try our blood pressure app BreathNow . It includes instructional videos with easy stretching and isometric exercises which will prepare you for more demanding high velocity resistance training. Learn more about the benefits of intermittent fasting in our blog post This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit strongover60.substack.com