HIIT Your Targets
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In This Issue:
Quick Takes: Dr. Martin Gibala discusses the benefits of high intensity interval training (HIIT) with Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
New Releases: Dr. Kaitlin Link discusses muscle's role in our health, how to assess it, and what a DEXA scan offers.
Community Buzz: Ways to set macronutrient targets, a new app to track them, and a muesli to help hit your protein goal.
Member Spotlight: Maylen is a health & wellness coach making data-driven decisions to achieve personal improvement.
QUICK TAKES
Takeaways from recent content we've discovered
HIIT Your Target, with High ROI
The Proactive Athlete organized a great seminar recently with Dr. Martin Gibala on the benefits of interval training. Dr. Gibala is a world-renowned expert on exercise physiology and high intensity training. He is based at McMaster University, and co-author of the book The One Minute Workout (CAN / US). The talk inspired us to revisit a long-form podcast that delves into his pioneering research and the benefits of vigorous exercise.
In Episode #82 of Rhonda Patrick's Found my Fitness Podcast, Dr. Gibala discusses the benefits of high intensity interval training (HIIT), its advantages over more moderate intensity exercise, and how it can be incorporated into one's exercise routine and lifestyle.
First, some background: High intensity training is generally understood as exercise at around 80% of your maximum heart rate. A single hard effort can be high intensity training, but it is typically conducted in intervals: harder efforts of exercise interspersed with periods of recovery. Common protocols for HIIT include tabata (repeats of 20 seconds "on", 10 seconds "off"), Nordic 4×4 intervals (4 × 4 minutes of hard exercise with 3 minutes of recovery in between), and 10 × 1 minute on, 1 minute recovery. Importantly, there may be adaptive benefits to varying up the number of intervals, level of intensity, durations of exercise and rest periods, etc..
Moderate exercise is at a lower intensity, e.g., walking, at a pace at which one could converse but not easily. This is typically 60-70% of maximum heart rate and is commonly described as “zone 2 training".
The podcast discussion is wide ranging, but our main takeaway was that high intensity training can offer benefits beyond more moderate “zone 2 training”. These benefits include but are not limited to the following:
It is more time efficient: High intensity training (generally done as HIIT) provides many of the same benefits as zone 2 training, including increased VO2 max (the best objective measure of cardiorespiratory fitness), increased fat oxidation and mitochondrial growth, and improved insulin sensitivity, but it can do so in much less time. Serious endurance athletes may do roughly 80% of their training in zone 2, and the other 20% at higher intensity. But they are dedicating 25-30 hours a week to training. For those of us with less time for training, allocating more of that time to high-intensity efforts can offer “more bang for your buck” in terms of health impact.
It boosts VO2 max more robustly: According to Dr. Gibala, higher intensity exercise can lead to greater improvements in VO2 max than zone 2 training alone. It can also mitigate “non-response”, cases in which some people engage in endurance training but their VO2 max remains unchanged.
Brain benefits of lactate: High intensity exercise produces lactate at significantly higher levels than moderate training. Lactate is a metabolite that is a fuel source for the body which has been shown to increase brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), higher levels of which are associated with improved brain health. There is also evidence that executive function is improved after high intensity exercise, and that it is correlated with lactate levels.
It provides another option: Dr. Gibala emphasizes that the most important thing is to exercise, regardless of how you do it. There are many different strategies and individuals should engage in the type of exercise that they enjoy and will do. One size does not fit all. For older individuals with underlying conditions, for example, moderate exercise may be a better (lower risk) option than HIIT, at least initially. Also, there are some conditions for which high intensity exercise must be avoided entirely, including specific heart conditions. Dr. Gibala emphasizes that interval training more broadly, i.e., repeated periods of increased intensity followed by periods of rest, offers benefits at any intensity level. If your exercise is walking, for example, that could mean picking up the pace every other minute for a few repeats.
The podcast episode goes into much greater depth and is worth a listen.
NEW RELEASES
Featured Content
High on Life Podcast
Dr. Kaitlin Link was a guest on Dr. Sasha High’s podcast, High on Life: Thrive Beyond the Scale, for two episodes: and #137: "Muscle Metrics: How to Measure and Maintain Health - DEXA and Beyond with Dr. Kaitlin Link”.
High on Life Podcast, Episode #136
#136: "Muscle: Your Health Powerhouse with Dr. Kaitlin Link"
Structural & functional benefits of muscle
Muscle's role in metabolic health; regulating blood glucose and energy balance
Muscle & cardiovascular health, reducing the risk of chronic diseases
Protective effects on bone health and cognitive function
Muscle for overall wellbeing, confidence, and energy
Strategies for building & maintaining muscle
High on Life Podcast, episode #137
#137: "Muscle Metrics: How to Measure and Maintain Health - DEXA and Beyond with Dr. Kaitlin Link”.
How to evaluate muscle health in terms of mass, strength, and power
An in-depth look at DEXA scans, body composition metrics, and the logistics around getting a DEXA scan
Understanding subcutaneous fat vs. visceral fat
Assessing total bone mineral density
An overview of the 4-week Benchmark Physical
COMMUNITY BUZZ
Highlights from Benchmark’s community
TDEE & Macro Math 🔢
A Benchmark Member recently asked about how to consider our total daily energy expenditure (aka “TDEE”) and resting metabolic rate (RMR) with the goal of weight loss. Your RMR is the minimum energy your body needs to function, while your TDEE is the actual energy you’re expending after all your daily activity and exercise. You can estimate both TDEE and RMR using an online calculator, with your wearable, or with a DEXA scan or RMR test to get your resting metabolic rate.
If you’re targeting a caloric deficit for weight loss, that means calorie consumption stays below your TDEE. However, your RMR must also be considered. Dropping below your RMR for extended periods could negatively impact metabolism and muscle retention, making sustainable weight loss more difficult. Prioritizing adequate protein (in general, ~1.6–2.2g per kg of your target bodyweight) and strength training will help preserve muscle and can even support muscle gains while in a slight deficit. Check out this Rhonda Patrick podcast for more on protein targets.
This Levels podcast episode provides a (dry, but brief) overview of calorie calculations and general guidance to translate calories to targets for each macronutrient: carbohydrate, protein, and fat depending on your goals.
Macro Monitoring ✍️
If you’re wondering how you might track those macronutrients, we just discovered a new nutrition app called Alma. We've been really enjoying it because it's just so easy to use. You can speak, type, or take a photo to record what you ate and it estimates the macro breakdown so you can track your daily consumption. I’ve been using voice entries, and relying on its prompts to remind me. If you’d like to try it out along with us, you can sign up by the end of March with the code: benchmark60 to get 2 months free. 🙌
Protein Packed 🍽️
Speaking of macros, we’re always on the lookout for easy options to help you hit your protein targets. Dina pointed us to HOLOS overnight muesli, which she enjoys as a tasty breakfast with 20 grams of protein. If you top this with a little greek yogurt (~17-20 g of protein per serving), it could pack a serious protein punch.
Rockstar Health 🌟
Dr. Kaitlin Link had a great time speaking at Rockstar Real Estate's VIP conference to talk about muscle's role in our health. The conference theme was "Your Life, Your Terms," and this crowd was clearly taking a proactive approach to their health...to which we say, ROCK ON!
MEMBER SPOTLIGHTS
Featured members and their health journeys
Maylen stars in our Member Spotlight.
Maylen Gonzalez
Maylen Gonzalez is a health & wellness coach who who took on her Benchmark to "walk the talk" and focus on achieving her goals. Recognizing the gap in our health system for identifying opportunities for ongoing improvement, Maylen embraced the chance to gain data and insights to inform her decisions and her actions…read on.
NOTE: This newsletter is informational only; it is not medical advice.
We have no stake in the products or brands we highlight here.
