Aerobic Conditioning, Metabolic Health, and Mitochondria – All You Need to Know
Aerobic conditioning is a hallmark of an effective approach to health. What does this have to do with metabolic health? The answer is mitochondria. Confused? You won’t be after this five-minute read.
We were fortunate enough to have Dr, Howard Luks as a guest on our podcast, ‘Move Without Limits’. He knows a thing or two about aging, pain, exercise, and sports medicine. He’s the author of many research papers, as well as a board-certified orthopedic surgeon.
In this article, Dr. Luks helps us unravel why muscle mass and aerobic fitness are inseparable allies in our health journey.
Key Takeaways
Zone 2 Training is Essential for Metabolic Health: Training in Zone 2, which focuses on lower-intensity exercise at 65-75% of your maximum heart rate, is crucial for improving metabolic health. This includes maintaining healthy levels of blood sugar, waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides.
Mitochondrial Function is Key to Overall Health: The root cause of poor metabolic health is linked to poorly functioning mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of our cells. Aerobic exercise improves mitochondrial function, leading to enhanced endurance, increased energy levels, and better metabolic health.
Long, Sustained Exercise Sessions Boost Mitochondria: To effectively train your mitochondria, engage in long, sustained, low heart rate efforts. Sessions lasting 90 to 120 minutes at least once a week, or two 30-minute sessions in Zone 2, are recommended for optimal health and mitochondrial adaptation.
Zone 2 Training Offers Comprehensive Health Benefits: Beyond increasing mitochondrial number and efficiency, Zone 2 training also improves metabolic flexibility, lowers resting heart rate and blood pressure, decreases injury risk, enhances insulin efficiency, and boosts endurance and resilience.
Aerobic Conditioning Surpasses Fitness Fads: In contrast to the quick fixes and trends often promoted on social media, Zone 2 training provides a scientifically backed approach to significantly improve health, muscle mass, and longevity, making it a fundamental component of a comprehensive fitness regimen.
Get Into Zone 2 to Improve Your Metabolic Health
One of the critical concepts we discuss here at Reload is training in Zone 2, and it’s something that Dr. Luks is also passionate about. However, as he notes when discussing Zone 2 heart rate training for longevity and performance, the concept is often misunderstood, with “many myths and unsubstantiated claims out there”.
So, let’s clear up any misconceptions.
Zone 2 training is different to high-intensity interval training (HIIT). When you are training in zone 2, you focus on lower-intensity exercise. Now, Dr. Luks isn’t against HIIT per se, but he (again, like us) believes that it’s critical to avoid overtraining – you could do more harm than good.
Zone 2 training is also known as aerobic training. If you want to know how much difference this makes, then look no further than elite athletes. They spend up to 80% of their active training time in Zone 1 or Zone 2.
Training in Zone 2 improves your metabolic health – that’s having things like blood sugar, waist circumference, blood pressure, cholesterol, and triglycerides all within a healthy range. Important? You bet.
How Do You Know You’re Training in Zone 2?
You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to establish that you are training in Zone 2. In fact, it’s very straightforward.
You could go the math route, subtracting your age from 220 to give an estimate of your maximum heart rate, and then calculating 65% to 75% of this number to arrive at your Zone 2 heart rate. All you then need is a monitor to measure that you’re in Zone 2!
Alternatively, you could use the talk test. If you’re exercising and able to hold a conversation, and your conversational partner can tell that you’re exercising (for example, you need to take extra breaths), then you’re in Zone 2.
Metabolic Health and Mitochondria
Training in Zone 2 has a direct positive impact on your musculoskeletal system and muscle mass, because, as Dr. Luks says, “The root cause of poor metabolic health is actually poorly functioning mitochondria”.
‘Poorly functioning what?’ you ask?
Mitochondria. These are the powerhouses of our cells. They are responsible for generating the energy that our cells need to function, and healthy mitochondria make a big difference to us – like improved endurance and increased energy levels.
Aerobic (or cardio) exercise (such as walking, running, cycling, and swimming) increases the heart rate and improves our ability to use oxygen. During this form of exercise, mitochondria are forced to work harder to generate the energy our muscles need.
Just like anything, repetition over a long period of time improves performance – and you want the performance and efficiency of mitochondria to improve. Hence the importance of Zone 2 training.
How Do I Train My Mitochondria?
Dr. Luks breaks down the science behind training your mitochondria as follows:
“Aerobic fitness is key. Long, sustained, low heart rate efforts. Long. When I say long, you know, I’m talking about 90 to 120 minutes. One once a week is a great session, or two 30-minute zone 2 training sessions. But any movement is great.
“If you’re looking to optimize your health and your mitochondrial function, your mitochondria need these long sessions to stimulate them enough for adaptation. Low heart rate training will increase your mitochondrial number, and increase the undulation of the inner lining of the mitochondria.
“What we’re doing is increasing the surface area in the mitochondria, where all the crucial stuff happens. This is going to improve efficiency, too.”
Of course, this isn’t to say that higher heart rate exercise isn’t important. It is. But, like elite athletes, it’s the work you do in Zone 2 that makes a real difference and gives an amazing baseline for further improvement.
Beyond the Hype: Zone 2 Training That Truly Benefits
In a world cluttered with fitness fads and social media challenges dictating how, when, and at what speed to exercise, the simplicity and effectiveness of Zone 2 training stands out. Because it actually works to:
Increase the number of mitochondria
Increase mitochondrial efficiency
Increase ‘metabolic flexibility’
Lower resting heart rate
Decrease blood pressure
Lower the risk of injury
Improve insulin efficiency
Improve your ability to run/cycle longer
Improve your resilience and ability to deal with increasing load
Improve your Zone 4 and 5 function/performance
Improve your longevity
Ready to Embrace Aerobic Conditioning?
Understanding the importance of aerobic conditioning and its impact on muscle mass and metabolic health is just the beginning. Implementing these insights into your daily routine can lead to profound health benefits.
As Dr. Luks aptly puts it, “We see the changes in mitochondrial function before we see the change in insulin levels, before we see the rise in A1C, before we see the diagnosis of type 2 diabetes, and all the manifestations that flow from there.”
In summary, aerobic conditioning is more than just a part of a healthy lifestyle; it’s a cornerstone of long-term wellness, crucial for maintaining muscle mass and metabolic health. Whether you’re just starting out or looking to refine your fitness routine, the principles of Zone 2 training offer a clear, scientifically backed path to achieving your health and longevity goals.
Want to learn more? Need to build a personalized aerobic conditioning plan to improve your metabolic health and increase your longevity and quality of life?
