Chapter 7: Exercise is Ineffective for Weight Management Flashcards
1
Q
True or False
While prolonged sedentary periods aren’t necessarily “healthy”, they’re not really bad for you either.
A
False
Scientists report a strong connection between prolonged sedentary periods and assorted health problems and musculoskeletal imbalances.
2
Q
What is the average amount of time the average white-collar workerspends sitting every day?
A
13 hours
3
Q
What are some of the bodily effects of inactivity?
A
Inactivity leads to metabolic and hormone imbalances that inhibit glucose metabolism, elevate triglyceride levels, promote excess body fat storage, and elevate blood pressure1. In particular, leptin signaling is known to be disturbed by inactivity. Compromised leptin signaling causes an increase in appetite, an up-regulation of fat-storage genes, and a down-regulation of fat-burning genes.
4
Q
True or False
It’s fair to say that at the metabolic and chemical level, “sitting begets sitting.”
A
True
People with lifestyle patterns featuring prolonged periods of sitting each day experience chemical changes in their brains that promote inactivity, while people in the habit of moving have brain wiring that encourages regular movement.
5
Q
What is meant by the term Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis?
A
The measure of caloric expenditure outside of sleeping, eating, and exercising.
6
Q
True or False
High rates of thermogenesis result in elevated basic energy levels and disposition.
A
True
7
Q
True or False
Simply walking for a few minutes after every meal or standing at your desk instead of sitting is enough to rewire your brain and genes to become more naturally and spontaneously active.
A
True
Even minimal movement efforts can help protect against the hazards of prolonged sitting.
8
Q
True or False
As long as you workout daily, you can overcome the harmful effects of a sedentary lifestyle.
A
False
Even fitness enthusiasts are not immune from the dangers of excessive stillness.
9
Q
What is Active Couch Potato Syndrome?
A
A phenomenon in which even people devoted to daily workouts but with otherwise strong sedentary lifestyle patterns (long commutes, desk jobs, evening digital entertainment on the couch) suffer from a similar level of risks for obesity, cancer, and heart disease as those who don’t exercise at all.
10
Q
How does prolonged sitting affect cognitive function?
A
Circulation to the brain is compromised by prolonged stillness.
11
Q
True or False
The simple act of standing at your desk instead of sitting is enough to protect against the harms of prolonged sitting.
A
False
According to biochemist Katy Bowhman, “If you stand there all day in one position you’ll be no better off than you were before—except you’ll be more tired, stiff, and sore! This muscle and joint “stiffness” can lead to a stiffening of the arterial walls within these muscles.”
12
Q
What is the key to overcoming the health hazards of sedentary modern life?
A
Strive for constant movement and variation in your daily routine. Be wary of the endless modern comforts and conveniences that allow you to move less, ease physical labor tasks, lift lighter loads, and generally be lulled into the allure of constant stimulation from a digital screen.
13
Q
True or False
Resting heart rate is a good measure of how efficiently the heart is pumping blood.
A
True
14
Q
What is a person’s ideal aerobic heart rate intensity level?
A
A workout conducted in the aerobic heart rate zone (heart rate of “180-age” or below) will optimize fat metabolism both during the workout and throughout the day. Even at this very comfortable intensity level, aerobic exercise stimulates the metabolic action of the body at a level more than twice that of normal resting rate.
15
Q
What are the benefits of aerobic exercise?
A
Optimizing fat metabolism both during the workout and throughout the day; cardiovascular function is optimized as capillary profusion is increased; muscle mitochondria multiply, function more efficiently, and get better at burning fat; stroke volume of the heart increases (amount of blood pumped with each beat); and lung capacity improves as a function of receiving more oxygen from the cardiovascular system.
A strong base of low-level aerobic conditioning strengthens bones, joints, and connective tissues, thereby enhancing performance and recovery, minimizing injury risk, and making the body more resilient for the high intensity workouts that complement a complete fitness program. Aerobic exercise also boosts the immune system by optimizing the flow of anti-aging hormones and by building a more efficient circulatory system.
16
Q
If aerobic exercise is so good for you, then why doesn’t it make sense that “more is better?”
A
Chronic exercise at heart rates above aerobic maximum train the body to prefer glucose as fuel, both during exercise and throughout the day. A chronic cardio pattern also has been shown to obstruct immune system function, destroy white blood cells, elevate cortisol levels, suppress testosterone levels, and trigger chronic/systemic inflammation.
17
Q
Is there a role for high intensity workouts?
A
They are critical for peak performance and longevity, but the key is to make them brief, interspersed with extensive recovery, and conducted only in the presence of a strong aerobic conditioning base.
18
Q
What is “chronic cardio?”
A
Chronic exercise at heart rates above aerobic maximum
19
Q
What are the dangers of chronic cardio?
A
Chronic cardio increases one’s risk of injury and trauma to the joints and connective tissues, and jumpstarts an undesirable metabolic chain reaction.
20
Q
What is the surest way to ensure that your body remains accustomed to burning glucose instead of fat?
A
Engaging in chronic cardio that keeps the body in a state of preferring glucose for fuel, thereby leads to sugar cravings after the workout, which leads to spikes in insulin production, which leads to more fat storage.
21
Q
How does chronic exercise prevent fat loss even if you are careful to limit calories?
A
According to Dr. Phil Maffetone, the up-regulation of glucose burning during intense exercise can last for up to 24 hours after the session.
22
Q
What is the relationship between testosterone and cortisol?
A
These two hormones antagonize each other, so chronically elevated cortisol will suppress testosterone.
23
Q
What effects does testosterone have?
A
Testosterone is a major adaptive, muscle building, mood elevating, cognitive performance enhancing, anti-aging hormone for both males and females.
24
Q
What effect does cortisol have?
A
Cortisol is the primary catabolic stress hormone
25
True or False
Engaging in chronic cardio in a group setting such as Crossfit, spinning or dance is an effective way to mitigate its harmful effects.
False
Any workout regimen that fervently pursues fitness or lofty performance goals without respecting a proper balance of stress and rest can compromise health and disturb delicate hormone balances.
26
True or False
| Engaging in brief intense workouts followed by extensive rest can prevent systemic inflammation.
True
Inflammation is a desirable response due to any workout, but chronic workout patterns promote chronic, or systemic, inflammation.
27
How does aerobic exercise affect fat metabolism?
The stimulation of aerobic exercise trains your body to efficiently utilize free fatty acids for fuel. This is a benefit that is realized 24 hours a day as your body learns from the exercise sessions to prefer fat to glucose for fuel. This benefit is maximized with adherence to a low insulin-producing eating pattern.
28
What is "mitochondrial biogenesis?"
Building more mitochondria in your muscles
29
True or False
| Mitochondria need more oxygen to produce energy when glucose is the primary fuel source.
False
Glucose doesn't require oxygen to metabolize. When you exercise aerobically, with plenty of oxygen available to make fat the preferred fuel source, mitochondria produce energy more efficiently than when glucose is the primary fuel source.
30
What is the net result of sensible aerobic exercise?
You burn energy more efficiently, minimize free radical damage, and consequently delay the aging process. You also increases your capillary network (blood vessels that supply the muscle cells with fuel and oxygen), raise the stroke volume of your heart (more blood pumped with each beat) and improve oxygen utilization by your lungs.
31
What effect does aerobic exercise have on your bones?
Aerobic exercise strengthens your bones, joints, and connective tissue so you can absorb increasing stress loads without breaking down.
32
What is meant by the term "caloric compensation?"
Recent scientific research suggests that calories burned through exercise are more than offset by increased caloric intake. While exercise burns stored energy, it stimulates a corresponding increase in appetite, along with hormonal changes that promote fat storage after the workout is over.
33
What are the behavioral effects that can follow from working out?
We respond both consciously and subconsciously to a workout by being less active and eating more calories in the aftermath.
34
True or False
| Scientific research suggests that we are less likely to take the elevator after a tough workout.
False
| We are more likely to take the elevator instead of the stairs.
35
Why is exercise not a good way to achieve and sustain weight loss?
The desired weight management benefits of calorie-burning exercise is negated by increases in caloric intake and altered hormone function.
36
True or False
| Being lazy after a workout is a genetically programmed mechanism to promote survival and avoid exhaustion.
True
Subconsciously, the body compensates for the stress of exercise by seeking ways to conserve energy—by slowing metabolic rate and generally moving slower and being a tiny bit lazier in the aftermath of a workout.
37
True or False
| Consistent workout patterns are at the core of the Primal approach.
False
To avoid the risk of exhaustion and burnout and meet our genetic expectations, the Primal Health Coach approach recommends a sporadic blend of frequent low-level activity and brief, intense strength and sprint sessions.
38
True or False
Caloric compensation becomes a non-factor in those who adopt a low insulin-producing eating pattern and avoid chronic exercise.
True
39
True or False
According to Mark Sisson, calories burned vs calories stored is a more apt maxim to describe body composition than calories in-calories out.
True
| Hormonal influences override any simple equation involving the measurement of calories burned during any given workout.
40
True or False
| Extreme exercise and disciplined portion control can achieve impressive results for anyone willing to go the distance.
False
Only a small percentage of the population possesses the genetic factors to maintain the low body fat and exceptional muscle tone displayed by fitness personalities, especially when combined with a high-carb diet.
41
True or False
No matter how much of a gym rat you may be, maintaining a grain-based diet will make it all-but-impossible to achieve body composition goals
True
42
What's the difference between aerobic and anaerobic exercise?
The term aerobic means "with oxygen" and anaerobic means "without oxygen."
43
What is the primary fuel consumed during an anaerobic workout?
An anaerobic workout burns primarily glucose, stimulates the release of stress hormones into the bloodstream, and causes lactic acid production in the muscles—a by-product of performing work efforts without adequate oxygen.
44
What is the primary fuel consumed during an aerobic exercise?
An aerobic workout burns primarily fat, and is minimally stressful to the body.
45
True or False
| Any exercise that is brief and intense is anaerobic in nature and will burn primarily fat for fuel.
False
| Any exercise effort that is brief and intense is anaerobic in nature and will burn primarily GLUCOSE for fuel.
46
True or False
Brief, high-intensity exercise, enough to trigger the fight-or-flight response, balanced with the right amount of rest promotes optimal gene expression.
True
47
What is meant by the term "aerobic maximum?"
The maximum number of heart beats per minute that will limit your workout intensity to the aerobic range is 180 minus your age.
48
True or False
| Relying on your own sense of exertion is generally regarded as sufficient to maintain the aerobic maximum "speed limit."
False
Unfortunately, when we default to perceived exertion, we are inclined to exercise in a slightly uncomfortable zone, beyond aerobic maximum, because this is where we feel we are accomplishing something--"getting a workout." To avoid this, a heart rate monitor is strongly recommended.
49
What is meant by the term "ventalitory threshold?"
A maximum aerobic heart rate at which increased effort would cause a non-linear spike in ventilation, glucose metabolism, lactate accumulation, fight-or-flight hormone release, and the recruitment of oxidative fast-twitch (type IIa) muscle fibers.
50
How can you tell if your effort level during aerobic exercise is optimal?
For any exerciser, an aerobic session is one in which the effort level is comfortable and a conversation can easily be conducted without becoming winded.
51
True or False
| Even getting up from your desk and going to the bathroom can be an beneficial aerobic activity.
True
| Any form of low-level movement contributes to your aerobic development.
52
True or False
| The feeling of fatigue is the most reliable way to gauge whether or not an aerobic workout has been effective.
False
Regardless of fitness level, the key element of aerobic workouts is that they feel easy, plenty of oxygen is available, the stress response is muted, and the net result is a refreshed and energized feeling rather than one of fatigue.
53
True or False
| The endorphin rush you get at the end of a hard workout is validation of the idea of "no pain, no gain."
False
The vaunted "endorphin rush" experienced at the end of a sustained medium-to-difficult intensity workout is an indication that the stress response has been activated.
54
True or False
Maintaining fat metabolism during an aerobic workout can be completely thrown off if you don't monitor your heart rate really carefully.
True
Once a bit of lactic acid enters the bloodstream and glucose burning is up-regulated in response to the increasing workout intensity, it's difficult to transition back into a predominantly fat-burning state, even if the pace slows back down into the aerobic range.
55
What do we mean when we say "chronic cardio?"
Chronic cardio describes a pattern of overly stressful cardiovascular workouts (heart rate over 180-age) that last for too long and are conducted too frequently, with insufficient rest periods in between.
56
True or False
Scientists believe that our hunter-gatherer ancestors probably did the bare minimum of physical work necessary in order to survive.
True
This allowed them to be ever-ready for the next life or death challenge without the risk of fatigue and exhaustion that might come from exercising independently of life or death environmental stressors.
57
True or False
Chronic exercisers compromise their general health, weight loss goals, and longevity by doing too much too often and ignoring the importance of rest.
True
58
What are the potential negative consequences of a pattern of chronic workouts?
Hormone imbalances, metabolism is glucose-dominant, inflammation, injuries, stress, diminished rather than improved fitness.
59
How does chronic exercise affect hormones?
A chronic exercise pattern causes the primary fight-or-flight stress hormone cortisol to remain elevated for long durations, as the body struggles to cope with excessive fight-or-flight stimulation. The chronic elevation of cortisol suppresses testosterone, growth hormone, and other adaptive hormones which compromises optimal fat burning, muscle development, energy levels, immune function, and sex drive.
60
True or False
| Any workout regimen that causes cortisol to spike can potentially accelerate the aging process.
False
A well-planned brief, intense workout causes a quick spike in the fight-or-flight hormone cortisol and elevates levels of adaptive hormones like testosterone and growth hormone for longer durations.
61
What's wrong with being a chronic glucose burner?
Being a chronic glucose burner (by exercising in chronic patterns and eating a high carbohydrate diet) results in post-exercise carbohydrate cravings, excessive insulin production, and a prevailing metabolic pattern of fat storage.
62
How does chronic exercise promote systemic inflammation?
A chronic exercise pattern promotes systemic inflammation due to excessive and chronic production of the fight-or-flight response and the stress hormone cortisol. Furthermore, a chronic exercise pattern requires large amounts of dietary carbohydrates to sustain, an eating pattern that promotes systemic inflammation and accelerated oxidation and free radical damage in the body.
63
How can hormones contribute to injuries?
Chronic inflammation from excessive catabolic hormones are released in response to chronic cardio which traumatizes joints and connective tissue and can lead to increased incidences of both acute and overuse injuries.
64
What are the potential harmful effects of chronic stress?
Chronic stress promotes systemic inflammation, increases oxidative damage (via free radical production) by a factor of 10 to 20 times normal. Chronic stress has also been observed to suppress immune function and compromise bone density.
65
True or False
| For all its faults, chronic cardio is still the best way to achieve your goals for power, speed, strength and lean mass.
False
66
What is the difference between maximum heart rate and maximum aerobic heart rate?
Maximum heart rate is the maximum rate at which your heart will beat while engaging in a maximum effort for a short period of time, whereas maximum aerobic heart rate is the maximum rate that enables you to remain in aerobic, fat-burning mode.
67
True or False
One example of the best way to determine your maximum heart rate would be climb stairs at a comfortable pace for a few minutes and then to measure your heart rate while running as fast as you can for 10-20 seconds.
True
| Any cardiovascular activity will do.
68
True or False
| The fitter you are, the higher your maximum heart rate will be.
False
Your maximum heart rate number is influenced mostly by your particular genetics. It is more random than anything, and training has little to no effect on this number. Someone with a higher max heart rate than the next person is not necessarily fitter.
69
True or False
| Breaking a moderate sweat is a sure sign you have exceeded your maximum aerobic heart rate.
False
At 180-age, one will break a moderate sweat, will be able to easily converse for an extended period of time without getting short of breath, and will end workouts feeling refreshed and energized instead of slightly fatigued and hungry, as might happen after more strenuous workouts.
70
True or False
| Regardless of what heart rate zone you work out in, it's normal to feel fatigued and have sugar cravings.
False
A workout that results in fatigue and sugar cravings is ill-advised, regardless of what heart rate zone it's conducted in.
71
What is the stroke volume as it relates to heart rate?
It refers to the amount of blood pumped per beat.
72
Why do athletes have lower resting heart rates than unfit people at rest?
Athletes have a higher stroke volume than an unfit person does. Hence, a fit person will have a lower resting heart rate than an unfit person to sustain normal body function at rest.
73
What are the main heart rate measurements that are of concern to us?
1. Resting Heart Rate
2. Aerobic Maximum Heart Rate
3. The Black Hole
4. High Intensity Zone
74
What is "the black hole?"
Above 180-age and up to about 85 percent of maximum is an effort level for sustained workouts that is too difficult to be aerobic in nature, but not difficult enough to be categorized as a high intensity interval workout or competitive effort.
75
```
True or False
Chronic exercise in the Black Hole is easy to fall into in a peppy group exercise class because it's not as hard as all-out sprints or high-intensity competition.
```
True
76
What is the primary energy source when exercising in the Black Hole?
Glucose.
77
True or False
| Exercising in the Black Hole is to be avoided if at all possible.
False
While a pattern of sustained workouts in this heart rate zone is not advised, occasional challenging workouts that exceed maximum aerobic limit and drift into the Black Hole and up to anaerobic threshold zones can produce outstanding fitness benefits when sufficient recovery follows.
78
What is the High Intensity Zone?
90 percent of maximum heart rate and beyond is the optimal zone for occasional brief, all-out efforts. These workouts build muscle, support enhanced organ function, accelerate metabolism, and delay aging via the "use it or lose it" axiom.
79
What is the preferred fuel for explosive bursts under 8 seconds?
ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
80
When does lactate become the preferred fuel in the high intensity zone?
For efforts between 8 and 30 seconds
81
What fuel does the body prefer for medium and high intensity efforts longer than 30 seconds?
Glucose
82
True or False
| In order to compete at 100% of effort, it's necessary to train there, as well.
False
Dr. Phil Maffetone argues that you can perform high quality efforts at 90 percent that will prepare you for occasional competitive efforts going up to 100 percent, but with less potential for breakdown and with faster recovery time than a training session exceeding 90 percent.
83
What is HRV?
Heart rate variability measures the time gap between your heart beats—measured when you are at rest. This is known as "R-R intervals."
84
True or False
| HRV is an effective method in identifying cardiovascular disease risk.
True
85
True or False
| The less variability in your heart rate, the better.
False
86
What can HRV tell you about your body?
It is an accurate method of tracking recovery from stressful exercise, identifying a state of overtraining, identifying cardiovascular fitness progress, and identifying cardiovascular disease risk.
87
Is there an optimal value for HRV?
A high HRV score on the 1-100 scale—indicating more variability in the time gap between heart beats—indicates a healthy, fit, well-rested heart.
A low HRV value is believed to be an indication of a poorly functioning heart—perhaps belonging to an overtrained athlete or a person who is unfit, overstressed, or has developed cardiac disease risk factors.
88
What is the purpose of tracking HRV?
By tracking HRV regularly, one can establish a baseline value and then be alerted to periods of excessive stress, burnout, or insufficient recovery when HRV readings are lower than normal.
89
When should HRV be taken?
HRV measurements should be taken under similar circumstances each day (such as laying in bed first thing in the morning) because HRV values can fluctuate significantly—even over the course of a single day—for an assortment of reasons based on external stimuli.
90
True or False
| Unlike other performance markers, HRV values are highly individual and influenced strongly by ge ad gender.
Unlike other performance markers of fitness, HRV values are highly individual and influenced strongly by age and gender.
91
True or False
| HRV values are common.
Unlike other performance markers of fitness, HRV values are highly individual and influenced strongly by age and gender.
92
Why might one want to track HRV?
By tracking HRV regularly, one can establish a baseline value and then be alerted to periods of excessive stress, burnout, or insufficient recovery when HRV readings are lower than nor
93
What is the sympathetic nervous system?
Part of the Autonomic nervous system responsible for Fight-or-Flight
94
What is the parasympathetic nervous system?
Part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for calming behaviors.
95
What happens to HRV and stress hormone levels when the sympathetic nervous system is dominant?
When the sympathetic nervous system is dominant and stress hormone levels are elevated in the bloodstream HRV declines.
96
What does a decline in HRV signify?
Your heart beats in a more fixed rhythm.
97
What kinds of behaviors stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system?
Calming behaviors (controlled breathing, meditation, rest, relaxation)
98
How does breathing affect HRV?
When you inhale, the sympathetic system causes heart rate to increase. When you exhale, the parasympathetic nervous system causes heart rate to decrease.
99
True or False
| A cold shower can raise HRV.
True
| Change in body temperature or blood pressure can also stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system.
100
True or False
| Generally speaking, high HRV = good and low HRV = burnout.
True
101
What do LF and HF mean as they relate to HRV?
There are two bands of the HRV power spectrum, known as LF (low frequency) and HF (high frequency). The low frequency power level represents both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity. The high frequency power level represents the parasympathetic nervous system. A well-functioning nervous system and cardiovascular system will reveal high power levels for both LF and HF.
102
True or False
| Stress will result in a high LF:HF ratio.
True
103
True or False
| LF:HF ratio is a more useful metric than absolute values in revealing the level of stress a person is experiencing.
True
104
True or False
| Ideally, high HRV and low LF:HF ratio is most desirable.
If someone delivers a low HRV score and a low LF reading, this suggests that they are in a state of general burnout; Ideally, one would like to see a high HRV score (parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems working in balance), and a high HF value in relation to LF (stress response and stress hormones moderated/optimized).
105
How will a prolonged state of fight or flight, or sympathetic nervous system dominance, reveal itself in HRV?
HRV will be low and LF will be high.
106
What does burnout look like in HRV?
HRV will be low and LF will also be low, signifying that the fight-or-flight response has been exhausted, the adrenal glands are producing less than normal levels of cortisol in the bloodstream, and the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems are in dysfunction.
107
How do positive and enjoyable stressors, such as workplace or athletic challenges, reflect in HRV?
Increased levels of both HF and LF power, and will deliver (consequently to the complex HRV score calculations) a high HRV score.
108
What level of LF indicates sympathetic nervous system overtraining?
A lower than normal LF value is associated with sympathetic nervous system overtraining, suggesting an excess of high intensity exercise.
109
How do you know when you're overtraining aerobically?
You will have a lower than normal HF value (associated with parasympathetic nervous system overtraining).
110
What is meant by the term "anaerobic threshold?"
Anaerobic threshold is defined as the intensity level at which lactic acid accumulates in the bloodstream faster than it can be removed.
111
What causes lactic acid to build up in the bloodstream
This is a by-product of a sharply accelerated rate of glucose burning caused by increases in pace that leave insufficient oxygen to burn the fatty acids that are emphasized at lower intensities.
112
What is the "red line?"
Another term for anaerobic threshold pace—maintaining the highest possible sustained intensity level without succumbing to the lactic acid burn and declining performance that might occur if you exceed AT pace.
113
What is the difference between anaerobic threshold and lactate threshold?
None
114
True or False
The parasympathetic nervous system actually kicks in when the anaerobic threshold is reached to prevent our hearts from becoming overloaded by the strain of sustained anaerobic efforts.
True
115
True or False
A lower than normal resting heart rate could be seen as either an improvement in aerobic fitness or a symptom of adrenal fatigue.
True
116
True or False
| By building muscle through resistance training you can significantly increase your metabolic rate.
False
A lean, muscular body burns only slightly more calories than a body with higher fat content but the same weight.
Our organs account for most of the calories burned in our basal metabolic rate, so even major reductions in body fat and additions of lean muscle have a relatively minimal impact on metabolic rate.
117
True or False
| The equivalent of two macadamia nuts per day of calories burned can result in major reductions in body fat.
False
118
True or False
| The metabolic benefits of adding muscle and reducing fat are more hormonal than caloric.
True
Building lean muscle mass with strength training is known to improve insulin sensitivity, making you less likely to store fat. Losing abdominal fat optimizes hormone function and improves health.
119
True or False
| Excess abdominal fat is a major causse of...excess abdominal fat.
True
Excess abdominal fat is itself an endocrine gland that promotes not only inflammation but also insulin resistance, and thus additional fat storage.
120
What is mitochondrial biogenesis?
Mitochondrial biogenesis is the process by which cells increase their individual mitochondrial mass and copy number to increase the production of ATP as a response to greater energy expenditure.
121
True or False
| Mitochondria's primary role is to extract energy from nutrients in order to produce ATP.
True
122
What is ATP?
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP). ATP is used as energy for virtually every cellular process
123
What is mitochondrial myopathy?
Gene mutations that damage mitochondria and lead to muscular degeneration.
124
Asie from synthesizing ATP, what other roles do mitochondria fulfill?
Mitochondria synthesize the important sex hormones testosterone and estradiol, and they regulate insulin and calcium levels in cells.
125
How can normal functioning of mitochondria lead to oxidative stress?
The downfall of ATP production is that it generates free radicals, which accelerate the aging process by increasing oxidative stress.
126
What role do antioxidants play in the production of ATP?
Glutathione and other naturally produced antioxidants can counteract the normal free radical generation.
127
True or False
| When it comes to mitochondria, the more the merrier.
True
| Essentially, the more the mitochondria, the cleaner and more efficiently the body produces and burns energy.
128
How are mitochondria created?
Mitochondria development is stimulated by the body's stress adaptation response, responding to a stress demand to multiply and improve efficiency. The body responds to the challenge and grows new (and higher-functioning) mitochondria.
129
True or False
| Resistance and endurance training can combine to improve mitochondrial function and vice versa.
True
130
How is mitochondrial function measured?
By the presence of amp-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a metabolic regulator that increases mitochondrial biogenesis.
131
True or False
| Sprinting is more effective at generating mitochondria than distance training.
True
Though slow twitch muscle fibers contain the most mitochondria, recent research suggests that sprinting, or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) as termed in scientific studies, is just as effective, if not more effective, at activating mitochondrial biogenesis than is steady state endurance training.
132
True or False
| A 60-year old who can high jump as high as a high school athlete has a lower physical age than chronological age.
True
133
True or False
| Buzz Aldrin could have saved himself a couple billion heart beats over his lifetime if he had exercised more.
True
A fit athlete with a resting heart rate in the 40s can save about 58,000 beats per day over an unfit person with a resting heart rate in the 80s. This adds up to 21 million beats a year, and nearly a couple billion beats over a lifetime.
134
True or False
| By necessity, athletes have to make a choice between longevity and the pursuit of peak performance.
True
135
What is the most profound longevity factors ever discovered?
Calorie restriction (in lab animals). It's known that caloric restriction forces the body to divide cells more judiciously, repair damaged cells more efficiently, and generally conserve energy and optimize metabolic function in every way possible in promotion of longevity, as well as immediate survival.
136
True or False
| The US Government wants us to engage in chronic cardio.
True
By recommending "60 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous intensity activity on most days of the week", the government is essentially promoting chronic cardio.
