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Cardio fitness is a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality

bjsm.bmj.com

31–40 of 556 posts

Re: Cardio fitness is a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality

#31
post #4

Slightly related: I have been engaging in powerlifting/weightlifting for over a decade. In my initial years, I was in the "just do weights, don't need cardio" camp. However, around 2018, I started doing cardio mostly to cut body weight as I wanted to hit my personal bests on squats, deadlifts, and bench at a lower body weight. I personally experienced that my weights moved much better, especially when I was doing mor…

One of my few regrets in life, and something I advise to all younger people, is that I didn't work on my upper body strength when I was younger. Now I'm 60, and it's going to be essentially a battle against muscle loss. So I suppose the message needs to be: Both are important.

My regrets is that I didn't utilize cardio earlier. I would have achieved my lifting goals much earlier if I had.

Re: Cardio fitness is a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality

#32

I am disappointed by how poor primary care is in the developed world. It could easily be made better by including a VO2Max test and a DEXA scan every few years. On my own dime, I took both (cost was ~ $150 total from a private provider) and the DEXA scan revealed I carried too much visceral fat and my cardiovascular fitness was only average, things that never came up in my yearly physical. The same applies for basic…

Have to weight it against whether people are meaningfully willing to act on that information. Bluntly, I go to a Dr for meds. I have never been willing to make any lifestyle changes.

Re: Cardio fitness is a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality

#33

The Apple watch has a decent cardio fitness monitor. The absolute values aren't precise (since it uses VO2Max estimates, which is really only accurate if you're doing a metabolic stress test), but it's good to keep an eye on trends.

Cardio still counts even if you don't measure it and share it with Apple.

Re: Cardio fitness is a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality

#34
post #11

There’s amusing statistics that show that if you’re out of shape and a smoker, you get a bigger bang for the buck from getting in shape first than quitting smoking. Disclaimer: not an endorsement of smoking.

How much time do you have to get into shape?

When it takes 50 years, the statistic probably doesn't hold because you will be dead by then due to the negative influence of smoking on your health.

Re: Cardio fitness is a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality

#35
post #8
post #2

So the sicker you are the less in shape you are in? Seems obvious to me.

That's what you hypothesize. Research like this affirms your hypothesis with fact. There are historically lots of things that "seemed obvious" but couldn't hold up under research, which is why we do research. It confirms what you think or maybe it forces you to question what you think. Either way, it is good. Case and point, there is a rising opinion lately which Trump has promoted that your heart only beats a set, f…

Not agreeing with the (somewhat amusing) limited heartbeats theory, but even under that theory, cardio is beneficial since it lowers your resting heart rate.

e.g.

my HR is 50 thanks to running an hour a day, my HR during those runs are between 120 to 150, that gives 50x60x23+150x60 == 78000 beats a day

a non runner might've a HR of 60 (being very generous, most folks are well above 70), that gives 60x60x24 == 86400 beats

Again, the limited heartbeats theory sounds like an oversimplification. But the point of rigorous training (cardio and strength) is that your body adapts to the taxing efforts during training and doesn't need to work nearly as hard for your day to day.

Re: Cardio fitness is a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality

#36

Earlier quoted context omitted.

VO2 max is also exercise dependent. If you trained riding bike for 3 months, then went to run down the street, your VO2 max would not transfer over.

That's why there are separate Cycling and Running VO2 indicators You won't be a 55 Vo2 runner if you're a 55 Vo2 Cyclist, but cardiovascular fitness does cross between those activities to an extent

Your indicators will be different, but your actual O2 uptake should be essentially similar. Any difference should be due to technique (if you've optimized your breathing/rhythm/etc for one but not the other).

Re: Cardio fitness is a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality

#37

The Apple watch has a decent cardio fitness monitor. The absolute values aren't precise (since it uses VO2Max estimates, which is really only accurate if you're doing a metabolic stress test), but it's good to keep an eye on trends.

VO2 max is also exercise dependent. If you trained riding bike for 3 months, then went to run down the street, your VO2 max would not transfer over.

Running down the street at top speed, i.e. for a minute or so, is an anaerobic activity.

Re: Cardio fitness is a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality

#38

I am disappointed by how poor primary care is in the developed world. It could easily be made better by including a VO2Max test and a DEXA scan every few years. On my own dime, I took both (cost was ~ $150 total from a private provider) and the DEXA scan revealed I carried too much visceral fat and my cardiovascular fitness was only average, things that never came up in my yearly physical. The same applies for basic…

Have to weight it against whether people are meaningfully willing to act on that information. Bluntly, I go to a Dr for meds. I have never been willing to make any lifestyle changes.

[deleted]

Re: Cardio fitness is a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality

#39

The Apple watch has a decent cardio fitness monitor. The absolute values aren't precise (since it uses VO2Max estimates, which is really only accurate if you're doing a metabolic stress test), but it's good to keep an eye on trends.

Cardio still counts even if you don't measure it and share it with Apple.

Come on now. If it's not on Strava then it didn't happen.

Re: Cardio fitness is a strong, consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality

#40
post #11

There’s amusing statistics that show that if you’re out of shape and a smoker, you get a bigger bang for the buck from getting in shape first than quitting smoking. Disclaimer: not an endorsement of smoking.

How much time do you have to get into shape? When it takes 50 years, the statistic probably doesn't hold because you will be dead by then due to the negative influence of smoking on your health.

It only takes a few months to make substantial gains in c-v fitness.
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