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

bjsm.bmj.com

221–230 of 556 posts

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

#221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I biked through Amsterdam as a commuter along with everyone else for a week, and it just blew me away. Everyone was absolutely predictable and part of the “school of fish”. No hesitation or ill-conceived politeness. It was only a week but it was so refreshing. I think about this experience daily when driving because I think of how much time would be saved if people just knew absolutely when to take their turn and too…

This doesn’t work when driving primarily because cars are generally moving a lot fast and are less maneuverable that bikes in avoiding conflict.

And because drivers can't see or hear anything.

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

#222

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Its not cardiovasuclar, but the top 2 causes of death in the US are tied to obesity, which takes zero time to reduce. You just have to not eat, which is actually time positive. Most humans are just incredibly bad at impulse control.

There was a relatively recent study that found that BMR has actually been dropping over the last 30 years. The difference in men was large enough (7% iirc) that it would explain most of the obesity epidemic. Why it's dropping is still a n mystery though. Nevertheless, the solution is still the same: eat less. The study: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10445668/

It would be interesting to correlate these results with data about reduced testosteron levels and sperm counts/fertility, especially whether one of these leads the other or whether both go down at the same time.

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

#223

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.

I wonder how it estimates VO2Max and how often depending on the model. On my Series 3, it seems to make a data point two or three times a month and it’s concerning to me because it seems like it isn’t trending up even though I have started to do more cardio exercises. Instead, it has consistently reported a range that it says is below average. Could it be that it’s just pretty difficult to improve VO2Max in general?…

I've also been wondering this. Mine reports a number that's way below what I get from other trackers.

I suspect it might use the age and gender predicted max heart rate in the calculations instead of the values set by the user in the workout settings. My MHR has been roughly 25 beats above the average throughout my adult life. As far as I know, above average MHR is not an indicator of poor cardio fitness in it self (even though being fit affects heart rate response).

The discussion part of this paper lists some causes for incorrect VO2MAX prediction, and has a line that may support my thesis https://www.apple.com/healthcare/docs/site/Using_Apple_Watch...

> In addition to chronotropic incompetence, other medical conditions can also decrease the accuracy of VO2 max estimates on Apple Watch ... medical conditions that severely limit exercise tolerance, preventing patients from reaching heart rates close to their predicted maximum heart rate

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

#224

Earlier quoted context omitted.

indeed, a lot has changed from when we lived on rural farms doing manual labor. People aren't going back to the farms, so we need to adopt new behaviors and norms around self control. There is simply no viable alternative.

I would suggest that in the next 5 years or so if ozempic and others don't turn out to be cancer causing or have more than awful side effects that we'll see a large drop in obesity, as obesity isn't an easy thing to change. Likely other competitors will come along and use a similar mechanism and Novo won't be able to charge $1000 a month for it any longer allowing 80-85% of those who are overweight to give it a shot.

Paradoxically, lowering your weight artificially may be causing more damage than good because of the muscle loss.

Being fit is not just about low fat. It requires a similar discipline required to control what you eat.

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

#225
post #164

Fortunately, this seems relatively simple to change (compared to other things with this magnitude of impact). It was a transformative experience to go from 40 VO2max to 57 (as reported by Apple Watch, and losing 30lbs on the way) over the past 12 months. The best part about it is that I didn't even have to give up anything - the extra energy I gained from 90-120 minutes of aerobics per day also had the effect of maki…

2 hours a day is a ridiculous amount

Just my commute is about an hour of cycling per day and I do some other sports two to three times a week for about two hours. It's not that hard to average out to about two hours of activity per day.

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

#226

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.

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

Even sprinting 100m takes 60% ! energy from aerobic system.

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

#227

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Instead, people try to fix it with antidepressants, benzodiazepines or something else. It feels a bit like the US approach to pain management – instead of massages or physical therapy, some opioid pill is cheaper to prescribe.

I dislike this black n white rhetoric from both sides. "Just do some workout" - "no this doesn't work for me". Yes, workout does help, but mental illness is still real. Both sides should try to be more sensitive and more understanding in my opinion. I can't fix my social anxiety through workout. But I sure can feel better about myself when doing it and then approach those anxieties with more confidence, but the anxie…

I'm not saying that workouts will necessarily fix your social anxiety or any other mental disorder, but I don't know of anything else that necessarily will - meds and psychotherapy are also quite limited in their effectiveness. All I'm saying is people should at least consider that exercise (and more specifically - mild to rigorous cardio workouts) can be just as effective as psychotherapy / meds are. The evidence is there. I don't expect this understanding to come from therapists, this needs to come from society at large. Also, it doesn't have to be mutually exclusive, you can do both.

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

#228

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Those numbers are assuming someone who skips a day of eating doesn’t increase their calorie consumption on other days to compensate

Exactly; when I fast for 24 hours, I feel a compulsion to consume every single calorie within a 3 block radius afterwards.

People who do this regularly tell me it gets a lot easier after a while.

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

#229
post #218

Regardless of what it is, if I don’t get my morning run in, I am a very unpleasant person to be around! Running has changed my life in all ways- I am much more calm, tolerant, positive, energetic. If the whole country did a mandated morning run, assuming you’re able, I really think this world would be a much better place!! Start slow, 5 minutes, breathe, go slow, and enjoy the beautiful weather here this time of year…

Your comment just gave me a thought of how cool would it be if society had a mandated activity hour in the morning. I’m imagining loud speakers attached to poles outside making announcements and all businesses closed for that hour, and people all out and about exercising, walking, running, talking. Yes it’s a bit like school but society can be so much better if we prioritized good living!

You just described exactly what happened in some communist countries. This was what happened in USSR, and in China decades ago.

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

#230
post #58
post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That sounds like the sort of stuff that is completely correct. Low fitness is significantly more risky than smoking. (I am not suggesting that anyone start or continue smoking.) https://peterattiamd.com/all-things-vo2-max/

It's pretty funny seeing people today seethe about the obvious (being unfit is terrible for you) the same way people in the 1970s were seething about the obvious (smoking is bad for you). There is a reason why life expectancy was dropping in the US years before covid hit.

I asked my parents about the "when was smoking viewed as bad for you" bit. They said late 1980s to early 1990s. They said no one thought it was bad for you in the 1970s -- maybe a stinky habit, that is it.
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