Can you exercise too much? [AMA 38 sneak peek] | Peter Attia, M.D.

In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter dives deep into the question of whether there is such a thing as “too much exercise.” He explores the theoretical “J-curve” relationship between exercise and longevity, whereby mortality risk declines with increasing activity levels only to see an uptick above a certain exercise volume threshold. While Peter maintains that exercise is perhaps the single most important tool we have to live longer and live better, he explains the challenges involved in identifying an optimal dose. He takes a hard look at studies—many of which have contradictory results—to highlight major limitations in methodology and how readers could be misled. Additionally, he discusses the rare, but real, risks associated with extreme levels of physical activity and concludes by weighing the benefits against the risks of exercise.

In this sneak peek, we discuss:
00:00 - Intro
00:08 - How exercise reduces risk for all-cause mortality
06:15 - Defining the metric called “MET” and how it’s useful for evaluating different exercises

In the full episode, we also discuss:
-The challenge in determining the optimal dose of exercise and the limitations of methods used to study the effect of exercise;
-Using VO2 max as a proxy for fitness to better predict mortality risk;
-Reviewing data which support the theory of a “J-curve” relationship between exercise and longevity;
-Importance of understanding p-values and statistical significance;
-Deconstructing the studies that show a J-curve: major limitations and how one could be misled;
-Peter’s takeaways on the theoretical “J-curve” relationship between exercise and longevity;
-Risk of sudden cardiac death from vigorous physical exertion;
-Atrial fibrillation associated with extreme levels of exercise;
-Parting thoughts: benefits of exercise far outweigh the risks;
-More.

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About:

The Peter Attia Drive is a weekly, ultra-deep-dive podcast focusing on maximizing health, longevity, critical thinking…and a few other things. With over 45 million episodes downloaded, it features topics including fasting, ketosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, mental health, and much more.

Peter is a physician focusing on the applied science of longevity. His practice deals extensively with nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (delay the onset of chronic disease), while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life).

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Disclaimer: This podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing, or other professional healthcare services, including the giving of medical advice. No doctor-patient relationship is formed. The use of this information and the materials linked to this podcast is at the user's own risk. The content on this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they have, and they should seek the assistance of their healthcare professionals for any such conditions. I take conflicts of interest very seriously. For all of my disclosures and the companies I invest in or advise, please visit my website where I keep an up-to-date and active list of such companies.

[MarkRollag]

This Youtube channel saved my life! No joke! Thank you Dr Peter Attia. Thank you for having Dr James OKeefe on who became my PREVENTATIVE Cardiologist!!! Spend the time to help your health! Spend the money to help your health!!! NOBODY is coming to save you! You need to take responsiblity to learn and take action!

This is about prevention! Healthcare in general is 99% about intervention. Most doctors dont do anything until you have a symptom!

SPEND THE MONEY! SPEND THE TIME!

[OttoHunt]

The question in the title was not answered: "how much exercise is too much?"

[waynerichardson]

With due respect, I would suggest that ordinary people want to know how much exercise per week, what kind of exercises to perform would give the best results, and if there is one period of the day that would be best to exercise. That would answer most questions.

[brianfradet]

The jargon makes this discussion incomprehensible to most people

[richardmiddleton]

You have to first define exercise. Any full body movement is exercise, walking for instance is exercise. Then you have to determine how much exercise above a certain heart rate for X amount of continuous time is too much. Then you have to look at the physiological stress of said amount of exercise and whether, being a stressor, the body can adapt over time so it is no longer 'too much' for that individual.

[mattarndt]

A lot of variables in play. It depends on the INTENSITY of the exercise. If it’s light to moderate, you can do that every day. Hard or intense requires more time to recovery, especially the older you are. I’m 51 and I work out with weights or resistance 4 times per week. Walk around 8000 to 12000 steps almost daily. Your body needs both type of stimulation, strength training and cardio for optimal health.

[GregKingston]

Minimum amount of exercise for health benefits is 150 min per week at moderate intensity or 75 min at vigorous intensity. Once you get past 300 minutes per week, the health benefits will level off. People are capable of exercising above that level without negative effects to a certain degree, but won't experience any additional decrease in disease, mortality, etc. So the question is what are you training for? Training for health and training for a specific task are 2 different things.

[samelder]

Never addresses question in the title.

[Nilsosmar]

Short answer: of course. We need to get to know our bodies, aiming to do enough exercise but not overdo it.

[pedro.almeida]

If you use Apple Health you can check the average METs for the activity. So that way you can measure the amount of exercise you doing, regardless of the type of exercise. You just need to be careful when averaging them up (eg. 30 minutes at 7 MET, plus 10m at 3 MET, etc)

[markmraven]

He didn't answer the question (big surprise Peter), but his ideals are: elite VO2 max of someone ten years younger than you, and (maybe) reach strength potential and maintain it indefinitely

[RobustArid]

Yes, you can exercise too much in your zone. You will know when your body is exhausted

[jamesedward]

I think Peter is the gold standard for those seeking advice on how to optimize their behavior for wellness/longevity. That said, this is the worst "bait and switch" video I've seen in a while. The title says "Can you exercise too much?" They proceed to discuss metrics like METs and Watts etc. Then, just when you expect them to get to the point where they talk about the optimal targets for those metrics, the video stops and Peter basically says if you want the answer, sign up for my paid podcast.

I realize the guy has a right to make money from his knowledge but, cmon.

I hope this saves somebody the fifteen minutes.

[maximus]

These sneak peeks do the trick in making me want to subscribe, shame I'm too broke 😭 😂

[AnnTsungMD]

Very insightful. Great episode. Thanks Dr. Peter. ❤

[BB-gjck]

I bet in 5 years Peter will support the Body By science workout. It’s great

[bennguyen]

Regarding the 10m mark, on how the cycle's power meter shows the instantaneous power output (1kw.. or 1000 joules per second).. and that you multiply it by time (seconds) to get the total energy exerted during that time (joules)..

instead of defining the intensity, duration, and frequency of exercises to do, perhaps it would be useful to test just how much one should be capable of doing, normalized by age as a minimum for optimal-health? For example, number of push-ups, sit-ups, number of curls of xx pounds, peak heartrate (220-age).. as well as blood markers..

ApoB < 60 or the ratio (ApoB/ApoA1 < .7)?
Trig/HDL < 1

[jeromevolckerpowell]

Came with the hope of some practical application and left with a spreadsheet of MET

[Thedudeabides]

Too much weight training and injured my ac joint. Worst injury I’ve had. Tried to keep working out and only made it worse. Took 8 months to finally heal and I’ll never train again the way I used to.

[rozycool]

Curious about relationships between calorie burn/heart rate and METs?