This Is How You Know If You're in Zone 2 When Doing Cardio | Peter Attia, M.D.

Peter Attia spends ~3 hours per week in zone 2 (he does so with 4 separate 45-minute cardio sessions). In this video, expect to learn:

• How far into a cardio session you should be before measuring lactate to determine if you're in zone 2 (and the lactate level to look for)
• The lactate meter Peter & Rhonda use
• How to determine if you're in zone 2 using the "talk test"
• Which is better for assessing zone 2: rate of perceived exertion or lactate?
• How to determine if you're in zone 2 using heart rate
• The app Peter checks every morning that predicts his zone 2 as a result of his heart rate variability

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[CuilcaghFK]

I’m an early riser. 2-3 hrs zone two twice weekly has profoundly elevated my duration and recovery in all higher zones. And I’m getting through my backlog of Audible books too. Wish I had done this on my 20s I would have been a much better cyclist. 😊

[BrikBeans]

I'm an athlete and so many people would lose faith in anything I said when I brought up perceived exertion and the talk test. But that shit is legit AF

[jeffdavis]

The new athletic training methods are incredible. As a life long cyclist and former runner I can remember getting my first HR monitor and thinking "its doesn't get any better than this!" but was freaked out as a runner that my HR didn't fit into the 220 minus age standard equation. I ran to my doc to see what was up! My RHR was 58 and my Zone 5 was near 200. Now 50 years later my resting is 65 and Zone 5 is still 185. We now look at HR monitors as pretty rudimentary, given tools like CGMs, lactate monitors, watt meters etc. Its great to hear him talk about PE as a great way to guide zone 2 training. Sometimes just listening to your body is in fact the most effective tool once you have some experience with it.
I always wonder now how much better guys like Eddy Merckx, Steve Prefontain, Frank Shorter etc would have been if the current technology (and equipment) were available to them during their careers.

[philipsmith]

That guy is about a smart as I've heard in a long time. Respect 👍

[Chris-mitt]

Finally an MD that has an understanding of biochemistry.

[filmic]

I'm 71 and run regularly 4-5k and my Garmin 'once' congratulated me for having a HR of 170bpm. I usually run in the upper green zone just before Threshold. 180- my age. Hmm? I usually hit 125-130 bpm, and my Garmin buzzes if my HRM is below 120bpm. I'm a short endomorph but solid muscle and used to weigh 270 lbs. I was 190lbs last weigh-in and very low to no carb meals. Not keto.. I like to follow Coach Parry. I feel their advice keeps me safe, because rest factors in for 50+ year olds. Thank you for the analysis.

[cisium]

I made a box around the treadmill with masking tape, and wrote "ZONE 2" on it with a sharpie. 😁

[DaveGoode-EdenrosePS]

My uncle Bob Goode created the talk test at U of T in Toronto. He was a great mentor for movement.

[bobbrian]

interesting thing about pro cyclists is that they tend to spend most of their time well below the upper limit of their zone 2. At this level they have a zone 2 at about 300w and lactate threshold at about 400w, but there is data showing most of the training time is around 200-250 w

[OaxSport]

Thanks, Dr. Attia, for the clear breakdown on how to measure and maintain Zone 2 cardio! The practical tips on using lactate levels, heart rate, and the "talk test" are super helpful. #Zone2 #Cardio #Fitness #HealthTips

[Model_Student]

David Goggins has only two zones

Zone 1: “They know me”
Zone 2: “They don’t know me”

[SprintTri]

I’m 57 and a fit short course triathlete. My max HR is 186 and my resting HR is 40-42 bpm. My sweet spot Z2 is right around 142-146 running and 136-142 cycling. My power on the bike is almost always one zone (based off FTP) higher than my HR zone. My formula is best taking my max HR minus my age then adding 10-15 bpm. After decades of using a HR strap monitor, I can ALWAYS guess where my HR is within one beat without looking at my watch. This has really helped with RPE. But note, if I exceed these Z2 HR numbers, I can definitely feel it the next day. I will try your app and start taking lactate measurements. I also want to mention that I’m not a huge fan of a lot of Z2 training. I do make sure I spend at least one day of running in Z2 and the other maybe Z4-Z5 on the treadmill doing threshold intervals. Same with cycling and swimming.

[stefanweilhartner]

and if you take sodium bicarbonate + beta-alanine + taurine together, it would lower lactate at a given power output as well. perfect to optimize fat burning.

[tonicaballer]

That podcast is gold, Thankyou so much❤

[QuintinHowell]

After listening to Peter's book I tried zone 2 training only to find using Garmin Zone 3 is Zone 2 training. I don't understand why different brands have different zones.

[SPLITSLEEVE]

It's amazing how music can power you through the zones and keep you going . It's like a drug.

[samfortune]

Peter Attia really is an legend. The amount of effort he puts in to understanding human physiology, and then breaking concepts down for us in a way that's understandable for enthusiasts is incredible.

[GeoffreyHiggs]

have a lactate meter....what I'm really waiting for is a "continuous lactate meter" that's going to be the ultimate game changer.

[RyBegz]

Appreciate the science behind it all. Really need to get a smart watch to check my hearbeat. For now, my barometer is how much physical exertion I am feeling. Running 4 miles 5 days a week in early AM and hitting the gym after work. When I run I definitely can't have a conversation with anyone. I try to keep it intense as possible. I want people that I run by to think "he is not messing around".

[maxadrums]

Start slider: "Rougly, Zone 2 may align with 60-70% of max HR" - later "We tell them to start at somewhere between 75-80% of max HR". I'm confused. Is this because they're supposedly fit?