How to find your “Zone 2” without using a lactate meter | The Peter Attia Drive Podcast

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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 40 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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[vladislavnemtsov]

Dear Peter, a conversation recorded during the zone 2 exercise (if haven't yet), would be a great visual example how does it look, sound and feel like! Thanks a lot, Vlad

[norbert]

*Note* : Inigo's Zone 2 is not the same as Zone 2 in other models (e.g. 60-70% of MaxHR). What your Garmin tells you to be Zone 2 is most likely (high) Zone 1 in Inigo's model. His Zone 2 is rather a lactate level driven number, than an FTP/MaxHR driven number. Two riders with the same MaxHR and FTP but different lactate profiles will have different Zone 2s in Inigo's model.

And "Zone 2" is most likely a misnomer as he never refers to it as a range, but rather as a number (watt/bpm) to aim for. Indeed, that number can vary based on your current level of fatigue/stress, but it is still a number you aim to hit rather than an actual "zone" within which you can go up and down.

In reality, since most of us can't afford regular testing of our lactate levels, Zone 2 becomes a range based on our attempts at riding in Zone 2 at different levels of fatigue. (e.g. at your most fresh you could ride at 140bpm without feeling out of breath, on another day when you feel really tired it might be 130pm; and your range becomes 130-140bpm).

[cgillit]

I bought a lactate meter and have used it. I've found a set heart rate number doesn't work that well for me because it's too variable from day to day, depending on how tired/stressed/recouperated the body is. Some days I can get my heart rate up to 135 bpm and lactate stays at 1.5. Other days when my body is struggling it takes a lot more effort and my lactate can be over 2.5 at 135 bpm. I find I can find Zone 2 better by pure feel than a hard or fast heart rate number. Once you've conditioned yourself well enough, you can feel when you're in the zone 2. Ive found a useful tool is a metronome app on my phone that I can hear in the background with music/podcasts/audiobooks. My body just kinda naturally synchronizes exertion to the pace of the tempo. I adjust the tempo up or down based on how my body feels that particular day. Once you feel like you've hit the right pace/tempo and you're in Zone 2, just keep it running in the background and the body maintains a pretty steady state of exertion.

[ulfbjuro]

Would be great to have you, Peter, recorded while in zone 2 and talking. Since I have heard your voice for years and hours, a one minute video would give me a perfect idea of how it sounds and looks in zone 2. It would be helpful.

[bennguyen]

On the recent Rich Roll podcast, Peter goes into more detail on Zone 2. It's a test of your mitochondrial efficiency.. how fit you are determines how well you body can access the fat storage at increasing higher workloads. See the 1h42m mark.

If I understand correctly, the amount of visceral fat you have in your muscle tissue and surrounding your organs, determines how metabolically fit you are.. and it can roughly approximated using static tests (uric acid level, blood pressure, insulin, trigs, hdl, a1c, waist circumference), as well as dynamic tests, most importantly OGTT and lactate testing. If you're fit, your zone-2 heart-rate can be 85 percent of you maximum heart-rate, otherwise it's 75 percent or lower. It's important to know what your true/actual maximum heart-rate is.

If your resting lactate level is above 2 mmol/L, then this indicates you will start accumulating lactate upon *any* exertion, so additional lactate testing is not useful.. instead use the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion. If it's below 1, then you'll need a stationary bike / treadmill, and a lactate meter (yellow Lactate Plus seems more accurate for high lactate, and the blue Lactate Pro seems better for low lactate levels) to find what your heart-rate should be to stay in zone 2 (outdoor activity should be reserved for zone 5). The idea is you measure lactate (via ear) every 7 minutes to find what your heart rate is to stay below 2.

There is a series 'Limitless' that's coming out soon, that may show this in action!

[wigleboy]

Funny, this is known to me now and talk to my dog when I don't want to wear my suunto watch and HR monitor. But, I pushed Z3 and 4 for way to many years thinking that was the thing to do.

[kaynenbrown]

This was one of the best interviews you have done!🙌🏽🙌🏽

[ObsessiveCyclist]

Respiration rate varies significantly between individuals at the same HR or lactate level and I wonder whether an ability to hold a conversation is of sufficient accuracy to act as a decent surrogate for holding lactate in Zone 2? Perhaps I’m thinking of individual extremes rather than the population level but it’s made me want to test! Thanks for this content Peter. The quality of questions and clarity of explanation is the best of its kind. Love it. 👏👏👏

[sergelachapelle]

At 64, not greatly conditioned but working on it, I find it difficult to keep my heartrate below 135 on 25 minute runs... I have to slow myself consciously... This is so hard to figure out, but I like the idea that I can feel my way through it although I will be getting a lactate meeter just cause I like gadgets... Both podcasts with Inigo are just so far above great, I think I have listened to them 4 times... Just love my subscription, the best money I have spent on my longevity journey ....

[jackcarpenters]

my own rule, when i breath through my nose while running, i go easy enough (zone 2).

[mikegburnside]

Anyone familiar with the 'sing test'? Inability to sing normally or say a somewhat challenging verse well is now in zone 2. Ref Dr Rob Goode U of Toronto. In other words, a long sentence requires a breath somewhere in-between (i.e., huffing).

[ricf]

I was chatting away last night while doing 30 minutes on the indoor bike. Average HR 126 bpm, Max HR 133 bpm. 230 Watts average. Got a new VO2 max of 83.0 as well. Body weight just under 56 kg's. It was Zone 2. I train most of the time in that Zone. Rarely do I ramp things up. 80% intensity. I do two other things not usually mentioned. I ride an average cadence of 60 rpm and hydrate to a level where I weigh more coming off the trainer than I did getting on. In two hours, I'll drink 2 -3 litres. I've just turned 62 years old.

[r.e.]

It's simply called the TALK TEST in the Fitness Field.

[stuartfreedman]

4:32 Further to your comment about carrying on a conversation: I spend lots of Zone 2 time on a trainer, (60 to 90 minute sessions 3-4 times per week) but I am alone. With no one to talk to, I figure that if I can comfortably breath only through my nose, that I am staying within Zone 2 without "slipping" into zone 3. Any thoughts on this? I am 70 years old if that matters...

[precisionmarksman]

At 72, I remember this type of Aerobic Training, was called "LSD" "Long-Slow-Distance"
Low intensity, Longer time, endurance training. Zone 2 just repackaged the same type of training!

[miguelalonsoperez]

Why all of this worry about a “zone”? From decades all of athletes we learn to run easily by experience, if you’re all time watching the chronometer or talking to perceive your intensity you’ll bee confused.

Just try and get easy, but not all times you’ll feel the same. There are says when all of us had felt tired no mater the intensity, others is easy and flowing.

“Zone 2” is an artificial division to enhance some metabolic aspects, but you don’t want to be all time sticked to that: is really boring and not very productive. Sometimes you run a little faster, at same session or in other, sometimes slightly slower. This is natural in sport, trying to replace your perception with measurements leave the “mindfulness” of the easy runs or even the intensity runs.

One can track the training and verify after, so at an average will be on your targeted intensity just by feedback but don’t do it in real time.

[ChrisPCycling]

a deep dive into Z4 / Glycolytic Capacity would be AWESOME too :)

[tatumboy]

When I try to do a talk test when I believe I'm in zone 2 and heart rate steady, my heart rate goes up 5-6 bpm when I talk and lowers when I stop talking. Is this to be expected?

[suisinghoraceho]

Hum, looks like whenever I do a Zone 2, just call my wife in for a heart to hear conversation.

Or I can do the reading with the kids. That sounds like a good one.

[dennissullivan]

Excellent, relevant and actionable- thank you gentlemen. I can now upgrade my zone 2 game !