Zone 2 Training Revisited – BionicOldGuy

There is a good article in Alex Hutchinson’s “sweat science” newsletter (which you can subscribe to here) on zone 2 cardiovascular training. I have discussed this in the past, and my favorite way to train is to spend most of my time in zone 2, and throw in two shorter sessions of higher intensity sessions a week. In his book on longevity Outlive, Dr. Peter Attia recommends zone 2 training for healthy aging. This is based on the work of Dr. Inigo San Millan, one of the big proponents of zone 2 training, who claims it is optimal for the health of the powerhouse mitochondria in our muscle cells. So I was interested to see a scientific study relevant to this in Alex’s article: A group of people exercising the recommended amount of 150 minutes a week vs a control group of sedentary people. The latter were showing early signs of mitochondrial dysfunction, which if left unchecked can progress to insulin resistance and eventually type II diabetes. Best to nip it in the bud with exercise.

From interviews with various exercise scientists and coaches, Alex discovered that you don’t have to be too precise about the rate of exercise. Essentially a good brisk pace will get you in zone 2. Strolling is too easy, while going hard enough to make your muscles burn is too hard.