Why isn’t resting heart rate factored in with blood pressure?
If my systolic is 121, but my resting heart rate is 75, why isn’t that worse on me than having a systolic of 132 and a resting heart rate of 50? I’d rather have my arteries hit with a “132” fifty times every minute than have them hit seventy-five times by a “121.”
Running and Zone 2
Hi Peter. You probably often get this question, but I wanted to give you some context before I ask it. I am a U.S. Navy retired veteran and have been exercising all of my life, which is now approaching its 55th year this September. I was a frequent runner while I was active duty and a fast recreational runner. I routinely completed our bi-annual Physical Fitness test 1.5 mile run in sub-nine minutes and when I ran for 10K+ distances I was usually at a 6-minute mile pace. I weight trained as well and shifted more into strength and hypertrophy training when I hung my running shoes up after retiring from the military. I still kept my cardio conditioning mainly through HIIT-type workouts, plyometric workouts, and sprint-intervals. I started listening to The Drive a couple of years ago and along with the incredible health information you have provided, I have become interested in building my cardio base and running again. I enrolled in Early and read your book and turned my friends and wife on to your podcast and book. My wife and I had our VO2 Max tests and Dexa scans done a few weeks ago and my VO2 max was 42. My goal is to increase this to 48 or 50 if possible. From the VO2max testing data and other content I've read on running in Zone 2, I should be targeting 107-125 bpm (60-70% max HR). I have walked at this pace and maintained this HR, but it doesn't feel as if it is hard enough. I can carry on complete, easy conversations with my wife while we're walking and it's not flat terrain. I have done a few 60 minute runs targeting 80% max HR (142-145) and those runs feel more like what you describe as Zone 2. I can talk and carry on a conversation, but it isn't something I really want to do. I went back and listened to your interviews with Inigo and Mike Joyner and from what I discern from those interviews, my Zone 2 (without measuring my lactate) is probably at 80% max HR and not at 60-70%. From the VO2 max test, my RER at 142-145 HR was .80-.84, just below the .85 fat oxidation to glucose oxidation tipping point. So this brings me to my question. Without having to measure my lactate, is this 142-145 80% of max heart rate (178 by the way) my Zone 2? I tend to think it is, but I am curious to hear your answer. I get back from these runs and feel good...not tired...can breathe easy...and they feel kind of slow. I also incorporate some interval work in as well on one run a week to work on my VO2max conditioning. This is a 30-minute Zone 2 run followed by 4 rounds of 4 minutes at 90% HR and 4 minutes at 80%. My third run of the week is 30 minutes of sprint intervals...5 minute warm up, 10-12 reps of 20 secs all out followed by 40 secs walk/jog, 5 minutes cool down. Thanks for all you do.
Z2 as 10x risk factor for AF
Peter, here is my paraphrase from several recent studies on AF: Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common cardiac arrhythmia in clinical settings, affecting ~ 2% of patients worldwide and carrying a significantly increased risk of ischemic stroke and mortality. Diabetes is one of the major risk factors for AF. A large meta-analysis indicated that patients with diabetes have a nearly 40% greater risk of AF than do patients without diabetes. Methamphetamine users (average age of 35 years) had an 86% increased risk of being diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. Alcohol is also believed to be a risk factor, with every daily drink carrying approximately an 8% increase in risk. At the extreme, alcoholics carry up to a 61% increase (at an average of 6+ drinks per day). But the worst risk factor of all is fitness: adjusted to age, body mass index and blood pressure, marathon runners present 12.9-fold risk of developing atrial fibrillation.