Get to know your metabolic health
Brian getting that deeeeeeep powder
Hello 100 Year Athletes!
Welcome to The Shift, where we dive into foundational topics, tactics, and measures that will help you write your 100 Year Athlete success story.
Today, we are digging into the topic of metabolic health - why it is important and how your fitness routine can support it.
Metabolic health is about how well your body converts food into energy and uses it. It’s important for overall health and can prevent chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the prevalence of diabetes cases (the majority of which are type 2) will increase by 54% to more than 54.9 million Americans between 2015 and 2030. It often develops in people 45 or older, and most cases can be prevented according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
What The Science Says:
Your body weight doesn’t tell the whole story, so let’s get to know your metabolic health indicators: hemoglobin A1C, blood pressure, cholesterol and waist-to-hip ratio.
Hemoglobin A1C is a measure of your blood sugar levels and indicator of pre-diabetes and diabetes. Studies suggest that combining resistance training with aerobic exercise may lead to greater reductions in A1C compared to either modality alone.
Blood pressure measures how hard your heart is working to circulate blood. Studies show that endurance training has a more pronounced effect on lowering blood pressure compared to strength training alone. However, combining both types of training may provide the most comprehensive cardiovascular benefits.
Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that is found in the blood and in all cells of the body. It helps make cell walls, tissues, hormones, and vitamin D. There are two types of cholesterol: low-density lipoproteins (LDL) and high-density lipoproteins (HDL). Both strength and endurance training can positively impact cholesterol levels. Endurance training is more effective at increasing HDL cholesterol, while strength training can help lower LDL cholesterol.
Waist-to-hip Ratio (WHR) is a measurement of body fat distribution that can indicate the risk of developing health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension. In many cases, WHR is considered a better risk indicator than BMI (body mass index). Combining strength and endurance training is often considered the most effective approach for improving body composition and reducing WHR, as it addresses both fat loss and muscle gain.
My Experience:
Get tested, dig into the data, and build a plan
My HDL, but not total cholesterol, remained stubbornly low during the years I was training in a Crossfit regimen. However, my HDL shot up when I added endurance training - especially Zone 2 and threshold sets - to the picture.
Candidly, I am fighting my A1C levels a bit right now. I’ve found a clear correlation between eating well and consistent training (both strength and endurance) and keeping the A1C in check.
For $25 and roughly 30 minutes of your time, you can go to the Park City Hospital and get an InBody scan that is completely non-invasive and gives you an immediate print-out on your body mass (by limb and core) relative to benchmarks, recommended daily calories, and target weight. It is amazing! You can book it here.
Three Things You can Do Today:
Ask your primary care provider to schedule a metabolic panel for you and review the results with her/him. Alternatively, ask your doctor which set of health marker panels is most applicable to you.
Eat well consistently, a topic we’ll explore in future posts.
Add endurance training to your strength training regimen. Starting to notice a pattern here? :)
Are you ready to develop and implement a transformative plan for 2025? I welcome the opportunity to partner with you on that journey.
Best,
Brian Allison
NSCA CSCS
brian@100yearathlete
650.996.8803
Related Resources You May Find Helpful:
5 Health Markers That Are More Important Than Your Weight, According to Experts
Effects of Aerobic and Resitance Training on Hemoglobin A1C Levels in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes