Can Exercise Make Your Heart Younger?

Disclaimer: Not Medical Advice. Opinions are my own.

In partnership with ​Function Health

Today's newsletter at a glance:

• The #1 Cause of Death Worldwide

• The Dangerous Effects of Sedentary Aging

• Deep Dive on a Landmark Study

• The Exercise Protocol For Longevity

Heart disease is the #1 cause of death worldwide.

Not cancer. Not strokes. Not Dementia. Ischemic Heart Attacks.

Every 40 seconds, a heart attack occurs.

Usually, heart health is an afterthought because the warning signs can be subtle before danger is knocking at the door.

Age is a primary risk factor.

Staying proactive and consciously fighting the inevitable uphill battle of age is something we should all be doing.

I'm right around the corner from 60, so I know this all too well.

Exercise is the single greatest drug for longevity.

In today's newsletter, we'll explore a groundbreaking study that demonstrates the significant effects of exercise on heart health. We'll cover how the research was carried out, the key findings and implications, and practical ways you can incorporate this knowledge into your daily routine.

The Dangerous Effects of Sedentary Aging

The heart is just a muscle, albeit an important one.

The concept of "if you don't use it, you lose it" applies.

In addition to muscle loss with age, a sedentary lifestyle is a damage multiplier.

A consequence of sedentary aging is left ventricular (LV) stiffness.

Why does this matter?

In a healthy heart, the pumping chamber has enough space to circulate blood throughout the body. When left ventricular (LV) stiffness occurs, this chamber's space decreases, making it more difficult to pump blood effectively.

This decrease of space in the pumping chamber can spiral to heart failure.

Can this left ventricular stiffness be altered with exercise?

The results look promising.

Benjamin Levine's Landmark Study

This randomized control trial from 2018 studied the effects exercise has on the heart.

In this study, 61 middle-aged participants (mean age 53 ± 5 years, 48% male) who were all healthy but lived a sedentary lifestyle were observed.

For this study, a sedentary lifestyle was defined as engaging in less than two exercise sessions per week for at least the previous two years.

Participants were randomized into two groups: an exercise training group and a control group.

For 2 years, both groups followed a supervised training regime.

The Exercise Group:

• Engaged in at least 30 minutes of moderate to high-intensity aerobic exercise 4 to 5 days a week, including one session at high intensity (aiming for 95% of their maximum heart rate) and one or two sessions of lower-intensity recovery or cross-training each week.

• The program was progressively increased from lower intensity and shorter duration, gradually ramping up over several months to meet the target frequency and intensity. Adherence was strong at 88%.

The Control Group:

• Engaged in an "attention control" regimen that consisted of supervised stretching, balance, and yoga exercises. These activities were specifically chosen to provide social interaction and attention similar to the exercise group, but without the cardiovascular stimulus of aerobic or high-intensity exercise.

• The control group did not participate in any structured aerobic or endurance training during the two-year study period, and their physical activity level remained sedentary by design throughout the trial.

The powerful findings were that the exercise group had a significant 18% increase in VO₂max and a reduction in LV stiffness similar to that of hearts 20 years younger. While the control group showed no change.

The Exercise Protocol For Longevity

The findings from this study clearly highlight the power of exercise, but what are the takeaways for our lives?

First, I frequently get asked, "Is it too late for me to start exercising?"

My answer is unequivocally no. It is never too late to start.

Exercise is like saving for retirement. You wish you had started earlier, but there's no better time to start than today.

This study specifically focused on sedentary middle-aged participants who showed reversed functional aging with exercise.

Second, these results didn't happen overnight.

This required 2 years of following an intense exercise program.

Life-changing transformation requires consistency and devotion.

Your fitness program should be deliberate by design, but be patient with results.

Finally, what exercise protocol should you follow for longevity?

Everyone has their instruction manual, and each exercise program should be tailored on an individual level.

Disclaimer: always consult your qualified healthcare professional prior to starting, changing, or stopping your current fitness routine.

As a general recommendation:

• 3-4 days of aerobic training [1 day consisting of high intensity]

• 3-4 days of strength training

The blend for you will depend on your strengths and weaknesses.

Something always beats nothing.

Keep it simple: move every day.

Movement is medicine.

Show up.

If You Don't Test, You Don't Know

True health ownership starts with knowledge.

Understanding which biomarkers are in range or, more importantly, out of range will help you personalize and create your own instruction manual.

​Function Health​ is an all-in-one health platform that starts with 100+ lab tests, including your heart, hormones, liver, kidneys, thyroid, autoimmunity, cancer signals, toxins, and overall nutrients.

Function provides five times more bloodwork testing than standard primary care labs, which would cost you thousands of dollars out of pocket.

Function makes scheduling at 2,000 locations across the USA convenient and straightforward, with lab visits averaging only 15 minutes.

Once your results are in, you will receive a comprehensive summary written by Function's Clinical Team. Clinicians call you promptly if any urgent results arise.

After seeing your biomarkers and Function's insightful recommendations, you will have the confidence to take action and retest in the future to track your progress.

Join hundreds of thousands, including me, who use Function to take control of their health. ​Click here to get a $100 credit when you sign up for Function.

Only the best,

Jeremy London, MD

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