Exercise Means Nothing Without Recovery

Today I'm writing you from Cabo because my wife and I needed some rest and recovery so I thought it was only fitting to talk to you about the importance of recovery and how to crush it after 30.Read time: ~5 minutes 27 seconds

"We exercise to create the opportunity to recover," my friend and colleague Larry Gaier said that at a seminar we were running a few years ago and it stuck with me. We don't exercise to build muscle or to improve cardiovascular fitness/function.That might be why we think we're exercising, but none of those things happen during exercise. They all happen during recovery."Yeah, but that's the same thing. You're just splitting hairs to make it sound more interesting."That's the common pushback to this idea.But, it's wrong, and everyBODY knows it. If you run yourself into the ground without enough recovery what happens?You get injured. Without recovery you don't build the muscle, you don't improve cardiovascular function, you don't improve, period... you get worse. What does this have to do with aging?

Aging and Recovery bility

As we get older our ability to adapt to exercise doesn't actually decrease that much, our ability to grow muscle and improve cardiovascular fitness remains intact.In fact, aerobic capacity, if maintained over time decreases very little with age. Power does decrease with age and while we can slow that loss down and even regain some of it, we can't totally stop its loss. Type II muscle fibers, the big explosive ones, are the muscle fibers that break down and shrink the fastest as we age. The reason that's a problem is because we need those muscles to do things like get our feet under us if we trip, get up off the floor, or carry a sleeping child inside from the car. Without the power that comes from our type II muscle fibers, we quickly become more and more dependent on other people. Why does all of this happen?As we age, our ability to RECOVER decreases. What that means is, that even though we have similar potential for gains from our exercise as people who are younger than us, it requires more time, effort, and energy from our bodies to recover afterward. 

Hormones

Hormones like testosterone and growth hormone in men and estrogen and growth hormone in women naturally decrease with age. When it comes to recovery, that's a problem.Testosterone is the main muscle-building hormone in men and while growth hormone is numero uno for women, (estrogen plays a supporting role as well).Those hormones are needed for the recovery process post-exercise.What can you do?Craft a lifestyle that supports optimal hormone levels.It takes some work, but once you get the ball rolling your recovery will improve dramatically.That means more energy, better performance, and very little if any disability in your future. 

SleepSleep is fundamental for hormonal health and physical performance. It's during sleep that the majority of our growth hormone is released, this is because it's during sleep that our body does most of its housekeeping and rebuilding after stress, both physical (exercise) and mental (emotional/cognitive work).

After about the age of 30 growth hormone decreases by ~15% per decade, a good portion of this reduction comes from our reduced sleep efficiency. We have different phases of sleep (REM, deep, etc.) Deep sleep is the portion of sleep when most of our growth hormone is released, it's also the type of sleep we struggle with the most as we age. 

Sleep loss also dramatically impacts testosterone.One study even demonstrated how restricting sleep from 8 hours to 5 for one week decreased testosterone levels by 10-15%, effectively aging the men by ten years. 

The relationship between sleep and estrogen isn't so cut and dry and varies widely over the menstrual cycle.How can you optimize your sleep?Set yourself up for success:

• Get morning light in your eyes (not through a window or sunglasses) to set your biological clock.

• No screens after 10pm or 1 hour before bed whichever comes first

• Cool dark room

• No caffeine after lunch

• No eating ~2hrs before bed (eating before bed decreases growth hormone production)

• Make your room a "sacred space" (used for sex and sleep only, this creates a strong environmental cue for what your body should do there)

• Magnesium, natures sleep aid (Magnesium L-Threonate or magnesium glycate are the best forms)

DietExercise obviously provides a strong signal to our bodies to change, adapt, and keep everything running on all cylinders. It's the "use it or lose it" principle in action. Interestingly enough what we eat provides a similar cue to our bodies, which tells them to maintain all of the muscle-building machinery, including hormones. With age, most people crave protein less than when they were younger, which makes sense because most people also become more sedentary as they age. Less movement means less protein is needed to take care of their lean body mass.Less movement also means that lean body mass is no longer a priority and so it can be broken down into its protein building blocks and used somewhere else. The current RDA for protein consumption is 0.8g per kilogram (0.36g per pound). Recent studies show that this number is significantly lower than it should be, which anyone who's ever tried to build muscle can confirm. 1.2-1.6g per kilogram (0.5-0.7g per pound) seems to be closer to what's necessary for optimal protein synthesis (maintaining and building muscle).For a 150-pound individual that would translate to 75-105 grams of protein per day. Beyond that staying away from as much refined sugar as possible will also help keep your blood sugar under control. 

StressStress isn't all bad. Exercise is just physical stress that we choose to subject ourselves to.So it's not helpful to use stress as a blanket term and say "it's bad."The kinds of stress that wreck our health are chronic stress and involuntary meaningless stress. Both of these types of stress have similar effects on the body and mind and all of them are negative. Sex hormones (testosterone/estrogen) get thrown out of balance. Growth hormone decreases.Stress hormones like cortisol go through the roof. Sleep suffers, relationships tank, and eating habits go off the rails.

What can you do?

• Deal with your stress- Anything you refuse to deal with will only multiply when you sweep it under the rug.

• Breathwork- Your breath is the gateway to your nervous system. Here's a LINK to an up and down-regulation guided meditation/breathwork exercise

• Meditation- Taking a few minutes to interrupt the cycle of stress can completely redirect the trajectory of your life. Here's a LINK to a playlist of 98 mini meditations I recorded just for you.

• Get professional help- Mental health professionals are worth their weight in gold. If you need help don't wait, reach out.

Honorable mentionUsing a sauna is one of the best things you can do to support your growth hormone levels and protect your DNA as you age. Heat exposure dramatically increases growth hormone, 2-3X depending on the study you read. While sauna continues to elevate growth hormone over time the 2-3x increase will decrease if you sauna bathe multiple times every week, which you should.Heat shock proteins, which are released during heat exposure act as little envelopes that protect your DNA from damage and slow the aging process.The truth is, I believe sauna bathing is just as important as sleep, diet, and stress but most ppl don't have access to a sauna so it gets an honorable mention. How much sauna?4 times per week for 20 minutes at ~180 degrees or hotter.

Summary

Age can dramatically affect your performance and long-term independence if you're not stacking the deck in your favor.

• Sleep like your life depends on it

• Eat to supply the building blocks your body NEEDS to maintain and build muscle mass

• Get your stress under control before it destroys your hormones and/or kills you

• Find a sauna you can use, it's worth it

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