Blood Flow Restriction, Vo2 Max, Longevity & the Science of Smart Training – with Martin Whitaker

In this episode, Simon chats with Martin Whitaker — a performance coach and PhD researcher specialising in blood flow restriction (BFR) training — about powerful tools for boosting performance, enhancing recovery, and staying fit for life.

Topics Discussed:

• What is blood flow restriction training and how does it work?
• Strength and hypertrophy gains with lower loads
• Case studies from ACL rehab and elite football clubs
• VO₂ Max development using low-intensity interval training with BFR
• Using BFR for recovery, tapering, and mid-competition maintenance
• Who should not use BFR (health contraindications like DVT or AFib)
• Why VO₂ Max matters for longevity (Peter Attia’s “Centenarian Decathlon” idea)
• How to structure high-intensity VO₂ Max intervals for over-50s
• The importance of fat max, fractional utilisation, and fuelling strategy

Quotes:

“VO₂ Max is a bit of a vanity number for athletes… but it’s also one of the strongest predictors of longevity.” — Martin Whitaker “BFR lets you get the same strength gains at 20–40% of 1RM that you'd usually need 70% for.” “High-intensity work gets harder with age — but it also gets more important.”

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Resources & Links:

• Saga Fitness BFR cuffs
• Research paper on BFR safety - https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6530612/
• VO₂ Max tables and fat oxidation graphs (shared by Martin)
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Learn more about Martin

Website - https://onetakefitness.com/

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