December 7, 2025 • 14 mins
We challenge the belief that aging must be a steady decline and map a practical path to reset tired systems with brief intensity, smart protein choices, and consistent lifting. Short, hard efforts trigger powerful cellular responses that restore oxygen sensing, build resilience, and extend health span.
• redefining aging as adaptable, not inevitable
• why 10-minute high intensity beats long steady cardio for longevity signals
• hormesis explained and how hypoxic stress resets faulty oxygen sensing
• NMN and NAD+ roles in blood vessel growth and performance synergy
• resistance training as protection against sarcopenia and loss of autonomy
• resolving the protein paradox with plant-forward protein for pulsed mTOR
• endurance training data showing strong links to longer life
• real-world stories that shift expectations about getting older
• three-step action plan to start this week
This podcast is created by Ai for educational and entertainment purposes only and does not constitute professional medical or health advice. Please talk to your healthcare team for medical advice.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
SPEAKER_01 (00:00):
Welcome to the deep dive.
Today we're looking at a stackof research that honestly it
challenges one of the biggestassumptions we have in modern
society.
Oh, yeah.
Which is this idea that aging isjust, you know, this inevitable
downhill slide.
Right.
We're going to focusspecifically on how we move and
what we eat because the findingssuggest we have, well, way more
(00:22):
control than we think.
SPEAKER_00 (00:23):
Trevor Burrus, Jr.: It's a total paradigm shift,
really.
We're moving beyond that oldmodel of just damage limitation
where you're just trying to slowdown the decay.
SPEAKER_01 (00:31):
Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Yeah, just hold on for dear
life.
SPEAKER_00 (00:33):
Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Exactly.
Our sources, and a lot of themdraw on work from people like
Dr.
David Sinclair.
They show that we can look forstrategies that actively tell
the body to, you know, reset andrenew itself.
SPEAKER_01 (00:44):
Aaron Powell So optimization, not just
maintenance.
SPEAKER_00 (00:47):
Aaron Powell That's the goal.
SPEAKER_01 (00:48):
Okay.
So let's unpack this.
For decades, I mean the standardprescription has been pretty
simple.
Try to get out and walk for 30to 45 minutes a day.
And that's sort of the baselinefor being, you know, moderately
healthy, for avoiding the bigtrouble later on.
SPEAKER_00 (01:02):
Aaron Powell That's the minimum viable product for
exercise.
It's necessary for sure, but itisn't optimal for triggering
those deep molecular pathwaysthat really extend your health
span.
SPEAKER_01 (01:13):
Aaron Powell But if we accept this new lens that
aging isn't inevitable, thatit's maybe correctable, then the
question becomes (01:19):
is just walking enough to trigger that
correction?
Right.
And this is where we had ourfirst like really
counterintuitive finding.
The sources hint that maybe just10 minutes of very specific
high-intensity movement.
SPEAKER_00 (01:34):
Just 10 minutes.
SPEAKER_01 (01:34):
A few times a week might give you longevity
benefits that just blow thatdaily 45-minute stroll out of
the water.
SPEAKER_00 (01:41):
Yeah.
And we need to understand thewhy behind that.
I mean, we're looking forstrategies that put the body
under this controlled short-termstress.
That's what forces this massiveadaptive response.
SPEAKER_01 (01:52):
Aaron Powell That sounds fantastic for anyone
who's short on time, but itcompletely flies in the face of
everything we've been told aboutsteady state cardio.
So, okay, let's get to theactionable advice.
We need to move, yes, but forthese optimal longevity-focused
benefits, you actually have todeliberately lose your breath.
SPEAKER_00 (02:07):
That's it.
SPEAKER_01 (02:07):
We're talking high-intensity exercise.
SPEAKER_00 (02:09):
Aaron Powell That is the sweet spot.
You're activating somethingcalled hormesis.
I mean, think of it as whatdoesn't kill you makes your
cells stronger.
SPEAKER_01 (02:16):
Ha, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (02:17):
Hormetic stress is just when you apply a controlled
temporary dose of something alittle bit harmful like intense
heat or cold, or in this case,intense physical exertion, and
the body's response is tostrengthen all its defensive
systems.
SPEAKER_01 (02:31):
Aaron Powell So it's preparing for that threat in
case it happens again.
SPEAKER_00 (02:34):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (02:35):
So we're pushing past the comfort zone into like
a brief panic zone.
And that time commitment, itreally stands out.
Ten minutes, a few times a week.
I mean, that's doable for almostanyone, right?
SPEAKER_00 (02:44):
It is.
And what's so fascinating isunderstanding why this sudden
shock is so powerful.
It's all about resetting thisinternal malfunction that
happens with aging.
SPEAKER_01 (02:54):
Okay, tell us more about that malfunction.
How does stressing the body forjust a few minutes lead to this
big system-wide reset?
SPEAKER_00 (03:01):
It all connects back to a really landmark finding.
It was published in the journalCell back in 2018.
They found that old muscletissues start suffering from
what they called a pseudohypoxicstate.
SPEAKER_01 (03:12):
Pseudohypoxic.
So the muscle thinks it'ssuffocating.
SPEAKER_00 (03:17):
Exactly.
Even though the blood iscarrying plenty of oxygen, the
muscle's ability to, you know,correct correctly sense and use
that oxygen just degrades overtime.
The sensor is faulty.
SPEAKER_01 (03:28):
So it's constantly perceiving this lack of oxygen
that isn't real.
SPEAKER_00 (03:32):
It is, and that creates this really
dysfunctional feedback loopbecause the cell thinks it's
starved of oxygen, it hits theemergency brakes, it cuts down
on energy production, it reducesthe number of mitochondria, the
powerhouses, and it even startsrestricting blood vessel growth.
SPEAKER_01 (03:46):
Wow.
So it becomes a self-fulfillingprophecy.
The muscle misreads thesituation, shuts down the power,
and then gradually starvesitself for real.
SPEAKER_00 (03:54):
Precisely.
It leads to frailty, energyloss, all the things we
associate with aging.
SPEAKER_01 (03:58):
That's a terrible loop.
SPEAKER_00 (04:00):
It is.
But that high-intensityexercise, that 10-minute burst,
is the intervention.
When you're truly out of breath,you force the body into a real
temporary state of hypoxicstress.
SPEAKER_01 (04:10):
You're giving it a real signal.
SPEAKER_00 (04:11):
A real signal.
And that shock is so immediate,so intense, that it forces the
entire system to recalibratethat faulty oxygen sensor.
It breaks the cycle.
It resets the problem.
SPEAKER_01 (04:24):
So the body learns that its internal alarm was
false and the whole system kindof boots back up.
SPEAKER_00 (04:30):
Yes.
And interestingly, theresearchers noted this shock can
come from a lack of oxygen, likewith intense training or even an
excess of oxygen.
SPEAKER_01 (04:38):
Like in a hyperbaric chamber.
SPEAKER_00 (04:39):
Just like that.
The high pressure environmentalso provides that deep system
reset.
The key is just breaking thesystem out of its dysfunctional
aged state.
SPEAKER_01 (04:47):
Okay, so if exercise helps the muscle's oxygen
perception, we have to talkabout what we can put into the
body to support this.
The research didn't stop withexercise, it moved into
molecular tools.
SPEAKER_00 (04:57):
And that's the transition to NMN.
SPEAKER_01 (04:59):
Right.
For listeners who've maybe heardthe name but aren't totally
clear, what exactly is NMN?
SPEAKER_00 (05:03):
NMN, uh nicotinamide mononucleotide.
Right.
It's basically a precursormolecule for something called
NAD plus.
And NAD plus is often describedas the fuel for your longevity
genes.
It's critical for energy forcell repair.
SPEAKER_01 (05:16):
So the researchers were looking at NMN specifically
for this oxygen problem.
SPEAKER_00 (05:21):
They were, because it was thought to be a key
player in how the body respondsto oxygen and stress.
And in the studies, NMNsuccessfully boosted the body's
ability to make new bloodvessels.
And crucially, it restored themuscle's ability to accurately
measure oxygen again.
SPEAKER_01 (05:37):
So it fixed the lying sensor.
SPEAKER_00 (05:39):
It fixed the lying sensor.
SPEAKER_01 (05:41):
It just incredibly powerful.
And the data they got on actualphysical performance, it really
drives home the synergy betweenthe molecule and the movement.
SPEAKER_00 (05:50):
It absolutely does.
So in the mice studies, theanimals that were just given
NMN, they could run 50% furtherthan the control group.
And that was with no training atall.
SPEAKER_01 (06:00):
50%.
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (06:01):
But here's the kicker.
The young mice that exercised Aand D got the NMN.
They ran twice as far.
SPEAKER_01 (06:06):
Twice as far.
So it's not a magic pill.
You can't replace the activity.
The supplement just amplifiesthe response, but you still need
that stress from the movement totrigger the change in the first
place.
SPEAKER_00 (06:16):
Exactly.
It works synergistically.
You can't cheat the system.
You still have to earn theadaptations.
SPEAKER_01 (06:22):
And speaking of activity, the sources are clear
that it's not just about cardio.
We have to talk about resistancetraining.
Partly for the molecularbenefits, but I mean mainly
because of the huge risk ofsarcopenia.
SPEAKER_00 (06:33):
If we're talking longevity, sarcopenia, which is
just age-related muscle loss, isone of the biggest threats to
your independence later in life.
SPEAKER_01 (06:41):
Aaron Powell And what's the timeline on that?
When does it start?
SPEAKER_00 (06:43):
It starts alarmingly early.
Around age 30, if you're notactively doing some kind of
resistance training, you startlosing about 1% of your muscle
mass every single year.
SPEAKER_01 (06:52):
Every year from 30.
SPEAKER_00 (06:54):
Every year.
And that builds up, leading tosevere sarcopenia later on,
which isn't just about beingweaker.
It means a much higher risk offalls, slower recovery,
metabolic problems.
It's a cascade.
SPEAKER_01 (07:06):
So resistance training isn't optional.
It's it's preventative medicinefor your autonomy.
SPEAKER_00 (07:12):
It is.
And for men, the sources pointedout another benefit.
Keeping those large muscles inshape, I mean, it provides a
signal that helps optimizehormonal balance.
It signals the testes, promoteshealthy testosterone.
It's a foundational response.
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
Okay.
This brings us to the greatparadox, the one that confuses
everyone who's trying tooptimize for muscle mass and for
longevity at the same time.
SPEAKER_00 (07:34):
The famous protein paradox.
It's always the main point offriction.
SPEAKER_01 (07:37):
Right.
So to fight sarcopenia, we needto build muscle.
That means protein.
And you always hear aboutneeding high levels of branch
chain amino acids, the BCAAs.
SPEAKER_00 (07:48):
Leucine, isoleucine, velene.
SPEAKER_01 (07:50):
Right.
Because they aggressivelyactivate this pathway called
MTOR, which drives musclegrowth.
But then longevity researchoften says to limit protein or
limit MTR activation.
Because having that growthswitch stuck in the on position
seems to accelerate aging.
SPEAKER_00 (08:06):
You've framed the conflict perfectly.
We want to be able to turn onthat growth switch MTOR after
exercise, but we absolutely donot want it stuck on all the
time.
SPEAKER_01 (08:14):
Because then the body never gets a chance to do
its cleanup work, right?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (08:18):
Exactly.
How do we solve it?
How do we build the muscle weneed without constantly pushing
that growth button?
SPEAKER_01 (08:23):
Yeah.
How do we fix that?
SPEAKER_00 (08:24):
Well, the clarity of the sources provide is that you
don't necessarily have to limityour total amount of protein.
The key distinction is in thecomposition, the source of that
protein.
SPEAKER_01 (08:34):
Aaron Powell Let's define MTOR a little more
clearly.
We called it the growth switch.
SPEAKER_00 (08:38):
It's the cell's master regulator for growth.
When nutrients are abundant,especially certain amino acids,
MTOR tells the cell to build, todivide, to grow.
Great after a workout.
But if it's always on, the cellnever gets the signal to clean
up old damaged parts.
SPEAKER_01 (08:55):
So you get an accumulation of junk?
SPEAKER_00 (08:57):
Yeah, a lot of cellular junk, which speeds up
aging.
So the goal is pulsed signaling.
On after exercise, off the restof the time.
SPEAKER_01 (09:03):
And the protein source is the key to that pulse.
SPEAKER_00 (09:06):
It is.
Leucine, one of those BCAAs, isthe strongest known activator of
MTOR.
And things like red meat andmost protein shakes have
incredibly high concentrationsof these BCAAs.
That leads to chronic MTRsignaling.
SPEAKER_01 (09:19):
So if I eat a massive steak or chug-away
shake, I'm just flooring thatgrowth pedal constantly.
SPEAKER_00 (09:25):
That's the suggested mechanism, yes.
By focusing more on plant-basedsources, beans, lentils, nuts,
things like that, you get plentyof protein to build muscle and
fight sarcopenia, but withoutthat extreme BCAA load that
keeps MTOR constantly switchedon.
SPEAKER_01 (09:41):
That's a huge clarification.
It's not about the quantity ofprotein, it's about the
composition of the amino acidsthat are hitting that pathway.
We're optimizing for signaling,not just grams.
SPEAKER_00 (09:51):
Understanding that difference is absolutely the key
to resolving the paradox foryourself.
SPEAKER_01 (09:56):
So going back to movement for a second, I had
sources discussing whether, youknow, extreme endurance events
like running a marathon, if thatpushes you past that hormetic
sweet spot, I mean four or fivehours of stress, surely that
becomes a bad thing.
SPEAKER_00 (10:10):
That's a really common and logical assumption.
But based on the evidence, highendurance activity seems to be
not only fine, but reallybeneficial.
The data shows a very clear,very strong correlation between
long-distance running and bikingand a longer life.
SPEAKER_01 (10:25):
Okay, so that's reassuring for all the endurance
junkies out there.
SPEAKER_00 (10:28):
It is.
It seems to be the long-termadaptation that matters most.
There's a powerful stat oncycling.
Riding about 80 miles a weekreduces your risk of a heart
attack by a massive 60%.
SPEAKER_01 (10:40):
60%?
SPEAKER_00 (10:41):
Yeah.
So while running a marathon is ahuge temporary stressor, the
overall data supports the ideathat people who do it, they
adapt and they tend to livelonger.
You just build resilience.
SPEAKER_01 (10:51):
And we have some pretty powerful anecdotes that
kind of bring all this sciencedown to earth, make it real for
an average person.
We have to talk about the storyof Dr.
Sinclair's own father.
SPEAKER_00 (11:01):
Oh, that story is incredible.
It completely redefines what weshould expect from getting
older.
So tell us.
His father is 82.
And what's so important tounderstand is that he was never
a health nut.
He was an average guy, dislikedexercise, wasn't obsessed with
this stuff, but he startedimplementing these strategies
resistance training twice aweek.
(11:21):
Running, hiking.
SPEAKER_01 (11:22):
He just started doing the work.
SPEAKER_00 (11:23):
He did.
And he built himself up sosignificantly that he actually
became stronger than his son.
SPEAKER_01 (11:28):
Stronger than the longevity researcher.
SPEAKER_00 (11:31):
Exactly.
Stronger in his early 80s thanhe was decades before.
And here's the most shockingpart: the part that just
completely upends the societalscript.
He says he feels better and morevital in his 80s than he did in
his 30s.
SPEAKER_01 (11:46):
And he wasn't some pro athlete.
He was just a normal guy whostarted applying the science.
SPEAKER_00 (11:51):
That's why it's so powerful.
It shows these outcomes arepossible for most people, not
just the genetic lotterywinners.
And that sense of agency, that'sthe real takeaway.
His father is now at 82 activelyplanning the next 30 years of
his life.
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_01 (12:04):
That's just not the norm.
SPEAKER_00 (12:05):
Aaron Powell Not at all.
And there was another greatanecdote, right, about endurance
and that molecular support thestory of Ken Ryutt.
SPEAKER_01 (12:12):
Yeah, Ken Ryout.
He was a decent runner, kind ofin the middle of the road, who
started using NMN andresveratrol.
SPEAKER_00 (12:17):
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
We have to say this is ananecdote.
It's not a placebo-controlledtrial.
SPEAKER_01 (12:21):
Of course.
SPEAKER_00 (12:21):
But the outcome is, as they say, pretty interesting.
He became the world's fastest50-year-old marathon runner.
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_01 (12:28):
It just speaks to that potential synergy we were
talking about, you know,combining the stress of running
with that molecular support topush way past what seems
possible.
SPEAKER_00 (12:37):
Aaron Powell So let's try to synthesize the core
actionable steps here for youfor the listener based on this
deep dive.
Number one, prioritizehigh-intensity pulsed exercise.
SPEAKER_01 (12:48):
Get out of breath.
SPEAKER_00 (12:49):
You need to lose your breath.
But 10 minutes, a few times aweek, that seems to be enough to
trigger that system resettinghormetic stress.
SPEAKER_01 (12:57):
Two, get some resistance training in.
This is absolutely essential tofight sarcopenia, maintain your
muscle, and really to protectyour autonomy as you get older.
SPEAKER_00 (13:05):
And three, manage that protein paradox.
You can do that by favoringplant-based sources.
That way you get enough proteinfor your muscles without
constantly activating that MTORpathway through those super high
concentrations of BCAAs.
SPEAKER_01 (13:19):
I think ultimately the most powerful shift here is
just one of expectation.
Our sources show that thesesimple pulsed strategies, the
intense bursts, the standing,the plant-heavy diet, they're
leading people, even averagepeople, to plan decades into the
future.
To feel better than they did attheir supposed physical peak, it
just directly challenges thatwhole script that says we have
(13:41):
to decline.
So here's the final thought foryou to ponder.
If these specific targetedshifts can lead an average
person, someone who activelydisliked exercise, to feel
better in their 80s than their30s, what untapped potential for
your own longevity and vitalityare you maybe ignoring in your
current routine just because youassume that decline is
mandatory?
Think about the expectationsyou've set for your own future.
Welcome to the deep dive.
Today we're looking at a stackof research that honestly it
challenges one of the biggestassumptions we have in modern
society.
Oh, yeah.
Which is this idea that aging isjust, you know, this inevitable
downhill slide.
Right.
We're going to focusspecifically on how we move and
what we eat because the findingssuggest we have, well, way more
(00:22):
control than we think.
SPEAKER_00 (00:23):
Trevor Burrus, Jr.: It's a total paradigm shift,
really.
We're moving beyond that oldmodel of just damage limitation
where you're just trying to slowdown the decay.
SPEAKER_01 (00:31):
Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Yeah, just hold on for dear
life.
SPEAKER_00 (00:33):
Trevor Burrus, Jr.: Exactly.
Our sources, and a lot of themdraw on work from people like
Dr.
David Sinclair.
They show that we can look forstrategies that actively tell
the body to, you know, reset andrenew itself.
SPEAKER_01 (00:44):
Aaron Powell So optimization, not just
maintenance.
SPEAKER_00 (00:47):
Aaron Powell That's the goal.
SPEAKER_01 (00:48):
Okay.
So let's unpack this.
For decades, I mean the standardprescription has been pretty
simple.
Try to get out and walk for 30to 45 minutes a day.
And that's sort of the baselinefor being, you know, moderately
healthy, for avoiding the bigtrouble later on.
SPEAKER_00 (01:02):
Aaron Powell That's the minimum viable product for
exercise.
It's necessary for sure, but itisn't optimal for triggering
those deep molecular pathwaysthat really extend your health
span.
SPEAKER_01 (01:13):
Aaron Powell But if we accept this new lens that
aging isn't inevitable, thatit's maybe correctable, then the
question becomes (01:19):
is just walking enough to trigger that
correction?
Right.
And this is where we had ourfirst like really
counterintuitive finding.
The sources hint that maybe just10 minutes of very specific
high-intensity movement.
SPEAKER_00 (01:34):
Just 10 minutes.
SPEAKER_01 (01:34):
A few times a week might give you longevity
benefits that just blow thatdaily 45-minute stroll out of
the water.
SPEAKER_00 (01:41):
Yeah.
And we need to understand thewhy behind that.
I mean, we're looking forstrategies that put the body
under this controlled short-termstress.
That's what forces this massiveadaptive response.
SPEAKER_01 (01:52):
Aaron Powell That sounds fantastic for anyone
who's short on time, but itcompletely flies in the face of
everything we've been told aboutsteady state cardio.
So, okay, let's get to theactionable advice.
We need to move, yes, but forthese optimal longevity-focused
benefits, you actually have todeliberately lose your breath.
SPEAKER_00 (02:07):
That's it.
SPEAKER_01 (02:07):
We're talking high-intensity exercise.
SPEAKER_00 (02:09):
Aaron Powell That is the sweet spot.
You're activating somethingcalled hormesis.
I mean, think of it as whatdoesn't kill you makes your
cells stronger.
SPEAKER_01 (02:16):
Ha, okay.
SPEAKER_00 (02:17):
Hormetic stress is just when you apply a controlled
temporary dose of something alittle bit harmful like intense
heat or cold, or in this case,intense physical exertion, and
the body's response is tostrengthen all its defensive
systems.
SPEAKER_01 (02:31):
Aaron Powell So it's preparing for that threat in
case it happens again.
SPEAKER_00 (02:34):
Exactly.
SPEAKER_01 (02:35):
So we're pushing past the comfort zone into like
a brief panic zone.
And that time commitment, itreally stands out.
Ten minutes, a few times a week.
I mean, that's doable for almostanyone, right?
SPEAKER_00 (02:44):
It is.
And what's so fascinating isunderstanding why this sudden
shock is so powerful.
It's all about resetting thisinternal malfunction that
happens with aging.
SPEAKER_01 (02:54):
Okay, tell us more about that malfunction.
How does stressing the body forjust a few minutes lead to this
big system-wide reset?
SPEAKER_00 (03:01):
It all connects back to a really landmark finding.
It was published in the journalCell back in 2018.
They found that old muscletissues start suffering from
what they called a pseudohypoxicstate.
SPEAKER_01 (03:12):
Pseudohypoxic.
So the muscle thinks it'ssuffocating.
SPEAKER_00 (03:17):
Exactly.
Even though the blood iscarrying plenty of oxygen, the
muscle's ability to, you know,correct correctly sense and use
that oxygen just degrades overtime.
The sensor is faulty.
SPEAKER_01 (03:28):
So it's constantly perceiving this lack of oxygen
that isn't real.
SPEAKER_00 (03:32):
It is, and that creates this really
dysfunctional feedback loopbecause the cell thinks it's
starved of oxygen, it hits theemergency brakes, it cuts down
on energy production, it reducesthe number of mitochondria, the
powerhouses, and it even startsrestricting blood vessel growth.
SPEAKER_01 (03:46):
Wow.
So it becomes a self-fulfillingprophecy.
The muscle misreads thesituation, shuts down the power,
and then gradually starvesitself for real.
SPEAKER_00 (03:54):
Precisely.
It leads to frailty, energyloss, all the things we
associate with aging.
SPEAKER_01 (03:58):
That's a terrible loop.
SPEAKER_00 (04:00):
It is.
But that high-intensityexercise, that 10-minute burst,
is the intervention.
When you're truly out of breath,you force the body into a real
temporary state of hypoxicstress.
SPEAKER_01 (04:10):
You're giving it a real signal.
SPEAKER_00 (04:11):
A real signal.
And that shock is so immediate,so intense, that it forces the
entire system to recalibratethat faulty oxygen sensor.
It breaks the cycle.
It resets the problem.
SPEAKER_01 (04:24):
So the body learns that its internal alarm was
false and the whole system kindof boots back up.
SPEAKER_00 (04:30):
Yes.
And interestingly, theresearchers noted this shock can
come from a lack of oxygen, likewith intense training or even an
excess of oxygen.
SPEAKER_01 (04:38):
Like in a hyperbaric chamber.
SPEAKER_00 (04:39):
Just like that.
The high pressure environmentalso provides that deep system
reset.
The key is just breaking thesystem out of its dysfunctional
aged state.
SPEAKER_01 (04:47):
Okay, so if exercise helps the muscle's oxygen
perception, we have to talkabout what we can put into the
body to support this.
The research didn't stop withexercise, it moved into
molecular tools.
SPEAKER_00 (04:57):
And that's the transition to NMN.
SPEAKER_01 (04:59):
Right.
For listeners who've maybe heardthe name but aren't totally
clear, what exactly is NMN?
SPEAKER_00 (05:03):
NMN, uh nicotinamide mononucleotide.
Right.
It's basically a precursormolecule for something called
NAD plus.
And NAD plus is often describedas the fuel for your longevity
genes.
It's critical for energy forcell repair.
SPEAKER_01 (05:16):
So the researchers were looking at NMN specifically
for this oxygen problem.
SPEAKER_00 (05:21):
They were, because it was thought to be a key
player in how the body respondsto oxygen and stress.
And in the studies, NMNsuccessfully boosted the body's
ability to make new bloodvessels.
And crucially, it restored themuscle's ability to accurately
measure oxygen again.
SPEAKER_01 (05:37):
So it fixed the lying sensor.
SPEAKER_00 (05:39):
It fixed the lying sensor.
SPEAKER_01 (05:41):
It just incredibly powerful.
And the data they got on actualphysical performance, it really
drives home the synergy betweenthe molecule and the movement.
SPEAKER_00 (05:50):
It absolutely does.
So in the mice studies, theanimals that were just given
NMN, they could run 50% furtherthan the control group.
And that was with no training atall.
SPEAKER_01 (06:00):
50%.
Wow.
SPEAKER_00 (06:01):
But here's the kicker.
The young mice that exercised Aand D got the NMN.
They ran twice as far.
SPEAKER_01 (06:06):
Twice as far.
So it's not a magic pill.
You can't replace the activity.
The supplement just amplifiesthe response, but you still need
that stress from the movement totrigger the change in the first
place.
SPEAKER_00 (06:16):
Exactly.
It works synergistically.
You can't cheat the system.
You still have to earn theadaptations.
SPEAKER_01 (06:22):
And speaking of activity, the sources are clear
that it's not just about cardio.
We have to talk about resistancetraining.
Partly for the molecularbenefits, but I mean mainly
because of the huge risk ofsarcopenia.
SPEAKER_00 (06:33):
If we're talking longevity, sarcopenia, which is
just age-related muscle loss, isone of the biggest threats to
your independence later in life.
SPEAKER_01 (06:41):
Aaron Powell And what's the timeline on that?
When does it start?
SPEAKER_00 (06:43):
It starts alarmingly early.
Around age 30, if you're notactively doing some kind of
resistance training, you startlosing about 1% of your muscle
mass every single year.
SPEAKER_01 (06:52):
Every year from 30.
SPEAKER_00 (06:54):
Every year.
And that builds up, leading tosevere sarcopenia later on,
which isn't just about beingweaker.
It means a much higher risk offalls, slower recovery,
metabolic problems.
It's a cascade.
SPEAKER_01 (07:06):
So resistance training isn't optional.
It's it's preventative medicinefor your autonomy.
SPEAKER_00 (07:12):
It is.
And for men, the sources pointedout another benefit.
Keeping those large muscles inshape, I mean, it provides a
signal that helps optimizehormonal balance.
It signals the testes, promoteshealthy testosterone.
It's a foundational response.
SPEAKER_01 (07:25):
Okay.
This brings us to the greatparadox, the one that confuses
everyone who's trying tooptimize for muscle mass and for
longevity at the same time.
SPEAKER_00 (07:34):
The famous protein paradox.
It's always the main point offriction.
SPEAKER_01 (07:37):
Right.
So to fight sarcopenia, we needto build muscle.
That means protein.
And you always hear aboutneeding high levels of branch
chain amino acids, the BCAAs.
SPEAKER_00 (07:48):
Leucine, isoleucine, velene.
SPEAKER_01 (07:50):
Right.
Because they aggressivelyactivate this pathway called
MTOR, which drives musclegrowth.
But then longevity researchoften says to limit protein or
limit MTR activation.
Because having that growthswitch stuck in the on position
seems to accelerate aging.
SPEAKER_00 (08:06):
You've framed the conflict perfectly.
We want to be able to turn onthat growth switch MTOR after
exercise, but we absolutely donot want it stuck on all the
time.
SPEAKER_01 (08:14):
Because then the body never gets a chance to do
its cleanup work, right?
Yeah.
SPEAKER_00 (08:18):
Exactly.
How do we solve it?
How do we build the muscle weneed without constantly pushing
that growth button?
SPEAKER_01 (08:23):
Yeah.
How do we fix that?
SPEAKER_00 (08:24):
Well, the clarity of the sources provide is that you
don't necessarily have to limityour total amount of protein.
The key distinction is in thecomposition, the source of that
protein.
SPEAKER_01 (08:34):
Aaron Powell Let's define MTOR a little more
clearly.
We called it the growth switch.
SPEAKER_00 (08:38):
It's the cell's master regulator for growth.
When nutrients are abundant,especially certain amino acids,
MTOR tells the cell to build, todivide, to grow.
Great after a workout.
But if it's always on, the cellnever gets the signal to clean
up old damaged parts.
SPEAKER_01 (08:55):
So you get an accumulation of junk?
SPEAKER_00 (08:57):
Yeah, a lot of cellular junk, which speeds up
aging.
So the goal is pulsed signaling.
On after exercise, off the restof the time.
SPEAKER_01 (09:03):
And the protein source is the key to that pulse.
SPEAKER_00 (09:06):
It is.
Leucine, one of those BCAAs, isthe strongest known activator of
MTOR.
And things like red meat andmost protein shakes have
incredibly high concentrationsof these BCAAs.
That leads to chronic MTRsignaling.
SPEAKER_01 (09:19):
So if I eat a massive steak or chug-away
shake, I'm just flooring thatgrowth pedal constantly.
SPEAKER_00 (09:25):
That's the suggested mechanism, yes.
By focusing more on plant-basedsources, beans, lentils, nuts,
things like that, you get plentyof protein to build muscle and
fight sarcopenia, but withoutthat extreme BCAA load that
keeps MTOR constantly switchedon.
SPEAKER_01 (09:41):
That's a huge clarification.
It's not about the quantity ofprotein, it's about the
composition of the amino acidsthat are hitting that pathway.
We're optimizing for signaling,not just grams.
SPEAKER_00 (09:51):
Understanding that difference is absolutely the key
to resolving the paradox foryourself.
SPEAKER_01 (09:56):
So going back to movement for a second, I had
sources discussing whether, youknow, extreme endurance events
like running a marathon, if thatpushes you past that hormetic
sweet spot, I mean four or fivehours of stress, surely that
becomes a bad thing.
SPEAKER_00 (10:10):
That's a really common and logical assumption.
But based on the evidence, highendurance activity seems to be
not only fine, but reallybeneficial.
The data shows a very clear,very strong correlation between
long-distance running and bikingand a longer life.
SPEAKER_01 (10:25):
Okay, so that's reassuring for all the endurance
junkies out there.
SPEAKER_00 (10:28):
It is.
It seems to be the long-termadaptation that matters most.
There's a powerful stat oncycling.
Riding about 80 miles a weekreduces your risk of a heart
attack by a massive 60%.
SPEAKER_01 (10:40):
60%?
SPEAKER_00 (10:41):
Yeah.
So while running a marathon is ahuge temporary stressor, the
overall data supports the ideathat people who do it, they
adapt and they tend to livelonger.
You just build resilience.
SPEAKER_01 (10:51):
And we have some pretty powerful anecdotes that
kind of bring all this sciencedown to earth, make it real for
an average person.
We have to talk about the storyof Dr.
Sinclair's own father.
SPEAKER_00 (11:01):
Oh, that story is incredible.
It completely redefines what weshould expect from getting
older.
So tell us.
His father is 82.
And what's so important tounderstand is that he was never
a health nut.
He was an average guy, dislikedexercise, wasn't obsessed with
this stuff, but he startedimplementing these strategies
resistance training twice aweek.
(11:21):
Running, hiking.
SPEAKER_01 (11:22):
He just started doing the work.
SPEAKER_00 (11:23):
He did.
And he built himself up sosignificantly that he actually
became stronger than his son.
SPEAKER_01 (11:28):
Stronger than the longevity researcher.
SPEAKER_00 (11:31):
Exactly.
Stronger in his early 80s thanhe was decades before.
And here's the most shockingpart: the part that just
completely upends the societalscript.
He says he feels better and morevital in his 80s than he did in
his 30s.
SPEAKER_01 (11:46):
And he wasn't some pro athlete.
He was just a normal guy whostarted applying the science.
SPEAKER_00 (11:51):
That's why it's so powerful.
It shows these outcomes arepossible for most people, not
just the genetic lotterywinners.
And that sense of agency, that'sthe real takeaway.
His father is now at 82 activelyplanning the next 30 years of
his life.
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_01 (12:04):
That's just not the norm.
SPEAKER_00 (12:05):
Aaron Powell Not at all.
And there was another greatanecdote, right, about endurance
and that molecular support thestory of Ken Ryutt.
SPEAKER_01 (12:12):
Yeah, Ken Ryout.
He was a decent runner, kind ofin the middle of the road, who
started using NMN andresveratrol.
SPEAKER_00 (12:17):
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
We have to say this is ananecdote.
It's not a placebo-controlledtrial.
SPEAKER_01 (12:21):
Of course.
SPEAKER_00 (12:21):
But the outcome is, as they say, pretty interesting.
He became the world's fastest50-year-old marathon runner.
Trevor Burrus, Jr.
SPEAKER_01 (12:28):
It just speaks to that potential synergy we were
talking about, you know,combining the stress of running
with that molecular support topush way past what seems
possible.
SPEAKER_00 (12:37):
Aaron Powell So let's try to synthesize the core
actionable steps here for youfor the listener based on this
deep dive.
Number one, prioritizehigh-intensity pulsed exercise.
SPEAKER_01 (12:48):
Get out of breath.
SPEAKER_00 (12:49):
You need to lose your breath.
But 10 minutes, a few times aweek, that seems to be enough to
trigger that system resettinghormetic stress.
SPEAKER_01 (12:57):
Two, get some resistance training in.
This is absolutely essential tofight sarcopenia, maintain your
muscle, and really to protectyour autonomy as you get older.
SPEAKER_00 (13:05):
And three, manage that protein paradox.
You can do that by favoringplant-based sources.
That way you get enough proteinfor your muscles without
constantly activating that MTORpathway through those super high
concentrations of BCAAs.
SPEAKER_01 (13:19):
I think ultimately the most powerful shift here is
just one of expectation.
Our sources show that thesesimple pulsed strategies, the
intense bursts, the standing,the plant-heavy diet, they're
leading people, even averagepeople, to plan decades into the
future.
To feel better than they did attheir supposed physical peak, it
just directly challenges thatwhole script that says we have
(13:41):
to decline.
So here's the final thought foryou to ponder.
If these specific targetedshifts can lead an average
person, someone who activelydisliked exercise, to feel
better in their 80s than their30s, what untapped potential for
your own longevity and vitalityare you maybe ignoring in your
current routine just because youassume that decline is
mandatory?
Think about the expectationsyou've set for your own future.
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