Todd Allen

Although it wasn't explicitly stated my expectation would be a metronome beat per movement up or down and thus a rate of 40 pushups per minute. Seems much more reasonable to me. Clearly the test is imperfect, one can imagine a wide range of things that could impact pushup performance with minimal impact on cvd health such as injuries to wrists, elbows, shoulders or back. My expectation is accurate measures of body fat %, resting pulse and blood pressure could better predict cvd risk. The pushup test is appealing for not needing much in the way of equipment or expense. But consumer grade pulse and blood pressure monitoring is very affordable and one can get a fair estimate of body fat % with a tape measure and scale weight. I'd be interested to see how that stacks up against the pushup test and against the best measures of pulse, blood pressure and body fat. I also expect for the roughly half of US adults that are prediabetic or diabetic that monitoring post prandial blood sugar could be a potent indicator of cvd risk and achieving stable moderate blood sugar is an important element of reducing cvd risk.

I can't speak for mccoy but I believe it. At least I believe the opposite, the loss of ones muscle is a cause of death. There are many, many studies linking muscular frailty to morbidity and mortality. I don't believe having larger muscle mass protects one from precipitous decline in advanced age but it probably reduces the risk of frailty induced premature death. And those with well developed musculature tend to have less incidence of other degenerations of aging such as osteoporosis, alzheimer's, etc. And I expect it provides one with a bit more reserve to survive other problems. For example a significant percentage of people with cancer die during treatment due to cachexia or weakness induced accidents such as falling and breaking a hip.

Tom, yes I am familiar with Sabatini's work and respect his scientific contributions. Gordo didn't elaborate on what he disagreed with but there were a few statements by Sabatini I thought questionable. His description of CR seemed a bit extreme as if it were an all or nothing dietary approach - 30 to 40% caloric restriction and a focus on some of the worst things that occur at the extremes of restriction such as lethargy and food obsession. He also suggested there might be 1000 people practicing CR. I'd be surprised if there are that many doing his described extreme CR long term with health and longevity as the motivation. But there are undoubtedly far more doing moderate CR or extreme CR for other reasons such as anorexia. As for the science, he is talking about an increase in tumors found in lab mice. Perhaps this is relevant to us, but I don't know enough to reach that conclusion. I could imagine many factors impact the relevance: free living humans voluntarily restricting diet seeking optimal nutrition vs food deprived caged mice of questionable genetics in an unnatural environment with artificial lighting, processed foods and in semi-sterile housing isolated from typical mouse biota. People find imprisonment punishing and stressful and chronic stress is considered a risk factor for cancer. Perhaps a semi-starvation diet exacerbates whatever chronic stresses imprisonment causes for a mouse? The number of people doing involuntary CR likely falls in the range of millions to billions depending on the threshhold of deprivation one uses. Their limited control of environment, difficulty obtaining a balanced diet of clean high quality foods and water and the other stresses of poverty and disempowerment may make the mouse studies statistically relevant for humanity but still largely irrelevant for those of us more privileged to be doing voluntary CR for longevity.

Tom, thanks for posting the link. I don't know enough to agree or disagree with the premise but I appreciate hearing it.

You might enjoy this recent podcast with one of the researchers studying the topic. https://www.ihmc.us/stemtalk/episode-82/

I haven't seen anything that would suggest one can target visceral fat or any other fat depot via exercise. I suspect genetics and hormones largely control fat deposition and release from most of the various tissues where fat can accumulate, the liver maybe being an exception as it appears to be affected by a wide range of substances perhaps most notoriously ethanol. If blood sugar spikes contribute to visceral fat deposition one might adopt exercise practices to stabilize blood sugar. I have found high intensity strength training before meals with carbohydrates and low intensity aerobic exercise after those meals lower the amplitude and duration of elevation in post prandial blood sugar.

Did you read the paper you referenced?!? In that paper it says... physiological 1. (Physiology) of or relating to physiology 2. (Physiology) of or relating to normal healthful functioning; not pathological Here's a review paper of the large body of scientific evidence showing KDs reverse metabolic syndrome. Nutritional Ketosis for Weight Management and Reversal of Metabolic Syndrome

Can you provide any references to evidence supporting your statements? Here are two papers from a recent study with results contradicting your claims, greatly improved insulin resistance as measured by HOMA IR via measurements of both insulin and c-peptide and greatly improved fasting blood sugar and HbA1C (with reduction or elimination of blood sugar lowering medications). Though maybe you are right blood sugar issues are related to high blood triglycerides as well formulated ketogenic diets have been consistently found to also dramatically lower blood triglycerides. Effectiveness and Safety of a Novel Care Model for the Management of Type 2 Diabetes at 1 Year: An Open-Label, Non-Randomized, Controlled Study Cardiovascular disease risk factor responses to a type 2 diabetes care model including nutritional ketosis induced by sustained carbohydrate restriction at 1 year: an open label, non-randomized, controlled study I can't judge your claim on synaptic pruning since you have provided no evidence for it but there is a lot of published science on the neuro-protective effects of ketogenic diets and beneficial effects on a wide range of neurological conditions such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, Huntington's, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS, traumatic brain injury, cerebral ischemia and peripheral neuropathy. Here's a paper that discusses some of these with many additional references. Ketogenic Diet in Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Genny, do you have any references to evidence supporting those assertions?

Gordo, I'm jealous, that's a great space you've got. I thought I was going to get free cryotherapy sessions the past couple days but I didn't last a minute. As soon as I stepped outside and hung my shirt on the garden fence my legs became wobbly. I feared falling on the snow and ice and struggling to get back up. It was -15F with 20+ mph gusts. Before going out I guesstimated I should be safe out there for several minutes but I didn't feel safe and made a hasty retreat. While a cryo chamber is much colder there is an attendant watching the clock ready to open the pod.

Gordo, that's a lot of nuts and sweet potatoes for one meal...

Not a joke, with our backyard hens and garden I have plenty of things to do outside every day. On crappy days I do the bare minimum, maybe 20 minutes, but on sunny days I go out shirtless, sometimes in shorts and find myself looking for extra things to do. Being physically active, mostly out of the wind, more so when low to the ground often makes it pleasant - especially in comparison to soaking in a tub of cold water. Lately our sun is good from noon until 1 PM and by the middle of February the period of good sun is much longer and increasing fast. I don't retain a deep tan in winter but I don't get pasty white like I used to and it is enough to end getting sun burned during the first warm days of spring.

Chicago despite somewhat chilly winters is at roughly the same latitude as Barcelona and Rome.

Skip the lamps, take your shirt off, go outside, catch a few rays and get your cold exposure too. Here in Chicago winter is often gray but commonly a day or so after a cold front passes through we get short spells of crisp blue skies and intense sun.

Eating road kill and home farmed worms and insects might be better for the planet, life and humanity than eating produce grown in California, Texas and Florida and shipped cross country. Aspects of personal healthiness are endlessly debatable.