Nature’s Anti Aging Magic Bullet?

Have you ever experienced that awkward silence when you guess someone’s age? You know when you’re WAY over?

Well that’s happened on occasion and I’ve since decided to always guess reasonably low.

A few new acquaintances must also adopt that theory, but seriously, they’re guessing REALLY low when they try for my age.

I mean, how could I have a 20 year old daughter if I’m still in my late 20’s (according to their guesses).

Of course I’m flattered, especially when they ask what anti-aging secrets I have to share. Here’s a nerdy article that’s a good read if you’re looking for anti-aging secrets:

Sit back and have a read:

M2A: Nature’s Anti Aging Magic Bullet?

Everyone is searching for the elusive fountain of youth.

Who knew that the secret to staying young would turn out to be such an affordable and easy solution? Look no further than this specific 20 to 30-minute workout style to find the BEST anti aging formula there is.

Our bodies are no more than a vehicle and like any high performance car (or even a Ford Pinto for that matter) it performs best with a little maintenance. You wouldn’t expect your car to drive forever without quality fuel, oil changes, tire rotations etc right?

Research clearly outlines what our bodies need to ‘stay young’ and all signs point to exercise, in fact, M2A exercise to boot.

M2A exercise is what I call ‘muscle metabolism acceleration’. This is a special combination of resistance training and HIIT or burst training. Basically M2A is anaerobic in nature. This flies in the face of so many people still stuck on the ‘aerobic exercise in the fat burning zone’ thinking.

It’s the incomplete recovery you experience when doing anaerobic training that creates a favorable anti aging response from a mechanical, metabolic, neural and hormonal perspective.

To mitigate the effects of aging, our body needs two things: mechanical stress (resistance training) and metabolic stress (cardiorespiratory exercise). M2A high-intensity exercise provides both the mechanical and metabolic stress necessary to stimulate production of naturally occurring hormones that increase lean muscle tone, and developing lean muscle is where it’s at in terms of anti aging.

Let’s look at the four physiological side effects of the aging process and how M2A training addresses each one.

C’mon, it’s not that complicated, give it a go…

Mechanical – This includes muscle, fascia, connective tissue, organs and skeletal structures.

Bad news: We can lose as much as 10% of muscle mass per decade after the age of 30.

The answer? Resistance training.

The benefits of resistance training include:

Improved joint range of motion
Increased energy expenditure (weight loss)
Increased anabolic hormone production
Improved strength and physical function
Improved glucose tolerance
Increased resting metabolic rate (RMR)

Resistance training is the cornerstone of M2A training.

Metabolic – Simply put, metabolic functions control how we fuel muscle contractions. Or, the breakdown of macronutrients for the production of chemical energy (adenosine triphosphate, or ATP) to fuel muscle contractions.

Bad news: A reduced sensitivity to the neurotransmitters responsible for energy production is related to a 30-50% reduction in maximum heart rate between the ages of 25 and 85.

As well, the ability to use oxygen to fuel physical activity can decline at a rate of 10% per decade after the age of 25.

The answer? High-intensity anaerobic exercise with short rest intervals (30-60 seconds).

The benefits of cardiorespiratory anaerobic exercise include:

Increased cardiac output
Not THIS kind of cardio training..
Increased blood flow to muscle tissue
Increased number of capillaries
Increased aerobic capacity
Increased energy expenditure (weight loss)
Increased anabolic hormone production
Improved aerobic efficiency (VO₂max)
Improved neurotransmitter response
Improved glucose tolerance
Improved mood with reduced risk of developing depression

HIIT is the second cornerstone of M2A training.

Neural – Although neural activity occurs all over the body (think nerves), for this purpose we’ll just look at what’s going on in your head.

Bad news: There’s a direct link between sedentary lifestyles and the onset of memory loss or impaired cognitive function.

Exercise creates a youthful appearance, but also helps with better brain function. Researchers Chang and colleagues found that resistance training could positively affect cognition, information processing, attention, memory formation and executive function.

Good news: M2A style training incorporates resistance training to not only build a strong body but also a strong mind.

Chang, Y. et al. (2012). Effect of resistance-exercise training on cognitive function in healthy older adults: A Review. Journal of Aging and Physical Activity, 20, 497-517.

Hormonal – Do we need to have ‘that talk’? I think we all know about hormones and how they control numerous bodily functions 😉

Bad news: Minimal levels of strenuous physical activity and the loss of muscle mass can reduce the levels of anabolic hormones responsible for supporting muscle growth.

Good news: High-intensity exercise is responsible for the production of necessary anti aging hormones (specifically testosterone, growth hormone and insulin-like growth factor-1) that can improve appearance and extend functional lifespan.

Immediately after M2A style exercise the body produces elevated levels of testosterone (T), growth hormone (GH) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1).

Serra, C. et al. (2011). The role of GH and IGF-1 in mediating anabolic effects of testosterone on androgen-responsive muscle. Endocrinology, 152, 1, 193-206.

Remember what I said about muscle? Well, these hormones are all necessary for repair and development of lean muscle and you know that lean muscle is really the fountain of youth.

When you add lean muscle you get sexy in all the right places, your metabolism skyrockets to burn more fat, your functional fitness improves and your mood is elevated.

Is it too much to say that your entire quality of life improves?

If you want to stay young, the right kind of exercise, in the right combination for the right amount of time is the answer. M2A has got it all, it’s a program based on science.

I won’t go into the ills of ‘aerobic’ training, but suffice it to say that it’s proven to be the LEAST effective fat burning workout style that does little to slow the aging process. In fact, it can contribute to aging by elevating cortisol levels (associated with increased belly fat), and can be a major source of over use injuries, among other things.

So, unless you live to do long, steady state cardio or aerobic training, then stick to M2A style workouts for the best fitness, fat loss and anti aging results.

Aging is a fact of life. Why not age as gracefully as possible?