What's The Biochemistry Of Fitness In 80yr Olds?

About this video

• Video Title: What's The Biochemistry Of Fitness In 80yr Olds?;
• Channel: Conquer Aging Or Die Trying! Mike Lustgarten, PhD;
• Speakers: Mike Lustgarten, PhD
• Duration: 00:21:47

Overview

This video explores the biochemical differences associated with varying levels of physical fitness in 80-year-olds, referencing a study on serum proteomic and metabolomic signatures. It discusses metabolites linked to higher and lower physical function, and the speaker shares their personal biomarker data over time to illustrate the challenges and goals of maintaining a youthful biochemical profile.

Key takeaways

• Muscle mass and strength peak around age 30 and naturally decline, impacting survival and quality of life. Slower decline is considered normal aging, while faster decline may lead to sarcopenia.
• A study on 80-year-olds identified differences in VO2 peak and walking speed among high, normal, and low functioning groups, though grip strength was similar.
• Certain metabolites are associated with higher physical function, including specific phosphatidylcholines (linked to omega-3 index and cardiovascular health), lysophosphatidylcholines (linked to mitochondrial function), and tryptophan.
• Conversely, metabolites like indoxyl sulfate (a gut bacteria-derived metabolite) are associated with lower physical function.
• The speaker tracked their own levels of tryptophan and indoxyl sulfate over two years, finding their tryptophan levels remained relatively stable while indoxyl sulfate showed an increasing trend, indicating a need for intervention.
• The study identified 56 metabolites associated with physical function in octogenarians, with 44 linked to higher function and 12 to lower function. The speaker's personal data over two years showed stability in most of these metabolites, suggesting potential stability in physical function, but also highlighted areas for improvement, particularly with metabolites linked to worse function.