#148: Do women really need zone two cardio?

Zone two cardio has received a lot of attention lately. Doctors and researchers tout the benefits associated with mitochondrial efficiency and longevity. But zone two cardio is time-consuming and may be difficult to realistically keep up with.

At the same time, others are claiming that women naturally have a better ability to use fat as fuel and a higher composition of type 1 muscle fibers, so zone two cardio is unnecessary.

Where is the "truth?" What SHOULD we be doing for our health and longevity? Dr. Shannon breaks it down in this episode.

Studies referenced:
https://www.thieme-connect.com/products/ejournals/html/10.1055/a-1664-8701
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28578612/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35599175/

0:00: Introduction: the spectrum of zone two cardio recommendations
3:25: Is there a gold standard application for zone two cardio?
6:42: Are “optimal routines” realistic?
8:50: What is zone two cardio?
10:15: What is metabolic flexibility?
11:44: Why should we care about mitochondrial health?
15:00: How does zone two cardio affect metabolic flexibility?
18:40: Is zone two cardio the only way to improve metabolic flexibility?
20:10: Framework for muscle building
22:01: Lifting to improve mitochondrial density
23:35: How to improve aerobic capacity while building muscle
25:55: The effect of superset training for VO2 Max
27:18: Should you still do cardio?
31:52: How to include zone two in your routine
32:22: Conclusion

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