Habits To Heal The Body: Truth About Exercise, Burnout, Muscle & Preventing Injuries -Stephen Seiler

Rangan Chatterjee

Jan 31, 2024

Episode description

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Whether your fitness goal is completing an Ironman race, jogging a 5K, or simply tackling the stairs without getting out of breath, today’s guest has some surprising news on how you can get there quicker, by putting in less – yes, less – effort.

World-renowned sports scientist Professor Stephen Seiler joins us all the way from Norway, where he’s a professor in Sports Science at the University of Agder. Stephen specialises in studying elite-level sports performance. He’s spent years taking a 360-degree look at how top cyclists, rowers, cross-country skiers, orienteers, and distance runners, perform at such a high level without getting sick or injured.

As well as 100 peer reviewed publications, he regularly shares his findings on his YouTube channel and his X (formerly known as Twitter) feed. And, as his research cascades down to people like you and me, it’s becoming increasingly clear that what’s tried and tested in the elite, is equally if not more meaningful for us.

During this conversation, you’ll learn the 80:20 rule that Stephen has observed to be the most effective for performance and health. He explains why hard workouts are a stressor on the body, putting us in fight-or-flight mode – so they’ll increase your risk of burnout if the rest of your life is stressful too.

There are various ways to measure intensity, including lab-based tests. But Stephen explains his simple traffic light method – green, yellow and red – and what it feels like to be in each zone. He also explains his model of frequency, duration and intensity as a way of scaling your fitness up or down, whatever your starting point.

There are all sorts of health, wellbeing, metabolic and performance benefits to be had from staying in the green zone more. It’s something I’m discovering for myself over the past few years and I’ve got to say that I’m feeling fantastic as a result. I absolutely love Stephen’s work and I really hope this fascinating conversation helps get the message out that you can achieve a lot more by doing a little less.

#feelbetterlivemore
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Connect with Stephen:
https://twitter.com/StephenSeiler
https://www.youtube.com/@sportscientist

#feelbetterlivemore #feelbetterlivemorepodcast

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Episode description

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Leave reps in the tank for effective strength training

When strength training, use the 'reps in reserve' method by finishing a set when you could still do a few more reps to get a good benefit while making recovery easier.

#recovery

#strength

Recognize lactate as a valuable fuel for exercise performance

Lactate is not a poisonous waste product but a valuable fuel molecule that can be used by the heart, liver, and other muscles during exercise.

#exercise

#lactate

Recognize appetite as indicator of workout stress

You can tell if a workout was truly low-stress if you are hungry right afterward, as high-intensity training suppresses appetite via the fight-or-flight response.

#appetite

#exercise

Challenge bias in sports science; explore diverse training methods

Sports science research is biased towards high-intensity interval training because it's more exciting to study and easier to publish, creating a skewed public perception of its importance.

#HIIT

#research

Simplify training into two stress zones: low and high

For practical purposes, you can simplify training zones into a two-zone model: low-stress (green zone) and high-stress (yellow and red zones).

#stress

#training

Prioritize frequency to establish sustainable exercise habits

For beginners, the most effective way to build a sustainable exercise habit is to prioritize frequency first, then duration, and only then introduce intensity.

#exercise

#habits

Implement a 10-day training cycle for enhanced recovery and results

Breaking free from the standard seven-day week and using a nine or ten-day training cycle can provide more space for recovery and lead to better results.

#recovery

#training

Recognize limitations of wearables in health measurement

Most wearables accurately measure only one core variable, like heart rate, and then use algorithms to estimate other metrics like calorie burn, which can be highly inaccurate.

#testing

#wearables

Prioritize recovery with a 5:2 training schedule

Olympic speed skating champion Niels van der Poel trained on a 5:2 schedule, taking two full days off each week for rest and hobbies, demonstrating the power of recovery.

#recovery

#training

Prioritize performance to enhance health in older adults

As we age, performance—the ability to perform daily tasks like carrying groceries or climbing stairs—becomes synonymous with health and quality of life.

#aging

#healthspan

Rangan Chatterjee

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