The Truth About Zone 2 Cardio, Mitochondrial Health & How REHIT Beats It (In Less Time!) With Ulrich Dempfle
Ben Greenfield
Apr 24, 2025
Mindsip insights from this episode:
Utilize heart rate variability to determine lactate threshold
New technology can precisely find your lactate threshold by analyzing the complexity of your heart rate variability using a method called detrended fractal analysis.
Leverage AI for optimal sprint resistance on Carol Bike
The Carol Bike uses AI to learn from millions of rides to create the optimal resistance for you during a sprint, ensuring you fatigue at the perfect rate for maximum benefit.
Prioritize high-intensity training for women’s fitness
Since women naturally have more slow-twitch fibers and greater mitochondrial density, high-intensity and resistance training should be a higher priority for them than Zone 2 training.
Maximize fitness with two 20-second sprints
Two 20-second sprints at maximum intensity can create a robust training stimulus for improving VO2 max and mitochondrial biogenesis in far less time than traditional cardio.
Avoid scratched non-stick pans to prevent microplastic release
According to a study in Science of the Total Environment, a single scratch on a non-stick pan can release approximately 9,100 plastic particles.
Question the validity of 'Zone 2 training' concept
The term 'Zone 2 training' is not a scientifically defined concept and is rarely studied in research labs, leading to inconsistent definitions and recommendations.
Reserve 80/20 training for professional athletes only
The 80/20 training model is not necessarily optimal for the general public, but rather for professional athletes who train 25-35 hours a week and fill their remaining time with low-intensity work.
Reassess Zone 2 training for VO2 max improvement
When following government guidelines of 150 minutes of cardio per week, 40% of people doing only Zone 2 training will not see an increase in their VO2 max.
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