Welcome to the positive corner of the internet. Every weekday, we make sense of the confusing world of wellness by analyzing the headlines, simplifying the latest research, and offering quick tips designed to make you healthier in less than 5 minutes. If you were forwarded this message, you can get the free daily email here.
Today’s Health Upgrade
The mortality test
Tuesday’s tips
A new tool in the fight against Alzheimer’s
Arnold’s Podcast
Want more stories from Arnold? Every day, Arnold’s Pump Club Podcast opens with a story, perspective, and wisdom from Arnold that you won’t find in the newsletter. And, you’ll hear a recap of the day’s items. You can subscribe on Apple, Spotify, Google, or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Training
The Mortality Test
Can your fitness level predict how long you'll live? Research suggests that V02 max — or how much oxygen your body uses during exercise — might be one of the best predictors of mortality and disease.
In fact, your VO2 max might be a better indicator of mortality than your cholesterol, BMI, or blood glucose. One study found that people with a stronger VO2 max (the top one-third) had a 45 percent reduced risk for all-cause mortality compared to those with worse scores (the bottom one-third).
That’s because VO2 max is possibly the best way to assess cardiovascular health and strength. It measures how efficiently your body delivers oxygen throughout your body and to your muscles.
But it goes deeper than that. Your VO2 max lives on a continuum, meaning that even small improvement can make a big difference in lifespan. Research found that improving from a low VO2 max to just below average could lead to a 50 percent reduction in mortality over a decade.
A VO2 max test typically requires a lab, expensive equipment, and a willingness to push through an intense workout that feels like hell. While it might seem like punishment (and feel like it, too), it’s a good test of overall health.
But there’s a simpler way that requires no equipment. If you run for 12 minutes and track how far you go, you can measure your VO2 max.
The easiest way is to find a track to measure how far you go (each lap is .25 miles). Once you run for 12 minutes, measure your distance, multiply the distance you ran (in miles) by 35.97, and then subtract 11.29, and you have your estimated V02 max. Or, you can use this VO2 max calculator.
If you use the calculator, you’ll also see a MET score, which estimates the amount of energy you use when sitting and doing nothing. One study found that for every 1-MET increase in cardiorespiratory fitness, you can reduce your risk of death by up to 17 percent and your risk of heart disease by 18 percent.
Together With LMNT
Tuesday Tips
Nutrition
Tip #1: Two Cups Is All It Takes
Drinking water is one of those habits that is easy yet still difficult. If you need a reason to drink more water, it has more benefits than you might realize.
In one study, scientists looked at what happens if you drink 16 oz. of water — just 2 cups — about 30 minutes before each of your three main meals. They found that the water before meals:
Increased fullness
Shut down dehydration, which helped manage hunger
Boosted digestive metabolism by up to 30%
Helped reduce the stress hormone (cortisol)
Supported weight loss
If that’s not enough reason to drink more water, staying hydrated can help lead to better workouts. If you want to know how much to drink to prevent a performance breakdown, use the Galpin Equation by Dr. Andy Galpin.
Take your body weight in pounds, divide it by 30, and that is the ounces of water you should drink every 15 minutes of hard exercise. So if you’re 180 pounds, you’d want to drink approximately 6 ounces of water (180/30) every 15 minutes.
If water is a struggle—and you sweat a lot—electrolytes can become your best friend. Whether as a low-sugar way to flavor water or a convenient option to replenish what you lose from sweat, our go-to hydration drink is LMNT. It provides the electrolytes your body needs without any added sugar, artificial ingredients, or colors.
Your muscles and neurons need electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Sweating depletes your body's electrolytes, which can affect performance and recovery.
As a member of the village, you’ll get a free sample pack (8 packets) with all the flavors when you make any purchase. Just use this link, and the free product will be automatically added to your cart to thank you for being part of the positive corner of the internet.
Longevity
Tip #2: 10 Minutes Can Protect Your Heart
Need another small win that can lead to big results? Adding 10 minutes of moderate or intense exercise can significantly improve your cardiovascular health.
We’ve shared that “exercise snacks” — short bursts of activity — can offer more benefits than you assume. The latest study found that adding 10 minutes total to your day (even shifting from low-intensity to moderate intensity) will improve your cardiometabolic health. It’s a reminder that your body cares how much you move every 24 hours, and a little bit of intensity that temporarily elevates your heart rate is enough to help offset other sedentary behaviors.
Health
Tip 3: Sunscreen Sprays and Sun Protection
There are many myths about sunscreen, which results in people leaving their skin unprotected. Getting outdoors and seeing the sun is good — but so is protecting your skin. You can make your own choices, but the best chemists and dermatologists we know highly recommend using a good SPF.
However, a common way of applying — the sunscreen spray — might not be your best option, and not because of danger. Sunscreen sprays might not be as good a shield for your body and leave you unintentionally vulnerable. Here’s why.
On Our Radar
A New Tool In The Fight Against Alzheimer’s
The best way to reduce the threat of disease is to practice healthy behaviors consistently. Your second-best bet? Early disease detection.
A breakthrough blood test might make it easier and cheaper to anticipate Alzheimer’s — and do it more accurately than previously possible.
The current tools used to diagnose Alzheimer’s are both expensive (such as PET scans that cost thousands) and invasive (like spinal taps).
The new technology tests blood for levels of p-tau217 and amyloid beta, two proteins that build up and are considered biomarkers of Alzheimer’s.
The study authors found that new blood tests can detect Alzheimer’s with approximately 90 percent accuracy. That’s higher than the accuracy of dementia specialists (73 percent) or primary care doctors (61 percent).
This could allow for more widespread testing and early detection, which could lead to new ways of managing or slowing the disease or more opportunities to understand how Alzheimer’s progresses.
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Publisher: Arnold Schwarzenegger
Editors-in-chief: Adam Bornstein and Daniel Ketchell
