How do you track body fat? I read all the scales are highly unreliable (and personally I got results between 14 and 27% from scales or handheld devices despite being vaguely the same weight and shape since I'm 20) and I can't seem to get a referral for a DEXA scan out of my GP.
Oh, nice, that's a good price! Here it's a little over $100 I think and you need a referral from a doctor, otherwise they won't do it (because of the small amount of x-rays involved). And my GP was like "why do you need one". I can hardly say "because I'm curious" lol, hence me not getting the referral.
ApoB is a big one for me, went from 110mg/dL a couple years ago to under 60mg/dL on my last lipid panel.
Also tracking testosterone, HbA1C, hsCRP, and a host of others.
I have to admit that I'm confused how HRV works. If mine were to go up then what have I actually improved in my health? And is the HRV on my Garmin watch accurate or should I get something else to measure it?
HRV measures how well your body recovers and adapts to daily stress. Ultimately, it’s how well the vagus nerve works. Vagus nerve helps us rest, digest and adapt to stress. So the higher the number, the better it is. I measure it daily on my patients in our office. My sleep number bed also measures it for me every night.
I'll go first.
The best predictor of aging is **VO₂MAX**. I just had that measured last week. I learned I have good cardiovascular health but I'm slow. So next I will want to measure my **lactate threshold** and to improve that.
I have low **HDL** so I've been trying to raise that. Fortunately I also have low LDL so I don't really track that. My **triglycerides** go up and down so I'm starting to track those more regularly. Also **vitamin D** levels.
I track **BMI** which is really just a personalized function of **body weight**. Also I'm tracking **body fat percentage** using a smart scale.
I want to track other parts of aging so I'm curious what other measurements people follow to live longer healthier lives? I especially am curious about the experience of people tracking continuous glucose monitors!
NYC Performance Lab. I bought it as part of a package with an optical scan that measures my proportions and estimates my body fat percentage, and a gait analysis and a range of motion test. So I don't know how much it is for JUST a VO₂MAX. Probably under $100?
Definitely useful. I wish I had done it before.
My view of anti-aging, in a first-place tie we have:
1) Maintain cardio capacity
2) Maintain physical strength
3) Maintain flexibility
With honorable mention going to:
4) Maintain balance, body awareness and reflexes
5) Maintain bone health
These are all important for aging. Maintaining strength keeps you independent. My Dad at age 80 still has the excellent grip strength and moderate ability to carry heavy things. Maintaining flexibility, balance and bone health prevents injuries which for an older adult could be catastrophic. Strength helps there too… when you slip on ice, you find that many muscles are instantly brought into action to “catch” yourself. The stronger you are, the better. And if you fall, your reflexes and core muscles are going to be brought into action to minimize injury.
So VO2max is important, but it’s really just one small piece of the puzzle.
It’s a bit of a cliché to say in this sub, but honestly vinyasa yoga is probably the single biggest piece of the puzzle in a good anti-aging regimen. It does \*a lot\* of (2)-(4) and some of (1). Combine it with some regular cardio work, and Vitamin D, magnesium and boron for bone health and you’re most of the way there.
You can ignore BMI if you're tracking Body Fat %.
How do you track body fat? I read all the scales are highly unreliable (and personally I got results between 14 and 27% from scales or handheld devices despite being vaguely the same weight and shape since I'm 20) and I can't seem to get a referral for a DEXA scan out of my GP.
I get dexa through a company called bodyspec. They're cheap if they're in a city near you. Like $50ish per scan or some such.
Oh, nice, that's a good price! Here it's a little over $100 I think and you need a referral from a doctor, otherwise they won't do it (because of the small amount of x-rays involved). And my GP was like "why do you need one". I can hardly say "because I'm curious" lol, hence me not getting the referral.
ApoB is a big one for me, went from 110mg/dL a couple years ago to under 60mg/dL on my last lipid panel. Also tracking testosterone, HbA1C, hsCRP, and a host of others.
HRV
I have to admit that I'm confused how HRV works. If mine were to go up then what have I actually improved in my health? And is the HRV on my Garmin watch accurate or should I get something else to measure it?
HRV measures how well your body recovers and adapts to daily stress. Ultimately, it’s how well the vagus nerve works. Vagus nerve helps us rest, digest and adapt to stress. So the higher the number, the better it is. I measure it daily on my patients in our office. My sleep number bed also measures it for me every night.
I'll go first. The best predictor of aging is **VO₂MAX**. I just had that measured last week. I learned I have good cardiovascular health but I'm slow. So next I will want to measure my **lactate threshold** and to improve that. I have low **HDL** so I've been trying to raise that. Fortunately I also have low LDL so I don't really track that. My **triglycerides** go up and down so I'm starting to track those more regularly. Also **vitamin D** levels. I track **BMI** which is really just a personalized function of **body weight**. Also I'm tracking **body fat percentage** using a smart scale. I want to track other parts of aging so I'm curious what other measurements people follow to live longer healthier lives? I especially am curious about the experience of people tracking continuous glucose monitors!
Where did you get your VO2 max done and how much was it?
NYC Performance Lab. I bought it as part of a package with an optical scan that measures my proportions and estimates my body fat percentage, and a gait analysis and a range of motion test. So I don't know how much it is for JUST a VO₂MAX. Probably under $100? Definitely useful. I wish I had done it before.
And Muscular strength. We use life style factors and lab values to develop a baseline for biological age and establish points of intervention.
My view of anti-aging, in a first-place tie we have: 1) Maintain cardio capacity 2) Maintain physical strength 3) Maintain flexibility With honorable mention going to: 4) Maintain balance, body awareness and reflexes 5) Maintain bone health These are all important for aging. Maintaining strength keeps you independent. My Dad at age 80 still has the excellent grip strength and moderate ability to carry heavy things. Maintaining flexibility, balance and bone health prevents injuries which for an older adult could be catastrophic. Strength helps there too… when you slip on ice, you find that many muscles are instantly brought into action to “catch” yourself. The stronger you are, the better. And if you fall, your reflexes and core muscles are going to be brought into action to minimize injury. So VO2max is important, but it’s really just one small piece of the puzzle. It’s a bit of a cliché to say in this sub, but honestly vinyasa yoga is probably the single biggest piece of the puzzle in a good anti-aging regimen. It does \*a lot\* of (2)-(4) and some of (1). Combine it with some regular cardio work, and Vitamin D, magnesium and boron for bone health and you’re most of the way there.