Episode
#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
2:22:26
Published: Wed Mar 15 2023
Description
Brought to you by Wealthfront high-yield savings account, Helix Sleep premium mattresses, and Shopify global commerce platform providing tools to start, grow, market, and manage a retail business. Peter Attia, MD (@PeterAttiaMD), is the founder of Early Medical, a medical practice that applies the principles of Medicine 3.0 to patients with the goal of lengthening their lifespan and simultaneously improving their healthspan. He is the host of The Drive, one of the most popular podcasts covering the topics of health and medicine. Dr. Attia received his medical degree from the Stanford University School of Medicine and trained for five years at the Johns Hopkins Hospital in general surgery, where he was the recipient of several prestigious awards, including Resident of the Year. He spent two years at the National Institutes of Health as a surgical oncology fellow at the National Cancer Institute, where his research focused on immune-based therapies for melanoma.His new book is Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity (3/28).Please enjoy!This episode is brought to you by Shopify! Shopify is one of my favorite platforms and one of my favorite companies. Shopify is designed for anyone to sell anywhere, giving entrepreneurs the resources once reserved for big business. In no time flat, you can have a great-looking online store that brings your ideas to life, and you can have the tools to manage your day-to-day and drive sales. No coding or design experience required.Go to shopify.com/Tim to sign up for a one-dollar-per-month trial period. It’s a great deal for a great service, so I encourage you to check it out. Take your business to the next level today by visiting shopify.com/Tim.*This episode is also brought to you by Helix Sleep! Helix was selected as the #1 overall mattress of 2020 by GQ magazine, Wired, Apartment Therapy, and many others. With Helix, there’s a specific mattress to meet each and every body’s unique comfort needs. Just take their quiz—only two minutes to complete—that matches your body type and sleep preferences to the perfect mattress for you. They have a 10-year warranty, and you get to try it out for a hundred nights, risk-free. They’ll even pick it up from you if you don’t love it. And now, Helix is offering 20% off all mattress orders plus two free pillows at HelixSleep.com/Tim.*This episode is also brought to you by Wealthfront! Wealthfront is an app that helps you save and invest your money. Right now, you can earn 4.05% APY—that’s the Annual Percentage Yield—with the Wealthfront Cash Account. That’s more than twelve times more interest than if you left your money in a savings account at the average bank, according to FDIC.gov. It takes just a few minutes to sign up, and then you’ll immediately start earning 3.8% interest on your savings. And when you open an account today, you’ll get an extra fifty-dollar bonus with a deposit of five hundred dollars or more. Visit Wealthfront.com/Tim to get started.*[07:00] How and why Peter’s muscle mass has increased significantly.[18:48] Why the long wait for Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity?[23:19] Objective, strategy, and tactics.[28:50] From Medicine 1.0 to Medicine 3.0.[39:04] Randomized control trial results: guidelines, not gospel.[43:21] Revisiting why and how one should increase their medical literacy.[52:44] Avoiding scientific method misconceptions.[55:43] Austin Bradford Hill.[56:22] Observational study versus randomized control trial.[1:00:09] Are sleep trackers downgrading the quality of our sleep?[1:02:53] Under what conditions does Peter feel alcohol might be worth its downsides?[1:06:47] Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs).[1:18:24] Underutilized metrics and tools for expanding health and lifespan.[1:25:01] Strength.[1:33:11] Rucking around and finding out about VO2 max.[1:38:32] Finding the zone two sweet spot.[1:41:10] How skinning and rucking have upped my endurance.[1:42:24] Rucking vs. weighted vests.[1:46:39] Are neurodegenerative diseases preventable?[1:51:47] Helping your doctor understand and embrace Medicine 3.0.[1:53:47] How much is an ounce of prevention worth to you?[1:58:23] Early cancer screening.[2:06:33] Outlive chapters.[2:08:46] The chapter on emotional health that almost didn’t make the book.[2:10:16] Peter’s 47 affirmations.[2:14:18] Parting thoughts.*For show notes and past guests on The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast.For deals from sponsors of The Tim Ferriss Show, please visit tim.blog/podcast-sponsorsSign up for Tim’s email newsletter (5-Bullet Friday) at tim.blog/friday.For transcripts of episodes, go to tim.blog/transcripts.Discover Tim’s books: tim.blog/books.Follow Tim:Twitter: twitter.com/tferriss Instagram: instagram.com/timferrissYouTube: youtube.com/timferrissFacebook: facebook.com/timferriss LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/timferrissPast guests on The Tim Ferriss Show include Jerry Seinfeld, Hugh Jackman, Dr. Jane Goodall, LeBron James, Kevin Hart, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Jamie Foxx, Matthew McConaughey, Esther Perel, Elizabeth Gilbert, Terry Crews, Sia, Yuval Noah Harari, Malcolm Gladwell, Madeleine Albright, Cheryl Strayed, Jim Collins, Mary Karr, Maria Popova, Sam Harris, Michael Phelps, Bob Iger, Edward Norton, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Neil Strauss, Ken Burns, Maria Sharapova, Marc Andreessen, Neil Gaiman, Neil de Grasse Tyson, Jocko Willink, Daniel Ek, Kelly Slater, Dr. Peter Attia, Seth Godin, Howard Marks, Dr. Brené Brown, Eric Schmidt, Michael Lewis, Joe Gebbia, Michael Pollan, Dr. Jordan Peterson, Vince Vaughn, Brian Koppelman, Ramit Sethi, Dax Shepard, Tony Robbins, Jim Dethmer, Dan Harris, Ray Dalio, Naval Ravikant, Vitalik Buterin, Elizabeth Lesser, Amanda Palmer, Katie Haun, Sir Richard Branson, Chuck Palahniuk, Arianna Huffington, Reid Hoffman, Bill Burr, Whitney Cummings, Rick Rubin, Dr. Vivek Murthy, Darren Aronofsky, Margaret Atwood, Mark Zuckerberg, Peter Thiel, Dr. Gabor Maté, Anne Lamott, Sarah Silverman, Dr. Andrew Huberman, and many more.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Chapters
This podcast discusses buying mattresses online and the support and resources provided for entrepreneurs by Shopify.
00:00 - 04:56 (04:56)
Summary
This podcast discusses buying mattresses online and the support and resources provided for entrepreneurs by Shopify.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The Fat Free Mass Index (FFMI) is a reliable way to measure someone's body composition and muscle mass, by looking at the entire body and subtracting out fat, as opposed to just focusing on muscle like the Body Mass Index (BMI).
04:56 - 12:33 (07:37)
Summary
The Fat Free Mass Index (FFMI) is a reliable way to measure someone's body composition and muscle mass, by looking at the entire body and subtracting out fat, as opposed to just focusing on muscle like the Body Mass Index (BMI).
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Focusing on the number of grams of leucine, lysine, and methionine you consume per meal can help ensure you hit the right total protein quantity for muscle building, and getting more than 20-25 grams per meal is necessary.
12:33 - 18:56 (06:22)
Summary
Focusing on the number of grams of leucine, lysine, and methionine you consume per meal can help ensure you hit the right total protein quantity for muscle building, and getting more than 20-25 grams per meal is necessary. Branched chain amino acid supplements may be helpful during fasting periods to prevent muscle loss.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The longer we can extend the period of time we live without chronic diseases, the longer we can live overall.
18:56 - 26:51 (07:54)
Summary
The longer we can extend the period of time we live without chronic diseases, the longer we can live overall. It's essential to understand the objective and implement tactics to achieve it.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
In this podcast, the speaker talks about medicine 2.0, a concept that defines medicine in the modern era, and also touches upon the idea of doing small, easy-to-do things to mitigate risk.
26:51 - 32:44 (05:52)
Summary
In this podcast, the speaker talks about medicine 2.0, a concept that defines medicine in the modern era, and also touches upon the idea of doing small, easy-to-do things to mitigate risk.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker proposes a pivot to a newer way of thinking about medicine that focuses on metabolic health, as a large number of people in the United States are metabolically sick.
32:44 - 38:02 (05:17)
Summary
The speaker proposes a pivot to a newer way of thinking about medicine that focuses on metabolic health, as a large number of people in the United States are metabolically sick. He suggests that doctors use a personalized medicine approach, rather than just treating the patients' diseases.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The number one cause of death is heart disease in both America and worldwide.
38:02 - 43:04 (05:02)
Summary
The number one cause of death is heart disease in both America and worldwide. However, experiments cannot be performed on a group of people to see the levels of training that affect different heart problems, as medicine must be evidence-informed and prescriptions need to be modified for individual patients with a more aggressive posture.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses the benefits of possessing even minimum medical and scientific literacy, as it can become unexpectedly valuable when dealing with issues concerning the health of aging family members or friends.
43:04 - 48:15 (05:10)
Summary
The speaker discusses the benefits of possessing even minimum medical and scientific literacy, as it can become unexpectedly valuable when dealing with issues concerning the health of aging family members or friends.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
By listening to the podcast on how to read and understand scientific studies, reading case studies, and a book like Bad Science, and dedicating three to four hours per week, people can become functionally fluent and conversationally fluent in three to six months, and familiarize themselves with the scientific method.
48:15 - 56:01 (07:46)
Summary
By listening to the podcast on how to read and understand scientific studies, reading case studies, and a book like Bad Science, and dedicating three to four hours per week, people can become functionally fluent and conversationally fluent in three to six months, and familiarize themselves with the scientific method.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The link between red hair and skin cancer is uncertain and requires randomization to determine its causality.
56:01 - 1:02:31 (06:29)
Summary
The link between red hair and skin cancer is uncertain and requires randomization to determine its causality. An over-reliance on sleep trackers can cause unnecessary anxiety, and specific exercise prescriptions and APOB levels can reduce health risks by up to fourfold.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The podcast discusses the misuse of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) through the lens of alcohol consumption, highlighting the tendency to over-index on certain data points and the need for caution when using CGMs without proper medical guidance for non-diabetic individuals.
1:02:31 - 1:07:20 (04:48)
Summary
The podcast discusses the misuse of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) through the lens of alcohol consumption, highlighting the tendency to over-index on certain data points and the need for caution when using CGMs without proper medical guidance for non-diabetic individuals.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The benefits of having a lower average blood glucose level extend beyond diabetic patients and can lower the risk of cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.
1:07:20 - 1:13:40 (06:19)
Summary
The benefits of having a lower average blood glucose level extend beyond diabetic patients and can lower the risk of cancer, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases. Carbohydrate restrictions are also beneficial to people with Type 2 Diabetes.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The argument for controlling apoB, rapamycin, metformin and other drugs for controlling blood glucose levels is important, but it may not be the only solution to remaining healthy as it may exclude other factors that could result in being unhealthy.
1:13:40 - 1:20:48 (07:07)
Summary
The argument for controlling apoB, rapamycin, metformin and other drugs for controlling blood glucose levels is important, but it may not be the only solution to remaining healthy as it may exclude other factors that could result in being unhealthy.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The two subsets of fibers in muscles are type I and type II fibers.
1:20:48 - 1:26:18 (05:30)
Summary
The two subsets of fibers in muscles are type I and type II fibers. Type II fibers are fast twitch muscles, quick at contracting and fatigue easily, whereas Type I fibers are slow twitch, heavily dependent on oxygen delivery and oxidative phosphorylation.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This episode discusses the importance of incorporating eccentric training into your workout routine to improve muscle strength and prevent injuries, specifically focusing on the eccentric phase of exercises.
1:26:18 - 1:31:17 (04:59)
Summary
This episode discusses the importance of incorporating eccentric training into your workout routine to improve muscle strength and prevent injuries, specifically focusing on the eccentric phase of exercises.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Spending 80% of your aerobic training time in zone two can help build the base required to reach peak VO2 max levels.
1:31:17 - 1:39:26 (08:08)
Summary
Spending 80% of your aerobic training time in zone two can help build the base required to reach peak VO2 max levels. This life-long process can lead to a significant 25-50% increase in VO2 max.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker shares his experience with skinning and rucking, highlighting how they have improved his low back pain and overall body health.
1:39:26 - 1:44:17 (04:51)
Summary
The speaker shares his experience with skinning and rucking, highlighting how they have improved his low back pain and overall body health. He also emphasizes the importance of proper weight distribution during these activities.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The Cartesian duality of body and mind is illusory, particularly in understanding neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's.
1:44:17 - 1:48:40 (04:23)
Summary
The Cartesian duality of body and mind is illusory, particularly in understanding neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. Focusing on inclines in physical exercise can promote good brain health and function, contrary to the belief of slapping on weight and walking on flatter ground.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Medicine 3.0 gives patients more confidence to find doctors that align with their objectives and understand which healthcare professionals outside of primary care physicians can contribute to their overall health.
1:48:40 - 1:55:39 (06:59)
Summary
Medicine 3.0 gives patients more confidence to find doctors that align with their objectives and understand which healthcare professionals outside of primary care physicians can contribute to their overall health. Patients should understand that many Western-trained physicians are focused on addressing disease rather than its prevention.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Detecting cancer early has significantly better outcomes than treating the same cancer at a later stage, even using the same cocktail of drugs.
1:55:39 - 2:05:20 (09:41)
Summary
Detecting cancer early has significantly better outcomes than treating the same cancer at a later stage, even using the same cocktail of drugs. This is evident from the examples of colon and breast cancer shared in the book, with low sensitivity and high specificity tests having low positive predictive value and high negative predictive value.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
The speaker discusses his book and takes a different view from the mainstream on cancer screening, stating that it's unacceptable to die from colon cancer, which is the third leading cause of cancer death, and that he believes it should be addressed more aggressively.
2:05:21 - 2:10:36 (05:15)
Summary
The speaker discusses his book and takes a different view from the mainstream on cancer screening, stating that it's unacceptable to die from colon cancer, which is the third leading cause of cancer death, and that he believes it should be addressed more aggressively. He also talks about his book's chapter titles, including "Training for the Centenarian Decathlon".
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
Tim Ferriss addresses topics about optimizing lifespan and healthspan in his new book that reflects a deep understanding of the importance of mental and emotional balance that often goes overlooked.
2:10:36 - 2:16:46 (06:09)
Summary
Tim Ferriss addresses topics about optimizing lifespan and healthspan in his new book that reflects a deep understanding of the importance of mental and emotional balance that often goes overlooked.
Episode#661: Dr. Peter Attia — The Science and Art of Longevity, Optimizing Protein, Alcohol Rules, Lessons from Glucose Monitoring with CGMs, Boosting Your VO2 Max, Preventing Alzheimer's Disease, Early Cancer Detection, How to Use DEXA Scans, Nature’s Longevity Drug, and More
PodcastThe Tim Ferriss Show
This podcast episode mentions the high-quality mattresses from Helix Sleep that are tailored based on individual sleep preferences, and also suggests serving AXIS Deer from your freezer during dinner.
2:16:46 - 2:22:17 (05:31)
Summary
This podcast episode mentions the high-quality mattresses from Helix Sleep that are tailored based on individual sleep preferences, and also suggests serving AXIS Deer from your freezer during dinner.