“Current Evidence Does NOT Support Zone 2 Training”

It's certainly better than sitting on a couch.

I'm not an elite athlete, I'm just a 56 year old man that decided to run a 50k, and I don't do zone 2 training for the benefits this study is talking about - I do it so I can run faster with a lower heart rate and to get enough miles in to be able to run for 7+ hours without getting injured. Before this video I'd never even heard of these in relation to zone 2 training. I feel like saying "Current Evidence Does NOT Support Zone 2 Training" is kinda click-bait because this study was just looking at these two metrics - not the reason runners actually do zone 2 training.

None of this is why I do zone 2. I do it for brain health, joint health, low impact, increase in arterial nitric oxide (when done with closed mouth), relaxed mind (nasal breathing stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system), and weight loss. I know HIIT is great for mitochondria. Who is saying Zone 2 is better for that? Why would anyone say Zone 2 is better for VO2 max? If you want better VO2-max, do exercise that looks like the test. And just because you optimize for a test, that does not mean you necessarily gain the advantages normally seen with a higher score without the nearly identical exercise. If I built up my hand grip to 240 lb, does that mean I get all the benefits seen when people were tested on grip strength? Almost no one accepts that, but why should exercise designed to give higher VO2 max be any different? Has there ever been a test that shows that increasing VO2 Max increases all the things associated with a higher score? Zone 2 has done incredible things for me. I am just having difficulty fitting it into my day. Different forms of exercise have different benefits. There is a role for each of these: cardio, HIIT, resistance, and isometric. And there are benefits for other aspects of exercise: core, balance, coordination, and stretching.

I think a lot of the benefits of Z2 is that it allows you to exercise MORE. If you don't have the time to exercise 10+ hours a week you don't have the problem that Z2 is trying to solve.

The conclusion is not that zone 2 has no effect, but rather that time of activity in zone 2 is necessary for it to have an effect.

Agree! Athletes train fully recovered, and with huge weekly loads they have to control intensity -- that’s why Zone 2 exists. But if you only work out ~2h a week, higher intensity will give a stronger stimulus for adaptation.

Perhaps the studies are showing the importance of having both types of exercise in one’s fitness routine.

As an attorney, I’m amazed at how similar the practice of law is to medicine. Even down to the human aspect of interpreting facts in each study.

All 8 studies referenced in the video are linked in the video's description 💊Supplements that Dr Brad takes: https://drstanfield.com/pages/my-supplements 💊MicroVitamin (multivitamin & mineral that I take): https://drstanfield.com/products/microvitamin For extra insights + a free health checklist, sign up here 👉 https://drstanfield.com/pages/sign-up

My solution is to shoot in all directions and cover all zones 😅