Engage in high-intensity training where your heart beats very hard (e.g., 1:1 ratio mile repeats). The increased blood return to the heart causes an eccentric loading of the cardiac muscle, making the heart stronger and able to pump more blood per beat, which improves fuel delivery to muscles and brain, enhancing cognitive function.
Engage in 3-12 sets of work with a 1:1 work-to-rest ratio (e.g., run a mile, then rest for the same duration it took to run). Focus on performing 8-12 minutes of work per set, 2-3 times a week, to improve ATP and mitochondrial function, enhance oxygen delivery to muscles and brain, increase heart stroke volume, and build lung capacity.
Perform 3-12 sets with a work-to-rest ratio of 3:1 to 1:5 (e.g., 30 seconds on/10 seconds off, or 20 seconds on/100 seconds off), up to twice a week. This training pushes the system above VO2 max, maximizing oxygen utilization, increasing mitochondrial respiration, and training neurons to access more energy, with benefits for competitive and team sports.
Perform 3-5 sets of 12-100 repetitions (12-25 reps for most) with 30-180 seconds of rest between sets. Focus on mainly concentric movements with light and relatively fast eccentric portions, avoiding deliberate slowing or heavy lowering phases, or use isometric holds like planks and wall sits, to build local mitochondrial oxygen utilization and neuron control over muscles.
Perform continuous, steady effort for 12 minutes to several hours (e.g., a 30-minute run) to build mitochondrial density, improve movement efficiency, and increase capillary beds within muscles, enhancing oxygen delivery and overall energy creation.
Prevent 1-4% body weight loss in water during exercise, as this can reduce work capacity by 20-30% and significantly impair mental operations. Ensure adequate intake of potassium, sodium, and magnesium to support hydration and prevent electrolyte imbalance.
Calculate your hydration needs during exercise by dividing your body weight in pounds by 30 to determine how many ounces of water to drink every 15 minutes of exercise. Adjust intake based on sweating and existing hydration levels.
Ensure sufficient intake of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and glucose (carbohydrates) to power neurons, which are critical for persistence and preventing quitting during effort.
High-intensity endurance training increases vasculature and capillary beds within the brain, particularly in areas supporting memory (hippocampus), respiration, focus, and effort, leading to improved cognitive functioning.
Use caffeine as a stimulant to improve endurance work and power output across various forms of endurance training.
Consider supplementing with magnesium malate to reduce delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), noting it is distinctly different from magnesium forms used for sleep.