Longevity 101: a foundational guide to Peter's frameworks for longevity, and understanding CVD, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, nutrition, exercise, sleep, and more (re-broadcast)

What It Covers

Peter Attia explains his longevity framework covering lifespan versus health span, the four horsemen of death (cardiovascular disease, cancer, neurodegenerative disease, metabolic disease), and five tactical pillars: exercise, nutrition, sleep, pharmacology, and emotional health.

Key Questions Answered

• •Centenarian Decathlon Framework: Design 10 physical activities you want to perform at age 90, then reverse engineer current training to achieve them. This requires four components: stability (motor control, balance, force dissipation), strength with power, aerobic efficiency (maximum fat oxidation), and VO2 max (peak aerobic output).
• •Cardiovascular Disease Prevention: Three pathways drive atherosclerosis: ApoB lipoproteins entering artery walls, endothelial damage from smoking, high blood pressure, and metabolic dysfunction, plus inflammation. Log-linear reduction in cardiovascular disease occurs as ApoB decreases. Nineteen million annual deaths are preventable with existing knowledge and interventions.
• •Protein Requirements: Consume 1.6 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight daily as the least flexible macronutrient. Requirements increase with age due to anabolic resistance. This target applies across most populations, though highly active individuals may need more and sedentary people slightly less.
• •Sleep Optimization Hierarchy: Go to bed and wake at consistent times daily with eight hours in bed. Make the room maximally dark and cold. Detach from stimulating content, especially work and social media, for two hours before bed. Avoid eating or drinking alcohol for three hours before sleep.
• •Health Span Equals Lifespan Impact: Pursuing better strength, endurance, cognitive function, and emotional health captures approximately 75 percent of potential lifespan extension benefits, even without directly targeting heart disease, cancer, or Alzheimer's disease. Health span improvements function as two-for-one investments in longevity.