12: My Exercise Stress Test Results Prove the Power of Metabolic Health and Why It Works

What is on Your Mind? Metabolic Health, Fitness and Longevity
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Hello All,

I wanted to share a recent milestone that really underscores the importance of focusing on metabolic health rather than blindly following cookie-cutter health and fitness advice.

At "close to 70" years old and very healthy, I recently underwent an exercise stress test as part of a routine cardio evaluation. The results? A METS score of 13.5, which places me in the elite fitness category, comparable to a fit 20-year-old. My ejection fraction (EF) was an impressive 75%, and other markers, such as my E/e’ ratio at 5.7, confirmed my heart is functioning exceptionally well under stress.

I’m not saying this to brag or show off —this is about what these results prove: the incredible power of metabolic health and personalized fitness routines for busy people.

Why Metabolic Health Matters

We live in a world where metabolic dysfunction—obesity, insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease—is rampant. The health-care system often tells us to:

  • Follow high-carb diets (so many people eat highly processed foods).

  • Burn these excess calories from processed food with cardio.

  • Buy expensive medications to “manage” the inevitable problems that arise.

But I’ve found that this approach completely misses the mark. Metabolic health isn’t about following generic guidelines—it’s about addressing the root causes of disease through sustainable, effective strategies:

  1. Nutrition:

  • Prioritizing nutrient-dense whole foods and minimizing processed carbs.

  • Maintaining a diet that improves insulin sensitivity and keeps inflammation low.

  1. Weight Training:

  • High-rep, functional resistance training builds lean muscle, which increases metabolic flexibility and supports blood sugar regulation.

  • High-rep, compound movements naturally stimulate cardiovascular benefits without needing traditional "cookie-cutter" cardio advise.

  1. Functional Movement:
  • Incorporating walking, stair climbing, and natural daily activities keeps my body moving without over-reliance on formal exercise sessions on a boring treadmill.
  1. Mindfulness:
  • Avoiding excessive attachment to rigid rules while staying disciplined and mindful

What My Cardio Exericise Stress Test Taught Me

Despite focusing almost exclusively on weight training for the past two years (and avoiding boring steady-state cardio), my heart and metabolic health have improved dramatically. Here’s what the results tell us:

Elite Fitness Metrics Are Possible Without Cardio:

My METS score of 13.5 proves that focusing on metabolic health and strength training alone can deliver outstanding cardiovascular performance.

Heart Efficiency Reflects Metabolic Health:

A 75% EF and normal diastolic function (E/e’) confirm that my heart is working efficiently under stress. These results don’t align with the traditional narrative that steady-state cardio is essential for heart health.

Cookie-Cutter Advice Misses the Mark:

Generic recommendations like “eat less, move more” or “add more cardio” are aimed at the metabolically unwell majority. For someone who has invested in metabolic health, these guidelines are not mostly irrelevant—they may even detract from a more optimized, individualized approach.

Why This Approach Works

  1. Focus on Muscle, Not Just Fat:

Lean muscle is the body’s metabolic engine. By prioritizing weight training, I’ve not only preserved muscle mass but also created a long-term foundation for metabolic and cardiovascular health.

  1. Sustainable Lifestyle:

I walk regularly, climb stairs, and incorporate activity into my life naturally. This doesn’t feel forced or artificial, unlike the treadmill sessions often prescribed in cardio-centric fitness plans, running on pavement or on the treadmill.

  1. Self-Responsibility:

I’ve never relied on the health-care system to “save me.” Instead, I’ve taken full ownership of my health, using tools like bloodwork, stress tests, and other diagnostics to refine my strategy.

What This Means for You

If you’re tired of cookie-cutter advice or wondering if traditional cardio is the only path to a healthy heart, let my results be an example. It’s not about following trends, end social-media scrolling or default recommendations to the sedentary and metabolically unfit—it’s about building metabolic health through thoughtful, disciplined practices that work for your body.

Take control of your health by focusing on the basics:

  1. Build muscle through high-rep strength training daily. Do it for metabolic health, not for "getting bigger". Be 100% natural.

  2. Improve your diet by avoiding all processed carb, added sugars and focusing on whole, nutrient-dense, natuaral foods.

  3. Move functionally throughout your day. Research shows that every step adds around 1 second to your life. Move!

  4. Take responsibility for your health by learning and adapting based on your own lab results and testing.

My experience and excercise stress test results proves that health optimization doesn’t require endless boring cardio or following outdated government guidelines—it requires a personalized, metabolic-first approach. This means stop eating processed foods and simple carbs. Stop eating any food with added sugar! Move! Lift weights (low weight, high reps) almost every day, twice a day!

Health is wealth!

Neo

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