Hormetics: principles and research

[Patrea]

Fascinating web site & forum. I have a blog on hormetics and research the subject http://hormesis-health.blogspot.com/ - you might be interested on posts on back pain (it cured my acute condition), caloric restriction (works if you are a mouse!) and Tabata training (great, fast training, 15 mins a week)

[Todd Becker]

Fascinating web site & forum. I have a blog on hormetics and research the subject http://hormesis-health.blogspot.com/ - you might be interested on posts on back pain (it cured my acute condition), caloric restriction (works if you are a mouse!) and Tabata training (great, fast training, 15 mins a week)

Patrea,

Welcome to this forum. I love your 'Hormesis' blog. How great to come across a knowledgeable and kindred spirit like yourself. I'm amazed at the similarity of perspectives on our two blogs.  I was struck by how you have seen -- as I have -- that hormesis is not a narrow principle, but one that can apply on many levels. Many people who I talk to or post here seem to have a primary interest in just one aspect -- perhaps diet, eyesight improvement, or philosophy.  Only a few seem to "get" the concept that applied hormesis -- what I call "Hormetisim" is actually an organizing principle that can be applied to ANY area of your life.

I do like your classification of hormetins: physical, nutritional, mental, and I might add 'spiritual' when one brings in the perspective of the Stoic philosophers and those who draw lessons from the martial arts and sports psychology, such as George Leonard and James Loehr.  I was amazed that you have also latched upon several of the same key principles that I've found useful as a way to spurt adaptive change -- including the principle of oscillation (or optimizing the stress/rest balance) that shows up in Loehr's writings and the intriguing Tabata training.  I liked the quote in the article on Tabata training: "Like Goldilocks' porridge, it seems that Dr. Tabata has come upon an interval protocol that is 'just right.' "   I'm fascinated by Dr. Tabata's protocols and the research behind them.  Have you used this method yourself and found it beneficial?

Keep posting and let's stay in touch!

Todd

[Patrea]

Hi Todd

Your site, and insights are great. I went straight out yesterday to get some +1 reading specs.

Tabata is a very exciting application of Hormesis I have been using for two years. Again it is the multiple application of brief intensive stress, with rests to enable repeats, that makes it so clever.

The key is to really push it - you must want to drop after the 6th or 7th rep.  The final 8th rep you only get through because you know it is the last! But you should not be literally in a state of collapse. If you have to lie down, you have overdone it.

I do this only once a week – so I am really up for it each time. As you know form HIT, weekly sessions are sufficient when you are pushing the envelope, as they say.

Forget the heart rate monitor – you’ll go way over the recommended level for your age. Some people may worry about getting a heart attack but there is little evidence of exercise-induced attacks, unless there is a (rare) pre-existing condition - see http://www.cbass.com/ . On balance the benefits of high level fitness far outweigh any risks. And it's fun

I use a cross-trainer (for a good all-over workout) for Tabata plus a Gymboss timer (see on the internet, about £20) so you can time without having to watch a clock. You’ll be so tired you won’t be able to think straight anyway - !

Also with the cross trainer you can start and stop easily and build up speed fast.

I enjoy it – I love the challenge of hitting my target mile/sec rate for each of the eight 20 second exercise bursts. The 10 second rests in between are just joy...

I did a heart rate stress test earlier in the year – heart monitoring on a treadmill medically tested - and my rates were excellent. Blood pressure and return after exercise was way below my chronological age.

I’ll post on back pain and the hormetic ‘fix’ I found which is equally fascinating. Using it, you need never have pain again, with just a 2-minute exercise done a couple of times a week.

[jared33]

Tabata is a very exciting application of Hormesis I have been using for two years. Again it is the multiple application of brief intensive stress, with rests to enable repeats, that makes it so clever.

The key is to really push it - you must want to drop after the 6th or 7th rep.  The final 8th rep you only get through because you know it is the last! But you should not be literally in a state of collapse. If you have to lie down, you have overdone it.

I do this only once a week – so I am really up for it each time. As you know form HIT, weekly sessions are sufficient when you are pushing the envelope, as they say.

Forget the heart rate monitor – you’ll go way over the recommended level for your age. Some people may worry about getting a heart attack but there is little evidence of exercise-induced attacks, unless there is a (rare) pre-existing condition - see http://www.cbass.com/ . On balance the benefits of high level fitness far outweigh any risks. And it's fun

I use a cross-trainer (for a good all-over workout) for Tabata plus a Gymboss timer (see on the internet, about £20) so you can time without having to watch a clock. You’ll be so tired you won’t be able to think straight anyway - !

Also with the cross trainer you can start and stop easily and build up speed fast.

I enjoy it – I love the challenge of hitting my target mile/sec rate for each of the eight 20 second exercise bursts. The 10 second rests in between are just joy...

I did a heart rate stress test earlier in the year – heart monitoring on a treadmill medically tested - and my rates were excellent. Blood pressure and return after exercise was way below my chronological age.

I’ll post on back pain and the hormetic ‘fix’ I found which is equally fascinating. Using it, you need never have pain again, with just a 2-minute exercise done a couple of times a week.

Hi Patrea.  Just noticed your post about Tabata training.  Is there a good website with simple instructions on how this works?  I'm interested in trying some kind of cross-training and I think this looks like an interesting approach.

Jared.

[Warthog]

I use a cross-trainer (for a good all-over workout) for Tabata plus a Gymboss timer (see on the internet, about £20) so you can time without having to watch a clock. You’ll be so tired you won’t be able to think straight anyway - !

Also with the cross trainer you can start and stop easily and build up speed fast.

Can you explain how you use this cross-trainer system to build up speed?  I'm interested in improving my 5K running time.

Thanks.

[Patrea]

Tabata - you'll see many posts on the web about Tabata, how to do it.

The relationship with hormesis is the principle and benefits of maximising the stressor. Essentially you need to use the cross-trainer to max effort for each of your eight 20-second sessions. It must be so tough that you want to stop after six cycles. It's a fun challenge.

For the hormesis effect, it must hurt in the sense of causing maximum discomfort that you go heyond the point where you want to stop. This applies to exercise, cold baths, saunas etc. Mild discomfort is not enough. It may be beneficial in other regards, but it does not stimulate the hormetic effect.

[JC]

Patrea, I think you are right that "mid discomfort is not enough".  At least that is what I have found with the main form of exercise that I do, which is weight lifting.  You just don't get muscle development without pushing it to the limit.  That said, there is a point above "mild discomfort" where "pain" begins and the risk of injury is too great.  So it's a balance.  But I guess that is true of all hormesis!