The Longevity Routine by Dr. Peter Attia

Peter Attia is one of the most renowned and well-known people in the longevity scene. The American doctor with Canadian roots is known, among other things, for his podcast "Drive", in which he discusses a variety of topics for a healthy and long life together with guests.

At the latest with his new book "Outlive - The Science and Art of Longevity", Peter Attia also became known outside the scientific community. But after all the scientific studies, what is his recipe for success for living a healthy life for as long as possible? Find out more about Peter Attia's background and which routines he believes lead to a longer life expectancy.

Who is Peter Attia?

For those who don't know him yet, Peter Attia is a Stanford graduate and former general surgeon at John Hopkins Hospital. However, his childhood dream was not medicine, but to become a professional boxer. More than 6 hours of training a day was normal for him. Sports still play a crucial role in his life, but his goals have changed quite a bit.

Peter Attias background

After graduating with degrees in math and engineering, he switched to medicine. Early in his career, he realized that classical medicine, which he calls Medicine 2.0 in his book, was not enough for him. Too often he had to witness that his patients' illnesses were too far advanced to really cure them anymore.

This frustrated him so much that he gave up his surgical career and initially changed industries completely. For a few years, he worked for the management consulting firm McKinsey before returning to medicine. In his practice ("Early Medical"), he dedicates himself to the longevity and the prevention of diseases.

Did you know.
Degrees in medicine, math, engineering, consultant at McKinsey, TED speaker, podcaster and entrepreneur. When you look at Peter Attia's resume like this, you think of an overachiever in school. According to him, this was not the case. He was rather neglected at school and many teachers did not see any potential in him. Except for one, to whom he is still grateful today. Without this teacher, he would never have gone to university.

What is Peter Attia doing today?

In addition to his medical practice, Peter Attia appears on several podcasts and also hosts his own, "Drive," where he discusses the latest scientific findings on longevity. Through this, he has managed to generate enthusiasm for scientific topics among the masses for months and years. Something similar has for example also David Sinclair with his book "Lifespan".

In his book, Peter Attia works through the most important reasons for aging and explains in a comprehensible way (albeit in English) what we can do about it. In doing so, he not only lists loose scientific studies to support his theses, but also puts the scientific findings into practice in his everyday life. In his book, he takes the reader on his personal and exciting journey, including missteps and mistakes, through the world of longevity research.

Medicine 3.0 - what is behind the term?

To understand the difference between Medicine 2.0 and Medicine 3.0, Peter Attia gives the following example: Medicine 2.0 deals with the treatment of diseases that have already manifested themselves. In other words, a doctor only treats diabetes mellitus when it shows up in the laboratory with elevated blood sugar levels. Medicine 3.0, on the other hand, takes a closer look at the causes behind the disease and treats diabetes at an earlier stage, when only insulin resistance is present. This is because it is still reversible.

His statements are based on many years of research findings. Ageing is a process that takes place at various molecular and biochemical levels in our body.

If you want to dive deeper into the molecular level of aging, check out our series of articles on the topic Hallmarks of Aging here. Here you will find the individual molecular building blocks of aging explained in an understandable way and with tangible examples.

Did you know.
Peter Attia set fitness goals for himself at the young age of 13. At that time, he wrote them down on little pieces of paper, and this method helped him to get better and better. He still uses the same mental trick today.

Chronic diseases - the four apocalyptic horsemen

Peter Attia invests a large part of his working time in the prevention of chronic diseases. In particular, he focuses on four disease groups that he likes to call the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, since they are responsible for more than 80% of deaths in people over 50 who do not smoke.

The four apocalyptic horsemen are:

• Arteriosclerosis (associated cardiovascular diseases and diseases of the cerebral vessels)
• Cancer
• Neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's
• "Fundamental" diseases, such as diabetes mellitus type 2

In addition to explaining the developmental processes behind these diseases, Peter Attia gives some advice on how to prevent them.

Attia's anti-aging recipe:

Sport, sport, sport! One of the main pillars of Peter Attia's book is his fiery plea for more exercise:

"More than any other tactical domain we discuss in this book, exercise has the greatest power to determine how you will live out the rest of your life..."

He recommends a mixture of strength and endurance sports, with a focus on different training intensities and exercises. Admittedly, his training program may not be sustainable for everyone. At least 10 hours a week, including some "unusual" exercises, may sound quite ambitious.

One of Peter Attia's favorite exercises is running fast with a 20-30 kilogram backpack on his back. By the intensity and volume of the workout, you can tell the (almost) professional athlete behind it. Peter Attia himself says that he needs the endorphin rush to survive.

However, this should not deter anyone. Just 90 minutes of exercise a week can have a very positive effect on your health!

Sports - and what else?

Although sport takes up several chapters in Peter Attia's book, there are a few more ingredients to his anti-aging recipe.
To prevent atherosclerosis, he has regular blood tests done to determine his ApoB level, among other things. He interprets the studies to mean that the lower the ApoB level, the lower the risk of developing atherosclerosis. For this reason, he takes various medications such as statins, ezetimibe and PCSK-9 inhibitors to lower his blood lipid levels.

If you would like to know the exact background to ApoB and find out what role your blood lipid levels play in longevity, then take a look at our guide to blood lipid levels.

To protect himself against cancer, Peter Attia uses regular preventive examinations, such as gastroscopy and colonoscopy. He applies the same concept to neurodegenerative diseases as he does to arteriosclerosis, because poorer blood flow to the brain in old age is a risk factor for the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

Did you know?

Some studies have shown that people in countries where many soy products are eaten have a lower risk of cancer. Soy, whether in the form of tofu, soy milk or tempeh, contains many isoflavones that can have a positive effect on telomere length. As a reminder, telomeres are the protective caps at the end of our chromosomes.

Another "widespread disease" is diabetes or, in its preliminary stage, insulin resistance. Peter Attia sees insulin resistance as one of the main factors in the deterioration of health in old age.

Did you know?
The studies show that berberinea naturally occurring pigment extracted from the bark of barberry plants, has an effect on the body via the regulation of several signaling pathways and longevity pathways, including AMPK, NF-κB, sirtuins and several others. Including on our sugar metabolism. Several scientific studies have shown that berberine (as well as the trace elements chromium and zinc) has a positive effect on blood sugar levels (especially insulin sensitivity). positively can have a positive effect. All three substances in combination are found in the Berberine Mineral Complex from MoleQlar is present.

Sleep to live - Peter Attia on the importance of restful sleep.

Ever since the renowned researcher Matthew Walker published his bestselling book "The Big Book of Sleep", a greater number of people have become aware of the importance of a good night's sleep. This includes Peter Attia, who in his earlier days as a surgeon experienced first-hand what a chronic lack of sleep can do to you. Nowadays, he attaches greater importance to sleep and tries to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep regularly.

Did you know?
Another interesting substance obtained from soy is spermidine. It is a naturally occurring polyamine and has been shown in some studies to have a life-prolonging effect. It can stimulate autophagy processes and switch old cells back to "youthful" via epigenetic changes in the cell nucleus.

Mental health - what's the point of living a long life if it's not worth living?

In the final chapter of his book, Peter Attia describes his very personal story and why he has come to believe that a healthy psyche is the most important ingredient in the anti-aging recipe. Without joy, a long life is more of a punishment than a gift. Working with psychologists, Peter Attia was able to work through his "own childhood demons" that prevented him from living a happy life in the here and now.

This process had not been easy for him. Nor was it a straight path, but he had to cope with many setbacks. His anger and obsession, coupled with an obsession for perfectionism, almost cost him his marriage and many good friends. He was never enough for himself, always wanting to be better. But this eventually took the joy out of his life.

Only with the help of psychologists did he get back on track. It's a heartfelt appeal to not forget your own psyche in addition to all the optimization possibilities.

The supplement routine of Peter Attia

In his podcast, Peter Attia recently revealed what supplements he takes and his reasons behind them:

• Omega-3 in the form of fish oil: Peter Attia takes a fairly high dose of 2g EPA and 1.5g DHA per day. He also reveals his reason in the podcast. He wants the concentration of EPA and DHA on the cell membrane of his red blood cells to be 12%.
• Vitamin D: Here he takes 5,000 International Units (IU) daily to prevent vitamin D deficiency.
• Magnesium: He tries to consume a total of 1 gram of magnesium. Mainly through magnesium oxide, which you can also find in our magnesium complex.
• Folic acid and vitamin B12: Peter Attia is a big fan of measurable biomarkers. A B12 and folic acid deficiency can lead to anemia. That's one of the reasons he takes these two supplements. Another is his homocysteine levels. Excessive levels of this amino acid can promote cardiovascular disease. Betaine (TMG) is also particularly effective against high homocysteine.
• Vitamin B6. Here the American takes 50mg three times a week. B6 can also help with high homocysteine levels.
• acetylsalicylic acid (ASA). Here he takes a small dose every day, but at the same time warns that the study situation is not clear. The older you get, the higher the risk of falling. For this reason, one should not reach for aspirin without a clear indication!
• 2 g glycine: This amino acid is a true all-rounder in our body. Did you know that around 35% of our collagen consists of glycine? Collagen provides the firmness in our skin and decreasing collagen concentration is one of the reasons for our skin ageing. If you combine glycine with three methyl groups, you get the betaine (TMG) known from beet. Betaine releases the methyl groups in the body, for example to help convert harmful homocysteine into harmless methionine.
• AshwagandhaPeter Attia takes 600mg daily. The Indian sleeping berry is said to have a number of positive properties and has long been part of Ayurvedic medicine. Ashwagandha is said to promote sleep and relieve stress.