05 / 08
Cardiovascular & Metabolic
The energetic substrate
Glucose regulation, lipid profiles, blood pressure, and mitochondrial function determine how efficiently your body produces and uses energy. This system is highly responsive to movement, nutrition, sleep, and stress.
What it needs
- Regular aerobic and resistance movement
- Fiber-rich, minimally processed nutrition
- Adequate sleep
- Stress management
- Social connection
What wrecks it
- Smoking and secondhand smoke
- Sedentary lifestyle
- Ultra-processed food dominance
- Chronic stress
- Excessive alcohol
Indicators to observe
- Resting heart rate
- Blood pressure
- Fasting glucose and HbA1c
- Lipid panel
- Waist circumference
- Exercise capacity
What the evidence shows
Framingham and UK Biobank provide the strongest cardiovascular risk models. Finnish sauna cohorts show dose-response cardiovascular benefits. Mediterranean diet has the deepest outcome evidence.
Open questions
- Individual glucose response to specific foods
- Optimal fasting protocols by metabolic phenotype
- Cold exposure cardiovascular adaptation limits