In this episode, Rick sits down with Rami Odeh to discuss the science of anti-aging and how strength training plays a major role combating agin. Odeh is a multi-unit Alloy franchisee and a wellness coach that recently completed his own anti-aging journey and an amazing physical transformation.
With an unwavering commitment to helping others reach their full potential, Odeh has dedicated his life to empowering individuals from all walks of life. He shares his own personal journey of transformation and how his success in the fitness world has made him a true inspiration to countless individuals across the globe.
Rami Odeh’s Anti-Aging Journey
In 2021, Odeh embarked on a new transformational journey. His goal was to get as muscular and lean as possible for his 60th birthday. So he took a break from over 45 years of long-distance endurance competitions and focused on building muscles with a strength training program. He wanted to see what he could achieve in terms of muscle size and leanness due to their overall impact on longevity and his health.
Anti-Aging Benefits of Strength Training
Hormonal Balance
“Strength raining creates hormonal changes that help both men and women burn fat while maintaining or gaining muscle,” says Jade Teta, ND, an integrative physician.
Strength training helps to regulate testosterone and estrogen hormones and rebalance them for both men and women. It also stimulates the release of human growth hormone, which aids in building muscle and burning fat.
Belly fat and low testosterone are known to be linked with each other. As you age, testosterone levels tend to decrease and you tend to gain more belly fat. Body fat has an enzyme called aromatase that converts testosterone into estrogens. When someone has higher estrogen levels in their body, their hormonal system tells the body to slow down its production of testosterone.
Strength training can also help regulate stress hormones like cortisol that can also trigger weight gain.
Balance Blood Sugar
The anti-aging research shows adding more muscle and reducing fat can prevent diabetes. Insulin is a hormone created by your pancreas and it helps regulate glucose (blood sugar) in your body. If you’re overweight, insulin tries to regulate your body’s glucose and gets off-balance. If you have too much glucose, your insulin works overtime trying to clear the sugar from your blood and stores extra it as body fat.
Muscles store glucose for later use. When you strength train, your muscles burns blood sugar, pulling glucose out of your blood.
Study results confirmed the theory: Researchers found that people who performed resistance exercises one hour before eating experienced:
- An increase in how effectively the body uses glucose to reduce blood sugar (insulin sensitivity)
- A decrease in how quickly glucose enters the bloodstream after eating
Longevity
The research linking resistance strength training exercise to lower mortality comes from large, population-wide surveys, looking at tens or even hundreds of thousands of people. Resistance training adds years to your lifespan.
A 2022 study review from Japanese researchers linked “muscle-strengthening activities” to a 15% lower risk of dying from any cause during the time period covered in the review. Resistance exercise was also linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease (17%), cancer (12%), and diabetes (17%).
Notably, growing evidence points towards improved brain health. There is a relationship between cognition and measures of muscular strength and muscle mass. Resistance training may trigger beneficial neurobiological processes that are crucial for healthy aging and improved brain and cognition.
The more lean tissue you add and muscle mass, it will be easier to lose weight contributing to longevity. Muscle burns more calories than fat. Each pound of muscle burns about 30 calories a day. At Alloy we use our body composition measures to accurately measure muscle mass, lean tissue, and fat. Just don’t focus on weight on the scale because muscle can weigh more than fat ,but be much smaller in mass than fat. So you really don’t want to look at body weight as your overall measure of fat loss, but on your actual body composition..
In this episode, we’ll explore the science of anti-aging and how strength training benefits for overall health and longevity. Join us as Rami and Rick explain why lifting weights, sleeping better, and having a purpose can help you live a longer, healthier life.
- The crisis of lower testosterone in the population (02:21)
- Rami’s story of building muscle (06:38)
- The numerous benefits of strength training (22:40)
- The science of longevity (23:30)
- The connection between lean tissue and brain health (30:10)
- The role of purpose and community (32:13)
- Lifespan, health span, and play span (39:44)
- Importance of good quality sleep in longevity (41:46)
About Rami Odeh
Rami Odeh is a highly accomplished individual widely recognized as a motivational speaker, coach, author, health and fitness expert, Alloy Franchise owner, and independent Sales Rep for Alloy Personal Training Franchises. Odeh has a Master’s degree in Exercise Science. He has been an endurance athlete for over 45 years and he has completed over 300 triathlons. .
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