Rerelease: Dr. Phil Maffetone 22: The Eight Steps To Mastering MAF, Healthy Body Fat Ranges, and How Athletes Can Decrease Health Risks

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We’re rereleasing this classic episode. Enjoy!

Dr. Phil Maffetone is back for an instant classic on how you can maximize your fitness gains and longterm health simultaneously:

MAF Method refresher:

• It’s not just about the 180 Formula when you pursue MAF, it’s a holistic method for overall improved health, wellness and fitness.
• There are 8 steps to mastering MAF, which we discuss in detail:

1. Carb intolerance
2. Inflammation
3. Vitamin D
4. Folate
5. Build the Aerobic System
6. Manage Stress
7. Build a Better Brain
8. Healthy Aging

• More: https://philmaffetone.com/method/

Study: Physically active white men at high risk for plaque buildup in arteries

• A recent study showed that white men who exercise are at a higher risk for plaque buildup in the arteries, and news has spread. View the article here. We get Phil’s take and what is missing:
• Calcification is clearly a dangerous sign, but a downstream problem. Two common causes are:
  • Increased fat (especially pericardial)
  • Low vitamin D
• Pericardial fat risks:
  • When abdomen gets fat, the fat around heart also probably excessive – affects cardiac output, stroke volume and the athlete’s training and racing HR goes up, having a negative effect on performance and health.
• The importance of your waist-to-height ratio. Your waist should be no more than 1/2 your height.
• Study mention: American runners have never been slower

Phil’s new study on the overfat population (click link for full text!), and what they found:

• An increase prevalence of exercise among adults (up to 52%)
• But also a paralleled increase of overfat people (91% of American adults, and 69% of kids in the US).
• WHY is there this trend (i.e. more exercise but getting fatter)?
• How was being “overfat” assessed?
• Conclusion: you can’t outrun a bad diet.

What is a healthy body fat range to be in according to research and Phil?

• Normal ranges of body fat percentages–abnormally low, healthy, abnormally high:
  • BF ranges
  • Dangerously low
    • <14% women (but even ~17% +/- could pose risks)
    • <8% men
  • Dangerously high
    • >31.6% women
    • >17.6% men
  • Source: Lohman and Colleagues
• Phil says don’t exceed these following ranges; it’s where things start to go wrong:
  • 29.8% for women
  • 15.3% for men