Why women need less Zone 2 training than men

While Zone 2 training has become the latest fitness buzzword (Dr. Peter Attia is a huge fan!), emerging research shows that women's unique physiology means we may need less of this "conversational pace" training than our male counterparts. Here's what the science says and how to optimize your training accordingly.

The female advantage: breaking it down

As noted by Dr. Stacy Sims, an exercise physiologist and expert in female-specific nutrition and training for performance and longevity, “Women are not small men.” Instead, we are naturally equipped with several biological advantages when it comes to endurance exercise.

1. Superior mitochondrial function

Women's muscles are already built for endurance:

"Research shows that females have more oxidative (Type 1 or ‘slow twitch’) fibers, have greater fatigue-resistant muscles, [and] have greater autophagy activity." (Dr. Stacy Sims)

This means that our muscles:

• Have about one-third greater mitochondrial respiratory rates than men.
• Possess better oxygen utilization in our mitochondria.
• Naturally contain more slow-twitch (Type 1) muscle fibers, which are jam-packed with mitochondria.

2. Built-in fat burning efficiency

The standard advice to engage in Zone 2 training to "teach your body to burn fat" may be unnecessary for women.

In simple terms, our muscles are already equipped with:

• More stored fat within the muscle cells.
• Better mechanisms for moving fat into cells for fuel.
• Enhanced fat-burning capabilities at all exercise intensities.

3. Natural metabolic flexibility

Advocates of extended Zone 2 training often talk about the need to become "metabolically flexible,” but it turns out that women already excel at this! Dr. Sims explains:

"Women are already metabolically flexible! Not only do women oxidize more fat and less carbohydrate during prolonged exercise; women also have greater metabolic flexibility because there is a greater ability to switch between fatty acid and glucose use, depending on what nutrients are available."

What this means for your training

Zone 2 training isn't useless for women - it still has its place for active recovery between harder sessions, base building for endurance athletes, social exercise and stress management.  But, adding tons of Zone 2 isn’t necessary if your goal is to improve mitochondrial function and fatty acid utilization.  

What most women REALLY need is more very-high-intensity intervals where your heart rate is in Zones 4 and 5. Think: 30-60 seconds of sprinting, jumping, or cycling followed by 90-120 seconds of rest. Repeat for 6-8 cycles. Aim for 2-3 of these HIIT training workouts each week.  

Use the extra time you’ve saved each week to add more strength training, which women (especially women in midlife) rarely get enough of!

The bottom line

The days of endless treadmill or elliptical slogs every week are gone! Instead, be intentional about adding very high-intensity interval training and strength training. Then, have a little fun - go on long walks with your dog, mellow cycling dates with friends, and casual rows with your lake neighbors to check that Zone 2 box without making you cry out of boredom!

  

Disclaimer: Dr. Stacy Sims is not affiliated with HOP and was mentioned in this email because she’s a subject matter expert on women’s nutrition and fitness. The information included in this email can also be found on her website, in her book, and on the podcasts she’s done on this subject. I highly recommend checking out her various educational materials.