You’ve heard that VO2max is an important marker of health, and maybe you even have idea of your personal performance. But what is it, and why does it matter? And if it’s not as high as you want — do you know why? Here’s some answers. alanheldman.substack.com/p/why-is-my-...

You don't have to be an edgy biohacker to gather data about your own metabolism. It's your health. Your data. What could you do with your notebook? I’m not selling supplements or anything else. I’m giving away ideas. Read them here: open.substack.com/pub/alanheld...

What do Jimmy Buffett lyrics, ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, WW I trench warfare, and WW II dogtags have to do with curating your own health? This story kicks off my thinking about the idea of a Personal Health Record. Follow along if you’re interested! open.substack.com/pub/alanheld...

When you exercise, your heart muscle needs more oxygen, so the blood flow in your coronary arteries can go up 500%! Exercise is generally good for your health & reduces the risk of heart disease, but if you have atherosclerosis plaque in those arteries, intense exertion can trigger a heart attack.

I'm predicting a bunch of new age-group world records in the Women's 4x400m relays. Just last week, a W65 squad of Cheryl Bellaire, Julie Hayden, Susan Lloyd, and Elizabeth Deak clocked a world record 5:15.97 to slice nearly five seconds off of the existing indoor 4x400 record.

When you encounter a new product or idea for your health, how do you decide whether or not it’s bullsh*t? Low quality information is easy to find. High quality information is often locked behind expensive paywalls.

Linus Pauling (1901-1994) was the only person who ever won two unshared Nobel Prizes — the prize in Chemistry in 1954, and the Peace Prize in 1962. Over breakfast, he gave our little group of medical students some advice about vitamin C and the search for truth. open.substack.com/pub/alanheld...

How do you decide what product claims to believe? These are personal choices, but we can all use some help when it comes to thinking about our own health.

I am expecting big changes in the competition around health product innovation, personal right-to-try, and regulatory oversight for safety. If you think that your academic institution will take the high road, you might be disappointed. open.substack.com/pub/alanheld...