0:00:02 > 0:00:07'Exercise. I know I should, but I don't particularly enjoy it,
0:00:07 > 0:00:11'I begrudge the time and I never seem to make much progress.
0:00:12 > 0:00:14'So I wanted to find out
0:00:14 > 0:00:17'what I should be doing, how much and why.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21'If, like me, you thought exercise was just about
0:00:21 > 0:00:25'pounding the streets or hitting the gym for hours on end,
0:00:25 > 0:00:27'then prepare to be amazed.'
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Push, push, push, push!
0:00:29 > 0:00:33'I've been meeting scientists who are changing our view of exercise.'
0:00:33 > 0:00:36Come on, Michael! Come on! You can do it!
0:00:36 > 0:00:41'They've discovered that we all respond to exercise in very different ways...'
0:00:41 > 0:00:45These guys here are super responders. Keep driving!
0:00:45 > 0:00:48'..and I've looked at some extraordinary new research
0:00:48 > 0:00:54'which suggests we can get many of the health benefits of exercise from just three minutes a week.'
0:00:54 > 0:00:59- Three, two, one, and that's you done.- Woo!
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Perfect.
0:01:01 > 0:01:04It goes against absolutely everything I was taught
0:01:04 > 0:01:07at medical school and everything I have read since.
0:01:10 > 0:01:14'And research is also showing us how, without breaking a sweat,
0:01:14 > 0:01:17'we can all live healthier and longer lives.'
0:01:17 > 0:01:19That's a reduction of a third.
0:01:19 > 0:01:23You've got about a third less fat going round in your bloodstream.
0:01:23 > 0:01:24The truth about exercise
0:01:24 > 0:01:28has turned out to be a whole lot stranger than I had imagined.
0:01:28 > 0:01:32Research coming out of the laboratories is challenging long-held beliefs.
0:01:32 > 0:01:35It has altered the way I live my life,
0:01:35 > 0:01:38and it may alter the way you live yours.
0:01:51 > 0:01:56I'm going to start by putting myself in the lion's den,
0:01:56 > 0:02:00to see what I can learn from people who really push their bodies to the limit.
0:02:01 > 0:02:04This is Loughborough University.
0:02:04 > 0:02:08It is the training ground for many of our Olympic hopefuls.
0:02:08 > 0:02:11It is incredibly impressive, but also rather intimidating,
0:02:11 > 0:02:14seeing all these super fit young men and women here.
0:02:16 > 0:02:21I've come to meet Will Sharman, who's aiming for a medal
0:02:21 > 0:02:24in the 110m hurdles at London 2012.
0:02:24 > 0:02:29I've been just outside the medals in the past two World Championships
0:02:29 > 0:02:31and it's about time I get myself into the medals.
0:02:31 > 0:02:35- With the crowd cheering you on? - Yeah, it should help a lot.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38Do you find the actual exercise itself enjoyable?
0:02:38 > 0:02:41There are some things within my training components
0:02:41 > 0:02:44that are gruelling, and I don't enjoy them at the time.
0:02:44 > 0:02:46- It's horrible.- Such as?
0:02:46 > 0:02:49Er, such as when you have lactic acid in your legs,
0:02:49 > 0:02:51it's really painful.
0:02:51 > 0:02:56When I'm doing a difficult running session and it feels like my lungs are on fire
0:02:56 > 0:03:00because I can't breathe very easily. I can't get enough oxygen in in time.
0:03:00 > 0:03:03These things aren't nice at the time, but I do them
0:03:03 > 0:03:07because they're a vehicle towards what I'm trying to achieve.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10You're doing currently 30 hours training a week
0:03:10 > 0:03:13and I'm doing currently no hours of training a week.
0:03:13 > 0:03:15So it'll be interesting... Do you fancy a little race?
0:03:15 > 0:03:17OK, let's do it.
0:03:18 > 0:03:21You'll have to go gently, I haven't done this for a long time.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25'As the camera crew set up to film our epic contest,
0:03:25 > 0:03:29'and having only had time to place this small trackside camera,
0:03:29 > 0:03:31'Will and I prepared for our head-to-head
0:03:31 > 0:03:34'with what was meant to be a warm-up.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39'But after just three paces, I pulled a muscle.'
0:03:45 > 0:03:48And then suddenly it went ping.
0:03:48 > 0:03:50What I was doing was taking it easy
0:03:50 > 0:03:52because it was just a practice.
0:03:52 > 0:03:57I was warming up into it, whereas you really went for it on the first go
0:03:57 > 0:03:59because you didn't want to lose to me,
0:03:59 > 0:04:02which is quite good that you've got that fighting spirit in you,
0:04:02 > 0:04:06but not good in the sense that you weren't ready to do that physically.
0:04:06 > 0:04:08'That's the first truth about exercise.
0:04:08 > 0:04:12'You can easily hurt yourself if you're not prepared.'
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Three, two, one, go, jump.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19'The difference between a Ferrari like Will
0:04:19 > 0:04:24'and a hatchback like myself is not just down to training.'
0:04:24 > 0:04:27You are about 5,500 to 6,000 watts.
0:04:27 > 0:04:31Three times more powerful than someone like myself.
0:04:31 > 0:04:34Could I ever achieve figures like that?
0:04:34 > 0:04:40Well, it depends a lot on your parents' genes and your genes.
0:04:40 > 0:04:44- Short answer is probably not. - Short answer is no.- OK.
0:04:44 > 0:04:48If I want a six pack, what do I have to do?
0:04:48 > 0:04:51You've got one already. I think you're just hiding it.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54The first thing you need to do perhaps is just reveal it.
0:04:54 > 0:04:58- I think probably not(!) - The amount of exercise you're doing
0:04:58 > 0:04:59will reflect upon how much
0:04:59 > 0:05:02- body fat you're carrying as well. - Have you got a six pack?
0:05:02 > 0:05:04- Indeed. Always.- Can I see?
0:05:04 > 0:05:06- You want to see?- I want to see.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08Oooh, yes, there you go.
0:05:08 > 0:05:12So Will's probably got about 4% to 5% body fat.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13It's quite low, yeah.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22'Most of us are realistic enough to know
0:05:22 > 0:05:24'we're not going to be going for gold
0:05:24 > 0:05:26'or getting a body like Will's.
0:05:26 > 0:05:30'But we do want to firm up and make some progress on the waistline.'
0:05:37 > 0:05:41One of the main reasons that people decide to do exercise
0:05:41 > 0:05:44is because they think it's going to help them lose weight.
0:05:44 > 0:05:47Now, at a simple level, that makes complete sense.
0:05:47 > 0:05:50Burn the calories, the weight drops off.
0:05:50 > 0:05:52But is it really as simple as that?
0:05:52 > 0:05:54So this morning, what we're going to do
0:05:54 > 0:05:57- is get you to do some exercise around the track...- Yep.
0:05:57 > 0:06:01..and we've got a portable respiratory device here.
0:06:01 > 0:06:04'Exercise physiologist Dr Keith Tolfrey
0:06:04 > 0:06:07'is about to demonstrate an uncomfortable truth
0:06:07 > 0:06:11'about the relationship between exercise and weight loss.'
0:06:11 > 0:06:17So you're going to be measuring the amount of oxygen and carbon dioxide that I exhale?
0:06:17 > 0:06:18It collects a small sample
0:06:18 > 0:06:22and works out the concentrations of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24If we look at the ratio between those two,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28we can then estimate how much fat and carbohydrate you're using.
0:06:33 > 0:06:35That's a great pace, Michael.
0:06:35 > 0:06:39'By measuring what I breathe in and out, Keith can work out
0:06:39 > 0:06:44'how many calories I burn while jogging along at six miles-an-hour.'
0:06:44 > 0:06:46Good speed. Well done.
0:06:46 > 0:06:50'The data is transmitted live to a track-side computer.'
0:06:50 > 0:06:54And that should be great. Well done. Well done.
0:06:54 > 0:07:00'He then does the calculations and gives me the bad news.'
0:07:00 > 0:07:01Whilst you were doing the run,
0:07:01 > 0:07:06you were using approximately 16 calories every minute.
0:07:06 > 0:07:09- That doesn't sound a lot.- Well...
0:07:09 > 0:07:14'Keith then rubs it in by pointing out how long I would have to run
0:07:14 > 0:07:17'to burn off a selection of foods.'
0:07:17 > 0:07:19Let's talk about the energy in these.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22We're looking at a cappuccino, a blueberry muffin
0:07:22 > 0:07:25and a banana, which most people would consider to be healthy.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28If we look at all of these things together,
0:07:28 > 0:07:32how long do you think you would have to exercise, at that running pace,
0:07:32 > 0:07:36to use the energy that's in these three different foods?
0:07:36 > 0:07:38Erm, 20 minutes, half-an-hour.
0:07:38 > 0:07:41- Yeah, well, the actual answer is 55 minutes.- Right.
0:07:41 > 0:07:46- So it would take you 55 minutes at that speed to use the energy that's just in this.- OK.
0:07:46 > 0:07:51So it's going to take you quite some time if you try and use exercise
0:07:51 > 0:07:54all on its own to use up this amount of energy.
0:07:54 > 0:07:56Super, Michael. That's really good.
0:07:56 > 0:08:01'That's a lot of running to burn off a mid-morning snack.
0:08:01 > 0:08:06'In the long term, very few people are willing to put in the hours
0:08:06 > 0:08:09'that are necessary to lose weight and keep it off.
0:08:09 > 0:08:13'What's worse, research shows that some people
0:08:13 > 0:08:16'unconsciously compensate for doing exercise by eating more.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20'The danger is, basically, they think it's going to work,'
0:08:20 > 0:08:22then they step on the scales,
0:08:22 > 0:08:25they've been exercising an hour a week, two hours a week
0:08:25 > 0:08:27and they're exactly the same weight.
0:08:27 > 0:08:30In the short term, that's not going to work, no.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31What's really funny
0:08:31 > 0:08:34is that even as we've been standing here talking,
0:08:34 > 0:08:38I've just been unconsciously sipping at this because it's in my hand.
0:08:38 > 0:08:42Without even thinking about it, I have just drunk about a third of this cappuccino.
0:08:42 > 0:08:45That's a good 60 or 70 calories, 15 minutes round the track.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52'If you really want to lose weight and keep it off,
0:08:52 > 0:08:55'you have to control what you eat as well.
0:08:55 > 0:08:59'But if you don't see the pounds dropping off, don't despair
0:08:59 > 0:09:03'because many of the most important benefits of exercise
0:09:03 > 0:09:06'lie hidden deep inside your body.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21'So what are these hidden benefits?
0:09:21 > 0:09:24'If losing weight is not the right motivation, why bother?
0:09:24 > 0:09:29'Well, one of the most remarkable effects of even gentle exercise
0:09:29 > 0:09:33'is what it does to the levels of fat in your blood.'
0:09:34 > 0:09:37I've come to meet Dr Jason Gill of Glasgow University
0:09:37 > 0:09:41who has promised me a delicious Scottish breakfast.
0:09:41 > 0:09:45Now, I suspect his motivations are more scientific than altruistic,
0:09:45 > 0:09:48because he's going to show me something which he thinks
0:09:48 > 0:09:52will really shock me, shake me out of my lazy ways.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Oh, wow!
0:10:00 > 0:10:03OK. That's impressive.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06Right, I wasn't expecting anything quite like that.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09It's quite nice actually because normally I would feel
0:10:09 > 0:10:11extraordinarily guilty eating a breakfast like this.
0:10:11 > 0:10:15- You're doing this for science. - Exactly. I've got my excuses.
0:10:15 > 0:10:18Ooh, nice bit of bacon here.
0:10:18 > 0:10:21The amount of fat in that is not going to be that dissimilar
0:10:21 > 0:10:24to the amount people eat during the course of the day.
0:10:24 > 0:10:28The fat's going to go into your gut, then into your bloodstream.
0:10:28 > 0:10:32While the fat's in your bloodstream, it's causing a number of changes to metabolism
0:10:32 > 0:10:35which increase the risk of fatty deposits forming
0:10:35 > 0:10:37on the walls of your blood vessels.
0:10:38 > 0:10:42'And if you think it sounds bad, wait till you see it.'
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Very good. Normally when people say sharp scratch,
0:10:46 > 0:10:50it precedes something that's really quite painful.
0:10:50 > 0:10:52'Four hours after breakfast
0:10:52 > 0:10:56'and Jason is extracting a sample of my blood,
0:10:56 > 0:10:59'which he then spins in a high-speed centrifuge
0:10:59 > 0:11:01'to separate out the fat.'
0:11:03 > 0:11:06I would expect by this point,
0:11:06 > 0:11:10well over four hours later, for there to be very little fat.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13OK. Well, we'll see. Are you feeling hungry still?
0:11:13 > 0:11:15I'm feeling a bit peckish. I could eat a bit more.
0:11:15 > 0:11:16There we go.
0:11:16 > 0:11:20'The result is a graphic display of my blood before
0:11:20 > 0:11:24- 'and after that fatty breakfast.' - This is the one
0:11:24 > 0:11:27after you had breakfast. So that's the fat from the food you've eaten,
0:11:27 > 0:11:31spun up right there. So you can see the sort of creamy, milky stuff
0:11:31 > 0:11:35and that's been going round in your circulation the whole time.
0:11:35 > 0:11:37We can compare that with what's happened
0:11:37 > 0:11:39before you've eaten the meal,
0:11:39 > 0:11:42and you can see there's not very much fat there at all.
0:11:42 > 0:11:46Indeed. So in this one here, there's actually quite a lot of fat.
0:11:46 > 0:11:49You've got twice as much fat in that one compared to this one.
0:11:49 > 0:11:52Eating that meal has doubled the fat in your bloodstream.
0:11:52 > 0:11:54OK. That's quite scary, isn't it?
0:11:56 > 0:11:59'And that's just the fat in a tiny blood sample.
0:11:59 > 0:12:01'Multiply by a thousand
0:12:01 > 0:12:06'and you get the amount of fat in my bloodstream from one fry-up.
0:12:06 > 0:12:08'Apart from damage to blood vessels,
0:12:08 > 0:12:12'there's also the worrying question of where the fat ends up.'
0:12:12 > 0:12:16It goes into all of your fat stores.
0:12:16 > 0:12:20What we know though is not all fat stores are equal, in terms of risk.
0:12:20 > 0:12:22Fat which is held under the surface of your skin,
0:12:22 > 0:12:24what we call subcutaneous fat,
0:12:24 > 0:12:28is a lot less bad for you than the fat that's deep within you.
0:12:28 > 0:12:32So fat that we call visceral fat which is the fat on the inside,
0:12:32 > 0:12:36inside your tummy and also fat stored in the liver and round the pancreas,
0:12:36 > 0:12:40seems to do a lot more harm than fat held on the surface of your skin.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44Particularly fat held beneath your waist is certainly not bad for you
0:12:44 > 0:12:46and it might actually be protective.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50OK. You've convinced me there's something pretty nasty going on.
0:12:50 > 0:12:54- What do you want me to do next? - I'd like you to go for a walk.
0:12:54 > 0:12:57# I would walk 500 miles
0:12:57 > 0:13:01# And I would walk 500 more
0:13:01 > 0:13:03# Just to be the man
0:13:03 > 0:13:05# Who walked a thousand miles
0:13:05 > 0:13:08# To fall down at your door
0:13:08 > 0:13:11# When I'm walking... #
0:13:11 > 0:13:16Seeing all that fat sitting floating around in my blood was unpleasant.
0:13:16 > 0:13:20What was even more unpleasant though was thinking about
0:13:20 > 0:13:22where that fat was heading for.
0:13:22 > 0:13:26I discovered a few years ago that I am what's called a TOFI,
0:13:26 > 0:13:30thin on the outside, fat inside. I have a lot of visceral fat,
0:13:30 > 0:13:33the sort of fat that lines your internal organs
0:13:33 > 0:13:35and that is not good.
0:13:39 > 0:13:42'It was while making a film about weight loss
0:13:42 > 0:13:45'that I went for an MRI scan at Hammersmith Hospital
0:13:45 > 0:13:46'and got a nasty shock.'
0:13:49 > 0:13:53And the fat here, which is all the white inside you,
0:13:53 > 0:13:55and you can clearly see here...
0:13:55 > 0:14:00What you're saying, basically, is I have unhealthy large amounts of internal fat
0:14:00 > 0:14:04and this is something I really ought to be doing something about?
0:14:04 > 0:14:07Absolutely. These are related to the development of type II diabetes
0:14:07 > 0:14:10and insulin resistance which is something you want to avoid.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15- Yes. My father had diabetes. - Oh. Type II diabetes?- Yes.
0:14:15 > 0:14:18As I say, there's a very direct correlation
0:14:18 > 0:14:21- between the amount of fat.- Right.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28'For about a year, I did more exercise in an attempt
0:14:28 > 0:14:30'to lose my visceral fat.
0:14:30 > 0:14:34'Then, typically, I slipped back into sloth.
0:14:34 > 0:14:36'But seeing that fat in my blood
0:14:36 > 0:14:39has brought it home with a vengeance.
0:14:39 > 0:14:43My enquiry into the truth about exercise
0:14:43 > 0:14:45has become intensely personal.
0:14:55 > 0:14:56OK, same cafe,
0:14:56 > 0:14:58same meal as yesterday.
0:14:58 > 0:15:00The only real difference is that last night
0:15:00 > 0:15:02I went out for a long walk.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05Now, that walk should have triggered in my body
0:15:05 > 0:15:08the production of an enzyme, which in turn should alter
0:15:08 > 0:15:12how my body processes the fat I'm about to eat.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Let's find out.
0:15:14 > 0:15:15Science lesson two.
0:15:17 > 0:15:20# And I would walk 500 miles
0:15:20 > 0:15:23# And I would walk 500 more
0:15:23 > 0:15:28# Just to be the man who walked a thousand miles
0:15:28 > 0:15:31# To fall down at your door. #
0:15:36 > 0:15:37'Just like yesterday,
0:15:37 > 0:15:41'four hours after eating, Jason takes a sample of blood.
0:15:41 > 0:15:43'After much spinning and separating,
0:15:43 > 0:15:46'I'm presented with the tubes.'
0:15:48 > 0:15:49So again, what we see here,
0:15:49 > 0:15:52this is before you had the meal. There's not any fat in it.
0:15:52 > 0:15:54- Very much like yesterday.- Yes.
0:15:54 > 0:15:56- This is the one after the meal.- OK.
0:15:56 > 0:15:58You can see quite clearly
0:15:58 > 0:16:01there's substantially less fat in the sample today
0:16:01 > 0:16:03after you've done the exercise,
0:16:03 > 0:16:06than yesterday when you didn't do the exercise. So it's quite stark.
0:16:06 > 0:16:08Markedly different, isn't it?
0:16:08 > 0:16:12- What were the actual numbers? - We've got the numbers.
0:16:12 > 0:16:14So yesterday you had numbers of 2.41.
0:16:14 > 0:16:16They've dropped to 1.66.
0:16:16 > 0:16:18- That's a reduction of a third.- Right.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21You have about a third less fat in your bloodstream.
0:16:21 > 0:16:24A third less fat interacting with the walls of your blood vessels.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27That means you've substantially reduced your chance
0:16:27 > 0:16:31of these fatty deposits building up on the walls of your blood vessels.
0:16:31 > 0:16:33So it's a double win situation.
0:16:33 > 0:16:36You're sucking the fat out of your blood, but at the same time,
0:16:36 > 0:16:39- it's dumped in the muscle where most of it is burnt off.- Exactly.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Rather than going into my gut and doing some bad things there.
0:16:42 > 0:16:44Exactly, yes.
0:16:50 > 0:16:52The walking switched on genes
0:16:52 > 0:16:56that make an enzyme called lipoprotein lipase,
0:16:56 > 0:16:58and it was this that produced
0:16:58 > 0:17:01the impressive 33% fall in the amount of fat in my blood.
0:17:04 > 0:17:07The trouble is, in order to produce that result,
0:17:07 > 0:17:10I had to do 90 minutes of pretty hard walking yesterday,
0:17:10 > 0:17:13and I can imagine doing it occasionally,
0:17:13 > 0:17:16but nothing like as often as I probably need to do it.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22What I really need to do is find a form of exercise which is effective,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25which I can fit into my busy family life,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28and which I can honestly imagine
0:17:28 > 0:17:30going on doing for the next few decades.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40The question is - what?
0:17:41 > 0:17:44I've come to the University of Nottingham
0:17:44 > 0:17:47which is at the centre of some really exciting new research
0:17:47 > 0:17:51that could change the way we see exercise.
0:17:52 > 0:17:55The Government guidelines are clear.
0:17:55 > 0:18:00150 minutes of moderate-intensity activity a week
0:18:00 > 0:18:03or 75 minutes of vigorous activity.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05But there are some scientists
0:18:05 > 0:18:08who suggest that actually, what we should be doing
0:18:08 > 0:18:11is radically rethinking our whole approach to exercise.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15If you do those levels, great.
0:18:15 > 0:18:18The trouble is, two-thirds of us don't.
0:18:18 > 0:18:23Professor Jamie Timmons is part of an international group of scientists
0:18:23 > 0:18:27looking for new ways to get everyone exercising.
0:18:27 > 0:18:30So, Jamie, what's wrong with the guidelines?
0:18:30 > 0:18:32The biggest problem with them
0:18:32 > 0:18:34is really the fact that they're not personalised.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37The guidance is based on how the average person
0:18:37 > 0:18:40would respond to exercise,
0:18:40 > 0:18:43but we've known for some time now that there's a huge variation
0:18:43 > 0:18:47in how people actually respond and benefit from exercise,
0:18:47 > 0:18:49and so there's actually no guarantee
0:18:49 > 0:18:52that recipe will give you the right results.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55MUSIC: "Pump It" by the Black-Eyed Peas
0:19:00 > 0:19:01I don't know about you,
0:19:01 > 0:19:06but I must admit, these places absolutely fill me with horror.
0:19:06 > 0:19:08I used to come in,
0:19:08 > 0:19:11I would go madly cycling around on one of those for an hour or so.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13I'd kind of FEEL a bit better,
0:19:13 > 0:19:16but I never seemed to actually get much fitter.
0:19:16 > 0:19:17Is that possible?
0:19:17 > 0:19:22It is possible you'd be getting not as many benefits as you might expect.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24You'll certainly have people
0:19:24 > 0:19:27which are not getting much fitter or improving their metabolism.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30They may get some other health benefits, or social benefits
0:19:30 > 0:19:34from the exercise, but they'll not get everything they expect.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43In a four-year study, 1,000 people were made to exercise
0:19:43 > 0:19:45four hours a week for 20 weeks.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50And though, on average, their fitness improved,
0:19:50 > 0:19:53when Jamie looked at the data in detail,
0:19:53 > 0:19:56he found people responded very differently
0:19:56 > 0:19:59to exactly the same amount of training.
0:19:59 > 0:20:03And if you look at the data, say, from 1,000 people,
0:20:03 > 0:20:06what you find is that we've got a graph that's a bit like this.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10So there are some people over here
0:20:10 > 0:20:13getting one hell of a lot of benefit from it.
0:20:13 > 0:20:16Yeah. These guys here are super responders.
0:20:17 > 0:20:21- These guys here, no change.- Right.
0:20:21 > 0:20:24How many people fall into these two groups?
0:20:24 > 0:20:27That's about 20% of the population
0:20:27 > 0:20:30and the upper end, the extreme, is about 15%.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33That is one hell of a scary statistic, I have to say.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39Jamie and his collaborators
0:20:39 > 0:20:42investigated the reasons for these variations
0:20:42 > 0:20:46and discovered much of it can be traced to just 11 genes.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51They've now developed a genetic test
0:20:51 > 0:20:54that can predict how an individual will respond.
0:20:54 > 0:20:56I want to be in that group.
0:20:56 > 0:20:58I don't want to be in this group.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01How do I know if I'm likely to be in that group or not?
0:21:01 > 0:21:04Well, one way of doing it is we can take a blood test now
0:21:04 > 0:21:07and we can test for the DNA sequences around the genes
0:21:07 > 0:21:10- that we know are important for this adaptation.- Right.
0:21:10 > 0:21:12Or we can put you through 20 weeks
0:21:12 > 0:21:15of really intense, hard slog and training
0:21:15 > 0:21:18and find out which end of the spectrum you belong to.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20OK, I think I prefer the gene test.
0:21:20 > 0:21:22Thank you, wow.
0:21:22 > 0:21:23That is striking.
0:21:25 > 0:21:30Even a fitness non-responder will get some benefit from exercise.
0:21:30 > 0:21:32And identifying them means
0:21:32 > 0:21:36you can offer other ways of improving health.
0:21:36 > 0:21:39This type of approach would be an absolute sea change
0:21:39 > 0:21:44because at the moment, the public health message is simply a sort of
0:21:44 > 0:21:46"one size fits all."
0:21:46 > 0:21:48Really, we have to think of exercise
0:21:48 > 0:21:51as just one other way of improving our health
0:21:51 > 0:21:54and therefore, we need to tailor it to the needs of that individual.
0:22:04 > 0:22:06That was really interesting.
0:22:06 > 0:22:08Jamie made me question
0:22:08 > 0:22:12quite a number of things I thought I really knew about exercise.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14For example, I assumed that
0:22:14 > 0:22:17the more exercise you do, the better it was for you.
0:22:17 > 0:22:19Well, that may not necessarily be true.
0:22:19 > 0:22:22But the other thing which really surprised me
0:22:22 > 0:22:24was how far genetics has gone
0:22:24 > 0:22:27in improving our understanding of exercise.
0:22:27 > 0:22:32We're already pointing firmly towards an era of personalised medicine.
0:22:32 > 0:22:36It could be we will also shortly be in the era of personalised exercise.
0:22:39 > 0:22:43In the morning, I'm going to visit the lab.
0:22:43 > 0:22:45As well as taking a sample of my DNA,
0:22:45 > 0:22:47Jamie's going to introduce me
0:22:47 > 0:22:52to a radical time-saving exercise routine.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53Forget several hours a week,
0:22:53 > 0:22:57we're talking just a few minutes a week.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59Sounds too good to be true.
0:23:09 > 0:23:11Well, it's morning time
0:23:11 > 0:23:13and I'm about to go off to the lab
0:23:13 > 0:23:16where they're going to run a whole lot of tests.
0:23:16 > 0:23:18Apparently, I have to do that fasting
0:23:18 > 0:23:21so for the last ten hours or so I've been eating nothing,
0:23:21 > 0:23:23just sipping delicious water.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28It's going to be the beginning, also,
0:23:28 > 0:23:32of a new, short, sharp and rather brutal exercise regime, I'm told.
0:23:32 > 0:23:35I'm sort of looking forward to it, but I'm also a bit anxious
0:23:35 > 0:23:37because I don't know what they're going to find
0:23:37 > 0:23:39when they do the blood test.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44For some reason, I'm holding my breath while you take the blood.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48So that's the stuff that's going off for the DNA test, is it?
0:23:48 > 0:23:51That is the stuff that's going off to the DNA test.
0:23:51 > 0:23:53Actually, outside our clinical studies,
0:23:53 > 0:23:58you're the first volunteer we're applying the test to
0:23:58 > 0:24:00in an independent way like this.
0:24:00 > 0:24:05'Before Jamie puts me on his short, sharp regime,
0:24:05 > 0:24:08'he wants to measure two of the most important health factors
0:24:08 > 0:24:11'that can be dramatically improved through exercise.'
0:24:11 > 0:24:13- Don't spill any. - How many teaspoons of sugar in here?
0:24:13 > 0:24:16- That's 15, isn't it?- 15?!- Yes.
0:24:16 > 0:24:18'The first is my insulin sensitivity.'
0:24:19 > 0:24:22'Insulin removes sugar from the blood,
0:24:22 > 0:24:23'it controls fat,
0:24:23 > 0:24:28'and when it becomes ineffective, you become diabetic.
0:24:28 > 0:24:30I'm given a sugary drink
0:24:30 > 0:24:33'and over the next two hours, they take regular samples
0:24:33 > 0:24:37'to see how quickly my insulin gets rid of that sugar from my blood.'
0:24:51 > 0:24:53Well. The news is not perfect
0:24:53 > 0:24:56but what we can see from this graph,
0:24:56 > 0:25:00your blood glucose obviously went up as we expect,
0:25:00 > 0:25:02and then it slowly drifted down,
0:25:02 > 0:25:06just below the level we would call impaired glucose tolerance.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08So you're just within the healthy range.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10- Just.- But only just.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13And what we'd like to do is see this, presumably...that's fine,
0:25:13 > 0:25:17but what I actually want to do is see something more like that.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21Exactly. And that's what we hope the exercise intervention will solve.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25- Well, that gives me a great deal of incentive to do it, doesn't it?- Yes.
0:25:28 > 0:25:32The second important factor is my aerobic fitness,
0:25:32 > 0:25:37how good my heart and lungs are at getting oxygen into my body.
0:25:37 > 0:25:38Come on, Michael! Come on!
0:25:38 > 0:25:39You can do it. A bit more!
0:25:39 > 0:25:41Come on, Michael. Keep going!
0:25:41 > 0:25:43Keep going.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44OK, excellent.
0:25:44 > 0:25:46'Jamie now has a measure
0:25:46 > 0:25:49'of the maximum amount of oxygen my body is able to use -
0:25:49 > 0:25:51'my VO2 max.
0:25:51 > 0:25:54'It's not just an indicator of how fit I am,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57'but also a powerful predictor of future health.'
0:25:59 > 0:26:00Oh!
0:26:00 > 0:26:02Right,
0:26:02 > 0:26:04OK, thanks for the encouragement.
0:26:05 > 0:26:08When it's scaled to your body weight, it's 37 mils per kg.
0:26:08 > 0:26:12And an Olympic athlete might be something like 75...
0:26:12 > 0:26:17- Yes!- But many people in the population are in the 20s.
0:26:17 > 0:26:19Why does it matter?
0:26:19 > 0:26:22- For health?- Yeah. - The simple answer is, we don't know.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25It's just a very, very powerful marker in epidemiological studies
0:26:25 > 0:26:27for future all-cause mortality.
0:26:27 > 0:26:31'In other words, if I can improve my VO2 max
0:26:31 > 0:26:35'and my insulin sensitivity, I will probably live longer.'
0:26:35 > 0:26:38Is this another piece of training or is this the real thing?
0:26:38 > 0:26:41No, now we're onto the real thing, Michael.
0:26:41 > 0:26:44'Jamie and his colleagues have shown it is possible
0:26:44 > 0:26:46'to improve those health markers
0:26:46 > 0:26:49'with a remarkably short amount of exercise.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52'It's a new, evolving field of study
0:26:52 > 0:26:55'that has really taken off in the last few years.'
0:26:55 > 0:26:59What we're going to do is introduce you to the HIT protocol,
0:26:59 > 0:27:02the High Intensity Training protocol,
0:27:02 > 0:27:05which, over a period of just a few minutes a week,
0:27:05 > 0:27:07we should be able to demonstrate
0:27:07 > 0:27:11that you can dramatically reduce your response to a glucose drink.
0:27:11 > 0:27:14You see, this I find utterly, utterly unbelievable, I have to say.
0:27:14 > 0:27:18I mean, I knew, because I had read your research before I came,
0:27:18 > 0:27:19you were going to say this,
0:27:19 > 0:27:23but it goes against absolutely everything I was taught
0:27:23 > 0:27:26when I was at medical school, and everything I have read since.
0:27:26 > 0:27:28How long do I have to do?
0:27:28 > 0:27:32Today, you're going to be cycling maximally for about 20 seconds
0:27:32 > 0:27:34and then you're going to have a short rest,
0:27:34 > 0:27:37- and you're going to repeat that two more times.- OK.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40That really doesn't sound like exercise, I have to say.
0:27:40 > 0:27:42- Three bursts of 20 seconds?- Yes.
0:27:42 > 0:27:44I have to do this how often a week?
0:27:44 > 0:27:46We would like you to do it three times a week.
0:27:46 > 0:27:50It only adds up to a grand total of three minutes,
0:27:50 > 0:27:53that's just three minutes of high-intensity exercise a week
0:27:53 > 0:27:57and that is absolutely nothing.
0:27:57 > 0:27:59Well, we'll show you it's actually quite a lot
0:27:59 > 0:28:01for the metabolism in your muscle
0:28:01 > 0:28:03and it will make a really good difference.
0:28:03 > 0:28:08The whole industry around exercise says, "Do more, do more, do more,"
0:28:08 > 0:28:10and the only way of getting any benefit
0:28:10 > 0:28:14- is through huge amounts of pain and huge amounts of time.- Of course.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16And you're saying the complete reverse.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18Well, you can imagine the drivers for that.
0:28:18 > 0:28:22For example, if you're doing lots and lots of high volume exercise,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25you need to buy a lot of equipment, a lot of kit, running shoes etc.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29Here, you could do this in your suit if you really wanted to.
0:28:29 > 0:28:34- OK?- OK, if you want to start pedalling in three, two, one...
0:28:34 > 0:28:37OK, and go as fast as you can.
0:28:37 > 0:28:40Sprinting, sprinting. That's looking really good.
0:28:40 > 0:28:41Really good.
0:28:41 > 0:28:43Excellent, excellent. Keep it going.
0:28:43 > 0:28:4520 seconds is quite a long time!
0:28:45 > 0:28:48- Keep it going!- Five seconds to go.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51Three, two, one...
0:28:51 > 0:28:52Ah!
0:28:52 > 0:28:55And stop pedalling.
0:28:55 > 0:28:57- OK.- OK!- Stop there for a bit.
0:28:57 > 0:29:00That is different! OK...
0:29:00 > 0:29:02'Over the past six or seven years'
0:29:02 > 0:29:06laboratories in the US, Canada and my laboratory in the UK
0:29:06 > 0:29:09have all demonstrated that this approach
0:29:09 > 0:29:14achieves many of the health benefits that people expect to get
0:29:14 > 0:29:18if they committed two or thee hours to working out in the gym,
0:29:18 > 0:29:21but most importantly, it's based on strong science.
0:29:22 > 0:29:28So how can such a short bit of exercise have any benefit at all?
0:29:28 > 0:29:30That's the magic question, really.
0:29:30 > 0:29:32The key thing about this exercise is
0:29:32 > 0:29:35it really breaks down the glycogen stores in the muscle
0:29:35 > 0:29:37and that's really how the glucose is stored.
0:29:37 > 0:29:40And that's the key signal from the muscle to the bloodstream
0:29:40 > 0:29:42saying, "I need to take up more."
0:29:42 > 0:29:45You're basically disturbing your homeostasis,
0:29:45 > 0:29:48you're shaking things up a bit, breaking down storage in the muscle
0:29:48 > 0:29:50and then the muscle suddenly thinks,
0:29:50 > 0:29:54"perhaps I do need more glucose," and sucks it out of the blood.
0:29:54 > 0:29:57Exactly. What's even better about this type of protocol
0:29:57 > 0:29:59is that unlike walking or jogging
0:29:59 > 0:30:05where you're only maybe activating 20, 30% of your muscle tissue,
0:30:05 > 0:30:07here you're activating 70 or 80%,
0:30:07 > 0:30:11so you're really creating a much bigger sync.
0:30:11 > 0:30:14Three, two, one, and go!
0:30:16 > 0:30:17Go, go, go.
0:30:17 > 0:30:20Yes! Yes!
0:30:20 > 0:30:24- That's right.- OK, how about...
0:30:24 > 0:30:26- Last bit to go.- Yay!
0:30:26 > 0:30:28Three, two, one,
0:30:28 > 0:30:30and stop.
0:30:30 > 0:30:32'HIT won't suit everyone.
0:30:32 > 0:30:34'It's short, but extremely intense.
0:30:34 > 0:30:37'If you have a pre-existing medical problem,
0:30:37 > 0:30:40'you should have a check-up before you start.'
0:30:40 > 0:30:42I understand how it could
0:30:42 > 0:30:45improve your glucose
0:30:45 > 0:30:47and therefore insulin sensitivity,
0:30:47 > 0:30:51although I'm obviously going to want to see that actually happen.
0:30:51 > 0:30:53But what about the VO2 max?
0:30:53 > 0:30:55It's very difficult to see how
0:30:55 > 0:30:59I could basically make my whole cardiovascular system fitter
0:30:59 > 0:31:02in such a short period of time.
0:31:02 > 0:31:03I think the key observation here is,
0:31:03 > 0:31:06look and feel the way you're breathing.
0:31:06 > 0:31:10You really are giving yourself a full body workout there.
0:31:10 > 0:31:13It does take longer to get the aerobic fitness changes,
0:31:13 > 0:31:15maybe six weeks as opposed to two weeks
0:31:15 > 0:31:18for the insulin and glucose changes.
0:31:18 > 0:31:20But after about six weeks of this,
0:31:20 > 0:31:25you will begin to get an improvement in your maximum aerobic capacity.
0:31:25 > 0:31:27I shall be absolutely fascinated.
0:31:27 > 0:31:30I remain sceptical, but I shall give it a good old go.
0:31:30 > 0:31:33- Excellent.- Shall I have one final burst?- Final sprint?
0:31:33 > 0:31:35Three, two, one, and go.
0:31:37 > 0:31:38OK, as fast as you can.
0:31:38 > 0:31:41- Keep it going.- Excellent.
0:31:41 > 0:31:42That's looking really good.
0:31:42 > 0:31:46Keep driving. Keep it going.
0:31:46 > 0:31:48- Halfway.- Ooh, my legs.- Keep going.
0:31:51 > 0:31:54Almost there. Five, four, three,
0:31:54 > 0:31:57two, one. And that's you done.
0:31:57 > 0:31:59- Perfect.- Whoo!- Way to go.
0:32:01 > 0:32:03Whoo! Lovely.
0:32:05 > 0:32:09OK, it's the end of the day and I'm feeling surprisingly knackered.
0:32:09 > 0:32:12In a moment, we're going to pile all this stuff in the van
0:32:12 > 0:32:14and we're going to head off round the country
0:32:14 > 0:32:17because I want to find out a few more truths about exercise.
0:32:17 > 0:32:22I'm going to take this with me because over the next month,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25three times a week, I'm going to get on it
0:32:25 > 0:32:28and I'm going to pedal like crazy for one minute,
0:32:28 > 0:32:30which means over the next month,
0:32:30 > 0:32:34I'm going to do a total of 12 minutes' intense exercise.
0:32:34 > 0:32:37And apparently, that is going to make all the difference.
0:32:37 > 0:32:42Now, I am really very sceptical, but I'm absolutely dying to do it.
0:32:42 > 0:32:44I think I can afford 12 minutes
0:32:44 > 0:32:48and I'm going to come back and find out, and if it really does work,
0:32:48 > 0:32:51I am going to be absolutely shaken to my core
0:32:51 > 0:32:54and I think it's really going to change things.
0:32:54 > 0:32:56But it's the end of the day, it's time to roll,
0:32:56 > 0:32:59and I think I need a bit of help getting this in the van.
0:32:59 > 0:33:02Guys, could you come and help me heave it? Thank you.
0:33:02 > 0:33:04OK, if you grab that end...
0:33:11 > 0:33:15As well as doing short bursts of high-intensity training,
0:33:15 > 0:33:18I'm also going to try something else.
0:33:18 > 0:33:22Something so low-intensity, I wouldn't call it exercise.
0:33:22 > 0:33:26It involves no machines, no sweat,
0:33:26 > 0:33:29no cost, and is big news
0:33:29 > 0:33:33for those of us who spend too much time on our backsides.
0:33:47 > 0:33:50- Hello there.- Hey, how are you?
0:33:50 > 0:33:52Would you care for a seat?
0:33:52 > 0:33:53No, thank you.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56'Dr James Levine is an obesity expert.
0:33:56 > 0:34:00'His research suggests the best way to lose weight and improve health
0:34:00 > 0:34:02'is to increase your NEAT.'
0:34:02 > 0:34:03OK, so what is NEAT?
0:34:03 > 0:34:07NEAT is Non Exercise Activity Thermogenesis.
0:34:07 > 0:34:10That's the calories you burn in your everyday living.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12Doing...?
0:34:12 > 0:34:15All the movements you do that represent living your life.
0:34:15 > 0:34:18Getting up in the morning, going to bed at night,
0:34:18 > 0:34:20even movements while you're sleeping, that's NEAT.
0:34:20 > 0:34:25Many of us spend 12 hours a day in a chair.
0:34:25 > 0:34:28Literally 12 hours a day in a chair,
0:34:28 > 0:34:32those are 12 hours of not moving.
0:34:32 > 0:34:34- It's an extraordinary number. - I'm sure I don't, do I?
0:34:34 > 0:34:37- You do, I bet.- OK. - We're going to find out.
0:34:42 > 0:34:44Known by the public as fidget pants,
0:34:44 > 0:34:48we call these NEAT underwear.
0:34:48 > 0:34:51You can see first of all there are holes,
0:34:51 > 0:34:54- and the holes are for obvious biological purposes.- Yeah.
0:34:54 > 0:34:57However, attached to the fidget pants
0:34:57 > 0:34:59are multiple sensors.
0:34:59 > 0:35:02Let me just show you what they look like.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06Every movement made by this little chip is gathered 20 times a second
0:35:06 > 0:35:08and stored on a processor here.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11So if you were to wear these for a whole day,
0:35:11 > 0:35:13we could see everything you're doing
0:35:13 > 0:35:15- 20 times a second, night and day.- OK.
0:35:17 > 0:35:19'As I discovered in Glasgow,
0:35:19 > 0:35:24'being active switches on genes that control fat levels in the blood.
0:35:24 > 0:35:27'It also increases metabolic rate.'
0:35:27 > 0:35:29This lovely young lady coming towards us
0:35:29 > 0:35:32- is tripling her metabolic rate. Look at this chap...- Here?
0:35:32 > 0:35:35No, this chap behind her doing his texting, right,
0:35:35 > 0:35:37he's walking about 1.3, 1.4 miles an hour,
0:35:37 > 0:35:39he's more than doubling his metabolic rate.
0:35:39 > 0:35:43- What about just standing?- Standing, you increase your metabolic rate
0:35:43 > 0:35:47only about 10% above basal, it's not a great burner.
0:35:47 > 0:35:49But it's not bad. And the concept, however,
0:35:49 > 0:35:52is if you're standing, you're more likely to walk.
0:35:52 > 0:35:54But walking, you see these gentlemen here,
0:35:54 > 0:35:57you've one chap walking about 1.3, 1.4 miles an hour,
0:35:57 > 0:36:00another guy walking a bit faster, about 2.1, 2.2 miles an hour,
0:36:00 > 0:36:03doubling and tripling their metabolic rate, respectively.
0:36:03 > 0:36:07So basically, if you're going to walk, go at a respectable speed.
0:36:07 > 0:36:09- No! Just walk.- Walk, OK.- Just walk!
0:36:09 > 0:36:11Get up off your bottom and walk.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16'With the aid of these pants, I'm going to find out
0:36:16 > 0:36:19'how much, or how little, I move during the day.
0:36:19 > 0:36:21'I'm curious how I compare to others,
0:36:21 > 0:36:25'so I've recruited a couple of extra guinea pigs -
0:36:25 > 0:36:28'Stephanie Ware, a waitress here at Cafe Kick,
0:36:28 > 0:36:32'and Robert Kelsey, an author who writes about health.'
0:36:35 > 0:36:36'Out of the three of us,
0:36:36 > 0:36:39'I want to find out who burns the most calories.'
0:36:47 > 0:36:49This one for you, Stephanie.
0:36:49 > 0:36:51- Thank you.- This one for you, Robert, and one for me.
0:36:51 > 0:36:53I think it's one size fits all.
0:36:56 > 0:36:58- What do you think, then?- Stylish.
0:36:58 > 0:37:02These are, well, I like to call them fidget pants.
0:37:02 > 0:37:03So if you have a look at them.
0:37:03 > 0:37:06You're going to have to wear them for the next 24 hours
0:37:06 > 0:37:09and they're going to measure pretty well every movement you take.
0:37:09 > 0:37:12And we're going to then download that data
0:37:12 > 0:37:14and see just how active you are during the day.
0:37:14 > 0:37:17MUSIC: "Pump It" by The Black-Eyed Peas
0:37:22 > 0:37:24Good? OK?
0:37:24 > 0:37:27- Pants active?- Active.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Lights flashing?
0:37:29 > 0:37:31Thank you very much. I look forward to seeing you
0:37:31 > 0:37:34in a few weeks when we have the results.
0:37:34 > 0:37:36OK. Thank you. Bye-bye.
0:37:41 > 0:37:44'The question is, who moves the most?'
0:37:46 > 0:37:50'Although Stephanie does no official exercise, no planned activity,
0:37:50 > 0:37:52'she is on her feet all day,
0:37:52 > 0:37:55'suggesting that she may have a high NEAT.'
0:38:01 > 0:38:06'Robert has a sedentary job, but he goes to the gym most days,
0:38:06 > 0:38:11'and he notches up the recommended two-and-a-half hours a week.'
0:38:12 > 0:38:15'As for me, well, my normal routine is filled
0:38:15 > 0:38:19'with far more sitting down than I would have thought possible.'
0:38:24 > 0:38:27I think it's really quite extreme.
0:38:27 > 0:38:31What they're going to do is measure my VO2 max, my lung capacity...
0:39:05 > 0:39:08'Two weeks later and it's time to meet James for the results,
0:39:08 > 0:39:11'standing up, of course. Each of us has a chart
0:39:11 > 0:39:15'that graphically reveals our daily activities.
0:39:15 > 0:39:17'First up, Stephanie.'
0:39:17 > 0:39:21Look at this. It's really, really cool, because look at her work day.
0:39:21 > 0:39:22- Wow.- You're clicking!
0:39:22 > 0:39:25You are on the move. What were you doing in the afternoon?
0:39:25 > 0:39:30- Cos look at the difference.- That's morning, that's frantic serving...
0:39:30 > 0:39:33- It is literally frantic. - Yeah.- I mean look at it,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36It's a block of continuous activity.
0:39:36 > 0:39:38This is Robert, this is Robert.
0:39:38 > 0:39:40The thing I saw as soon as I printed this out,
0:39:40 > 0:39:44before I started fiddling around and looking, is that it's sporadic.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47Right? There's a lot of time where you're sitting down.
0:39:47 > 0:39:50Then you rushed off somewhere and there was a lot of walking?
0:39:50 > 0:39:54It's actually a half-mile walk, but it's a stealth walk.
0:39:54 > 0:39:57- But you moved.- Absolutely.- You were moving. Looking at the gait,
0:39:57 > 0:40:00cos we can actually see the patterns of the gait,
0:40:00 > 0:40:02you were never actually in flight,
0:40:02 > 0:40:05so your legs were never off the ground, but you were in a hurry.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08- Yes, exactly.- Amazing.- Unbelievable.
0:40:08 > 0:40:10Moving on to me...
0:40:10 > 0:40:13Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear!
0:40:13 > 0:40:16- Oh dear, oh dear! - Thank you, that's a good build-up.
0:40:16 > 0:40:19If you looked at this and said that's your day, what would you say?
0:40:19 > 0:40:21I don't know what I'd say. It's...
0:40:21 > 0:40:23- Go on.- It ain't very active.
0:40:23 > 0:40:27I've looked at Stephanie's great big blocks, and this isn't very active.
0:40:27 > 0:40:30To me, the first thing I see when I see this
0:40:30 > 0:40:32is "move, stop, move, stop,"
0:40:32 > 0:40:33but most of it's "stop".
0:40:33 > 0:40:36But obviously, not a huge amount of activity.
0:40:36 > 0:40:39The amount of activity you're doing is relatively low.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41And as you say, Stephanie is definitely gold medal
0:40:41 > 0:40:44and we're not giving out any other medals.
0:40:44 > 0:40:49Do you think it is better to be relatively sedentary,
0:40:49 > 0:40:52like Robert, and then go for big bursts at the gym,
0:40:52 > 0:40:55or is better to be just moving all the time like Stephanie?
0:40:55 > 0:40:58People who go to the gym will keep going cos they love it.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02It's cool, it's what they love to do, but for most people, it's irrelevant.
0:41:02 > 0:41:0680% of the population don't take regular exercise.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08So what has to be relevant for most people
0:41:08 > 0:41:10is how much they move throughout the day
0:41:10 > 0:41:12because that's how the human was designed.
0:41:12 > 0:41:14Basically, it's really simple.
0:41:14 > 0:41:16You just keep off your bottom as much as possible.
0:41:16 > 0:41:19- Feel the pulses. And when the urge moves you, move.- OK.
0:41:25 > 0:41:26'Well, that was sobering.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29'I was aware that I spent quite a lot of time sitting down,
0:41:29 > 0:41:31'but probably not that much.'
0:41:31 > 0:41:32So what I'm going to do is
0:41:32 > 0:41:36see if I can keep on my feet much more, follow Jim's advice.
0:41:36 > 0:41:39What I really want to see is how difficult is that,
0:41:39 > 0:41:42and also how much difference will it make.
0:41:42 > 0:41:46MUSIC: "A Little Less Conversation" by Elvis and JXL
0:41:46 > 0:41:47'For the next 24 hours,
0:41:47 > 0:41:50'I make a concerted effort to keep active
0:41:50 > 0:41:53'without doing any formal exercise.'
0:42:02 > 0:42:06'It's hard to avoid my desk completely,
0:42:06 > 0:42:10'but I avoid the lift, and generally take any opportunity to walk.'
0:42:10 > 0:42:12Should I bang over an e-mail, then, or...?
0:42:33 > 0:42:35- Here's your day one.- Yep.
0:42:35 > 0:42:37This is Michael the slug.
0:42:37 > 0:42:40Somehow, and perhaps you're going to tell me how,
0:42:40 > 0:42:43you literally have doubled your amount of NEAT.
0:42:43 > 0:42:45I mean, we're talking a calorie increase
0:42:45 > 0:42:49of 500 extra calories a day
0:42:49 > 0:42:51burnt through this increase.
0:42:51 > 0:42:54Now how did you do it? Talk us through your day.
0:42:54 > 0:42:56Essentially I was just up and more active,
0:42:56 > 0:42:57I was walking up and down stairs.
0:42:57 > 0:43:00How much sweat did you drip doing this?
0:43:00 > 0:43:01None.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03So you burnt an extra 500 calories
0:43:03 > 0:43:06and you didn't drip an extra drop of sweat.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09No. I have to say, by evening time, my feet were really hurting.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13- Really? And what did you do about that?- I changed my shoes.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15- I've been wearing...- Oh, yes, I see.
0:43:15 > 0:43:19- Snap!- Yes! They're very comfy. Very, very comfy.
0:43:19 > 0:43:23'Keeping on the move isn't just a good way of burning calories.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26'It also has a big impact on your physiology.'
0:43:26 > 0:43:29Why is it so important to keep moving?
0:43:29 > 0:43:33- There should never be an hour that you're sitting down.- Why?
0:43:33 > 0:43:36Because your body idles, the gunk builds up,
0:43:36 > 0:43:39the blood sugar levels elevate, the blood fats elevate.
0:43:39 > 0:43:42In order to keep the fuels moving through the system,
0:43:42 > 0:43:45you need to be moving every hour.
0:43:45 > 0:43:47You're saying it's not enough
0:43:47 > 0:43:49to sit for 12 hours, go to the gym for an hour
0:43:49 > 0:43:52- and hope that'll do it for you. - I'm telling you, Michael,
0:43:52 > 0:43:53there are data coming out now
0:43:53 > 0:43:57that suggests that people who are profoundly sedentary all day,
0:43:57 > 0:43:59who indeed get to the gym in the evening,
0:43:59 > 0:44:02unfortunately just aren't doing enough.
0:44:02 > 0:44:06It is that sedentariness that appears to be the killer, right?
0:44:06 > 0:44:09Bound to the chair, chained to the chair,
0:44:09 > 0:44:12it's hurting our bodies, it's literally killing millions.
0:44:12 > 0:44:15Who'd have ever thought that the chair could kill?
0:44:19 > 0:44:23'So far, the truth about exercise seems to be
0:44:23 > 0:44:27'that if I can keep off my bum and on the move,
0:44:27 > 0:44:31'and combine that with three minutes of high-intensity training a week,
0:44:31 > 0:44:35'then I can happily forget the gym.'
0:44:38 > 0:44:40What's really surprising
0:44:40 > 0:44:44is that these are only 20-second bursts,
0:44:44 > 0:44:45but even so,
0:44:45 > 0:44:49the last few seconds are really difficult.
0:44:49 > 0:44:53I was just wondering why doing exercise is quite so hard.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59What is it that really makes us slow down and stop?
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Go! Go! Go!
0:45:01 > 0:45:04To find out, I've come to Eastbourne,
0:45:04 > 0:45:08to the University of Brighton, to meet Dr Emma Ross.
0:45:08 > 0:45:11When you get fatigued, most people think
0:45:11 > 0:45:15it's their muscles getting tired and causing them to stop exercising,
0:45:15 > 0:45:18but the research we do here is about how your brain
0:45:18 > 0:45:21is exerting its influence on your exercise performance
0:45:21 > 0:45:24and has a hand in slowing you down and causing you to stop exercise.
0:45:24 > 0:45:26That's what we're testing.
0:45:26 > 0:45:28OK, so what's happening in there?
0:45:28 > 0:45:31As you can see we've got a bike ready for you to do some cycling.
0:45:31 > 0:45:35This is a hypoxic chamber, so the oxygen levels in here have been lowered.
0:45:35 > 0:45:38So inside it's 14% oxygen,
0:45:38 > 0:45:42and the air we're breathing now outside the chamber is 21%.
0:45:42 > 0:45:44So what is the equivalent in height?
0:45:44 > 0:45:4714% is around 3,000m.
0:45:47 > 0:45:52So, Everest base camp is 5,000m so you're well on your way up to Everest base camp.
0:45:52 > 0:45:55Are you going to be joining me?
0:45:55 > 0:45:58Baby's going to get as much oxygen as he can, so we're going to watch you.
0:45:58 > 0:46:00Rosie and Jo will take care of you inside.
0:46:00 > 0:46:03Thanks.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11'The reason they've got me cycling in this low-oxygen environment
0:46:11 > 0:46:16'is not only to get my muscles exhausted more quickly, but to get my brain worried
0:46:16 > 0:46:19'that something dangerous could be going on.
0:46:19 > 0:46:23'And that happens a lot sooner than I'd imagined.'
0:46:25 > 0:46:27Keep that up, you're doing really well.
0:46:27 > 0:46:30'After just a few minutes
0:46:30 > 0:46:34'the oxygen saturation in my blood is down to 82%,
0:46:34 > 0:46:39'I'm struggling for breath and my legs are screaming, "Stop!"
0:46:39 > 0:46:41'The chamber is taking its toll.'
0:46:41 > 0:46:45Well done. Keep pushing, keep pushing! Keep pushing.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48HE BREATHES HEAVILY
0:46:48 > 0:46:51OK and we'll stop there. That's it, well done.
0:46:51 > 0:46:57Take this off for you. Nice deep breaths for me. It's coming over your head.
0:46:57 > 0:46:59Whoo!
0:46:59 > 0:47:02We're going to move you onto the chair.
0:47:02 > 0:47:04Whoo!
0:47:06 > 0:47:09If you can manoeuvre yourself in here.
0:47:09 > 0:47:12Oh!
0:47:12 > 0:47:17'Once I can do no more, Rosie and Jo strap me into a chair,
0:47:17 > 0:47:23'place electrodes on my thigh and cuff my leg to a strain gauge to measure how hard I can kick.'
0:47:23 > 0:47:27HE BREATHES HEAVILY
0:47:29 > 0:47:35'First, they measure how hard I think I can push my exhausted leg muscles.'
0:47:35 > 0:47:40- Just as hard as you can.- OK. - In three, two, one,
0:47:40 > 0:47:42and contract, contract, push, push, push!
0:47:42 > 0:47:46Keep pushing, keep pushing, hold it, hold it, hold it.
0:47:46 > 0:47:50'Although I think I'm pushing as hard as I can, my subconscious brain,
0:47:50 > 0:47:54'alarmed at the potential damage from this nasty exertion,
0:47:54 > 0:47:57'may be holding me back.
0:47:57 > 0:48:02'This is a transcranial probe that delivers a carefully targeted
0:48:02 > 0:48:07'magnetic pulse to the part of my brain that controls my leg.
0:48:07 > 0:48:11'While I push as hard as I can, Jo triggers the pulse
0:48:11 > 0:48:14'sending an additional signal to my leg.'
0:48:14 > 0:48:19And in three, two, one, contract, contract, contract,
0:48:19 > 0:48:23push, push, push, push, hold it, hold it, hold it.
0:48:23 > 0:48:25And relax.
0:48:25 > 0:48:26Aaah!
0:48:26 > 0:48:29'And of course we have to do it twice.'
0:48:29 > 0:48:32- Ready, Michael?- Yeah.
0:48:32 > 0:48:35In three, two, one,
0:48:35 > 0:48:38and contract, push, harder, push, push, push,
0:48:38 > 0:48:40push, push, push.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43And relax.
0:48:46 > 0:48:48Well done.
0:48:48 > 0:48:53- Good effort. - Thank you, God, blimey!
0:48:53 > 0:48:56OK, I hope it was worth it. What are the results then?
0:48:56 > 0:48:59We were measuring a number of things in the chamber.
0:48:59 > 0:49:04The first thing we measured when you were just contracting your leg was your absolute strength,
0:49:04 > 0:49:07around 550 Newtons.
0:49:07 > 0:49:10Push, push, push, keep pushing, keep pushing.
0:49:10 > 0:49:15- With the transcranial stimulation... - The buzz?- Yeah, the zapping. - On my brain.
0:49:15 > 0:49:19we were measuring how well you were able to activate your muscle to its full capacity.
0:49:19 > 0:49:22So, if when you're doing a maximal contraction
0:49:22 > 0:49:28you are activating your muscle fully, and we put in some extra stimulation, you would get no more force out.
0:49:28 > 0:49:33But if we got more force out, we'd know you weren't activating your muscle to its full capacity.
0:49:33 > 0:49:36Push, harder, push, push, push, push, push.
0:49:36 > 0:49:39When we stimulated during a contraction,
0:49:39 > 0:49:43we actually got some extra force out of your muscle with that stimulation.
0:49:43 > 0:49:47So you weren't driving your muscle as fully as before the exercise.
0:49:47 > 0:49:52So when I think that actually it's my muscle screaming at me to stop
0:49:52 > 0:49:55there's some part of my brain doing that?
0:49:55 > 0:49:57Yes, and your muscles are actually talking to your brain
0:49:57 > 0:50:03and saying things are getting a bit dodgy and then your brain regulates the neural output to your muscles,
0:50:03 > 0:50:05so you have to eventually stop.
0:50:05 > 0:50:09'The subconscious brain is protecting itself.
0:50:09 > 0:50:14'Alarmed at the danger signals brought on by bouts of unexpected exercise,
0:50:14 > 0:50:16'it triggers an automatic shut down.'
0:50:16 > 0:50:19Your brain is a bit like a cautious parent
0:50:19 > 0:50:21basically saying, "Don't do that, it's bad for you."
0:50:21 > 0:50:25And they're kind of right, but they set the level a bit low.
0:50:25 > 0:50:29- That's right.- But you're capable of doing a bit more than you might think.
0:50:29 > 0:50:32Yes, that safety margin is quite big in someone who is untrained,
0:50:32 > 0:50:36and with training you can make that safety margin a bit smaller.
0:50:36 > 0:50:39'After just a few sessions of exercise,
0:50:39 > 0:50:42'your brain will learn that this strange new activity
0:50:42 > 0:50:48'is not life threatening, and it will wait longer before telling you to stop.'
0:50:48 > 0:50:50'Exercise will feel easier.'
0:50:50 > 0:50:52- Now!- Go!
0:50:52 > 0:50:57# I see you, baby, shaking that ass, shaking that ass... #
0:50:57 > 0:51:00'One more week of HIT, egged on by my son,
0:51:00 > 0:51:04'and I'll be heading back to Nottingham to see if it worked for me.'
0:51:04 > 0:51:07- Go!- Five more seconds.
0:51:07 > 0:51:10- Go! - You're doing well. And you can stop.
0:51:10 > 0:51:13'And Jamie was right.
0:51:13 > 0:51:16'You CAN do it in a suit.'
0:51:16 > 0:51:19No sweat marks. Clean.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22No sweat marks or anything like that.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31Goodbye, old friend, we've had some good times together.
0:51:31 > 0:51:35In fact, over the last four weeks, a grand total of 12 minutes.
0:51:35 > 0:51:39The question is, has it done any good? I'm about to find out.
0:51:39 > 0:51:45'I'm back in Nottingham with Professor Jamie Timmons, and about to discover what effect
0:51:45 > 0:51:50'four weeks of his HIT protocol have had on my health.
0:51:50 > 0:51:55'First, we're going to find out if it's improved my insulin function.'
0:52:16 > 0:52:19OK, so I have your results here.
0:52:19 > 0:52:25This is the blood glucose response to the oral glucose drink.
0:52:25 > 0:52:27And this again is just to remind you that
0:52:27 > 0:52:31while most people see an improvement, some people don't,
0:52:31 > 0:52:34and some people actually get a little bit worse.
0:52:34 > 0:52:37So, the moment of truth.
0:52:37 > 0:52:42In the blue is your response before the training,
0:52:42 > 0:52:46and after 12 minutes of training over four weeks you can see
0:52:46 > 0:52:49you've had about a 15% reduction
0:52:49 > 0:52:53in the area under the curve for glucose.
0:52:53 > 0:52:54- That's quite impressive.- Yeah.
0:52:54 > 0:53:00'Even more impressive when combined with this data which shows the amount of insulin
0:53:00 > 0:53:03'I produced to shift that glucose.
0:53:03 > 0:53:07'I ended up with an overall improvement in insulin sensitivity
0:53:07 > 0:53:09of 23%.
0:53:09 > 0:53:14- This has only been a four-week intervention, so it's quite short. - I'm amazed to see anything.
0:53:14 > 0:53:16- I am amazed to see anything.- Good.
0:53:16 > 0:53:19I'm pleased and it makes me think I'll continue.
0:53:19 > 0:53:23'A 23% improvement is remarkable,
0:53:23 > 0:53:26'but it's in line with their clinical studies.
0:53:26 > 0:53:32'They think it's the intensity that counts breaking down the stored glycogen in muscles
0:53:32 > 0:53:37'so much more effectively than moderate exercise like jogging.'
0:53:37 > 0:53:40HE SCREAMS
0:53:40 > 0:53:44Aagh, oh!
0:53:44 > 0:53:49Aagh.
0:53:51 > 0:53:55'Next, my aerobic fitness.
0:53:55 > 0:53:58'In their studies, HIT delivered an average improvement of 10%.
0:53:58 > 0:54:03'But like all exercise, some people got a lot of benefit, others didn't.'
0:54:03 > 0:54:06Come on, keep your legs moving, keep it going!
0:54:06 > 0:54:09'It certainly seems easier and I'm feeling good
0:54:09 > 0:54:13'as I realise I've gone longer than I did last time.'
0:54:13 > 0:54:16Keep going!
0:54:16 > 0:54:18Come on, come on, Michael!
0:54:18 > 0:54:21All the way, all the way! OK, fantastic.
0:54:23 > 0:54:24There's a towel there.
0:54:27 > 0:54:31'But did I increase my V02 max?'
0:54:31 > 0:54:35It's a measure of your heart and lungs, so we have a graph.
0:54:35 > 0:54:39- I went longer.- For sure. - But not much higher.
0:54:39 > 0:54:42- Not higher at all.- OK.
0:54:42 > 0:54:46Your aerobic capacity just did not shift at all.
0:54:46 > 0:54:51For this aerobic capacity measurement you're a non-responder.
0:54:51 > 0:54:54Right, blimey. And what would you have predicted?
0:54:54 > 0:54:56Well, it's funny you mention that.
0:54:56 > 0:54:59We happen to have the results of the genetic test.
0:54:59 > 0:55:02We predicted you as a non-responder.
0:55:02 > 0:55:04MICHAEL LAUGHS
0:55:04 > 0:55:06Oh, God, how funny.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09How tragic as well. How incredibly annoying.
0:55:09 > 0:55:14OK, so as a scientist, you're delighted,
0:55:14 > 0:55:17as a human being, I'm profoundly disappointed.
0:55:17 > 0:55:21Bloody hell! So, right. How interesting.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25So you predicted, way back, without telling me,
0:55:25 > 0:55:30that I wouldn't actually improve with exercise and, bloody hell, I didn't improve.
0:55:30 > 0:55:33It's identical.
0:55:33 > 0:55:36Oh, God, that's annoying. OK.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38I'm right down there, can you see that?
0:55:38 > 0:55:41I'm right down there at the bloody bottom!
0:55:41 > 0:55:44- You can't get worse than that. - You can't, can you?
0:55:44 > 0:55:47No, but it does say that some of the science
0:55:47 > 0:55:51is adding up and we're watching you and we can predict you.
0:55:51 > 0:55:54With absolute precision. That's quite scary!
0:55:54 > 0:55:58- OK, so thanks, Dad, thanks, Mum. - Yes.
0:55:58 > 0:56:01They just bequeathed me some dodgy genes.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04Well, for aerobic capacity, yeah, I'm afraid so.
0:56:04 > 0:56:09So the down side for people like me, your gene test is telling me that I'm not going to improve,
0:56:09 > 0:56:12but the up side is presumably you can tell some people
0:56:12 > 0:56:16- that they're going to get enormous benefit.- That's correct.
0:56:16 > 0:56:20We can really pinpoint people who have a great response
0:56:20 > 0:56:23for their aerobic fitness to exercise training,
0:56:23 > 0:56:26and that can be a great motivational tool, for example.
0:56:30 > 0:56:34'HIT may be the new kid on the block, but it's making waves.
0:56:34 > 0:56:40'Jamie has just begun a £5 million study to further explore its effects.'
0:56:41 > 0:56:46The truth about exercise is that it should be tailored to individuals.
0:56:46 > 0:56:50And the amount and type of exercise you do
0:56:50 > 0:56:56doesn't need to be two or three hours a week of endurance training.
0:56:56 > 0:57:00There are many different types of exercise that will be effective.
0:57:00 > 0:57:03However, there are some people in the population,
0:57:03 > 0:57:09who will not respond very effectively to any of the types of exercise that we currently know about.
0:57:14 > 0:57:18'If you do long sessions in the gym, or jogging,
0:57:18 > 0:57:21'and that's what you enjoy, then great.
0:57:21 > 0:57:23'But most of us don't.
0:57:23 > 0:57:28'What I've seen is that there are other forms of exercise, like HIT, like improving your NEAT,
0:57:28 > 0:57:33'that could help a lot more people get those vital health benefits.'
0:57:33 > 0:57:36And as for me, well, I may be a non-responder
0:57:36 > 0:57:40when it comes to aerobic fitness, which is a bummer,
0:57:40 > 0:57:44but my insulin sensitivity did improve, which is great
0:57:44 > 0:57:47because I do not want to become a diabetic like my dad.
0:57:47 > 0:57:51So I will continue with the HIT and I will keep on the move.
0:57:51 > 0:57:54Because after all, the chair is a killer.
0:57:54 > 0:57:57The chair is a killer.
0:58:19 > 0:58:21Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd