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🇳🇴 The Norwegian 4x4 longevity protocol

🇳🇴 The Norwegian 4x4 longevity protocol

Dig into one of the most powerful, research-backed ways to increase longevity.

HealthHack
March 17, 2024

Happy Sunday!

Today, we’re exploring one of the most powerful, research-backed longevity hacks:

The Norwegian 4x4 Longevity Protocol.

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🇳🇴 The Anti-Aging Norwegian 4x4 Longevity Protocol 👵🧓

Ever heard of the Norwegian 4x4 Longevity Protocol?

If not, you’ll want to pay close attention, because it’s being hailed as one of the best longevity protocols in the world…

With the potential to help reverse the heart’s age by 20 years.

Let’s get into it!

Before we get to the 4x4 protocol, we need to introduce VO₂ max.

VO₂ max measures the maximum amount of oxygen your body can use during intense exercise.

Recently, it’s received a lot of attention in the health and wellness community for its positive effects on longevity.

Medical Doctor Peter Attia and Biomedical Science Ph.D Rhonda Patrick have said VO₂ max could be:

The single most important metric impacting a person’s longevity.

An impressive VO₂ max not only signifies cardiovascular health, but also correlates with reduced risk factors for several chronic diseases.

“The higher our VO₂ max, the better our bodies can use air to make energy,” Dr. Rhonda Patrick says…

And that improving VO₂ max could be the most important thing we do for our longevity.

This leads us to the Norwegian 4x4 protocol, which she calls “by far the best” way to increase VO₂ Max.

The Norwegian 4x4 stands out as a gold-standard method for several reasons:

Efficiency: It wraps an intense, heart-pumping workout in just about 30 minutes.
Accessibility: It requires no special equipment or complicated techniques.
Adaptability: Suitable for various fitness levels with appropriate modifications.

The name comes from an old Norwegian ski team workout, and at its core, the 4x4 protocol involves:

Four minutes of high-intensity exercise
Followed by three minutes of active recovery
And repeating that cycle four times, hence the name '4x4'

This protocol focuses on raising your heart rate quickly for a short time, which research has shown may lead to enhanced cardiovascular health, improved physical performance, and increased longevity.

What about the claim that it could help reverse the heart’s age by 20 years?

It’s legit!

In one study, researchers took a group of 50 year olds who weren’t active, and put them on an exercise regimen that included doing the Norwegian 4x4 protocol once a week.

Including the single 30-minute session of the 4x4 protocol, they did an average of 4 hours of intense exercise a week…

Around just 24 minutes a day, on average.

And after this 2-year intervention, the people in the Norwegian 4x4 group dropped their heart age by 15-20 years!

“We took these 50-year-old hearts and turned the clock back to 30- or 35-year-old hearts,” said Dr. Ben Levine, one of the study’s authors.

You can check out the original study here.

Now, let’s get into how to actually do the Norwegian 4x4 longevity protocol:

The Norwegian 4x4 protocol involves a simple yet effective high-intensity interval training (HIIT) structure:

Warm-Up: Begin with a 10-minute warm-up to prepare your body, aiming for a low to moderate intensity.

High-Intensity Intervals: Perform four minutes of high-intensity exercise, aiming to reach the highest intensity you can maintain for the duration. This could be cycling, running, rowing.
a. The main aim is to be able to maintain the high intensity level for the entire 4-minute window. If you can’t keep it going for 4 minutes, you may need to slow down to be able to hold your pace and intensity.

Recovery: Follow with three minutes of low-intensity recovery, like walking or stretching.

Repeat 4 Times: Complete this cycle four times, for a total session time of around 30 minutes.

Some of the best exercises to practice this protocol with include:

Running / treadmill
Cycling / stationary bike
Rowing / row machine
Circuit training

Dr. Rhonda Patrick discussed here how integrating the Norwegian 4x4 into someone’s routine, even once a week, could help rejuvenate people’s cardiovascular systems.

In conclusion…

Pretty wild, right?

The Norwegian 4x4 protocol offers a promising approach to enhancing cardiovascular health and, by extension, longevity.

Rooted in scientific analysis and practical effectiveness, it's a testament to the power of structured, high-intensity interval training.

As always, consult with a healthcare professional before embarking on any new exercise regimen, especially if you have pre-existing health conditions…

But consider bringing the 4x4 protocol up with them.

They might also be surprised at just how effective this training protocol appears to be for increasing lifespan!