The key here is that the stressor is at a low enough level that it doesn’t cause harm to the body. Instead, it actually triggers an adaptive response that leads to improved health and resilience. This response can occur at the cellular level, leading to changes in gene expression and other cellular processes, as well as at the level of the whole organism.

How Does Hormesis Work in the Body?

At a cellular level, hormesis works by triggering various signaling pathways that lead to beneficial changes in the body. One example is the Nrf2 pathway, a cellular defense system that is activated in response to oxidative stress. Again, exercise, caloric restriction, heat and cold stress and phytochemicals (think broccoli sprouts) all have been shown to trigger the Nrf2 pathways.

When the Nrf2 Pathway is activated, it triggers the production of antioxidants and detoxifying enzymes that can help protect the body against cellular damage.

A detailed example is Heat Shock Proteins (HSP) which are activated in response to heat stress. The prescribed sauna dosage to stimulate these heat shock proteins is 18 minutes at 176 F / 80C. These HSPs play a critical role in cellular repair and can help protect against a wide range of diseases, including Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Additionally Heat Shock Proteins help Stem Cells ability to divide and differentiate into different cell types which is important for tissue repair and regeneration.

At the level of the whole organism, hormetic stressors such as exercise and caloric restriction have been shown to activate pathways that improve metabolic health, reduce inflammation, and enhance immune function. For example, exercise has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity, reduce blood pressure, and increase cardiovascular health. More than 1/3 of Americans have Metabolic Syndrome, a cluster of conditions that often occur together including high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and insulin resistance which may lead to diabetes, obesity and fatty liver disease, all potentially fatal conditions. Exercise and caloric restrictions alone or in a combination of hormetic stressors can help reduce and even cure these life threatening conditions.

Awesome….so what? Back in our crossfit days we’d often hear, or read, the phrase, “Crossfit makes you harder to kill!” There may be more scientific evidence to support this statement than most people realized at the time. It’s really question we are challenging with this blog Hormesis Thesis. Does putting your body through these stressors actually make you harder to kill and provide a longer, healthier life?

I turned 50 in December 2021 and Angie is 50 in May 2023. Shortly after my 50th birthday I took the Inside Tracker Inner Age Test and my Inner Age at the time was 48 years and 4 months. I don’t have much to compare against, but I’m happy that my lifestyle hasn’t aged me faster than the 50+ years I’ve occupied this planet. Angie is taking the test around her 50th birthday and I’ll retake the test at the same time to update my progress and set a baseline for our experiment.

The Inner Age test is great, it not only shows your Biological Age, it also highlights the areas where you are winning the war on age and where you are losing. To date, I’ve done very little with my results and recommendations. The only real focus I had was to try to lower my LDL, as it’s always been a bit high. My only real strategy was to substitute some fish for red meat 1-2 times per week and I can’t even tell you how successful I’ve executed this plan. I’m very much looking forward to retesting to see if this had any benefit and to more diligently implement some of the strategies and recommendations from our favorite Doctors and researchers like Peter Attia, Rhonda Patrick, Mark Hyman, Andrew Huberman, Dhru Purohit, and David Sinclair, and be human lab rats with their practices.

I think it’s relevant to note that Angie and I are normal working family with 3 kids, 2 dogs a cat and jobs. We’re not physicians, researchers or fitness gurus who do this stuff as their full-time job. I’m a busy executive that has averaged over 100 flights/year for the past 5+ years and struggle to be consistent with my eating, workouts and sleep. Angie is a super busy Mom of 3 and a substitute teacher. She has a pretty flexible schedule but with my travel and workload she is effectively a single Mom most of the time. Bottom line, fitness and health is not our #1 focus, it’s something we are passionate about, want to be great examples for our children and want to live long healthy lives to enjoy a retirement that we are busting our tails for.

In addition to tracking our personal journey, we are trying to share our favorite articles, podcasts, videos, recipes and workouts with you all. We are amazed at the lack of knowledge that the typical family has around their bodies health and the extraordinary impact the foods the consume have on their well being. If we can help a few people, this will be worth it.