For me, “performance” boils down to cognitive ability and physical capability. How sharp is your mind? How flexible is your spine? On one end of the spectrum poor performance can manifest as Alzheimer’s disease or sarcopenia, and, on the other end of the spectrum (and more commonly experienced), it can manifest as “brain fog,” low libido, loss of strength, and poor work performance.
Aging is the major culprit for both decline in cognitive and physical function. However, there is a significant difference between aging (getting older) and accelerated ageing (how quickly one is aging). The harder you are on your system, and the more you demand of it without proper reserves and recovery, the quicker you will age and the more you will struggle with performance. This seems relatively obvious, yet it is a concept that is pervasively unaddressed by our current medical system for understandable reasons (cost, population statistics, treatment).
Common phrases such as “Work hard, play hard” and “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” demonstrate how, as a species and as a society, we want to take more from our bodies then give back to them. Often, we wait until there is a total collapse or breakdown (physically, mentally, spiritually) before attempting to do anything about it. I prefer to strategically and systematically service our “machine” along the way.
Performance is a strong component of longevity and a true marker of the aging process. Common themes leading to accelerated aging are insulin resistance, oxidative damage, inappropriate hormone regulation, and a suboptimal stress response. With these in mind, medical diagnostics can indicate, predict, and hopefully prevent or delay performance decline before it becomes an issue.
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