In this episode of Metabolic Mastery from KORR Medical Technologies, Dr. Marc Humbert and Dr. Cameron Garber dig deep into BMI—Body Mass Index. Often misunderstood and misapplied, BMI remains a widely used health metric. But does it still deserve a place in modern fitness and medicine? The doctors unpack the science behind BMI, its historical roots, and its usefulness (or lack thereof) when applied to individuals. They explore the J-shaped mortality curve, risk stratification, the limits of BMI in assessing fitness and fatness, and better alternatives like VO₂ max testing and body composition analysis. Whether you're an athlete, clinician, or simply health-conscious, this episode offers practical insights into how to better understand your health metrics and build a sustainable approach to longevity and performance.

💪 Topics include:

• Why BMI fails to measure fitness and fatness

• The true “sweet spot” for longevity

• Fat but fit vs. skinny fat: What’s riskier?

• Muscle quality, metabolic flexibility, and sustainable training

• VO₂ max testing and how it helps optimize your healthspan

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Listen to the Metabolic Mastery Podcast:

Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/metabolic-mastery/id1812972674

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Show Notes:

Mortality BMI Mortality Risks & Confounders - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27146380/ BMI (J-shaped curve) and Mortality - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30389323/ VO2max and Mortality - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39537313/ AAS use and Mortality - https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2816584 Low lean body mass and Mortality - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29970408/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32518354/ Deep belly fat and Mortality - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28671751/ Waist to Height and Mortality - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37770574/ Aerobic & Resistance Training and Mortality - https://journals.lww.com/acsm-healthfitness/fulltext/2023/11000/the_coming_of_age_of_resistance_exercise_as_a.7.aspx “Fat but fit” implications https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39537313/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27230640/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29064474/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24400816/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33580798/ Muscle Quality & Impacts Loss of physical function with aging - https://iris.who.int/handle/10665/66682 Fall risk in elderly - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31095087/ Influence of adiposity on muscle tissue - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23790255/ Importance of muscle quality - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25520782/ Effects of fat infiltration on muscle – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35980018/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30620635/ https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3910392/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23147096/ Resistance Training & Muscle Health https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37881849/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38123165/ Metabolic flexibility - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35287953/