Mitochondria—your body’s cellular engines—power every heartbeat, thought, and movement. With age, their number and efficiency decline, while defects (heteroplasmy) rise. This mitochondrial fade drains energy, slows recovery, and raises disease risk. Training and VO₂ Max tracking can preserve and rebuild them.
Metabolic Water: Your Mitochondria’s Most Overlooked Output
Metabolic water is made inside your mitochondria every time oxygen meets hydrogen at the end of the electron transport chain. This pure, deuterium-depleted water hydrates cells from within, fuels enzymes and repair, and scales with VO₂ Max. Training your aerobic system means training your body’s own water supply.
Mitochondrial Heteroplasmy: The Real Clock of Aging
Heteroplasmy—the fraction of mutated mitochondrial DNA—acts as a true clock of aging. As defective genomes rise, oxidative capacity, VO₂ Max, and metabolic water production fall. Crossing threshold levels disrupts gradients, accelerates decline, and raises disease risk. Training and light can reshape the mitochondrial pool.