Why modern life makes us so stressed, according to evolutionary science

🙌 Happy Friday! 

Can you breathe your way out of dementia? We don’t know that answer, but a study presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference shows that inhaling a high level of carbon dioxide for a short time can clear harmful proteins linked to dementia from the brain. 

We’ve got plenty more exciting news this week!

Today’s headlines: 

Humans didn’t evolve for the world we’re living in now, and researchers created a name for that gap: ‘evolutionary mismatch.’

In a new review published in Behavioral Sciences, researchers argue that this mismatch may be driving today’s burnout, chronic stress, and low-grade depression.

So how do you take back control?

Modern stressors such as crowded cities, economic uncertainty, endless news, and constant digital connection activate the same stress patterns we used to survive for millennia. We knew this.

The big ‘a-ha’ in this review is that much of that stress stems from a heightened feeling of competition. The authors call this the Social Evolutionary Mismatch and Competition Hypothesis.

Basically, our ancient brains developed to handle small groups and social structures. Now, they have to track status and competition everywhere.

You can't change how you evolved, but you can change the everyday environments that make you subconsciously stressed.

The key takeaway: Health isn’t about habits alone. Building an environment that works with your biology might help you take back control of your nervous system in an overstimulating world.

🏃 What we clicked next: screen time might not hurt sleep that much.

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What makes someone powerful? Is it standing up to adult bullies, or posing like Superman? Sure. But what keeps muscles powerful? According to new research in aging adults, it’s high-velocity resistance training (HVRT).

This workout style emphasizes moving quickly during the contraction and controlling the movement on the way down.

Think lift fast, drop slow. In a 12-week study of healthy and mobility-impaired middle-aged and older adults, doing HVRT twice a week with light-to-moderate weights significantly increased muscle power.

Muscle power is force x velocity, or how quickly you can apply force (explosive movement). In this program, Participants performed 1-3 sets of 8–10 reps of:

In older adults, higher muscle power is linked with better mobility, fewer falls, and more independence. It’s an even more important healthy-aging marker than strength alone.

One caveat: HVRT did not speed up the movement much, ironically, suggesting that greater power comes from improving your ability to generate force.

Looking ahead…This is the kind of data that could be used to create exercise prescriptions for aging adults, researchers said.

Join us for a virtual coffee chat in the Livelong Women’s Circle (July 24, 11:30 am). This is going to be an intimate gathering for women to connect with other women, ask questions, celebrate wins, or sit back and enjoy conversation about women's health, longevity, and life. Don’t forget to bring your coffee (or tea)! It’s for your longevity.

New data from California shows that e-bike crashes are outnumbering traditional bicycle crashes, especially in kids and teens. Because many e-bikes can reach speeds similar to motorcycles, those crashes are more likely to be serious, too.

It's not just the bike; it's the behavior: Many serious injuries were caused by speeding, not wearing a helmet, and improper turns.

Now, some states like New Jersey are taking the handlebars. Riders must be at least 15 to go on public roads, and they are now required to wear a helmet, have a license, and insurance (for faster models).

The longevity lesson: Staying active protects cardiovascular health, mobility, and independence with age. However, accidents are still the third largest threat to lifespan, and e-bikes have an impact. The answer isn’t to stop riding, but to respect the rules of the road.

Healthy aging is staying safe to stay active.

Highlighting your responses to last week's question, featured in Do GLP-1 drugs fight cancer? 

‘What's the most powerful thing you've experienced through breathwork?’

For most of you, it’s instant calm. I find it interesting that not a single person said “spiritual awakening,” considering certain breathwork styles are known to induce a psychedelic experience. Any which way, your breath can be a valuable tool for a calmer, more balanced state.