How are You Training for YOUR Centenarian Decathlon?

What do you want to be able to do when you're 100?

Get off the floor without help? Carry your own groceries? Hike a hill? Dance at your grandkid’s wedding?

That’s not a fantasy. That’s a framework. And it’s what physician Peter Attia calls the Centenarian Decathlon — a concept built around training for the real-life movements you’ll want and need to do in your 80s, 90s, and beyond.

Here’s the thing...

If you want to be capable at 100, the training starts RIGHT NOW.
Because what feels optional at 40 or 50 becomes non-negotiable by 80 — and IMPOSSIBLE by 90 if you haven’t built the base.

In this week’s NEST, we’re exploring how to apply the Centenarian Decathlon concept through the lens of Nutrition, Exercise, Stress, and Targeted Supplementation — the tools that help you age intentionally, not accidentally.

N: Nutrition – You Can’t Train for 100 on a Malnourished Body

Training for longevity isn’t just about movement. It’s about fueling your body so that it can adapt, recover, and rebuild after the demands of training — now and decades from now.

And the one thing that often gets overlooked...you actually need more nutrition, not less, as you age.

More protein to preserve and rebuild muscle.
More micronutrients to support tissue repair and mitochondrial health.
More diversity to feed the gut and regulate inflammation.
And more intentionality around timing, quality, and absorption — because the older we get, the less margin for error we have.

Peter Attia says in his book Outlive:

Undernourishment in older adults is one of the biggest obstacles to maintaining physical function.

That’s not just about calories — it’s about protein quality, anabolic signaling, and inflammation.

This became especially real for me when I looked back on my own years as a triathlete. I was fit, yes — but I wasn’t fueling for longevity. I was focused on output, not outcomes.

I didn’t prioritize recovery nutrition, strength-building protein, or the gut health needed for long-term performance. I was, in many ways, a unidimensional athlete — like Attia’s example of the elite time trial cyclist: laser-focused on speed, but underdeveloped in the areas that actually preserve capacity over time.

Now I train — and eat — with a very different goal:

To be functional, capable, and confident in my 80s, 90s, and beyond.

Actionable Tip: Start Using Protein as a Muscle-Building Tool

To effectively stimulate muscle protein synthesis as you get older, research shows that older adults need around 2.8 g of leucine per meal, which translates into approximately 30 g of high-quality protein— best from complete sources like eggs, dairy, lean meats, or plant-based combinations.

According to a 2021 review in Nutrients older individuals require this higher leucine intake across meals to support muscle maintenance and counteract sarcopenia (muscle loss / wasting).

Why this matters:
Lean muscle mass is far more than aesthetics—it’s critical for metabolism, balance, injury prevention, and independent function.

As we age, our bodies become less responsive to normal protein intake—so hitting 30–40 g per meal isn’t just smart, it’s essential to preserve strength, vitality, and long-term freedom.

E: Exercise – Training for the Life You Want at 100

Peter Attia calls it the Centenarian Decathlon — a thought experiment that asks:

What physical tasks do you want to be able to do in your 80s, 90s, and even 100s?

Get off the floor unassisted.
Climb a flight of stairs with groceries.
Lift a grandchild.
Carry a suitcase overhead.
Catch your balance when you trip.
Take a walk on the beach without help.

Each of those is a “decathlon event.” And if you want to be capable of doing those tasks later, you have to train for them now — with the right mix of strength, power, balance, mobility, and endurance.

Here’s the hard truth Attia highlights...
If you want to be capable of a movement at 85, you’ll need to train it as if you were preparing for it at 95.

Why? Because of the decay curve.

The decay curve refers to the progressive, age-related decline in physical capacity over time — strength, muscle mass, balance, endurance, mobility — all follow a predictable downward slope as we age. The steeper the curve, the faster we lose function.

And here’s where I saw myself in Attia’s writing —
I was once a competitive triathlete. Fit by all the standard metrics. But I wasn’t training for aging — I was training for speed. I had endurance, but very little strength. Poor mobility. I did no coordination work. I was, as Attia says, a unidimensional athlete — great at one thing, but unprepared for the complex movements real life demands.

That’s changed.

Now I train for what I call longevity fitness — and so can you.

Actionable Tip: Identify 10 “Future Moves” You Want to Be Capable Of — and Start Training for Them Now

Close your eyes and picture yourself at 85. What do you want to be doing — confidently, joyfully, and without help?

✔️ Climbing stairs with a carry-on.
✔️ Getting down on the floor to play with grandkids (and standing back up with ease).
✔️ Lifting a bag of groceries without wincing.
✔️ Reaching for a dish on the top shelf without losing your balance.
✔️ Walking up a hill just to watch the sunset.

These aren’t gym PRs. These are freedom goals. And the body that will carry you through them isn’t built in crisis — it’s built in advance.

That’s why I’ve created a printable checklist of 50 Longevity Movements inspired by Peter Attia’s Centenarian Decathlon. These are the real-life tasks that support independence, strength, and grace as you age.

Click here to access your checklist now!

Circle your top 10. Tape it to your fridge. Train for the future you want to live in.

Why this matters:
You don’t accidentally age well. You train for it — rep by rep, walk by walk, balance drill by balance drill.

Every movement is a deposit in your future capacity bank.

And the earlier you start, the longer your freedom lasts.

S: Stress – Train Your Nervous System Like You Train Your Body

In Outlive, Peter Attia makes it clear: you can’t separate physical health from emotional health. They’re inseparable systems. And if you’re only training your muscles and metabolism — but not your emotional regulation — you’re leaving critical longevity tools on the table.

Stress isn’t just mental.

It affects how well you sleep, digest, recover, and adapt.

It influences everything from blood sugar and inflammation to muscle repair and cognitive function. Even the most well-designed training and nutrition plans can stall if your nervous system is stuck in survival mode.

Attia often shares how many of his most physically optimized patients still hit a ceiling — not because they weren’t exercising enough, but because they hadn’t built the emotional capacity to support sustainable change.

When you’re emotionally reactive or chronically tense, recovery gets blocked and progress stalls.

So what’s the strategy?

It’s not about avoiding stress. It’s about training your nervous system to shift out of hypervigilance and back into safety — with the same intentionality you bring to your workouts.

And that doesn’t start in the middle of a crisis.
It starts with learning to anchor yourself to the moments that are already going well.

Actionable Tip: Anchor Your Nervous System to One Positive Moment Per Day

Choose one moment in your day that feels calming, confident, or quietly enjoyable — it could be walking your dog, finishing a workout, sipping tea, or standing in the sun.

In that moment:

Pause for 10 seconds
Silently say: “I am supported. I am grounded.”
Inhale gently for 3, exhale for 6
Soften your jaw, lower your shoulders
Let the body register that things are okay

Over time, this builds a nervous system that recovers faster, adapts better, and stays aligned with your physical goals.

Why this matters:
The Centenarian Decathlon isn’t just a physical pursuit — it’s also emotional. If you want to age with strength, flexibility, and freedom, your nervous system needs those same qualities.
This is how you train them.

T: Targeted Supplementation – Support What You’re Building

In Attia’s framework, supplements aren’t shortcuts — they’re strategic reinforcements. When used well, they support your ability to train hard, recover fully, reduce systemic wear and tear, and maintain muscle and mitochondrial health over decades.

At this stage in life, the focus shifts from just “optimizing” to preserving capacity and minimizing decline — and that means supporting the systems most impacted by aging: muscle tissue, mitochondria, inflammation control, and brain function.

Actionable Tip: Choose One Supplement to Reinforce the Area You’re Actively Training

If you're focusing on strength → start with creatine.
If you're noticing joint stiffness or brain fog → omega-3s.
If your endurance or recovery feels flat → urolithin A.

Build your stack around your goals — not trends.

Why this matters:
You can’t supplement your way out of poor habits. But when you’re doing the work — eating, training, sleeping — targeted supplementation helps make that work more effective and more sustainable.

Creatine Monohydrate is one of the most well-researched supplements for both muscular and neurological aging. It supports muscle strength and lean mass, helps maintain bone density, and even improves cognitive resilience in older adults. It’s particularly helpful for anyone focused on maintaining power-based movements like stair climbing or lifting.

Note: For those with a history of kidney disease or impaired renal function should consult their healthcare provider before supplementing with creatine, especially at higher doses.

Tip: Aim for 3–5 g daily post-workout or with food.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids, EPA and DHA, are foundational for inflammation management, brain health, and joint support. They play a a very important role in muscle preservation during periods of inactivity or stress and are especially helpful for soft tissue recovery in aging bodies. However, individuals on blood thinners or with bleeding disorders should use caution and consult a practitioner before starting high-dose omega-3s.

Tip: Store in the fridge and discard if there's any fishy odor — that’s a sign of oxidation.

Urolithin A is an emerging mitochondrial support compound shown to enhance muscle endurance and cellular energy by promoting mitophagy — the cleanup of dysfunctional mitochondria. Clinical trials have demonstrated improved strength and endurance in aging adults.

While generally safe, those on chemotherapy or immunosuppressants should speak with their physician first, as mitochondrial modulation may interact with certain therapies.

Tip: Daily use over 8–12 weeks is key to seeing results.

Disclaimer:
The supplement recommendations shared in this newsletter are for general informational and educational purposes only. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace personalized medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider before starting any new supplements, especially if you have underlying health conditions or are taking medications.

Your Future Strength Starts with Today’s Strategy

The Centenarian Decathlon isn’t just about aging well — it’s about staying capable, mobile, and independent for as long as possible. That doesn’t start with a prescription. It starts with the daily decisions you make now: how you train, how you eat, how you recover, and how you respond to stress.

When those choices are tailored to your biology — not just based on trends — the results compound over time.

That’s the work I do with clients inside the Midlife Wellness Reboot:
We look at functional labs like MRT, assess the systems behind inflammation and fatigue, and create targeted strategies for nutrition, movement, supplementation, and resilience — all customized for your stage of life and long-term goals.

If you’re ready to stop guessing and start building toward the life you want at 80, 90, or even 100 — with strength, clarity, and confidence — click below to learn more or book a free discovery call.

If you’re ready to explore how you can begin to train for your own Centenarian Decathlon, reach out to me about my Midlife Wellness Reboot program. We use functional lab testing like MRT, targeted supplementation, and lifestyle design to build a plan that supports your health now — and for decades to come.

If you’re ready to work with someone who sees the whole picture, click below to explore the program or book a free discovery call.