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Panos Papadiamantis, Founder of PNOĒ

Updated: Sep 6, 2025

Episode 76: Weight Loss, Cellular Health, and Longevity: How VO₂ Max Metabolic Testing with PNOĒ Unlocks the Answers



🎙 Episode Overview


In this episode, Jenny sits down with Panos Papadiamantis, Co-Founder of PNOĒ, to uncover why VO₂ max is far more than an athlete’s number — it is the strongest predictor of longevity, healthspan, and metabolic flexibility.


PNOĒ’s portable breath analysis device makes cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET) accessible to clinics and individuals, unlocking 23 biomarkers in under 10 minutes. This test goes beyond VO₂ max to analyze how your lungs, heart, blood circulation, and mitochondria — what Panos calls the oxygen chain — are functioning in unison.


🔑 Key Topics Covered


  • VO₂ Max vs. Oxygen Saturation: Why VO₂ max reflects actual oxygen consumption and is the umbrella KPI for health, while SpO₂ offers limited insights.

  • 23 Biomarkers from CPET: Including breathing rate, tidal volume, ventilation efficiency, metabolic rate, substrate utilization (fat vs. carbohydrate oxidation), and O₂ pulse (indicator of ischemic heart disease).

  • The Oxygen Chain: Lungs (oxygen absorption), heart (circulation), and cells/mitochondria (oxygen utilization).

  • Respiration & Hyperventilation: How chronic mild hyperventilation reduces fat oxidation, increases neuroinflammation risk, and impacts longevity.

  • Metabolic Flexibility: Why the ability to switch between fat and carbohydrate oxidation defines cellular health and weight management.

  • Zone Training Simplified:

    • Zone 2 → trains mitochondria, maximizes fat oxidation.

    • Zone 4 → strengthens lungs.

    • Zone 5 → trains the heart.

    • Zone 3 → “dead zone,” avoid overtraining here.

  • Resting vs. Exercise Testing: Resting test provides basal metabolism and caloric needs; exercise test reveals stress response and ischemia risk.

  • Anti-Aging & VO₂ Max: VO₂ max as the most validated biological age predictor; pharmaceutical companies are testing anti-aging compounds that improve VO₂ max by 15–17%.

  • Integration with Other Biomarkers: PNOĒ’s platform now integrates blood, urine, stool, and saliva tests for holistic programming.

  • Clinical Use Cases: From ischemic heart disease detection to post-COVID lung dysfunction, allergies, sleep apnea, and mitochondrial dysfunction.


📊 Biomarkers You’ll Learn About


  • VO₂ Max – maximal oxygen consumption (longevity marker)

  • O₂ Pulse – oxygen per heartbeat (ischemia detection)

  • Ventilation Efficiency (VE/VCO₂) – CO₂ clearance (lung obstruction, sleep apnea, mold)

  • Breathing Rate Variability & Tidal Volume – lung mechanics

  • Metabolic Rate – caloric expenditure, linked to hormones (testosterone, leptin, ghrelin)

  • Fat vs. Carb Oxidation – mitochondrial function & metabolic flexibility

  • Zone Training Metrics – personalized exercise prescriptions


🧬 Supplements & Lifestyle Discussed


  • GLP-1s (Semaglutide/Tirzepatide): Lower metabolism → need regular CPET monitoring.

  • Nitric Oxide: Supports oxygen delivery, circulation, and performance.

  • Hormonal Influences: Cortisol pushes glucose metabolism, low testosterone lowers metabolic rate.

  • Training Protocols: Combination of resistance training (muscle/bone density), cardio (zone-based), and mobility (Pilates, stretching).

  • Breathwork: Distinction between intentional breathwork (Wim Hof, Tummo) vs. chronic hyperventilation.


📌 Why This Matters


  • VO₂ max is the #1 predictor of longevity — endorsed by the American Heart Association as a recommended annual test.

  • Breath analysis provides functional data about your heart, lungs, and mitochondria that traditional labs often miss.

  • PNOĒ makes testing affordable, portable, and accessible compared to $60,000 clinical-grade machines.


🌍 Where to Learn More



Don’t miss this deep dive into how your breath can reveal the secrets of your metabolism, cellular health, and biological age.👉 Subscribe to the BiohackerBlondie Podcast, share this episode, and leave a review to support the show and bring on more world-class experts.🎙️ Episode Summary



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