The Big O | September 2025
September Highlights
We’re excited to introduce three new colleagues who have recently joined Optispan. Please join us in giving them a warm welcome as they get settled in their roles:
Melissa Weiland - Medical Assistant
Melissa comes on board as a Medical Assistant, bringing valuable hands-on clinical experience. She’ll be working closely with our clinical staff to support patient care, streamline day-to-day operations, and ensure our teams are set up for success.
Matthew McCool - Program Manager, Clinical Process Engineering
Matthew joins the Clinical Process Engineering team, where he will focus on optimizing study workflows, reducing cycle times, and scaling best practices across programs. His expertise will help strengthen collaboration between Clinical Ops, Quality, and Data teams.
Melissa St. Arnauld - Executive Assistant to CEO Matt Kaeberlein & Office Manager
Melissa joins as Executive Assistant to our CEO, Matt Kaeberlein, and will also serve as Office Manager. She’ll be instrumental in keeping operations running smoothly, supporting leadership, and fostering an efficient, welcoming environment for the whole team.
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What excited you most about joining Optispan, and what do you hope to contribute? I was drawn to Optispan’s mission to reshape healthcare through the integration of advanced diagnostics, biometric data, and AI-driven insights—all delivered in a personalized, patient-centered way. This approach aligns well with my passion for proactive, data-driven healthcare. I’m also excited to contribute to a team that’s pushing the boundaries of clinical care. My goal is to bring operational clarity and build scalable systems that support both clinicians and patients.
Can you share a fun fact or unexpected skill that your new teammates might not know about you? I can do muscle-ups.
Outside of work, what’s something you’re passionate about or a hobby you enjoy? Outside of work, I really enjoy spending time with friends and family—it’s something that keeps me grounded and energized. I’m also passionate about being outdoors, whether it’s hiking through scenic trails or fishing in quiet spots. I love attending live concerts and college football games, especially when I get to travel and explore new places along the way.
If you could give one piece of advice to your future self a year from now, what would it be? Keep asking questions and exploring new ways to improve. Innovation thrives on curiosity. Progress isn’t always pretty—sometimes it’s messy, slow, or uncomfortable—but trusting the process is what leads to real, lasting growth. -
What excited you most about joining Optispan, and what do you hope to contribute? What truly excited me about joining Optispan is being part of a company that prioritizes people just as much as it does science. My passion as a medical assistant is to be a source of comfort and support, ensuring every person who walks through our doors feels genuinely cared for and at ease. Whether it's making a blood draw less stressful or simply taking the time to listen to a client's story, my goal is to help you feel heard, understood, and confident on your health journey.
Can you share a fun fact or unexpected skill that your new teammates might not know about you? Outside of work, I love kickboxing! It's a great outlet for stress relief and helps me focus both my mind and body. My commitment to showing up for each class serves as a reminder that taking care of yourself is the first step towards being able to care for others—something I deeply believe in.
Outside of work, what’s something you’re passionate about or a hobby you enjoy? Animals hold a very special place in my heart, especially dogs. The unconditional love and joy they bring to humans is unlike any other! If I hadn't chosen to be a medical assistant, I'm certain I would have found a way to work with animals full-time.
If you could give one piece of advice to your future self a year from now, what would it be? My advice would be to keep prioritizing the human connection. The reason I love this work is because of the relationships. When I reach the one-year milestone, I want to remind myself to always take the time to truly listen—whether it's to a client's story or a teammate's idea—because that's where the real impact is made. -
What excited you most about joining Optispan, and what do you hope to contribute? I was really excited about the chance to work in a startup environment where I can wear a lot of hats and put different skills to use. I’m hoping to jump in wherever I’m needed, learn quickly, and help move projects forward.
Can you share a fun fact or unexpected skill that your new teammates might not know about you? I love to read and because I have hyperlexia, I read pretty fast. Last year I made it through 104 books.
Outside of work, what’s something you’re passionate about or a hobby you enjoy?
When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me reading, gardening, or spending time with my family. And honestly, I’m completely obsessed with my Cocker Spaniel, Dax.If you could give one piece of advice to your future self a year from now, what would it be? Don’t take things too seriously. Keep laughing, enjoy the small wins, and remember that little steps add up.
Clinic Highlights
VO2 Max as a predictor of Health Outcomes:
By Dr. Nicki Byrne, MD
VO₂ max is essentially your body’s oxygen engine size, a measure of how efficiently your heart pumps, your lungs deliver, and your muscles extract and use oxygen during exercise. It captures the performance of your cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems working together, which makes it a powerful indicator of whole-body health.
When VO₂ max is higher, your physiology runs more efficiently. A stronger heart pushes out more blood with each beat (higher stroke volume), your blood vessels stay more flexible, and your mitochondria generate energy with less stress. This means lower blood pressure, better blood sugar control, less inflammation, and a body that can handle daily and unexpected stressors with ease.
The impact on health outcomes is striking. In a Cleveland Clinic study of more than 122,000 adults, those with the lowest fitness levels were about five times more likely to die compared with people in the top “elite” group. That excess risk from being unfit was actually greater than the risk from smoking, diabetes, or high blood pressure.
The good news is that you don’t need to be an elite athlete to see real benefits. Even small gains in fitness translate into meaningful health protection. For example, moving from a VO₂ max of 25 to 35 (low to moderate fitness for many middle-aged adults) can nearly cut the risk of early death in half. Every time you improve fitness, you lighten the workload on your heart, improve metabolic flexibility, and build a body more resistant to chronic disease.
For me, this knowledge is fuel: it motivates me to lace up for runs several times a week, often with my kids pedaling beside me on their bikes, or to clip on a weighted vest for walks with our dog. Even those tough HIIT sessions on the treadmill feel different when I remember that every interval is not just a workout, but an investment in my health and an example of strength and resilience I want my kids to carry with them.
Optispan Podcast
Debunking 10 Longevity Myths You Still Believe
The episode debunks ten longevity myths: biological age isn’t directly measurable (clocks are estimators); lifestyle pillars drive the biggest gains while resveratrol, most peptides, and rapamycin aren’t core interventions without strong human evidence; genes explain a minority of lifespan; caloric restriction’s benefits extend beyond cancer; FDA approval isn’t limited by aging’s disease status; aging research is underfunded; and actionable biomarkers plus functional metrics (A1c, VO₂ max, grip) should guide any targeted add-ons.
Elite Performance: How Pro Athletes Use HRV to Train Smarter (Not Harder)
A data-driven deep dive into heart rate variability as a readout of autonomic balance, recovery, and resilience, covering proper measurement and how sleep, stress, alcohol, and training load move it. The episode emphasizes the tight link between HRV and VO2 max, making aerobic fitness the primary lever to raise baseline HRV and support longevity.
Be sure to tune in and subscribe here so you don’t miss an episode!
Want more of the Optispan Podcast? View past episodes or contact us to share what you'd like to hear next!
In Case You Missed It
Matt Kaeberlein in the Spotlight Post RAADfest
Following the release of Dr. Matt Kaeberlein’s full RAADfest 2025 talk, which we shared in last month’s newsletter, the conversation around longevity has only grown. Last week, Lifespan.io published a feature article diving into the science, stories, and controversies that shaped RAADfest, highlighting both the promise and the challenges of radical life extension: Two People Almost Died at RAADfest – We Went to the Experts.
Kaeberlein’s keynote at RAADfest stands out as a steadying voice amid the hype. Known for his groundbreaking work on the biology of aging, he emphasized that the field must focus on measurable improvements in healthspan rather than just eye-catching claims about extending lifespan.
“We need to shift the conversation from lifespan to healthspan – and from headlines to data.”
This balance, bringing rigorous science to a movement often criticized for bold but unproven promises, is why his talk is resonating across the community. As Lifespan.io’s reporting shows, RAADfest continues to draw attention for both its breakthroughs and its risks, and Kaeberlein’s presence helped anchor the event in credible, evidence-based discussion.
Whether you’re new to the longevity space or have been following it for years, we recommend watching his full talk to get a clear-eyed perspective on where the science is heading next.
Healthspan Coach Notes
VO₂ Max: Building Your Engine
By Will Merrick, NBHWC Certified Health & Wellness Coach
When people hear about VO₂ Max, they often picture athletes strapped to treadmills with oxygen masks like the photo above. But VO₂ Max isn’t just for pros—it’s a measure of how efficiently your body uses oxygen, and it’s one of the best predictors of overall health and longevity.
The question is: how do you actually improve it? Do you have to run? Do you have to suffer through endless intervals? The answer: not necessarily. Let’s walk through it together.
Build the Base
Think of VO₂ Max like the size of your engine. Before you worry about redlining it, you need to build a solid foundation.
That means long, steady aerobic sessions for 4-6 weeks (if you are starting from scratch)—the kind of exercise where you’re working, but could still carry on a light conversation. Aim for 2–3 sessions per week, 30–60 minutes each. Brisk walks, easy bike rides, paddleboarding, rucking or light jogs all count. Don’t worry about if one of those is the “best” exercise. Focus on the exercise that you like to do, especially if it brings joy and connection (run, bike or hiking clubs?) to your life.
This stage trains your heart to pump more efficiently and your muscles to use oxygen better. It’s not flashy, but it’s the groundwork every strong engine needs.
Choose Your Lane
The Express Lane: Intervals
Once you’ve laid the foundation, you can sprinkle in intervals—short bursts of high effort followed by recovery. Think 3 minutes hard, 3 minutes easy, repeated a few times. If that feels daunting, try 2 minutes hard, 2 minutes easy. Or even 1 minute hard, 2-3 minutes easy. The key is starting to get comfortable with higher intensity levels of work, repeated several times.
Intervals are the fastest way to raise VO₂ Max because they push your system to its limit and force it to adapt. One interval session per week can make a huge difference in just a couple of months.
The Scenic Routes: Slower but Steady
Not into pushing that hard? That’s okay. You can still improve VO₂ Max with approaches that take longer but feel more sustainable:
Steady aerobic training: This is the “Zone 2” work you may have heard about. Picture a brisk walk, moderate bike ride, or light jog—effortful, but you could still hold a conversation. These sessions don’t leave you gasping, but they quietly build your endurance engine.
More frequent movement: Sometimes it’s not about going harder, but about moving more often. Five 30-minute sessions spread through the week can add up to the same (or more) benefit as three longer workouts.
Strength + cardio blends: Lifting weights won’t skyrocket your VO₂ Max, but it does make your muscles more efficient. That means when you do aerobic work, your body spends oxygen more wisely. Superset weights (especially lower body routines like squats or lunges) with short bursts on the bike or rower.
Lifestyle movement: Never underestimate the power of everyday activity. Walking, taking the stairs, riding your bike to the store—all of it counts. It won’t move the VO₂ Max needle as quickly as structured training, but it builds a durable foundation of cardiovascular health.
These won’t raise VO₂ Max as quickly as intervals, but they build a durable foundation and keep your cardiovascular system humming.
Support the System
Training sparks the change, but your lifestyle pillars—Eat, Sleep, and Connect—determine whether that change sticks.
Eat: Carbs to fuel workouts, protein + carbs to rebuild, and micronutrients to keep mitochondria healthy.
Sleep: 7–9 hours supports adaptation (that’s when your VO₂ Max actually rises. Short nights mean higher resting heart rates and lower training gains
Connect: High stress blunts training gains—consider mindfulness, breathwork, or even easy walks on recovery days. These shift you back into recovery mode, giving your nervous system the green light to adapt.
The Takeaway
You don’t have to run marathons or hammer intervals every day to raise your VO₂ Max. Start with a steady base, choose whether you prefer the fast lane or the scenic route, and lean on your lifestyle pillars to make it all stick.
Whether you’re chasing performance or just wanting to climb the stairs without getting winded, the path is the same: build your engine, then let it carry you further than you thought possible.
VO2 Max Training Blog
If you had to choose one number that best predicts how long and how well you will live, it might be your VO₂ max—the size of your aerobic engine. A higher VO₂ max means you can deliver and use more oxygen, which translates to climbing stairs without gasping, keeping up with your kids, or bouncing back faster from illness. At Optispan, we measure it because it is one of the strongest markers of healthspan ever studied, and the best part is, it is trainable at any age. In our latest article, we share why VO₂ max matters so much for longevity, what numbers to aim for, and how our team maintains their fitness with very different but still effective approaches that fir their lifestyle.
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*The Big O notation is a mathematical concept used in computer science and mathematics to describe the efficiency or performance of algorithms, particularly their growth rate relative to the size of the input. It provides a high-level understanding of how an algorithm's runtime or resource usage scales as the input size increases.
