Huberman Lab

Podcast Notes Key Takeaways

• Metabolic functions include repair of injury and brain tissue, clearance of damaged neurons, and energy for cells – not just BMI and weight-related concerns
• Thyroid and growth hormones have similar pathways and are both critical to metabolism and repair and growth of tissues
• Iodine, L-tyrosine, and selenium (found in Brazil nuts) are all important for proper thyroid hormone production and function
• Some “clean” diets can interfere with thyroid functions by disrupting iodine pathway – plant-rich hard diets make it challenging to get enough L-tyrosine; with a carnivore diet it is hard to get enough iodine
• Growth hormone release peaks in puberty and decreases 2-3 fold between 30s-40s
• Lifestyle activities to increase growth hormone: (1) increase slow wave/deep sleep; (2) exercise 60-75 minutes – but not working to failure which increases cortisol; (3) sauna at 176-210F for 20-30 minutes – increase growth hormone 16 fold; (4) supplement with arginine, ornithine, or L-citrulline
• Arginine supplementation caution: potent vasodilator and blunts growth hormone benefits of exercise
• Most hormones we make have been synthesized and are available by prescription or on the market but use with caution – any time you intake an exogenous hormone, your body stops producing on its own

Read the full notes @ podcastnotes.org

This episode I discuss metabolism and how our thyroid hormone and growth hormone control our metabolism. I also clarify that metabolism isn't just about burning energy, it’s about converting energy from different sources into fuels for building and repairing our tissues such as muscle, brain, and tendons and mobilizing energy from body fat storage. I discuss the role of iodine, selenium, and salt for thyroid health, and how specific exercise protocols, amino acids and temperature can dramatically shift levels of growth hormone release in waking and in sleep. I also describe the current landscape of prescription compounds, peptides and other factors for changing levels of thyroid and growth hormone, and some of their risks. Throughout the episode, mechanism and tools grounded in specific mechanisms are discussed. Thank you for your interest in science!

Thank you to our sponsors:

• Four Sigmatic - http://foursigmatic.com/huberman
• Blinkist - http://blinkist.com/huberman
• Munk Pack - http://munkpack.com - Use code: huberman

 

Our Patreon page:

• https://www.patreon.com/andrewhuberman

 

Supplements from Thorne:

• http://www.thorne.com/u/huberman

 

Social:

• Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab
• Twitter - https://twitter.com/hubermanlab

 

Link to recent study on thermal stress and hormones:

• Endocrine Effects of Repeated Hot Thermal Stress and Cold Water Immersion in Young Adult Men. - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33845653/

 

Timestamps:

• 00:00:00 Introduction
• 00:06:05 Thyroid & Growth Hormone
• 00:08:44 Food Shapes: Do They Matter?
• 00:11:43 Stevia: Naming & Impact
• 00:13:30 Metabolism 101: Your Brain the Furnace
• 00:17:33 Releasing Hormones From Your Brain, Stimulating Hormones from Your Pituitary
• 00:21:04 Thyroid Hormone’s Real Effects: Growth, Repair and Energy Consumption of Tissues
• 00:22:45 Iodine, L-Tyrosine & Selenium: The Trio Essential For Thyroid Function
• 00:26:05 How Much Iodine Do We Need? By Food, Supplement or Ocean Air
• 00:28:09 Selenium For Thyroid: Brazil Nuts & Other Valuable Sources
• 00:33:05 Selenium For Pregnancy, Prostate Cancer Risk, Acne
• 00:35:20 “Clean Eating” Downsides: Cruciferous Vegetables, Leeching Iodine
• 00:39:00 Other Benefits of Iodine: Reducing Inflammation
• 00:41:00 Why & How Increased Thyroid Increases Metabolism
• 00:42:12 What To Eat To Support Your Brain
• 00:43:00 Hyperthyroidism (Too Much) & Hypothyroidism (Too Little)
• 00:44:35 Menstruation: Thyroid Carbohydrate & Sugar Craving
• 00:45:33 Ketogenic Diet & Its Effects On Thyroid, Rebound Weight Gain
• 00:48:39 Growth Hormone: What, Why & How
• 00:51:18 Growth Hormone (GH) Changes Across The Lifespan & Risks of GH Therapy
• 00:53:40 How To Powerfully Increase Growth Hormone: Know The Natural Triggers
• 00:54:49 Not Eating Within 2hrs of Sleep: Keep Blood Glucose Low(ish) At Sleep
• 00:55:43 Delta Wave Brain Activity Is the Trigger For Growth Hormone Release
• 00:58:25 LOW Doses of Melatonin Supplementation For Increasing GH Release
• 01:01:00 Book: Altered Traits, Binaural Beats? Delta Waves Access
• 01:04:35 Specific Types & Duration of Exercise That Stimulate Growth Hormone & Warmups
• 01:08:40 Keeping Low Blood Glucose & Ensuring A Cool Down For Two Phase GH Release
• 01:10:36 Sex Differences For WHEN During Exercise Growth Hormone and IGF-1 Release Occurs: Males Have To Last Longer
• 01:14:10 Supplements That Increase Growth Hormone 100-400% (or more): Arginine, Ornithine
• 01:18:20 Arginine & Exercise Together Can Be Counter-Productive
• 01:19:50 L-Citrulline Better For Arginine Than Arginine Itself (?!); & Blood Pressure Caution
• 01:23:09 Growth Hormone Changes Across The Lifespan: No One Escapes
• 01:26:00 Heat (& Cold) for Triggering Extremely Large Increases In Growth Hormone
• 01:29:20 Specific Heat Protocols For Increasing Growth Hormone: Up To 16-Fold (?!)
• 01:34:30 2021 (New) Study: Heat Increases GH, & Lowers Cortisol, No Effects On Testosterone, DHEA Or Prolactin
• 01:36:00 Prescription Growth Hormone, & Emerging Peptides Therapeutics, Secretagogues Etc.
• 01:42:25 Synthesis, Summary Of Actionable Steps For Increasing GH and Thyroid Hormone
• 01:44:00 Zero Cost & Other Ways to Support Our Podcast; & Thank You!

Please note that The Huberman Lab Podcast is distinct from Dr. Huberman's teaching and research roles at Stanford University School of Medicine. The information provided in this show is not medical advice, nor should it be taken or applied as a replacement for medical advice. The Huberman Lab Podcast, its employees, guests and affiliates assume no liability for the application of the information discussed.

[Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac https://www.blabacphoto.com/]