Huberman Lab

This episode explains how we sense chemicals through smell, taste, and pheromones. How things smell and taste and chemicals in the tears, breath, and on the skin of others have a profound effect on how we feel, what we do, and our hormones. I explain the 3 types of responses to smell, the 5 types of tastes, the possible existence of sixth taste sense, and how the act of sniffing can make us learn and focus better. I explain how smell and taste reflect brain health and can assess and even promote brain regeneration. I discuss how eating specific categories of foods makes us crave more of those foods, including how to make sour things taste sweet and develop a heightened sense of smell and taste. 

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

00:00:00 Introduction

00:06:02 Sensing Chemicals: Smell, Taste & Chemicals That People Make To Control Each Other

00:09:10 Vision Protocols Recap (Brief) & Correction

00:12:20 Color Vision: Excellent Resource: What is Color? (The Book)

00:13:54 How We Sense Chemicals: Enter Our Nose, Mouth, Eyes, Skin

00:17:28 The Chemicals From Other People’s Tears Lower Testosterone & Libido

00:21:16 SMELL: Sniffing, A Piece of Your Brain In Your Nose, 3 Responses To Smells

00:24:40 Smells & Memory: Why They Are So Powerfully Associated

00:26:40 Pheromone Effects: Spontaneous Miscarriage, Males & Timing Female Puberty

00:28:56 Sniffing Creates Alertness & If Done Properly Can Help You Focus & Learn Better

00:34:00 Protocol 1: Sniffing (Nothing) 10-15X Enhances Your Ability to Smell & Taste

00:35:50 Smelling Salts, Ammonia & Adrenaline 

00:38:25 How You Can Become A Human Scent Hound, Detecting Cancer, & Tasting Better

00:43:45 Smell As A Readout Of Brain Health & Longevity; Regaining Lost Sense Of Smell

00:48:30 Dopamine, Sense Of Smell, New Neurons & New Relationships

00:50:20 Why Brain Injury Causes Loss Of Smell; Using Smell To Gauge & Speed Recovery 

00:53:33 Using Smell To Immediately Becoming Physically Stronger

00:54:40 Smelling In Our Dreams, Active Sniffing In Sleep, Sniffing As a Sign Of Consciousness

00:57:35 Mint Scents Create Alertness By Activating Broad Wake-Up Pathways 

00:59:48 Protocol 2 Pleasant Or Putrid: The Microwave Popcorn Test, Cilantro, Asparagus, Musk

01:03:00 Skunks, Costello, All Quiet On The Western Front  

01:04:32 TASTE: Sweet, Salty, Bitter, Umami, Sour; Your Tongue, Gustatory Nerve, NST, Cortex

01:08:45 Energy, Electrolytes, Poisons, Gagging, Amino Acid & Fatty Acid Sensing, Fermentation

01:13:48 Our 6th Sense of Taste: FAT Sensing

01:15:05 Gut-Brain: Your Mouth As An Extension Of Your Gut; Burned Mouth & Regeneration

01:19:30 Protocol 3: Learn To Be A Super-Taster By Top-Down Behavioral Plasticity

01:22:20 The Umami-Sweet Distinction: Tigers Versus Pandas

01:25:05 Eating More Plants Versus Eating More Meat, Cravings & Desire

01:27:15 Food That Makes You Feel Good Or Bad: Taste Receptors On Our Testes Or Ovaries

01:30:05 Biological Basis For The Sensuality of Umami and Sweet Foods

01:32:28 Appetitive & Aversive Sensing: Touching Certain Surfaces, Tasting Certain Foods

01:33:35 Amino Acids Are Key To Life, The Maillard Reaction, Smell-Taste Merge, Food Texture

01:39:00 How Processed Food Make You Crave More Processed Foods

01:39:44 Protocol 4: Invert Your Sense of Sweet & Sour: Miracle Fruit; Swapping Bitter & Sweet

01:43:03 Pheromones, Desire To Continue Mating: Coolidge Effect Occurs In Males & Females

01:46:40 Do Women Influence Each Others Menstrual Cycles? 

01:49:19 Recognizing the Smell Of Your Romantic Partner 

01:50:30 Differences In Odor Detection Ability, Effects Of Hormones

01:53:00 We Rub The Chemicals Of Others On Our Eyes and Skin, Bunting Behavior

01:56:40 Summary

Disclaimer

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This episode I describe how we see, meaning how our eyes focus, convert light information into electricity the rest of the brain can understand and how our brain creates the incredible thing we experience as “sight”. I also describe how we can train and support our visual system to improve at any age. I describe more than a dozen protocols to support depth perception, offset near-sightedness, improve mood, sleep, and our ability to focus (both visual focus and our mental focus generally). I also explain how to use eyesight to improve our levels of alertness and why visual hallucinations, lazy eyes and colorblindness occur. I also describe various compounds that may assist in supporting visual health and possibly improve our vision. Many simple, zero-cost protocols and a lot of scientific mechanisms are covered in this episode in clear language anyone can understand-- it is for anyone that values their brain and whether eyesight, young, adult-age or advanced age.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman

Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/huberman

00:00:00 Introduction  

00:00:31 Sponsors: AG1 & LMNT  

00:04:51 Protocol: Concurrent Training For Endurance, Strength, Hypertrophy  

00:07:24 The Senses, Vision, Seeing & What We Should All Do To See Better  

00:10:35 Our Eyes: What They Really Do, & How They Work  

00:14:30 Converting Light Into Electricity Language: Photoreceptors, Retinal Ganglion Cells  

00:17:00 We Don’t See Anything Directly: It Is All A Comparison Of Reflected Light  

00:19:35 Dogs, Cats, Snakes, Squirrels, Shrimps, Diving Birds, & You(r View Of The World)  

00:24:05 Everything You See Is A Best Guess, Blind Spots  

00:25:50 Depth Perception  

00:28:00 Subconscious Vision: Light, Mood, Metabolism, Dopamine; Frog’s Skin In Your Eyes  

00:32:00 Blue-Yellow Light, Sunlight; & Protocol 1 For Better Biology & Psychology  

00:35:00 Protocol 2: Prevent & Offset Near-Sightedness (Myopia): Outdoors 2 Hours Per Day  

00:42:00 Improving Focus: Visual & Mental; Accommodation, Your Pupils & Your Bendy Lens  

00:48:50 Protocol 3: Distance Viewing For 20min For Every 90 Minutes of “Close Viewing”  

00:52:20 Protocol 4: Self-Generated Optic Flow; Move Yourself Through Space Daily  

00:54:26 Protocol 5: Be More Alert; Eyelids, Eye Size, Chin Position, Looking Up Versus Down  

00:59:21 Protocol 6: Sleep In A Very Dark Room To Prevent Myopia (Nearsightedness)  

01:02:55 Color Vision, Colorblindness, Use Magentas Not Reds  

01:04:32 Protocol 7: Keeping Your Vision Sharp With Distance Viewing Every Day  

01:06:05 Protocol 8: Smooth Pursuit  

01:08:48 Protocol 9: Near-Far Visual Training 2-3 Minutes 3-4 Times a Week  

01:13:33 Protocol 10: Red Light, Emerging Protocol To Improve Photoreceptors & Vision  

01:16:20 Dry Eyes; Blinking, Protocol 11  

01:18:40 Lazy Eye, Binocular Vision, Amblyopia; Triggering Rapid Brain Plasticity; Protocol 12  

01:24:48 Protocol 12: Determine Your Dominant Eye; Near-Far Training  

01:27:57 Visual Hallucinations: The Consequence of An Under-Active Visual Brain  

01:29:47 Protocol 13: Snellen Chart: A Simple, Cost-Free Way To Test & Maintain Vision  

01:33:00 Vitamin A, Lutein, Idebenone, Zeaxanthine, Astaxanthin, Blood Flow  

01:44:20 Summary of Protocols, Vital Point About Blood & Oxygen For Vision  

01:46:00 Episode Length, Captions, Zero-Cost Support, Instagram, Searching Topics  

Disclaimer & Disclosures

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This episode I discuss endurance: our ability to perform effort over extended amounts of time. I describe the four kinds of endurance: muscular endurance, long duration (single-set) efforts, and the two kinds of high intensity interval training (HIIT). I discuss efficiency of effort and maximizing quality of effort, and a hydration formula. I review how our heart literally gets stronger when we oxygenate muscles properly. I also discuss motivation for long bouts of work and the visual physiological basis of the "extra gear" we all can leverage for effort. Finally, I review how accelerating as we fatigue can allow us to access untapped energetic resources.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman

00:00:00 Introduction

00:05:45 Why Everyone Should Train Endurance

00:09:49 All Episodes Now Searchable at hubermanlab.com & The Neural Network

00:11:28 How To Maintain Muscle

00:12:56 Endurance: It’s Not What You Think, Crossover With Brain Function

00:14:38 Energy; Many Paths To ATP: Creatine, Glucose, Glycogen, Fat; Ketones

00:18:00 The Vital Need For Oxygen: But Why?

00:19:00 What Allows Us To Endure (Anything)?

00:20:46 The 5 Things That Allow Us To Persist/Endure & What Causes Quitting

00:22:50 Why You Quit: It IS All In Your Mind

00:27:19 The “90% Mental” Myth

00:28:10 The Critical Need For Carbohydrates & Electrolytes (& Sometimes Ketones)

00:30:10 Phospho-Creatine, Glycogen, pH, Temperature Is Key

00:31:36 Using Your Blood, Heart, & Lungs To Go Longer, Further, With More Intensity

00:35:40 An Excellent Review on the Science of Training Adaptations (See Caption On YouTube)

00:37:15 The 4 Kinds of Endurance

00:38:53 Muscular Endurance: Powerful for Everyone: Posture, Performance, Resilience

00:41:50 Protocol For Building Muscular Endurance. No Major Eccentric Component

00:48:40 How to Make Muscles More Resilient: Mitochondrial Respiration, Neuronal Firing

00:51:31 Long Duration Endurance: 12minutes or More, One “Set”, Efficiency of Movement

00:57:00 Why Everyone Should Train Long Duration Endurance: Capillaries In Muscle & Brain

01:01:00 Two Distinct Types of High-Intensity Interval Training: Anaerobic & Aerobic

01:02:20 Anaerobic HIIT: 3-12 Sets, Work:Rest Ratio of 3:1 or 1:3; Quality of Repetitions is Key

01:07:00 Maximizing Oxygen Utilization, Heart Rate & Nerve-Muscle Energy Utilization

01:10:59 Aerobic HIIT; 1:1 Work:Rest Ratio, Tapping Into All Energy Utilization Systems

01:15:20 Building A Stronger Heart & Better Brain: Eccentric Loading the Heart: Stroke Volume

01:20:10 Resistance & Weight Training: Useless for the Brain? What Is Good For the Brain?

01:23:25 The Strength-Endurance Tradeoff; How Long to Wait Between Workouts

01:25:45 Breathing During Endurance, Explosive and Weight Training: Nose, Mouth, Gears

01:29:50 Intercostals & Diaphragmatic Breathing: Warming Up Intercostals Is Useful

01:31:00 Increasing Motivation & Adrenaline

01:32:10 Eliminating the “Side Cramp” With Physiological Sighs

01:34:45 Accelerating Through “The Wall”: Accessing Alternative Fuel Sources; Ketone Use

01:37:50 Hydration: Why Hydrate, How To Hydrate, & How Much Fluid To Drink

01:41:35 “The Galpin Equation”; Gastric Emptying Time, Adapting Hydration Mid-Training

01:44:20 Boosting Mitochondrial Density With Cold; Wait 6 Hours Before Cold/Between Training

01:46:00 Accelerating Recovery with 5 Minute Parasympathetic Down-Shift After Training

01:48:00 Leveraging The Visual System During Effort, Milestones; Dilation & Contraction; Pacing

01:53:10 The Physiological Basis of Your “Extra Gear”, Accessing Your “Kick”, Steve Prefontaine

01:56:00 Programming Examples; Concurrent Training

01:57:57 Caffeine, Magnesium Malate to Reduce Soreness, Nitric Oxide, Beta-Alanine

02:00:00 Synthesis; Next Episodes, Zero-Cost Ways to Support, Sponsors, Sources

Disclaimer & Disclosures

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In this episode, I describe how our brain and nervous system control muscle tissue and how to leverage that for muscle maintenance, growth (hypertrophy) and recovery. I explain how neurons control muscle contractions and limb movements. I explain muscle metabolism and muscle fiber recruitment. I detail protocols for increasing muscular growth and for neuro-muscular recovery. I explain the effects of deliberate cold, anti-inflammatory agents, and anti-histamines on training progress. I describe science-supported protocols using certain weight load ranges, total sets per week, training intensity, frequency, and in-between set activities if one's goal is to increase muscle growth, strength or endurance. I review three foundational compounds and nutrients and three optimization compounds and nutrients that have been shown to improve neuro-muscular performance. Finally, I explain how to leverage exercise and weight training to enhance cognitive function.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman

Disclaimer & Disclosures

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode I describe the science of fat loss, including how fat is mobilized and oxidized (burned) and how to increase fat burning by leveraging the nervous system. Most people don't realize it, but our neurons connect to our fat and release epinephrine/adrenaline to facilitate fat oxidation.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman

00:00:00 Introduction  

00:00:31 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up  

00:06:00 Fat Loss: The Key Role of Neurons  

00:08:44 The First Law of Fat Loss  

00:11:00 Neurons Connect To Fat! (& That Really Matters)  

00:13:38 5 Pillars of Metabolism: Sleep, Essential Fatty Acids, Glutamine, Microbiome, Thyroid  

00:19:20 Mindset Truly Matters: Amazing Examples of Beliefs on Fat Loss  

00:23:08 Our Brain Talks To Our Fat  

00:25:00 The Most Incredible & Dangerous Fat Loss Agent  

00:27:28 Losing Fat Is a Two-Part Process: Mobilization and Oxidation  

00:32:25 The Critical Role of Adrenaline/Epinephrine, But NOT from Adrenal Glands  

00:34:45 Fidgeting & Shivering: A Powerful Science-Supported Method For Fat Loss  

00:41:24 How Fidgeting Works: Promotes Epinephrine Release into Fat. “N-E-A-T”  

00:44:55 Two Ways of Using Shivering To Accelerate Fat Loss  

00:47:30 White, Brown & Beige Fat; & Using Cold-Induced Shiver To Burn Fat  

00:50:25 How To Use Cold Properly To Stimulate Fat Loss: Succinate Release Is Key/Shiver  

00:52:26 Exact Protocols: (1-5X per week); Don’t Adapt! Submerge and Exit “Sets & Reps”  

00:56:15 thecoldplunge.com see “protocols” tab Cold-Shiver-Fat-Loss Tool (cost free)  

00:58:03 If Fat-Loss Is Your Goal, Avoid Cold Adaptation: Remember Polar Bear Swimmers  

00:58:17 Irisin: Underwhelming; Succinate Is The Real Deal  

01:00:00 Brown Fat, Why Babies Can’t Shiver and Becoming a Hotter Furnace, Adding Heat  

01:01:55 Ice On Back of The Neck, Cold Underpants: Not A Great Idea For Fat Loss  

01:04:00 A Key Paper For the Aficionados: www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2826518/  

01:05:00 Spot Reduction: There May Be Hope After All. Targeting Specific Fat Pads.  

01:09:20 Exercising For Fat Loss: What Is Best? High Intensity, Sprinting, Moderate Intensity?  

01:13:30 Exercising Fasted: Does It Truly Accelerate Fat Loss/Oxidation.  

01:16:30 The 90 Minute Rule: After 90 Minutes, The Fasted Exercisers Start To Burn More Fat  

01:18:15 If High-Intensity Training Is Done First, The Benefits of Fasting Arrive Before 90min.  

01:22:44 Post-Exercise Metabolic Increases: How To Bias This Toward Fat Oxidation  

01:26:05 A Protocol For Exercise-Induced Fat Loss; Adrenalin Is The Effector  

01:28:50 Supplements/Compounds For Fat Loss Part: Caffeine Fidgeting, & Caffeine Adaptation  

01:34:30 Ephedrine, Fenfluramine: Removed From Market Due to Safety Concerns  

01:35:22 GLP1 (Glucagon-Like Peptide 1), Yerba Mate, Guayusa Tea, Semaglutide  

01:40:30 Berberine, Metformin: Glucose/Insulin Reduction, Increase Fat Oxidation: But Caution  

01:41:28 Gardner Lab Results: What You Eat May Not Matter, But Adherence Is Key Tool  

01:43:00 examine.com & Enter “Yerba Mate”: Lowers Heart Rate Even Though Is a Stimulant  

01:44:35 Acetyl-L-Carnitine: Facilitates Fat Oxidation  

01:48:00 Summary List of Tools & How Nervous System Controls Fat Loss  

01:51:20 Cost Free & Other Ways To Support Our Podcast, Making Sure We See Feedback  

Disclaimer

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This episode I discuss the science and practice of learning physical skills: what it involves at a biological level, and what to focus on during skill learning at each stage to maximize learning speed and depth. I also describe what to do immediately after a training session (note: this is different than the optimal protocol for cognitive skill training) and as you progress to more advanced levels of performance. I also cover the science of skill-based visualization which does have benefits, but only if done correctly and at the correct times. I discuss auto-replay of skill learning in the brain during sleep and the value of adding in post-training ‘deliberately idle’ sessions. I cover how to immediately improve limb-range-of-motion by leveraging cerebellum function, error generation, optimal repetition numbers for learning and more. As always, scientific mechanism, peer-reviewed studies and science-based protocols are discussed. 

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1 : https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman

00:00:00 Introduction  

00:00:31 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up  

00:06:28 Skill Acquisition: Mental & Physical  

00:08:40 Clarification About Cold, Heat & Caffeine  

00:12:45 Tool: How To Quickly Eliminate the Side-Stitch ‘Cramp’ & Boost HRV Entrainment  

00:16:08 Physical Skills: Open-Loop Versus Closed-Loop  

00:18:50 Three Key Components To Any Skill  

00:21:00 Sources of Control for Movement: 1) CPGs Govern Rhythmic Learned Behavior  

00:23:30 Upper Motor Neurons for Deliberate Movement & Learning  

00:25:00 Lower Motor Neurons Control Action Execution  

00:25:26 What To Focus On While Learning  

00:27:10 The Reality of Skill Learning & the 10,000 Hours Myth  

00:28:30 Repetitions & The Super Mario Effect: Error Signals vs. Error Signals + Punishment  

00:34:00 Learning To Win, Every Time  

00:39:26 Errors Solve the Problem of What To Focus On While Trying to Learn Skills  

00:43:00 Why Increasing Baseline Levels of Dopamine Prior To Learning Is Bad  

00:44:40 The Framing Effect (& Protocol Defined)  

00:46:10 A Note & Warning To Coaches  

00:48:30 What To Do Immediately After Your Physical Skill Learning Practice  

00:53:48 Leveraging Uncertainty  

00:56:59 What to Pay Attention To While Striving To Improve  

01:04:45 Protocol Synthesis Part One  

01:07:10 Super-Slow-Motion Learning Training: Only Useful After Some Proficiency Is Attained  

01:11:06 How To Move From Intermediate To Advanced Skill Execution Faster: Metronomes  

01:16:44 Increasing Speed Even If It Means More Errors: Training Central Pattern Generators  

01:19:12 Integrated Learning: Leveraging Your Cerebellum (“Mini-Brain”)  

01:22:02 Protocol For Increasing Limb Range of Motion, Immediately  

01:28:30 Visualization/Mental Rehearsal: How To Do It Correctly  

01:33:50 Results From 15 Minutes Per Day, 5 Days Per Week Visualization (vs. Actual Training)  

01:35:34 Imagining Something Is Very Different Than Actually Experiencing It  

01:37:58 Cadence Training & Learning “Carryover”  

01:39:00 Ingestible Compounds That Support Skill Learning: Motivation, Repetitions, Alpha-GPC  

01:43:39 Summary & Sequencing Tools: Reps, Fails, Idle Time, Sleep, Metronome, Visualization  

01:46:20 Density Training: Comparing Ultradian- & Non-Ultradian Training Sessions  

01:49:24 Cost-Free Ways to Support Us, Sponsors & Alternate Channels, Closing Remarks  

Disclaimer & Disclosures

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This episode I explain the science of heating and cooling the body, a process called thermoregulation-- and how to apply that knowledge to significantly improve physical performance. I describe the three areas of our body that can remove heat (or bring heat into the body) faster than anywhere else, why that is so, and how proper cooling of these areas with specific protocols can allow people to perform 200-600% more volume and repetitions of resistance exercises at the same weight loads, or to run, cycle or swim significantly further. I also describe how to use directed cooling of so-called glabrous skin: the bottoms of feet, palms and face, to significantly enhance recovery times from exercise. Also, why the common practices of trying to heat up or cool the body via the torso or whole-body submersion in cold can be inefficient and/or dangerous-- and the better alternatives. Finally, I discuss the temperature-effects of caffeine, alcohol and anti-inflammatory compounds. The information in this episode is focused on mechanisms and tools for increasing athletic or exercise performance.

For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:00:31) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT

(00:05:08) Physical Performance & Skill Learning

(00:06:40) Optimal Learning Protocol (Recap): 4 Steps

(00:08:31) Variables Impacting Physical Performance

(00:10:00) Temperature Is the Dominant Variable

(00:12:08) Understanding Mechanism Is Key

(00:13:42) Heat: The Enemy of All Performance (& Why)

(00:16:30) Blood Flow & Sweating & Piloerection

(00:22:35) Heat Is What Limits Effort: Even If You Feel Fine/Motivated

(00:25:29) Proper Cooling Can Double, Triple, Quadruple (Or More) Your Ability

(00:26:42) Heat Induced Confusion & Death

(00:30:02) The Three Body Parts Best For Heating & Cooling Your Whole Body

(00:31:38) Face, Palms, Bottoms of Feet; Glabrous Skin

(00:33:00) Arterio-Venous Anastamoses (AVAs) Are Super Cool(ing)!

(00:37:15) Palmar Cooling Can Supercharge Your Athletic Performance

(00:38:35) ATP, Pyruvate Kinase & Heat

(00:40:55) Palmer Cooling Outperforms Anabolic Steroids Several-Fold

(00:43:45) Increasing Endurance, Willpower & Persistence

(00:46:33) Cardiac Drift, & Moving the ”I Quit” Point

(00:50:44) Deliberate Heating: Myths and Better Protocols

(00:53:20) Protocols For Self-Directed Cooling To Vastly Improve Performance

(00:59:23) How To Use Cold To Recover Faster & More Thoroughly

(01:02:05) Ice Baths & Cold Showers Can Prevent Training Progress: mTOR, etc.

(01:06:29) Alcohol, Caffeine, NSAIDs: Their Temperature Effects Matter

(01:09:44) Are Stimulants Counter Productive For Performance? It Depends.

(01:12:00) The Caffeine Rule & “Caffeine Adaptation”

(01:14:20) NSAIDs for Training: Performance Enhancements & Risks

(01:17:00) The Best Way to Explore Your Own “Parameter Space”

(01:18:35) Tools: How To Try

(01:21:35) Cost-Free Support, & Additional Support & Resources

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac

Disclaimer

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This episode I describe the biology of two essential hormones we all make: cortisol and adrenaline (also called epinephrine). Cortisol and adrenaline powerfully regulate our levels of energy, focus and immune system function. I describe various science-supported tools and practices to increase or decrease cortisol and/or adrenaline, depending on one's specific needs and goals. I also describe the biology of nootropics, and how cortisol and adrenaline can improve or degrade learning. Finally, I review the scientific data and tools for timing the release of these hormones to improve memory, energy and immune system function.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman

00:00:00 Introduction  

00:00:31 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up  

00:05:41 Energy & Your Immune System, & Learning Faster  

00:08:34 Why & How Intermittent Fasting Increases Growth Hormone  

00:11:56 Why Your Stomach Growls  

00:13:09 Hot Baths & Hormones  

00:14:35 Energy, Adrenaline (Epinephrine), & Cortisol  

00:15:48 Cortisol & Cholesterol, Competition With Testosterone & Estrogen  

00:17:54 Adrenaline (Epinephrine) Is Your (Immune System’s) Best Friend  

00:18:48 Cortisol Basics In Two (Actually 1) Minute/s  

00:19:48 Adrenaline Basics In Two Minutes  

00:21:32 Tool: Time Your Cortisol Peak To Waking Using Specific Light Intensities  

00:27:20 Brief Increases In Cortisol & Adrenaline Boost Energy, Focus & Immunity  

00:30:04 Ways To Increase Adrenaline, Epinephrine & Cortisol & Why That Is Good  

00:35:00 Does Mindset During Stress Matter?  

00:36:15 Protocols: Adrenaline Breathing Described  

00:39:00 Practices To Increase Energy Without Increasing Stress  

00:45:00 Using Stressors to ENHANCE Our Immune System: Science & Tools  

00:55:11 Timing Thyroid Release For Energy  

00:57:02 Adrenaline/Stress Increase Performance & Memory. IF They Are After Learning  

01:02:45 An Optimal Learning Protocol  

01:03:20 Coffee Changes Your Brain & Increases Connectivity Of “Anxiety Circuits”  

01:05:43 Nootropics: Two Kinds, & How & Why They Work, “Neural Energy”  

01:09:00 Biology of Comfort Foods: From Negative to Positive Feedback Loops  

01:14:00 Bombesin: Energy Without Eating  

01:15:00 How Stress Makes Our Hair Gray, & How To Prevent Stress-Induced Graying  

01:18:05 Blunting Chronic Cortisol, Including: Ashwagandha & Science Of  

01:25:50 Licorice Increases Cortisol & Blood Pressure, & Reduces Testosterone (by Glycyrrhizin)  

01:28:50 Apigenin: Anti-Cortisol  

01:29:53 Protocols For Optimizing Energy & Immune System Function (& Learning)  

01:37:00 When Fasting, Exercise, Cold & Intense Breathing Become Detrimental  

01:39:00 Prescription Compounds  

01:39:47 Tools For Accessing Alert & Calm States of “Energy”: Separating The Brain & Body  

01:42:11 Ways To Apply Knowledge Presented Today  

01:43:20 No-Cost Ways To Support Us, Feedback, Sponsors, Patreon, Partners, “Office Hours”  

Disclaimer & Disclosures

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This episode discusses 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, mechanisms and tools grounded in specific mechanisms are discussed.

https://www.thorne.com/u/huberman

(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!

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This episode I discuss how hormones from our gut, liver, pancreas and brain control our appetite--and the specific tools we can use to adjust those hormones in order to achieve specific goals. I explain the brain areas that control our desire to eat, and our desire to stop eating. I discuss a hormone we all can make that is regulated by UV-rays from sunlight that reduces our appetite. I also explain that when we eat controls our appetite and not the other way around (and how to leverage that fact). I describe how we are basically always eating until we reach a threshold level of fatty acids and amino acids in our gut and the factors that can alter that signaling and make us eat far more than we need. I also explain how insulin, glucose and glucagon work, why cholesterol is so key for ovary, adrenal, liver and testes function and how the ketogenic diet impacts glucose and thyroid levels. As always, I describe many tools: specific supplements, prescription compounds, specific types (and timing) of exercise to regulate hormones, specific timing and types of eating, ways to reduce sugar cravings by triggering release of the hormone CCK, and more.

Note: A future episode will cover Thyroid hormone. Also, I mis-spoke when explaining POMC neurons. I said “P-M-O-C” but should have said “POMC”. Apologies. The name I gave for what POMC is, however, was correct: "proopiomelanocortin".

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

https://www.thorne.com/u/huberman

(00:00:00) Introduction

(00:06:59) Hunger: Neural & Hormonal Control

(00:08:32) Chewing & Hunger

(00:11:05) Siamese Rats Reveal the Importance of Hormones In Hunger

(00:13:08) Neurons That Powerfully Control Hunger by Releasing Specific Hormones

(00:16:28) Anorexia & Extreme Overeating

(00:16:57) Why Sunlight Suppresses Hunger: a-Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone (a -MSH)

(00:20:03) Blue-blockers, Injecting a-MSH: Instant Tan & Priapism

(00:22:30) Ghrelin: A Hormone That Determines When You Get Hungry, & That You Can Control

(00:24:40) Meal Timing Determines Hunger, Not the Other Way Around

(00:27:20) Satchin Panda, Circadian Eating & Intermittent(ish) Fasting

(00:29:35) How To Rationally Adjust Meal Schedules: The 45min Per Day Rule

(00:33:02) CCK (Cholecystokinin): A Hormone In Your Gut That Says “No Mas!”

(00:34:55) Eating For Amino Acids, Fatty Acids & Sugar

(00:39:05) L-Glutamine: Stimulates the Immune System & Reduces Sugar Cravings

(00:43:42) Things To Avoid: Emulsifiers; Alter Gut Mucosa & Nutrient Sensing

(00:49:32) “A Calorie Is NOT A Calorie” After All

(00:52:36) Insulin & Glucose: Hyperglycemia, Euglycemia, & Hypogylcemia

(00:56:12) The Order Your Eat Foods Matters: Managing Your Blood Glucose & Glucagon

(01:02:40) Movement, Exercise & GLUT-4

(01:04:50) Why Sugar Stimulates Your Appetite

(01:05:40) Keeping Blood Sugar Stable With Specific Exercises, The Power Of Insulin Sensitivity

(01:07:55) High-Intensity Exercise, Glycogen & Metabolism

(01:10:28) Cholesterol, HDL, LDL & Glucose Management: Ovaries, Testes, Liver, Adrenals

(01:15:00) Prescription Compounds That Reduce Blood Glucose: Metformin

(01:16:45) Berberine: A Potent Glucose Buffer That Also Adjusts Cholesterol Levels, Canker Sores

(01:22:05) Chromium, L-Carnitine, Ginseng, Caffeine, Magnesium, Stevia, Vitamin B3, & Zinc

(01:24:34) Acids: Vinegar, Lemons & Limes & False Alkalinity

(01:26:40) Ketogenic Diets (In Brief): Effects On Blood Glucose, Thyroid Hormones

(01:28:10) Diabetes, Filtering Blood, Sweet Urine

(01:31:08) The Power of GLP-1 & Yerba Mate For Controlling Appetite, Electrolytes

(01:35:19) Summary & Notes About Thyroid, Estrogen, Testosterone

(01:37:20) Zero Cost & Sponsor-Based Ways To Support The Huberman Lab Podcast

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