In this episode, I discuss fear and trauma, including the neural circuits involved in the "threat reflex" and how specific experiences and memories come to activate that system. I also discuss how our body is involved in trauma and fear. First, I describe the logic of fear mechanisms and how "top-down" processing-- meaning connections from the parts of the brain that assign meaning to our feelings, are involved in fear and erasing fears and traumas. Then I discuss what successful fear and trauma treatment must include and consider various treatments for whether they meet that standard, such as EMDR, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Ketamine, other drug-assisted therapies, and more. I also review new data on how 5 minutes per day of deliberate, self-imposed stress can erase fear and depression. And I review the role that social connection plays in erasing or maintaining fears by activating specific molecular pathways in the brain and body. Finally, I review supplementation with over-the-counter compounds for their effects on anxiety and fear and when to take them, if at all.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introducing Fear, Trauma & Trauma  (00:02:31) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:06:49) What is Fear?  (00:11:45) Autonomic Arousal: “Alertness” vs. “Calmness” (00:13:44) Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis (HPA axis) (00:17:36) “The Threat Reflex”: Neural Circuits for Fear (00:28:24) Controlling Fear: Top-Down Processing (00:32:27) Narratives: “Protective or Dangerous” (00:35:58) Attaching Fear to Events: Classical Conditioning & Memory (00:41:45) How Fear Learning Occurs: Long Term Potentiation, NMDA (00:46:10) Extinguishing (Reducing) Fears (00:50:25) Cognitive (Narrative) Therapies for Fear (00:57:56) Repetition of Narrative, Overwriting Bad Experiences with Good (01:05:28) EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (01:14:00) Social Connection & Isolation Are Chemically Powerful (01:18:23) Trans-Generational Trauma (01:25:00) PTSD Treatments: Ketamine, MDMA, oxytocin (01:39:25) How Do You Know If You Are Traumatized?  (01:46:16) Deliberate Brief Stress Can Erase Fears & Trauma (01:49:50) Erasing Fears & Traumas In 5 Minutes Per Day (01:59:42) Nutrition, Sleep, & Other General Support Erasing Fear & Trauma (02:02:30) Supplements for Anxiety, Fear: Saffron, Inositol, Kava (02:10:00) Synthesis  (02:11:46) Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors, Supplements, Instagram, Twitter Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, my guest is Dr. David Buss, Professor of Psychology at the University of Texas, Austin, and one of the founding members of the field of evolutionary psychology. Dr. Buss describes his work on how people select mates for short and long-term relationships, the dynamics of human courtship, and mate value assessment — meaning how people measure up as potential partners. We also discuss the causes of infidelity and differences for infidelity in men and women. He explains how people evaluate and try to alter other people’s mate value as a means to secure and even poach mates. We discuss monogamous and non-monogamous relationships in humans. And we discuss what Dr. Buss calls “the dark triad”— features common in stalkers and narcissists that relate to sexual and psychological violence in relationships. This episode is sure to be of interest to anyone single or in a relationship who seeks to know how people select mates and anyone who is interested in forming and maintaining healthy romantic partnerships.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introducing Dr. David Buss (00:04:27) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:08:33) Choosing a Mate (00:13:40) Long Term Mates: Universal Desires (00:18:31) What Women & Men Seek in Long-Term Mates (00:25:10) Age Differences & Mating History  (00:32:20) Deception in Courtship (00:37:30) Emotional Stability (00:38:40) Lying About Long-Term Interest (00:41:56) Short-Term Mating Criteria, Sliding Standards & Context Effects (00:46:25) Sexual Infidelity: Variety Seeking & (Un)happiness & Mate Switching (00:54:25) Genetic Cuckolds, How Ovulation Impacts Mate Preference (00:57:00) Long-Term vs. Short-Term Cheating, Concealment (00:59:15) Emotional & Financial Infidelity (01:04:35) Contraception  (01:06:22) Status & Mating Success (01:10:10) Jealousy, Mate Value Discrepancies, Vigilance, Violence (01:24:13) Specificity of Intimate Partner Violence   (01:25:12) Mate Retention Tactics: Denigration, Guilt, Etc. (01:27:33) Narcissism, Machiavellianism, Psychopathy (01:33:25) Stalking (01:39:15) Influence of Children on Mate Value Assessments  (01:43:24) Attachment Styles, Mate Choice & Infidelity (01:46:40) Non-Monogamy, Unconventional Relationships   (01:54:00) Mate Value Self Evaluation, Anxiety About the Truth (02:02:12) Self Deception (02:05:35) The Future of Evolutionary Psychology & Neuroscience   (02:06:56) Books: When Men Behave Badly; The Evolution of Desire, Textbooks (02:10:42) Concluding Statements, Zero-Cost Support: Subscribe, Sponsors, Supplements Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I discuss the science of gratitude, which has been shown in peer-reviewed studies to have tremendous positive effects on mental and physical health. I explain, however, that most commonly used gratitude practices are ineffective (such as gratitude lists). The key elements of highly effective gratitude practices are described, including the essential need for story (narrative), receiving or perceiving gratitude rather than giving it, and the role that theory of mind plays in this context. I also discuss why we can't simply make up feelings of gratitude and how reluctance undermines the process. I also explain the neural circuit mechanisms that underlie the reductions in fear and increases in motivation and lowering of inflammatory chemicals that effective narrative-based gratitude can trigger. Throughout the episode, I use the science of gratitude to design a brief but highly effective protocol.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction: Gratitude Science & Surprises (00:01:50) Controlling Heart Rate with Story (00:04:48) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:09:11) Major, Long-Lasting Benefits of Gratitude Practice (00:12:20) Prosocial vs. Defensive Thinking, Behaviors, & Neural Circuits  (00:17:50) Why We All Need an Effective Gratitude Practice (00:21:22) Neurochemistry & Neural Circuits of Gratitude (00:25:10) Prefrontal Cortex Set Context (00:30:10) Ineffective Gratitude Practices; Autonomic Variables (00:34:55) Key Features of Effective Gratitude Practices: Receiving Thanks & Story (00:42:30) Theory of Mind Is Key (00:45:50) Building Effective Gratitude Practices: Adopting Narratives, Duration (00:52:28) Narratives That Shift Brain-Body Circuits  (00:56:150 You Can’t Lie About Liking Something; Reluctance In Giving (00:59:55) How Gratitude Changes Your Brain: Reduces Anxiety, Increases Motivation (01:03:00) 5 Minutes (Is More Than Enough), 3X Weekly, Timing Each Day  (01:05:44) Empathy & Anterior Cingulate Cortex (01:07:35) Reducing Inflammation & Fear with Gratitude (01:10:56) Serotonin, Kanna/Zembrin  (01:16:00) Neuroplasticity, Pharmacology, Brain Machine Interfaces (01:18:50) The Best Gratitude Practices: & How To, My Protocol (01:24:25) Subscribe & Feedback, Supporting Sponsors, Supplements Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I discuss how our brain and body track time and the role that neurochemicals, in particular dopamine and serotonin, but also hormones such as melatonin, allow us to orient ourselves in time. I review the three types of time perception: of the past, of the present, and the future, and how dopamine and serotonin adjust both our perception of the speed of the passage of time and our memory of how long previous experiences lasted. I also discuss circannual entrainment, which is the process by which our brain and body are matched to the seasons, and circadian (24 hours) entrainment, both of which subconsciously adjust our perceived measurement of time. I explain the mechanisms of that subconscious control. And I cover the ultradian (90 minutes) rhythms that govern our ability to focus, including how to track when these 90-minute rhythms begin and end for the sake of work and productivity. I include ten tools based on the science of time perception that you can apply to enhance productivity, creativity, and relationships in various contexts.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introducing Time Perception, Note on Fasting & Supplements (00:05:28) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:09:25) Entrainment, Circannual Entrainment, Melatonin (00:13:20) Seasonal Oscillations in Testosterone & Estrogen, Tool 1 (00:16:06) Circadian Timing, Tools 1, 2, 3 (for Circadian Entrainment) (00:21:13) Tool 4: Timing Physical Activity; Tool 5: Timing Eating Window (00:23:00) When Circadian Entrainment is Disrupted, Time Perception Suffers (00:25:00) Tool 6: Ultradian (90min) Cycles & Focus (00:31:42) Our Sense of the Passage of Time: Present, Prospective, Retrospective (00:34:40) Dopamine (& Nor/epinephrine) Lead to Time Overestimation; Frame Rate  (00:37:18) Serotonin & Time Underestimation; Decreased Frame Rate (00:39:10) Dopamine vs. Serotonin Across the Day; Tool 7: When to Do Rigid vs. Creative Work (00:42:38) Example of Tool 7 (00:43:38) How Sleep Deprivation Degrades Performance (00:44:38) Trauma, “Over-clocking” & Memories; Adjusting Rates of Experience (00:50:04) Why Trauma Involves Dopamine & Epinephrine, Arousal (00:51:03) Dopamine, Spontaneous Blinking & Time Perception; Tool 8 (00:53:38) Deliberate Cold Exposure, Dopamine, Tool 9: Adjusting Frame Rate in Discomfort (00:56:30) Fun “Feels Fast” BUT Is Remembered as Slow; Boring Stuff “Feels Slow,” Recall As Fast (01:00:54) Retrospective Time, Context Variation & Enhanced Bonding with Places & People (01:03:00) Dopamine Release Resets the Start of Each Time Bin on Our Experience (01:07:40) Habits & Time Perception; Tool 10 (Setting Functional Units of Each Day) (01:11:58) Synthesis & Book Suggestion (Your Brain Is a Time Machine by D. Buonomano) (01:12:27) Supporting the HLP: Subscribe, Instagram, Supplements Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I talk to Dr. Duncan French, Ph.D., the Vice President of Performance at the UFC Performance Institute and a world-class performance specialist. We discuss specific resistance (weight) training regimens for increasing testosterone in men and women and how to vary mechanical loads and rest between sets and workouts to optimize hormone output and training results. We also discuss how stress-induced "catecholamines" can increase testosterone or decrease it, depending on duration and mindset. And we discuss specific cold- and heat- therapies for increasing resilience, reducing inflammation, heat shock proteins and more. We discuss nutrition for training and how to match nutrition to training goals and metabolic flexibility. We discuss mental focus and how long to train for skill development. Finally, we discuss how mixed martial arts and the UFC Performance Institute are a template for exploring human performance more generally. This episode is intended for anyone interested in athletic and mental performance: athletes, students, and recreational exercisers and includes both science and many practical tools people can apply in their own training.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Dr. Duncan French  (00:02:44) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:05:44) Duncan’s Background in Exercise Science (00:11:45) How Certain Exercises Increase Testosterone (00:16:22) What Kind of Training Increases Testosterone & Growth Hormone? (00:20:19) Intensity: Mechanical Load; Volume: Metabolic Load; Inter-set Rest Periods (00:25:25) Training Frequency & Combining Workout Goals   (00:29:35) How Stress Can Increase or Decrease Testosterone  (00:36:55) Using Cold Exposure for Mindset, Anti-Inflammation, Muscle-Growth (00:46:55) Skill Development (00:50:05) Why Hard Exercise Creates Brain Fog: Role of Nutrition  (00:53:55) Low-Carbohydrate Versus All-Macronutrient Diets on Performance (00:56:15) Ketones & Brain Energy, Offsetting Brain Injury; Spiking Glucose During Ketosis (00:59:13) Metabolic Efficiency, Matching Nutrition to Training, “Needs Based Eating” (01:05:00) Duncan’s Work with Olympic Athletes, NCAA, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) (01:08:00) Why UFC & MMA (Mixed-Martial Arts) Are So Valuable for Advancing Performance (01:12:40) Voluntarily Switching Between Different States of Arousal (01:14:30) Heat, Getting Better at Sweating, Heat Shock Proteins, Sauna (01:20:12) Using Rotating 12-Week Training Programs; Logging Objective & Subjective Data (01:24:07) Surprising & Unknown Aspects of The UFC and UFC Performance Institute (01:27:45) Conclusions, Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors, Supplements, Instagram Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode teaches you a lot about the immune system, immune-brain interactions and offers 12 potential tools for enhancing immune system function. I discuss how our immune system works and science-supported tools we can use to enhance our immune system. I discuss the innate and adaptive immune systems and our various microbiomes-- not just in our gut but also in our nose, eyes and mouth and how to keep them healthy. And I review how specific patterns of breathing and foods maintain a healthy mucosal barrier that is crucial for fighting infections. I discuss how certain neurochemicals called catecholamines enhance our immune system function and how to use specific breathing protocols, types and timing of heat and cold exposure, and, if appropriate, supplementation to activate catecholamines. I also discuss the role and use of serotonin for the sake of accessing the specific types of sleep for recovering from illness, and I discuss how to increase glymphatic "washout" of brain debris during sleep. I also review fever, the vagus nerve and the use of atypical yet highly effective compounds for rhinitis (nasal inflammation). For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) The Mind & Immune System, New Findings: Acupuncture & Fascia (00:03:16) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:07:41) Foundational Tools & Practices for a Healthy Immune System (00:11:20) Immune System Basics: Skin/Mucous, Innate & Adaptive Immune System (00:17:08) Killer Cells, Complement Proteins (“Eat Me!” Signals), Cytokines (“Help Me!” Signals) (00:21:06) The Adaptive Immune System: Antibodies (00:28:00) Tool 1: Nasal Microbiome and “Scrubbing” Bacteria & Viruses; Nasal Breathing (00:30:33) Tools 2 & 3: (Not) Touching Your Eyes; Gut Microbiome & Fermented Foods (00:34:20) Some Interleukins Are Anti-Inflammatory (00:34:56) Sickness Behavior (00:39:08) Some People Seek Care When Sick, Others Want to be Alone (00:42:00) Sickness Behavior & Depression: Cytokines (00:43:40) Reduced Appetites When Sick: Protein, Iron, Libido (00:46:45) Vagus-Nerve Stimulation: Fever, Photophobia, Sleepiness (00:53:03) Humoral (Blood-Borne) Factors, & Choroid Change Your Brain State (00:55:04) Tools 4, 5: Reducing Sickness: Glymphatic Clearance, Pre-Sleep Serotonin, 5HTP (01:07:03) Tool 6: Hot Showers, Saunas, Baths & Cortisol, Heath-Cold Contrast (01:10:53) Feed a Fever & Starve a Cold (?), Adrenaline (01:12:36) Tool 7: Activating Your Immune System w/Cyclic-Hyperventilation, Alkalinity (01:29:10) Brain Chemicals & Cyclic-Hyperventilation; Catecholamines, Dopamine (01:32:10) Mindsets & Immune Function; Yes, You Can Worry Yourself Sick (01:37:00) Tool 8: Healthy Mindsets, Hope, Dopamine; Tool 9: Tyrosine; Tool 10: Cold Exposure (01:42:05) Once You’re Already Sick: Accelerating Recovery; Tool 11: Spirulina, Rhinitis (01:46:09) Histamines, Mast Cells (01:49:22) Tool 12: Acupuncture: Mechanism for How It Reduces Inflammation; Fascia, Rolfing  (01:53:40) Mechanistic Science & Ancient Practices (01:58:00) Synthesis, Ways to Support Us (Zero-Cost), Sponsors, Supplements, Social Media Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I host Dr. Samer Hattar, Chief of the Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms at the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Hattar is a world-renowned expert on how viewing light at particular times adjusts our mood, ability to learn, stress and hormone levels, appetite, and mental health. We discuss how to determine and use your individual light sensitivity to determine the optimal sleep-wake cycle for you. We also discuss how to combine your light viewing and waking time with the timing of your food intake and exercise in order to maximize mental and physical functioning. Dr. Hattar is credited with co-discovering the neurons in the eye that set our circadian clocks and regulate mood and appetite. He explains why even a small shift in daylight savings leads to outsized effects on our biking because of the way that our cells and circadian clocks integrate across many days. And he offers precise tools to rapidly adjust to jetlag, shift work, and reset your clock after a late night of work or socializing. This episode is filled with cutting-edge data on the biological mechanisms of human physiology and practical tools for people of all ages.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introducing Dr. Samer Hattar, Ph.D. (00:02:33) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:06:15) Light, Circadian (24 hour) & Circannual (365 day) “Photoentrainment”  (00:14:30) Neurons in Our Eyes That Set Our Body Clocks: Similar to Frog Skin (00:18:55) What Blind People See  (00:20:15) When, How & How Long to View Light for Optimal Sleep & Wakefulness (00:30:20) Sunlight Simulators, Afternoon Light Viewing, Naps (00:33:48) Are You Jetlagged at Home? Chronotypes & Why Early Risers Succeed  (00:38:33) How to Decide Your Best Sleep-Wake Schedule; Minimal Light Test (00:42:16) Viewing Light in Middle of Day: Mood & “Light Hunger” (00:44:55) Evening Sunlight; Blueblocker Warning (00:48:57) Blue Light Is Not the Issue; Samer’s Cave; Complete Darkness (00:53:58) Screens at Night (00:56:03) Dangers of Bright Light Between 10 pm and 4 am: Mood & Learning (01:01:05) The Tripartite Model: Circadian, Sleep Drive, Feeding Schedules (01:05:05) Using Light to Enhance Your Mood; & The Hattar-Hernandez Nucleus (01:07:19) Why Do We Sleep? (01:08:17) Effects of Light on Appetite; Regular Light & Meal Times (01:18:08) Samer’s Experience with Adjusting Meal Timing (01:22:51) Using Light to Align Sleep, Mood, Feeding, Exercise & Cognition (01:30:15) Age-Related Changes in Timing of Mental & Physical Vigor   (01:31:44) “Chrono-Attraction” in Relationships; Social-Rhythms (01:33:40) Re-setting Our Clock Schedule; Screen Devices Revisited (01:37:50) How Samer Got into the Study of Light  (01:39:33) Clock Gene mRNAs & More Accurate Biomarkers (01:41:08) Light as Medicine (01:42:48) ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)  (01:43:35) How to Beat Jetlag: Light, Temperature, Eating (01:50:44) Vigor: The Consequence of Proper Timing  (01:52:15) Waking in the Middle of the Night: When Your Nightly Sleep Becomes a Nap (01:54:10) Melatonin, Pineal Calcification (01:55:25) Our Seasonal Rhythms: Mood, Depression, Lethargy & Reproduction (01:59:08) Daylight Savings: Much Worse Than It Might Seem  (02:05:27) Eye Color & Sensitivity to Light, Bipolar Disorder (02:09:28) Spicy Food, Genetic Variations in Sensory Sensitivity  (02:10:52) Synthesizing This Information, Samer on Twitter, Instagram (02:13:00) Conclusions, Ways To Support the Huberman Lab Podcast & Research Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode I describe science-supported nutrients for brain and performance (cognition) and for nervous system health generally. I describe 10 tools for this purpose, including specific amounts and sources for Omega-3 fatty acids which make up the "structural fat" of neurons (nerve cells) and allow them to function across our lifespan. I also review data on creatine, phosphatidylserine, anthocyanins, choline, glutamine and how they each impact brain function in healthy people seeking to reinforce and improve their cognition and in those combatting cognitive decline. I describe both food-based and supplement-based sources for these compounds, and their effective dose ranges based on peer-reviewed literature. Then I review the 3 factors: gut-brain signaling, perceived taste, and learned associations that combine with the metabolic and blood-sugar-elevating effects of food to determine what foods we seek and prefer. Amazingly, it's not just about what tastes good to us. Next, I explore how we can leverage the neural circuits of learned food preference toward seeking and enjoying the right foods for brain health and performance. I also review new data on non-caloric sweeteners and why consuming them with glucose-elevating foods can be detrimental, in some cases rapidly leading to insulin dysregulation. This episode covers more than 10 actionable tools for those seeking to improve and/or maintain brain function, and it explains modern neuroscience underlying of our sense of taste, our food seeking preferences and brain metabolism. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Food & Brain Function Introduction (00:02:08) Summary: Critical Aspects of Time Restricted Feeding/Fasting (00:04:36) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:08:24) Neuroplasticity Super Protocol (Zero-Cost Tools) Online (00:09:22) Eating to Enhance Brain Function & Foundational Aspects of Brain Health  (00:13:00) Eating Fats for Brain Health, EFAs Phospholipids (Tool 1: 1-3g EPA Omega-3/day)  (00:20:35) Phosphatidylserine (Tool 2: 300mg/day) (00:22:15) Choline, Egg Yolks (Tool 3: 1-2g/day Threshold) (00:28:26) Hydration & Electrolytes (Tool 4) (00:29:50) Liquid Fish Oil/Capsules (2-3g EPA per day; 300mg Alpha GPC 2-4X/week) (00:32:22) Creatine for Cognition (Tool 5: 5g/day)  (00:36:28) Anthocyanins, Dark Skin Berries (Tool 6-10mg/day (Extract), 1-2 cups Berries)  (00:41:19) L-Glutamine (Tool: 1-10g/day) & Offsetting Apnea & Inflammation (00:49:23) Neural Basis of Food Preference, Yum, Yuck, Meh; Taste, Guts, & Beliefs (00:55:25) Taste is 100% In your Head (00:59:50) Gut Neurons Controlling Food Preference: Neuropod Cells; (Tool 7: Fermented Foods)  (01:06:14) Capsule Probiotics, Brain Fog  (01:07:16) Learning to Like Specific Tastes: Sweetness & Brain Metabolism (01:12:11) Hard-Wiring & Soft-Wiring (01:13:25) Artificial & Non-Caloric Sweeteners: Safe or Harmful Depends on (Glucose) Context (01:18:15) Non-Caloric Sweetener & Insulin; (Tool 8: Don’t Have w/Glucose Elevating Foods) (01:22:17) Beliefs & Thoughts; The Insula; (Tool 9: Pairing-Based Reshaping Food Preferences)  (01:30:42) Liking Neuro-Healthy Foods & Bettering Brain Metabolism (Tool 10); Food Wars (01:36:05) Food Reward & Diabetes, Obesity; Important Review Article (See Caption) (01:38:28) Synthesis, Zero-Cost Support, Future Topic Suggestions, Sponsors, Supplements Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode I discuss the science and practice of fasting also called time-restricted feeding. I review the data on how limiting food intake to specific portions of every 24-hour cycle (or fasting longer) impacts weight loss, fat loss specifically, liver health, mental focus, muscle, longevity and more. I explain how "fasted" is contextual, and relates to blood glucose levels and their downstream effects, and how the depth of fasting can be adjusted with behaviors such as different types of exercise, or with glucose disposal agents. I also discuss the optimal fasting protocol: and both the absolute (non-negotiable) and variable (contextual) features of a fasting/time-restricted-feeding protocol that will allow you to get the most benefits. I also discuss what does and does not break a fast, the effects of fasting on hormones like testosterone and cortisol and on fertility. I also review how different feeding windows of 8 or 10 or 4 hours differentially impact the effects of fasting, and why the classic 8 hour feeding window came to be but also might be ideal. I discuss mechanisms and offer tools to discern the optimal fasting duration and timing for you.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction, Blood Glucose & Mortality, Mice Vs. Humans (00:06:18) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:09:42) Neuroplasticity Protocols & Online Lecture (00:11:20) Feeding, Fasting, Performance (00:13:50) Calories-In, Calories-Out (CICO); Perfect Diets (00:19:48) Feeding-Induced Health Conditions  (00:25:33) Time Restricted Eating: When We Eat Is Vital (00:29:45) The Eight Hour Feeding Window  (00:31:26) Feeding Deep Into the Night Is Bad (In Humans) (00:36:33) Liver Health (00:39:45) Time Restricted Feeding Protocol: Rules (00:41:35) When to Start & Stop Eating (00:45:38) Gastric Clearance, Linking Fasting to Sleep (00:52:35) Effects of Specific Categories of Food (00:55:40) Precision In Fasting: Protocol Build (00:59:30) 4-6 Hour Feeding Windows (01:03:08) Protein Consumption & Timing for Muscle (01:08:13) How to Shift Your Eating Window (01:13:20) Glucose Clearing, Exercise & Compounds (01:22:37) Blood Glucose: Monitoring, mTOR & Related Pathways (01:27:40) Gut Health: Fasting, Clock Genes and Microbiota (01:29:15) Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver  (01:32:00) Effects of Fasting on Hormones: Testosterone, Cortisol (01:38:40) Fertility (01:41:50) 8-Hour Feeding Window: Weight Loss Without Calorie Counting (01:43:20) Eating Every-Other-Day  (01:45:29) Adherence (01:47:15) Mental Focus & Clarity (01:49:12) Enhancing Weight Loss from Body Fat: Hepatic Lipase (01:53:15) What Breaks a Fast? Rules & Context (01:58:50) Artificial Sweeteners, Plant-Based Sweeteners (02:01:42) Glucose Clearing II, Cinnamon, Acidity, Salt (02:06:42) My Circadian Clock, Zero-App  (02:08:20) Odd (But Common) Questions (02:09:23) Effects of Sauna & Dehydration on Blood Glucose (02:11:12) The Ideal Fasting Protocol  (02:24:00) More Resources, Ways to Support Us, Supplements Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode I am joined by Dr. Craig Heller, Professor of Biology at Stanford University and world expert on the science of temperature regulation. We discuss how the body and brain maintain temperature under different conditions and how most everyone uses the wrong approach to cool off or heat up. Dr. Heller teaches us the best ways and in doing so, explains how to offset hyperthermia and hypothermia. He also explains how we can use the precise timing and location of cooling on our body to greatly enhance endurance and weight training performance. He describes how cooling technology discovered and engineered in his laboratory has led to a tripling of anaerobic (weight training) performance and allowed endurance athletes to run further and faster, as well as to eliminate delayed onset muscle soreness. Dr. Heller explains how heat impairs muscular and mental performance, and how to cool the brain to reduce inflammation and to enhance sleep and cognition. We discuss how anyone can apply these principles for themselves, even their dogs! Our conversation includes both many practical tools and mechanistic science. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introducing Dr. Craig Heller, Physiology & Performance (00:02:20) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:06:45) Cold Showers, Ice Baths, Cryotherapy (00:10:45) Boundary Layers  (00:11:55) Cooling Before Aerobic Activity to Enhance Performance (00:14:45) Anaerobic Activity Locally Increases Muscle Heat (00:16:45) Temperature Gates Our Energy Use  (00:19:00) Local Versus Systemic Fatigue: Heat Is Why We Fail (00:22:10) Cooling Off: Most Methods are Counterproductive (00:26:43) Exercise-Induced Brain Fog (00:27:45) Hyperthermia (00:31:50) Best Body Sites for Cooling: Palms, Foot Pads, Upper Face  (00:38:00) Cooling Your Brain via The Upper Face; Concussion (00:41:25) Extraordinary (Tripling!) Performance by Cooling the Palms (00:45:35) Enhancing Recovery, Eliminating Soreness w/Intra-workout Cooling (00:50:00) Multiple Sclerosis: Heat Sensitivity & Amelioration with Cooling (00:51:00) Enhancing Endurance with Proper Cooling (00:53:00) Cool Mitt, Ice-Cold Is Too Cold, 3 Minutes Cooling (00:58:20) How You Can Use Palmer Cooling to Enhance Performance (01:01:15) Radiation, Convection, Heat-Transfer, Role of Surface Area (01:04:40) Hypothermia Story, Ideal Re-Heating Strategy (01:11:40) Paw-lmer Cooling for Dog Health & Performance (01:12:45) Warming Up, & Varying Temperature Around the Body (01:17:35) Cooling-Enhanced Performance Is Permanent (01:19:55) Anabolic Steroids versus Palmer Cooling (01:24:00) Female Athletic Performance  (01:25:18) Shivering & Cold, Metabolism (01:26:55) Studies of Bears & Hibernation, Brown Fat (01:31:10) Brown Fat Distribution & Activation In Humans (01:34:18) Brain Freeze, Ice Headache: Blood Pressure, Headache (01:37:50) Fidgeters, Non-Exercise Induced Thermogenesis (01:39:44) How Pre-Workout Drinks, & Caffeine May Inhibit Performance (01:43:42) Sleep, Cold, Warm Baths, Screens, & Socks (01:48:44) Synthesis (01:49:30) Supporting the Podcast & Scientific Research  Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode serves as a sort of “Dopamine Masterclass”. I discuss the immensely powerful chemical that we all make in our brain and body: dopamine. I describe what it does and the neural circuits involved. I explain dopamine peaks and baselines, and the cell biology of dopamine depletion. I include 14 tools for how to control your dopamine release for sake of motivation, focus, avoiding and combating addiction and depression, and I explain why dopamine stacking with chemicals and behaviors inevitably leads to states of underwhelm and poor performance. I explain how to achieve sustained increases in baseline dopamine, compounds that injure and protect dopamine neurons including caffeine from specific sources. I describe non-prescription supplements for increasing dopamine—both their benefits and risks—and synergy of pro-dopamine supplements with those that increase acetylcholine.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction & Tool 1 to Induce Lasting Dopamine (00:05:04) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:09:10) Upcoming (Zero-Cost) Neuroplasticity Seminar for Educators (00:09:58) What Dopamine (Really) Does (00:15:30) Two Main Neural Circuits for Dopamine  (00:18:14) How Dopamine Is Released: Locally and Broadly (00:22:03) Fast and Slow Effects of Dopamine (00:25:03) Dopamine Neurons Co-Release Glutamate (00:28:00) Your Dopamine History Really Matters  (00:30:30) Parkinson’s & Drugs That Kill Dopamine Neurons. My Dopamine Experience  (00:36:58) Tool 3 Controlling Dopamine Peaks & Baselines (00:40:06) Chocolate, Sex (Pursuit & Behavior), Nicotine, Cocaine, Amphetamine, Exercise (00:46:46) Tool 4 Caffeine Increases Dopamine Receptors (00:49:54) Pursuit, Excitement & Your “Dopamine Setpoint” (00:56:46) Your Pleasure-Pain Balance & Defining “Pain” (01:00:00) Addiction, Dopamine Depletion, & Replenishing Dopamine (01:07:50) Tool 5 Ensure Your Best (Healthy) Dopamine Release (01:15:28) Smart Phones: How They Alter Our Dopamine Circuits (01:19:45) Stimulants & Spiking Dopamine: Counterproductive for Work, Exercise & Attention (01:22:20) Caffeine Sources Matter: Yerba Mate & Dopamine Neuron Protection (01:24:20) Caffeine & Neurotoxicity of MDMA (01:26:15) Amphetamine, Cocaine & Detrimental Rewiring of Dopamine Circuits (01:27:57) Ritalin, Adderall, (Ar)Modafinil: ADHD versus non-Prescription Uses (01:28:45) Tool 6 Stimulating Long-Lasting Increases in Baseline Dopamine  (01:37:55) Tool 7 Tuning Your Dopamine for Ongoing Motivation (01:47:40) Tool 8 Intermittent Fasting: Effects on Dopamine  (01:53:09) Validation of Your Pre-Existing Beliefs Increases Dopamine (01:53:50) Tool 9 Quitting Sugar & Highly Palatable Foods: 48 Hours (01:55:36) Pornography (01:56:50) Wellbutrin & Depression & Anxiety (01:58:30) Tool 10 Mucuna Pruriens, Prolactin, Sperm, Crash Warning (02:01:45) Tool 11 L-Tyrosine: Dosages, Duration of Effects & Specificity (02:05:20) Tool 12 Avoiding Melatonin Supplementation, & Avoiding Light 10pm-4am (02:07:00) Tool 13 Phenylethylamine (with Alpha-GPC) For Dopamine Focus/Energy (02:08:20) Tool 14 Huperzine A (02:10:02) Social Connections, Oxytocin & Dopamine Release (02:12:20) Direct & Indirect Effects: e.g., Maca; Synthesis & Application (02:14:22) Zero-Cost & Other Ways To Support Podcast & Research Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode I discuss medical research on psychedelic compounds with Dr. Matthew Johnson, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. We discuss the biology and medical clinical-trial uses of psilocybin, MDMA, ayahuasca, DMT, and LSD. Dr. Johnson teaches us what the clinical trials in his lab are revealing about the potential these compounds hold for the treatment of depression, addiction, trauma, eating disorders, ADHD, and other disorders of the mind. Dr. Johnson describes a typical psychedelic experiment in his laboratory, start to finish, including the conditions for optimal clinical outcomes. And he explains some of the potential hazards and common misconceptions and pitfalls related to psychedelic medicine. Dr. Johnson explains flashbacks, the heightened risks of certain people and age groups using psychedelics and the ever evolving legal and pharmaceutical industry landscape surrounding psychedelics. Dr. Johnson also explains how the scientific study of psychedelics is likely to set the trajectory of psychiatric medicine in the years to come. Dr. Johnson is among a small handful of researchers who have pioneered the clinical study of these powerful compounds. He has unprecedented insight into how they can be woven into other psychiatric treatments, changing ones sense of self and of reality. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introducing Dr. Matthew Johnson (00:02:27) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:06:40) ‘Psychedelics’ Defined (00:14:09) Hallucinations, Synesthesia, Altered Space-Time Perception (00:19:56) Serotonin & Dopamine  (00:23:50) Ketamine & Glutamate  (00:28:00) An Example Psychedelic Experiment (00:37:30) ‘Letting Go’ with Psychedelics (00:44:10) Our Mind’s Eye (00:48:00) Redefining Your Sense of Self  (00:58:56) Exporting Psychedelic Learnings to Daily Life (01:04:36) Flashbacks (01:12:10) Ayahuasca, & ASMR, Kundalini Breathing (01:15:54) MDMA, DMT (01:26:00) Dangers of Psychedelics, Bad Trips, Long-Lasting Psychosis (01:38:15) Micro-Dosing (01:56:45) Risks for Kids, Adolescents & Teenagers; Future Clinical Trials (02:03:40) Legal Status: Decriminalization vs. Legalization vs. Regulation (02:18:35) Psychedelics for Treating Concussion & Traumatic Brain Injury  (02:27:45) Shifting Trends in Psychedelic Research, Academic Culture (02:44:23) Participating in a Clinical Trial, Online Survey Studies, Breathwork  (02:50:38) Conclusions, Subscribing & Supporting the HLP, Supplements Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I discuss ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder): what it is, the common myths, and the biology and psychology of ADHD. I discuss both behavioral and pharmacologic treatments for ADHD, and brain-machine interface tools. I also discuss behavioral training protocols that can improve focus in people with ADHD and those without ADHD, and for people of different ages. I discuss the role of dopamine in coordinating 'default-mode' and 'task-related' neural networks, attentional "blinks" (lapses of attention) and how to overcome them, and the role of actual blinks in time perception and attention. Finally, I review some of the prescription and over-the-counter compounds for increasing focus such as Adderall, Ritalin, Modafinil and Armodafinil, the racetams, Alpha-GPC and phosphatidylserine and the role of diet for managing ADHD (and the controversies of diet for ADHD). The role of cell phones/technology in ADHD and ADHD-like challenges with focus are also discussed. Throughout, both basic science and clinical scenarios, as well as applicable tools and resources are covered. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction & Note About Diagnosis (00:03:44) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:07:56) ADHD vs. ADD: Genetics, IQ, Rates in Kids & Adults (00:13:00) Attention & Focus, Impulse Control (00:14:57) Hyper-focus  (00:16:45) Time Perception (00:18:25) The Pile System (00:20:00) Working Memory (00:24:10) Hyper-Focus & Dopamine  (00:26:40) Neural Circuits In ADHD: Default Mode Network & Task-Related Networks  (00:32:57) Low Dopamine in ADHD & Stimulant Use & Abuse (00:37:10) Sugar, Ritalin, Adderall, Modafinil & Armodafinil  (00:47:00) Non-Prescribed Adderall, Caffeine, Nicotine (00:49:18) How Stimulants “Teach” the Brains of ADHD Children to Focus (00:52:00) When To Medicate: A Highly Informed (Anecdotal) Case Study (00:56:35) Elimination Diets & Allergies In ADHD (01:04:46) Omega-3 Fatty Acids: EPAs & DHAs  (01:07:00) Modulation vs Mediation of Biological Processes (01:10:50) Attentional Blinks  (01:16:56) Open Monitoring & 17minute Focus Enhancement  (01:22:50) Blinking, Dopamine & Time Perception; & Focus Training  (01:30:10) Reverberatory Neural & Physical Activity (01:33:40) Adderall, Ritalin & Blink Frequency (01:35:00) Cannabis  (01:37:30) Interoceptive Awareness  (01:41:15) Ritalin, Adderall, Modafinil, Armodafinil; Smart Drugs & Caffeine: Dangers (01:48:05) DHA Fatty Acids, Phosphatidylserine (0:1:50:54) Ginko Biloba  (01:51:45) Modafinil & Armodafanil: Dopamine Action & Orexin (01:56:19) Acetylcholine: Circuits Underlying Focus; Alpha-GPC (01:59:04) L-Tyrosine, (PEA) Phenylethylamine  (02:01:23) Racetams, Noopept  (02:05:15) Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation; Combining Technology & Pharmacology  (02:09:14) Smart Phones & ADHD & Sub-Clinical Focus Issues In Adults & Kids (02:14:30) Synthesis/Summary (02:16:10) Support for Podcast & Research, Supplement Resources Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I discuss what drives hunger and satiety, and the role our brain, stomach, fat and hormones play in regulating hunger and turning off the desire to eat more. I also address how protein is assimilated better early in the day than it is later in the day, and why those using intermittent fasting might want to shift their feeding window to earlier in the day. Then I delve into the topic of disorders of eating: Anorexia Nervosa, where people starve themselves and Bulimia Nervosa where people binge and purge their food. I discuss some common myths about Anorexia such as the role of media images increasing the rates of anorexia and the myth of the "perfectionist" anorexic. I also review the symptoms, and the brain and chemical systems disrupted in this condition. I explain how anorexics become hyperaware of the fat content of foods and develop reflexive habits of fat-hyperawareness. Then I discuss the most effective treatments ranging from family-based models to those that target the habitual nature of low-fat/calorie food choices. I also discuss new more experimental clinical trials on MDMA, Psilocybin and Ibogaine for Anorexia, and both their promise and risks I review the latest work on binge eating disorder and brain stimulation, drug treatments and thyroid disruption in Bulimia and why the treatments for Bulimia are so similar to those for ADHD. Finally, I discuss "cheat days," body dysmorphia and the growing list of novel forms of eating disorders start to finish. As always, science and science-based tools are discussed. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction: Fasting, & Defining Healthy Eating (00:08:55) Morning Protein Is Important  (00:22:21) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:26:29) Defining & Diagnosing Eating Disorders (00:29:00) Anorexia Nervosa (Overview & Myths) (00:33:44) Bulimia (Overview & Myths) (00:37:35) Binge Eating Disorders, EDNOS, OSFEDS, Pica (00:39:44) What is Hunger? What is Satiety? (00:42:00) Neuronal & Hormonal “Accelerators & Brakes” on Eating (00:46:17) Fat, Leptin & Fertility & Metabolic Dysfunctions in Obesity (00:50:30) Why We Overeat (00:55:30) Homeostasis & Reward Systems/Decisions  (00:59:58) Anorexia (01:04:28) The Cholesterol Paradox (01:06:13) Psychological vs. Biological/Genetic Factors in Anorexia (01:09:44) Chemical Imbalances, Serotonergic Treatments (01:12:56) Altered Habits & Rewards in Anorexia: Hyperacuity for Fat Content (01:18:28) Brain Areas for Reward Based Decision Making vs. Habits (01:24:06) Habit-Reward Circuits Are Flipped in Anorexics: Reward for Deprivation (01:28:30) How Do You Break a Habit?  (01:33:23) Family Based Models, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (01:35:39) MDMA, Psilocybin, Clinical Trials, Ibogaine  (01:40:35) Anabolic vs. Catabolic Exercise, Spontaneous Movements, NEAT (01:43:23) Distorted Self Image in Anorexia  (01:47:54) Bulimia & Binge-Eating, “Cheat Days”, Thyroid Hormone (01:53:05) Inhibitory Control, Impulsivity, Adderall, Wellbutrin (01:58:00) Direct Brain Stimulation: Nucleus Accumbens (02:04:28) Anorexia/Reward. vs Bulimia/Binging   (02:05:45) Healthy Eating Revisited (02:10:55) Synthesis, Body Dysmorphias (02:14:15) Support: Podcast, & Research Studies Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I interview Dr. Robert Sapolsky, Ph.D., Professor of Biology, Neurology & Neurosurgery at Stanford University. We discuss stress, what defines short-term versus long-term stress, and how stress can be beneficial or detrimental, depending on the context. We also discuss stress mitigation and how our sense of control over stress mitigation techniques, including exercise, determine health outcomes. Dr. Sapolsky explains some of the key effects of the hormone testosterone — how it can amplify pre-existing tendencies for aggression or sexual behavior, but that it does not produce those behaviors per se. He also explains how testosterone impacts our social hierarchies, sense of confidence, and willingness to embrace challenges of different kinds. He also explains how our behaviors and perceptions shape testosterone levels. And we discuss estrogen and the powerful role it plays in brain development, health and longevity. Finally, we discuss free will, what it means to have free will, and if we have any free will, including how knowledge alone might allow us to make better decisions for ourselves and society.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction: Dr. Robert Sapolsky  (00:02:25) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:06:30) Stress: Short & Long-Term, Good & Bad  (00:09:11) Valence & Amygdala  (00:11:00) Testosterone: Common Myths vs. Actual Truths  (00:15:15) Behaviors that Affect Testosterone   (00:17:20) Mindsets & Contexts that Affect Testosterone (00:20:28) How Finger Length Ratios Reflect Prenatal Hormone Levels   (00:22:30) Aggression: Male-Female, Female-Male, & Female-Female  (00:24:05) Testosterone: The Challenge Hypothesis  (00:29:20) How Dopamine Impacts Testosterone & Motivation  (00:32:32) Estrogen: Improves Brain & Longevity BUT TIMING IS KEY  (00:39:40) Are Testosterone & Sperm Counts in Males Really Dropping?  (00:42:15) Stress Mitigation & Our Sense of Control  (00:51:35) How Best to Buffer Stress  (00:57:04) Power of Perception, Choice & Individual Differences  (01:00:32) Context-Setting, Prefrontal Cortex & Hierarchy  (01:11:20) How Dr. Sapolsky Accomplishes Deep Thinking   (01:13:17) Do We Have Free Will?  (01:20:50) How to Apply Knowledge & Learning   (01:23:44) Robert’s New Book: “Determined: The Science of Life Without Free Will”  (01:28:27) Reflections, Support of Podcast, & Supporting Stress Research  Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode, I explain what major depression is at the biological and psychological level and the various treatments that peer-reviewed studies have revealed can help prevent and treat depression. I explain the three major chemical systems that are altered in depression: norepinephrine, serotonin and dopamine. I discuss genetic predispositions to depression and how stress, thyroid hormone and cortisol play a role in many forms of depression. I also discuss inflammation as a common feature of many depression symptoms. I review 8 specific science-supported protocols for treating and avoiding depression, including EPA fatty acids (which have been shown to rival certain prescription treatments), how exercise protects against depression, studies of creatine, adjusting dopamine balance and more. I also discuss the results of ongoing clinical trials for ketamine and psilocybin for depression, how these compounds work and finally, I review how ketogenic diets can help in certain cases of depression, especially treatment-resistant major depression. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Mood Disorders & Maintaining Mental Health (Protocol 1) (00:07:25) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:11:15) Major Depression (00:18:40) “Anti-Self” Confabulation (00:21:42) Autonomic (Vegetative) Symptoms of Depression (00:26:58) Norepinephrine, Dopamine & Serotonin (00:31:50) SSRIs (Prozac, Zoloft, etc.): Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (00:37:00) Epinephrine/Motor Functions, Dopamine/Motivation & Craving, Serotonin/Emotions (00:39:33) Physical & Emotional Pain are Linked: Substance P (00:41:50) Hormones & Depression: Thyroid & Cortisol  (00:46:50) Genetic Susceptibility to Depression: Impact of Stress  (00:50:50) Understanding Biological Mechanism Is Key: Recipes versus Skills (00:52:50) Tools for Dealing with Depression: Logic & Implementation (Protocol 2) (00:56:25) Brain Inflammation & Mental State: Cytokines, Prostaglandins, etc. (00:59:20) Protocol 3: Essential Fatty Acids (Omega-3, EPAs: Eicosapentaenoic Acid)* (01:02:50) How EPAs Help Offset Depression: Serotonin Synthesis, Kynurenine, Quinolinic Acid (01:05:25) Protocol 4: How Exercise Offsets Depression  (01:11:44) Protocol 5: Creatine Monohydrate, Forebrain Function & NMDA receptors* (01:20:30) Protocol 6*: Ketamine, PCP (*Prescription-Only), & NMDA-Receptor Function (01:33:08) Protocol 7*: Psychedelics (*In Clinical Trials) for Major Depression: Psilocybin* (01:47:00) Protocol 8: Ketogenic Diet, GABA (Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid) (01:54:50) Summary of Protocols Covered (02:00:10) Support & Additional Resources Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode I interview Dr. Anna Lembke, M.D., Chief of the Stanford Addiction Medicine Dual Diagnosis Clinic at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Lembke is a psychiatrist expert in treating addictions of all kinds: drugs, alcohol, food, sex, video games, gambling, food, medication, etc. Dr. Lembke is also an expert in the opioid crisis, and the author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence. We discuss the biology and psychology of why people become addicted to certain substances and behaviors and the key role that our "dopamine balance" plays in creating addiction. We also discuss the science and practice of how to conquer addictions, why people relapse and how to avoid relapsing. Dr. Lembke also shares her expertise on topics closely related to addiction such as community, shame and lying and she explains why telling the truth—even about the most basic things in daily life, adjusts dopamine levels in our brain. This episode is an important one for anyone struggling with addictions of any kind, for their friends and families and for health care professionals. It is also for anyone who has defeated addiction and is determined to stay clean. Last but not least, it helps explain why all humans do what we do, and how we can all maintain a healthy sense of pleasure seeking in life. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Dr. Anna Lembke, Addiction Expert (00:02:42) Disclaimer & Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Waking Up (00:07:00) Dopamine, Happiness & Impulsivity  (00:15:56) What Is Pleasure?  (00:18:20) Addiction, Boredom & Passion for Life (00:24:00) Pain-Pleasure Balance Controls Addiction (00:29:10) Dopamine Deficits, Anhedonia (00:30:47) Are All Addictions the Same? (00:35:38) Boredom & Anxiety Lead to Creativity  (00:40:35) Finding Your Passion Starts with Boredom & Action Steps  (00:50:05) How to Break an Addiction (00:55:25) Relapse, Craving & Triggers (01:07:40) Can People Get Addicted To “Sobriety”?  (01:11:45) Are We All Wired for Addiction?  (01:15:57) Bizarre Addiction (01:18:14) Recovered Addicts Are Heroes (01:20:10) Lying, Truth Telling, Guilt & Shame (01:30:40) Clinical Applications of: Ibogaine, Ayahuasca, Psilocybin & MDMA  (01:40:20) Social Media Addiction  (01:51:25) Narcissism  (01:53:30) Goal Seeking, Success & Surprise (01:58:10) Reciprocity (02:01:15) Closing Comments, Resources Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode I discuss our sense of pain and pleasure: where and how they each arise in our mind and body and various ways to control their intensity. I discuss the science of behavioral tools like acupuncture and hypnosis and directed pressure, including the neural circuits they each activate to modulate our experience of pain or pleasure. I also discuss whole body pain, pain "syndromes" and novel pain relief compounds such as Acetyl-L-Carnitine, SAMe and Agmatine. I discuss neuroplasticity of the pain system and the key role that visual perception plays in pain modulation. Finally, I address the link between dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin, with arousal, pleasure and pain. As always, both basic science and various protocols are described. Note: The description of the dorsal root ganglia (DRGs) was intentionally simplified and does not include mention of dorsal horn spinal relay neurons, etc. For an excellent full text review of this anatomy and circuits for touch sensing, please see: https://bit.ly/3jH9CPf For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Skin, Pain, Pleasure  (00:01:50) Protocol 1: Maximizing Motivation (with Dopamine & Pleasure) (00:07:29) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:12:04) Pleasure & Pain, & Skin Sensors  (00:18:13) Sensing Touch with Your Brain: Magnification of Feet, Hands, Lips, Face, Genitals (00:22:16) Two-Point Discrimination, Dermatomes (00:28:11) Thoughts & Genes That Make Physical Pain Worse (00:33:45) Expectations, Anxiety, & Pain Threshold (00:40:27) Protocol 2: Cold Sensing Is Relative; Getting Into Cold Water (00:45:22) Protocol 3: Heat Is Absolute (00:48:10) Injury & Pain (00:52:04) Protocol 4: Plasticity of Pain: Key Role of Vision  (00:58:08) Sensing Disparate Body Parts As Merged (01:01:00) Pain “Syndromes”, Psychogenic Fever, “Psychosomatics” (01:04:40) Fibromyalgia, Naltrexone, Protocol 5: Acetyl-L-Carnitine  (01:12:24) Protocol 6: Agmatine, S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAMe), L-5-Methyltetrahydrofolate* (01:17:27) Acupuncture: Mechanism, Non-Responders, Itch & Inflammation (01:28:20) Laser Photobiomodulation, Protocol 7: Hypnosis (reveri.com)  (01:30:00) Protocol 8: Pressure-Based Pain Relief, “Gate Theory of Pain (Relief)” (01:37:53) Redheads & Pain Thresholds, Endogenous Opioids  (01:44:02) Protocol 8: Love & Pain, Dopamine (01:49:23) Pleasure & Reproduction, Dopamine & Serotonin, Oxytocin (01:51:40) Protocol 9: PEA, L-Phenylalanine (Precursor to Tyrosine) (01:55:40) Contextual Control of Pleasure by Autonomic Arousal, Dopamine Baselines (01:59:40) Pleasure-Pain Balance (02:01:24) Protocol 10: Controlling Pleasure, Dopamine & Motivation Over Time (02:06:40) Protocol 11: Immediate, Non-Goal-Directed Pleasure, PAG  (02:08:40) Direction of Touch: Pleasure Versus Pain, Arousal & Touch “Sensitivity”  (02:13:00) Synthesis & How to Conceptualize Pain and Pleasure, Support Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, my guest is Dr. Matt Walker, Professor of Neuroscience and Psychology and the Founder & Director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He is also the author of the international best-selling book Why We Sleep and the host of "The Matt Walker Podcast." We discuss the biology of sleep, including its various stages and what specifically happens to those stages when we don't get enough sleep. We also discuss the effects of sunlight, caffeine, alcohol, naps, hormones, exercise, marijuana, sexual activity, and various supplements on sleep. The episode consists of both basic science information and many science-supported actionable tools.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introducing Dr. Matt Walker (00:02:16) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:06:00) What Is Sleep? (00:10:20) REM (Rapid Eye Movement) aka 'Paradoxical Sleep' (00:16:15) Slow Wave Sleep aka 'Deep Sleep' (00:24:00) Compensating For Lost Sleep (00:32:20) Waking in the Middle Of The Night  (00:39:48) Uberman (Not Huberman!) Sleep Schedule (00:42:48) Viewing Morning SUNLight (00:49:20) Caffeine (01:07:54) Alcohol (01:14:30) Growth Hormone & Testosterone (01:16:14) Emotions, Mental Health & Longevity (01:20:40) Books vs. Podcasts (01:21:20) Lunchtime Alcohol (01:25:00) Marijuana/CBD  (01:36:00) Melatonin (01:54:14) Magnesium (01:58:10) Valerian, Kiwi, Tart Cherry, Apigenin (02:15:00) Tryptophan & Serotonin (02:19:24) Naps & Non-Sleep-Deep-Rest (NSDR) (02:28:23) Is It Possible To Get Too Much Sleep? (02:34:35) Sex, Orgasm, Masturbation, Oxytocin, Relationships (02:47:30) Unconventional Yet Powerful Sleep Tips  (02:59:10) Connecting to & Learning More from Dr. Walker (03:04:42) The New Dr. Matt Walker Podcast, Reviews & Support Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode I describe how the organs of the body influence the function and health of our brain and how our brain controls our bodily organs. The conscious awareness of this brain-body dialogue is called interoception. I describe how two factors- mechanical forces (e.g., pressure, pain, volume, etc.) and chemical factors (e.g., gut acidity, microbiome diversity, etc.) combine to influence our moods, control inflammation, immune system, recovery from injury and more. I explain how specific actions of our lungs, heart, spleen, and diaphragm, control our brain via the vagus nerve and other neural pathways. I describe 11 science-supported protocols for enhancing brain-body health and the logic behind them. Access the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Your Sense of Self: Interoception (00:01:25) Protocol 1: Fermented Foods, Not Fiber, to Reduce Inflammation  (00:03:45) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:08:22) Main Drivers of Feelings & Performance (00:11:45) Brain-Body: A Mechanical & Chemical Dialogue  (00:17:50) LDB (Lung-Diaphragm-Brain) Dialogue   (00:21:00) Protocols 2, 3, 4: Control Heart Rate With Breathing (00:29:08) Sensing Lung Pressure: Piezo Receptors (00:30:54) Carbon Dioxide, From Air to Blood (00:34:02) Protocol 5: Alert While Calm (00:40:50) Baroreceptors: Hering-Breuer Reflex (00:42:47) Gut Volume & The Desire to Open Your Mouth  (00:48:18) Protocol 6: Enhancing Gut-To-Brain Communication, Fasting  (00:51:50) Intestines, Fatty Acids, Amino Acids & Sugar (00:57:00) Protocol 7: Reducing Sugar Cravings with Specific Amino Acid Nutrients  (00:58:58) Gut Acidity (Is Good) (01:02:20) Improving Nasal Microbiome  (01:04:13) Inflammation & Microbiome: Fiber vs. Fermented  (01:11:15) Protocol 8: Reducing Inflammation & Enhancing Brain Function w/Fermented Foods (01:13:10) Leaking Guts, Auto-Immune function & Glutamine (01:15:50) Gut Acidity: HCl (hydrochloric acid), Pepsin (01:18:30) Probiotics & Brain Fog (01:21:45) Nausea: Happens in Your Brain; Area Postrema (01:28:25) Protocol 9: Reducing Nausea: Ginger, Peppermint, CBD, etc. (01:30:40) Fever: Triggers and Control Knobs: OVLT (01:37:00) Protocol 10: Cooling the Blood Properly (01:38:53) Sensing Feelings, Vagus Nerve, Stress (01:41:50) Mental Emotions Reflect Bodily Conditions (01:45:00) Sensing Other People’s Emotions via the Body (01:46:00) Protocol 11: Increasing Interoception, Sensing Heartbeat  (01:50:40) Conclusions & Resources Disclaimer

Dr. Lex Fridman PhD, is a scientist at MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology), working on robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and human-robot interactions. He is also the host of the Lex Fridman Podcast where he holds conversations with academics, entrepreneurs, athletes and creatives. Here we discuss humans, robots, and the capacity they hold for friendship and love. Dr. Fridman also shares with us his unique dream for a world where robots guide humans to be the best versions of themselves, and his efforts to make that dream a reality.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction: Lex Fridman (00:02:29) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:07:35) What is Artificial Intelligence? (00:26:46) Machine & Human Learning (00:32:21) Curiosity (00:36:55) Story Telling Robots (00:40:48) What Defines a Robot? (00:44:30) Magic & Surprise (00:47:37) How Robots Change Us (00:49:35) Relationships Defined (01:02:29) Lex’s Dream for Humanity (01:11:33) Improving Social Media (01:16:57) Challenges of Creativity (01:21:49) Suits & Dresses  (01:22:22) Loneliness (01:30:09) Empathy (01:35:12) Power Dynamics In Relationships (01:39:11) Robot Rights  (01:40:20) Dogs: Homer & Costello (01:52:41) Friendship (01:59:47) Russians & Suffering (02:05:38) Public vs. Private Life (02:14:04) How To Treat a Robot (02:17:12) The Value of Friendship (02:20:33) Martial Arts (02:31:34) Body-Mind Interactions (02:33:22) Romantic Love (02:42:51) The Lex Fridman Podcast (02:55:54) The Hedgehog (03:01:17) Concluding Statements Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I discuss science-supported tools for enhancing focus, learning, creativity, sleep, physical strength and endurance and brain and body health. I explain each protocol in detail, the rationale behind it, and how the protocol can be adjusted depending on individual needs. I set these tools in the context of a 24-hour day as a way of framing how one might incorporate these tools and protocols into their own daily routine. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction: Protocols for sleep, mood, focus, exercise creativity (00:04:23) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:08:50) Protocol 1: Record Your Daily Waking Time & Temperature Minimum  (00:12:07) Protocol 2: Self-Generate Forward Motion (Outdoors)  (00:17:00) Protocol 3: View Natural Light For 10-30min Every Morning (00:22:43) What To Do If You Can’t View The Sun: Blue Light  (00:26:50) Protocol 4: Hydrate Correctly  (00:28:00) Protocol 5: Delay Caffeine 90-120m After Waking (00:30:48) Protocol 6: Fast (or Fat-Fast) Until Noon (00:32:30) What Actually Breaks A Fast & What Doesn’t? (00:34:30) Fat Loss & Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 (GLP1), Yerba Mate, Guayusa Tea (00:37:30) Protocol 7: Optimize Deep Work: Visual Elevation, Ultradian Cycles, White Noise (00:48:30) Optimal Time of Day To Do Hard Mental Work  (00:52:07) Protocol 8: Optimal Exercise; 3:2 Ratio (01:03:54) Tools for Training & Mental Focus: Fasting, Salt, Stimulants, Alpha-GPC  (01:10:00) Protocol 9: Eat For Brain Function & Mood (01:17:39) Protocol 10: Get Your Testosterone & Estrogen In An Ideal Range (01:24:00) Protocol 11: Reset the Mind & Body, Enhance Neuroplasticity, Reveri.com (01:31:15) Protocol 12: Hydrate Correctly, Nap Rules (01:33:29) Protocol 13: View Late Afternoon/Evening Light To Support Sleep & Dopamine (01:39:00) Protocol 14: Eat Dinner That Promotes Serotonin, Calm Sleep (01:44:27) Protocol 15: Optimize Falling & Staying Asleep; Tools & Supplements That Work (01:55:00) Protocol 16: Preventing Middle of the Night Waking (01:59:10) Protocol 17: Weekends, Recovering From A Poor Nights Sleep (02:05:20) Neural Network, Supplement Sources, Sponsors Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode I describe how our ears and nervous system decode sound waves and gravity to allow us to hear and make sense of sounds. I also describe protocols for rapid learning of sound and other types of information. I discuss sound localization, doppler effects (sound motion), pitch perception and how we isolate sounds in noisy environments. I also review the scientific findings on binaural beats and white noise and how they can improve learning. Other topics and protocols include tinnitus, sea sickness, ear movement, ear growth and the science-supported ways we can all accelerate learning using "gap effects". For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Overview of Topics (00:02:20) Protocol: New Data for Rapid Learning  (00:09:10) Introduction: Hearing & Balance  (00:09:30) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:13:53) How We Perceive Sounds (00:21:56) Your Hearing Brain (Areas)   (00:23:48) Localizing Sounds (00:28:00) Ear Movement: What It Means  (00:33:00) Your Ears (Likely) Make Sounds: Role of Hormones, Sexual Orientation  (00:35:30) Binaural Beats: Do They Work?  (00:43:54) White Noise Can Enhance Learning & Dopamine (00:51:00) Headphones (00:55:51) White Noise During Development: Possibly Harmful (01:03:25) Remembering Information, & The Cocktail Party Effect (01:12:55) How to Learn Information You Hear (01:18:10) Doppler (01:22:43) Tinnitus: What Has Been Found To Help? (01:30:40) Aging: How Big Are Your Ears? (01:35:00) Balance: Semi-Circular Canals (01:40:35) A Vestibular Experiment (01:43:15) Improve Your Sense of Balance (01:48:55) Accelerating Balance (01:51:55) Self-Generated Forward Motion (01:56:25) Dizzy versus Light-Headed (01:58:38) Motion Sickness Solution (02:01:23) Synthesis Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

Dr. Karl Deisseroth, MD, PhD, is a clinical psychiatrist and scientist who directs a bioengineering research laboratory at Stanford University School of Medicine. His work aims to understand and develop treatments for disorders of the mind such as depression, attention deficit disorders (ADHD & ADD), autism, schizophrenia, anxiety, eating disorders, borderline personality and obsessive-compulsive disorder. We discuss his experience treating his patients and his laboratory’s mission to find and develop cures for mental disease and tools for probing how the brain works.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Momentous:https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:03:47) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:07:41) Using Language to Understand the Mind (00:12:19) Blood Tests For Mental Disease (00:13:38) The Largest Challenges Facing Treatment of Mental Health (00:20:21) Predicting Depression & Suicide (00:22:47) Drugs That Work for Brain Illness (00:27:01) What Would A Cure For the Broken Mind Look Like? (00:32:23) Channelopsins: Tools For Understanding & Treating the Mind (00:39:10) Curing Blindness with Channelopsins (00:41:58) Why Karl Became a Scientist (00:47:10) Vagus Nerve In Depression (00:54:12) Challenges To Overcome for Treating Mental Illness with Channelopsins (00:58:34) Using the Dialogue with Patients to Guide Treatment (01:00:52) How Our Eyes Reveal Our Mental Health (01:06:04) Controlling Structures Deep In the Brain (01:08:23) The Most Effective Drugs Often Have the Most Side Effects (01:09:50) Do Psychiatrists Take the Drugs They Prescribe (01:14:15) Moving From Experimental Tools To Novel Treatments (01:16:00) Brain-Machine Interfaces & Neuralink (01:19:30) ADHD & Dr. Deissroth’s Approach To Focusing His Mind (01:26:36) How Dr. Deisseroth Balances A Career In Medicine, Science & Family (01:35:41) New Ways of Exploring Brains: CLARITY (01:38:49) What Is Special About the Human Brain? (01:46:03) Psychedelics (01:54:12) MDMA (01:57:15) Dr. Deisseroth’s New Book “Projections: A Story of Emotions” (01:59:42) Connecting with Dr. Deisseroth on Twitter Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

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.  For the full show notes and timestamps, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

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. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors: AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (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 Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

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. Access the full show notes, including referenced articles, resources and more at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors: AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

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. Access the full show notes, including referenced articles, resources and more at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Disclaimer

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. Access the full show notes, including referenced articles, resources and more at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (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) Acetly-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  Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

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.  Access the full show notes, including referenced articles, resources and more at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (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’ & BoostHRV 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 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 Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

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. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (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

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. Access the full show notes, including referenced articles, resources and more at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (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 Systems) 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” Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

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. Supplements from Thorne https://www.thorne.com/u/huberman 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!

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". Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman Supplements from Thorne https://www.thorne.com/u/huberman Timestamps (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

In this episode, I discuss testosterone and estrogen hormones and how they impact the brain, body, and behavior after puberty. I also discuss how various behaviors such as exercise (resistance and endurance training) and sex or observing sex impact these hormones and their levels. I ask: "what specifically is it about such activities that impact testosterone and estrogen?"; the resounding theme is that when our nervous system is activated in particular ways, it drives our endocrine system and vascular system to activate or repress certain hormone networks in predictable ways. I also discuss peer-reviewed studies and protocols addressing (at a mechanistic level) how light, cold and heat, and respiration (breathing) can positively or negatively impact testosterone and estrogen. We discuss specific supplements and compounds that peer-reviewed studies illustrate can adjust testosterone and estrogen levels by changing their binding to other proteins, raising them directly, or changing other hormones released from the brain and pituitary. I discuss optimization in the normal reference ranges for these hormones, and I discuss pheromones, apnea, menstrual cycles, menopause and andropause. Access the full show notes, including referenced articles, resources and more at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:26) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up (00:05:50) Hormone Optimization (00:07:00) Salutogenesis: A Powerful Way to Conceptualize Health (00:10:03) Estrogen and Testosterone: Sources, Levels and Ratios (00:15:46) The Power of Competition, Plus: Anxiety, Persistence and Dopamine (00:20:58) Testosterone and Libido Pre-Ovulation (00:21:48) Estrogen and Sexual Receptivity; Libido In Males (00:23:10) How Sex Behavior Impacts Testosterone: Observing vs. Actual vs. Abstinence (00:26:46) Testosterone and Prolactin: Sex Seeking vs Pair Bonding (00:27:30) DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone): Effects on Levels/Ratios (00:28:45) Behaviors That Decrease Testosterone (and Cortisol): Parenting and Prolactin (00:31:24) How Illness Impacts Testosterone and Estrogen: Cytokines, e.g., IL-6 (00:33:20) How Exactly Do Behaviors Change Hormones? (00:34:18) Pheromones: Miscarriage, Menstrual Cycles, Puberty Onset, and Mate Recognition (00:43:33) Apnea: A Powerful Bi-Directional Influence On Estrogen and Testosterone (00:47:44) Mouth vs. Nose Breathing and Hormone Levels: Effects Via Sleep and Direct Effects (00:51:11) How Sleep Adjusts Cortisol/Testosterone and Cortisol/Estrogen Ratios (00:53:49) 02:CO2 Ratios, Nasal Breathing During Exercise (00:56:30) Light Viewing Patterns and Hormones: Dopamine, GnRH (00:57:44) Spring Fever: Tyrosinase, Hair Color, Mating Frequency (01:04:39) Specificity of Hormone Effects (01:06:03) Temperature: Cold and Hot Gonads (01:14:10) How To Exercise: Types, Effort Level, Sequencing (01:21:42) Cardio/Endurance vs. Resistance Training (First or Last?) Yes, It Matters (01:24:41) Estrogen and Menopause: Compounds That May Ameliorate/Reverse Symptoms (01:33:18) Nutrients That Optimize The Foundation For Hormones (01:36:00) Opioids as Severe Hormone Disruptors (01:37:23) Testes, Antlers and Ovaries (01:38:50) Creatine and Increasing DHT (Dihydrotestosterone) (01:40:14) Free and Bound Testosterone: SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin), Tongat Ali (01:43:23) Nettles, Prostate, Boron, and Blood Brain Barrier (01:45:27) Hormone Related Cancers: Sometimes Reducing Estrogen and Testosterone Is Optimal (01:47:43) Ecdysteroids: Mimic Mammalian Hormones (01:51:50) Optimizing Brain Hormones: Chorionic Gonadotropin, Fadogia Agrestis (01:57:18) Additional Compounds, Liver Toxicity, Overall Milieu (01:59:17) Summary: And Note About Additional Related Topic Coverage Coming Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I discuss how hormones such as testosterone and estrogen and their derivatives impact the early development of the brain and body and their maturation. I review published data on environmental factors shown to powerfully alter hormone pathways in animals and humans and the effects of cannabis, alcohol and cell phones on testes, sperm, ovaries and hormones. I describe the predictable relationship between genes, beard growth and balding patterns, and the importance of estrogen for brain development in people of all chromosomal sexes. Finally, I discuss how the hormones we are exposed to in the womb shape the relative length of our finger digits, the sounds our ears make (yes you read that correctly), and how those correlate with people's self-reports of their sexual preferences. As always, basic information and tools are discussed. Access the full show notes, including referenced articles, resources and more at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:30) AG1, LMNT & Waking Up (00:06:47) Announcement: Mood Meter App Works Again (00:08:00) Maximizing Learning from the Podcast (00:10:00) New Non-Sleep Deep Rest Protocol, Spanish Subtitles (00:11:35) Sexual Differentiation: Hormones, Neurons & Behavior (00:14:15) Hormones Basics (00:15:26) Sperm Meets Egg, Chromosomal Sex, Gonadal Sex, (00:17:50) Y Chromosome Inhibition of Feminization (00:19:00) Placenta Is An Endocrine (Hormone-Producing) Organ, Adrenal Testosterone (00:19:45) Hormonal Sex, Morphological Sex (00:21:04) Hormones Fast & Slow, Sex Steroids Can Turn On Genes (00:23:06) Masculinization, Feminization, Demasculinization, Defeminization (00:23:42) Primary Sexual Characteristics: DHT Drives Penis Development (00:27:03) Secondary Sexual Characteristics (00:27:43) Penis Sprouting: Guevedoces (00:31:25) Estrogen, NOT Testosterone, Masculinizes The Brain (00:33:15) Breast Development In Males: Aromatase; Puberty, & Steroids in Athletes (00:34:50) Estrogen Powerfully Controls Brain Development In All Individuals (00:35:19) Avoiding Hormonal Disruption In Children & Adults: Specific Oils, Creams, Etc. (00:39:00) Environmental Endocrine Disruptors, Sperm Count Decline, Vincloziline (00:44:20) Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome: Hormones Need Receptors, SARMS (00:48:41) Estrogen Establishes “Masculine” Brain Circuits, Testosterone (00:49:42) Cannabis, Alcohol: In Babies, Puberty & Adults (00:56:25) Cell Phone Technology: Effects On Hormones, Ovaries, & Testicles (01:02:33) Beards & Baldness Patterns Around the World, DHT, 5-alpha-reductase (01:06:39) Creatine & DHT/Hair Loss (01:08:20) Predicting Aging Rates By Pubertal Rates (01:10:04) Hyenas, Baseball, & Jumbo Clitorises: Androstenedione (01:14:26) Intersex Moles (01:15:40) Marijuana Plants, Pollens: Plant-To-Animal “Warfare” (01:20:08) Finger Length Ratios, Prenatal Hormone Exposure & Sexual Orientation (01:29:13) Brain Dimorphisms with Sexual Orientation (01:32:00) “Older Brother Effects”: Male Fetuses Might Change Mothers & Subsequent Brothers (01:35:06) The Path Forward & A Warning (01:35:55) Support & Your Questions Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I discuss the biology of emotions and moods in the context of relationships. I focus on the science of how early infant-caregiver attachment, combined with adolescence and puberty shape our adult patterns of attachment. I explain the three universal aspects of emotions, the reality of right-brain versus left-brain personalities, and how the roots of adult attachment are also grounded in specific aspects of puberty. I review what factors determine when puberty starts and ends, and the role of oxytocin and other chemicals in controlling how we perceive and remember others. As always, I refer to various practical tools including new tools for understanding and predicting our emotions before they occur, and neurochemicals that shape human connection. Access the full show notes, including referenced articles, resources and more, at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:32) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up (00:05:10) Announcing New Cost-Free Resources: Captions, NSDR Link (00:07:40) Emotions: Subjective Yet Tractable (00:10:53) To Understand Your Emotions: Look At Infancy & Puberty (00:15:21) Your First Feeling Was Anxiety (00:17:36) What Are “Healthy Emotions”? (00:19:03) Digital Tool For Predicting Your Emotions: Mood Meter App (00:21:08) The Architecture Of A Feeling: (At Least) 3 Key Questions To Ask Yourself (00:24:00) You Are An Infant: Bonds & Predictions (00:27:57) Attachment Style Hinges On How You Handle Disappointment (00:32:40) “Glue Points” Of Emotional Bonds: Gaze, Voice, Affect, Touch, (& Written) (00:36:34) “Emotional Health”: Awareness of the Interoceptive-Exteroceptive Dynamic (00:37:50) An Exercise: Controlling Interoceptive-Exteroceptive Bias (00:42:19) Getting Out Of Your Head: The Attentional Aperture (00:46:59) Puberty: Biology & Emotions On Deliberate Overdrive (00:47:58) Bodyfat & Puberty: The Leptin Connection (00:50:34) Pheromones: Mates, Timing Puberty, Spontaneous Miscarriage (00:54:37) Kisspeptin: Robust Trigger Of Puberty & Performance Enhancing Agent (00:58:26) Neuroplasticity Of Emotions: Becoming Specialists & Testing Emotional Bonds (01:00:25) Testing Driving Brain Circuits For Emotion: Dispersal (01:07:48) Science-Based Recommendations for Adolescents and Teens: The Autonomy Buffet (01:11:05) “Right-Brain Versus Left-Brain People”: Facts Versus Lies (01:14:18) Left Brain = Language, Right Brain = Spatial Awareness (01:16:15) How To Recognize “Right Brain Activity” In Speech: Prosody (01:18:32) Oxytocin: The Molecule of Synchronizing States (01:20:09) Mirror Neurons: Are Not For “Empathy”, Maybe For Predicting Behavior (01:23:00) Promoting Trust & Monogamy (01:27:00) Ways To Increase Oxytocin (01:28:34) Vasopressin: Aphrodisiac, Non-Monogamy and Anti-Bed-Wetting Qualities (01:30:43) Bonding Bodies, Not Just Minds: Vagus Nerve, Depression Relief Via the Body (01:35:18) A Powerful Tool For Enhancing Range & Depth of Emotional Experience (01:30:43) MDMA and Other Psychedelic Compounds: Building A Framework (01:38:54) Roundup, Various Forms of Support Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode explains the science of motivation and drive. I describe how dopamine-- a chemical we all make in our brain, underlies our desire for and pursuit of our goals, as well as our capacity to move and experience pleasure. I describe how we can leverage specific behaviors, reward schedules and dopamine-prolactin balance to help ensure we can maintain motivation and capacity for pleasure over the long term. I also discuss dopamine in the context of ADHD, craving and addiction, and some absolutely amazing results about specificity of drug effects based purely on belief. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:30) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Waking Up (00:04:22) Announcement: Spanish Subtitles (00:05:06) Emotions, Addiction & Mindset (00:06:22) Motivation & Movement: The Dopamine Connection (00:07:29) A Double-Edged Dopamine Blade (00:08:56) Dopamine Fundamentals: Precursor to Adrenalin (00:10:15) The Reward Pathway: An Accelerator & A Brake (00:12:10) Motivation= Pleasure Plus Pain (00:14:14) The Dopamine Staircase: Food, Sex, Nicotine, Cocaine, Amphetamine (00:16:15) Subjective Control of Dopamine Release (00:17:40) Social Media and Video Games (00:18:15) Addiction & Dopamine: Progressively Diminishing Returns (00:18:48) Novelty, Sensation-Seeking & Anticipation (00:20:15) Craving: Part Pain, Part Pleasure & Pain Always Prevails (00:23:11) Desire Scales With Pain: The Yearning Function (00:24:43) The Croissant Craving Circuit (00:25:45) “Here and Now” Molecules: Serotonin, Bliss & Raphe Nucleus (00:26:26) In Your Skin Or Out In the World (00:27:25) Cannabinoids Lethargy & Forgetfulness (00:28:15) The Almond Meditation (00:29:30) Drugs That Shift Exteroception Versus Interoception (00:30:36) Emotional Balance, Active & Passive Manipulation (00:32:36) Procrastination: Leveraging Stress, Breathing, Caffeine, L-Tyrosine, Prescription Drugs (00:37:04) When Enough Is Never Enough; How Dopamine Undermines Itself (00:38:58) Dopamine-Prolactin Dynamics: Sex, Reproduction & Refractory Periods (00:40:30) The Coolidge Effect: Novelty-Induced Suppression of Prolactin (00:42:22) Vitamin B6, Zinc As Mild Prolactin Inhibitors (00:43:25) Schizophrenia, Dopamine Hyperactivity and Side Effects of Anti-Dopaminergic Drugs (00:45:08) Prolactin, Post-Satisfaction “Lows” & Extending the Arc of Dopamine (00:48:00) The Chemistry of “I Won, But Now What?” (00:49:00) Healthy Emotional Development: Child and Parent (00:50:03) Never Say “Maybe” (Reward Prediction Error) (00:52:02) Surprise! (00:52:59) Are You Suppressing Your Drive and Motivation By Working Too Late? (00:54:50) Disambiguating Pleasure and Drive: Dopamine Makes Us Anti-Lazy (00:58:00) Beta-Phenylethylamine (PEA), & Acetyl L-Carnitine (01:00:00) Attention Deficit Disorders, Cal Newport Books, Impulsivity & Obesity (01:03:55) Leveraging Dopamine Schedules (01:05:22) Subjective Control of Dopamine and Drug Effects: The “Adderall” Experiment (01:09:03) Caffeine May Protect Dopamine Neurons, Methamphetamine Kills Them (01:10:57) Nicotine: Dopamine, Possible Neuroprotection, Prolactin Increase (01:11:53) Gambling, Intermittent Reinforcement, & Persistent Goal Seeking (Bad and Good) (01:14:14) Intermittent Halting of Celebration; Enjoy Your Wins, But Not All of Them (01:18:38) A Story Example of Intermittent Reward to Maintain Long-Term Drive and Motivation (01:21:25) Corrections & Notes About Spanish Captions & Other Languages Soon (01:24:00) Synthesis & Framework, Zero-Cost Support & A Note About Sponsors Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode explains the brain-body connections that allow the specific foods we eat to control our moods and motivation. I discuss the vagus nerve and its role in dopamine and serotonin release in the brain. I review Omega-3 fatty acids and the key role of the gut microbiome in supporting (or hindering) our mental and emotional states. Many actionable tools are reviewed and discussed related to fasting, ketogenic and plant-based diets, probiotics, fermented foods, fish oils, artificial sweeteners, specific supplements that promote dopamine and serotonin, and some remarkable behavioral (and belief) effects. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:31) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Waking Up (00:05:00) Emotions: Aligning Mind & Body (00:06:41) Nutrients, Neurochemicals and Mood (00:08:39) Primitive Expressions and Actions (00:12:30) The Vagus Nerve: Truth, Fiction, Function (00:15:45) “Vagus Stimulation”: A Terrible Concept (00:16:35) Polyvagal Theory (00:18:27) Vagus Senses Many Things, & Moves Our Organs (00:19:35) Sugar Sensing Without Perception of Sweetness (00:23:00) Eating-Induced Anxiety (00:27:30) We Eat Until Our Brain Perceives “Amino Acid Threshold” (00:29:45) Reward Prediction Error: Buildup, Letdown and Wanting More (00:32:01) L-Tyrosine, Dopamine, Motivation, Mood, & Movement (00:34:04) Supplementing L-Tyrosine, Drugs of Abuse, Wellbutrin (00:38:29) Serotonin: Gut, Brain, Satiety and Prozac (00:43:38) Eating to Promote Dopamine (Daytime) & Serotonin (Night Time) (00:44:30) Supplementing Serotonin: Sleep, & Caution About Sleep Disruptions (00:46:40) Examine.com An Amazing Cost-Free Resource with Links to Science Papers (00:48:05) Mucuna Pruriens: The Dopamine Bean with a Serotonin Outer Shell (00:51:00) Emotional Context and Book Recommendation: “How Emotions Are Made” (00:54:55) Exercise: Powerful Mood Enhancer, But Lacks Specificity (00:56:45) Omega-3: Omega-6 Ratios, Fish Oil and Alleviating Depression (01:01:00) Fish Oil as Antidepressant (01:02:40) EPAs May Improve Mood via Heart Rate Variability: Gut-Heart-Brain (01:07:24) Alternatives to Fish Oil to Obtain Sufficient Omega-3/EPAs (01:09:05) L-Carnitine for Mood, Sperm and Ovary Quality, Autism, Fibromyalgia, Migraine (01:16:29) Gut-Microbiome: Myths, Truths & the Tubes Within Us (01:21:55) Probiotics, Brain Fog, Autism, Fermentation (01:25:20) Artificial Sweeteners & the Gut Microbiome: NOT All Bad; It Depends! (01:28:00) Ketogenic, Vegan, & Processed Food Effects, Individual Differences (01:33:20) Fasting-Based Depletion of Our Microbiome (01:35:20) How Mindset Effects Our Responses to Foods: Amazing (Ghrelin) Effects! (01:38:30) How Mindset Controls Our Metabolism (01:41:03) Closing Comments, Thanks, Support & Resources Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode explains what stress is, and how it recruits our brain and body to react in specific ways. I describe the three main types of stress, and how two of them actually enhance the function of our immune system making us less vulnerable to infections. I review tools that allow us to control our stress in real-time, as well as tools to prevent long-term stress, burnout and stress-induced illness and anxiety. As always, we cover behavioral tools and supplements that can assist or hinder stress control. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:31) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:04:41) Emotions: A Logical Framework of Brain-Body Loops (00:10:29) Stress: The (Falsely Narrow) Animal Attack Narrative (00:14:31) The Stress RESPONSE: Generic, Channels blood, Biases Action (00:21:08) Tools to Actually Control Stress: Reduce Alertness or Increase Calm (00:24:15) The Fastest Way to Reduce Stress In Real Time: “Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia” (00:29:45) The Fastlane to Calm (00:34:53) Important Notes About Heart Rate Deceleration: Vaso-vagal Lag (00:36:50) Cyclic Sighing For Calm and Sleep Induction (00:37:57) Nasal Breathing For Cosmetic, Immune and Performance Enhancement (00:38:46) Two Breathing Centers In The Brain (00:39:45) Breathing For Speaking Clearly (00:40:39) The 3 Types of Stress: Short, Medium and Long-Term (00:42:10) Positive Effects of Short-Term Stress: Immunity and Focus (00:45:32) Adrenalin (Epinephrine) Deploys Killer Immune Cells (00:46:40) Cyclic Deep Breathing IS Stress: Wim Hof, Tummo & Super-Oxygenation (00:50:58) Inflammation Is Useful and Good, In the Short Term (00:52:02) Procrastination and Self-Manufactured Nootropics (00:53:00) Relaxation Can Causes Illness (00:54:30) Immune Activation Protocol (00:55:20) Medium Term Stress: A Clear Definition (00:56:07) Stress Threshold (00:57:10) Stress Inoculation Tools: Separating Mind & Body, On Purpose (00:59:50) Use Vision to Calm the Mind When the Body Is Agitated (01:02:36) Beyond NSDR (01:04:36) Long Term Stress: Definition, Measurement, Cardiovascular Risks (01:06:30) Tools for Dealing With Long Term Stress (01:08:20) The Oxytocin Myth (01:09:15) Serotonin: Satiety, Safety (01:12:00) Delight and Flexibility (01:13:30) Chemical Irritants We Make But Can Control: Tackykinin (01:15:40) Impactful Gratitude (01:16:25) Non-Prescription Chemical Compounds For Additional Anti-Stress Support (01:18:04) Melatonin: Cautionary Note About Adrenal Suppression (01:19:15) Adrenal Burnout Is A Myth… But Why You Need to Know About It Anyway (01:21:10) L-Theanine For Stress Reduction and Task Completion Anxiety (01:23:00) Beware Taurine and Energy Drinks With Taurine (01:23:30) Ashwagandha: Can Powerfully Lower Anxiety And Cortisol (01:25:50) Examine.com Is An Amazing Free Resource (01:26:20) How This All Relates to Emotions: State Versus Demand = Valence (01:32:00) Modulating Reactivity, Mindfulness, & Functionality With Objective Tools (01:34:00) Next Steps (01:35:40) Topic Suggestions, Subscriptions and Reviews Please (01:37:40) Additional Resources, Synthesis Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I describe the science of how and why pain arises in the body and brain, and how we can actively control our experience of pain. I discuss inflammation, stress, acupuncture, limb damage and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). I review protocols that leverage the lymphatic and nervous system to accelerate pain relief and healing in a variety of situations. Other topics discussed include how heat versus cold impacts neurons and wounds, red-light, sunlight, stem cells and more.  For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction/Avenues for Support (00:00:31) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Waking Up (00:04:58) Deliberate Unlearning (00:06:43) Pain, Injury and Regeneration (00:09:17) A System of Touch (Somatosensation) (00:11:42) Pain and Injury are Dissociable (00:15:19) Objective versus Subjective Control of Experience (00:16:15) Plasticity of Perception (00:16:41) Lack of Pain Is Self-Destructive; So Is Excessive Pain (00:18:42) Homoculous, Ratonculous, Dogunculus (00:19:05) “Sensitivity” explained (00:21:30) Inflammation (00:22:24) Phantom Limb Pain (00:24:00) Top-down Relief of Pain by Vision (00:26:41) From Deaf to Hearing Sounds (00:28:10) Pain Is In The Mind & Body (00:29:44) Recovering Movement Faster After Injury (00:35:00) Don’t Over Compensate (00:37:34) Concussion, TBI & Brain Ageing (00:40:49) The Brain’s Sewage Treatment System: Glymphatic Clearance (00:43:05) Body Position & Angle During Sleep (00:44:30) Types of Exercise For Restoring & Maintaining Brain Health (00:47:33) Ambulance Cells in The Brain (00:49:20) True Pain Control by Belief and Context (00:51:45) Romantic Love and Pain (00:55:05) Dopaminergic Control of Pain (00:57:15) Acupuncture: Rigorous Scientific Assessment (01:07:32) Vagus Activation and Autonomic Control of Pain (01:08:30) Inflammation, Turmeric, Lead and DHT (01:11:40) Adrenalin: Wim Hof, Tummo, “Super-Oxygenation” Breathing (01:14:53) Protocols For Accelerating Tissue Repair & Managing Pain (01:17:55) Ice Is Not Always Nice (For Pain and Injury): Sludging, Fascia, Etc. (01:22:02) Chronic and/or Whole Body Pain; Red-Light Therapy, Sunlight (01:26:10) Glymphatics and Sleep (01:26:29) Stem Cells, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP: Shams, Shoulds and Should Nots (01:31:38) Young Blood: Actual Science (01:35:44) Synthesis, Support & Resources Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I describe how to access focused learning bouts, creative states, and the underlying neural circuitry involved. I frame this in the context of our daily 24-hour cycle in order to make it practical, clear and precise about timing. I review the role of fasting, meal timing and specific types of nutrients for promoting certain states of mind. I also review various other tools and biological factors that directly or indirectly gate brain function and that we can control. I answer commonly asked questions about the science of psychedelics, binaural beats, and visualization. Thank you for your interest in science! For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:30) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:04:53) The Daily (Learning) Routine (00:07:13) Plasticity Is NOT the Goal (00:09:26) No Obligation To Change (00:09:59) Practical Plasticity Language (00:13:37) Pillars of Neuroplasticity (00:15:16) My Daily Routine: Chronotype Management (00:17:20) Plasticity of the Wake-Sleep Circuit: Morning Light (00:19:09) Delay Caffeine! (00:21:19) Light, Black Coffee, Hydrate (00:22:57) High Alertness, Linear Tasks/Learning (00:25:12) Background Music/Noise: Yay or Nay? (00:26:52) “GO” versus “NO-GO”: The Basal Ganglia & Dopamine (00:28:37) Leveraging GO, NO-GO (00:30:08) Non-Specific Action (00:32:06) Clear, Calm, Focused: The GO, NO-GO Sweet Spot (00:33:48) When Very Alert, Work In Silence; When Tired, Include Background Noise (00:35:28) Temperaments Vary: And So Should This (00:36:01) The 3 Hour-Long Post Waking Block (00:36:20) Early Morning Exercise and GO Networks (00:38:05) Fasting, Ketogenic Diets, & Food Volume (00:39:41) Sodium/Electrolytes (00:40:57) Avoiding Hot Lunch, Food Pre-Occupation (00:42:01) Post Lunch Low/No Cognitive Load (00:42:56) Hydration, NSDR, Nap (00:44:54) Creativity Work (00:46:26) Creativity Is A Two-Part Phenomenon (00:51:15) Psychedelics (00:58:20) Afternoon Light As Insurance (01:00:26) Evening Nutrition (01:01:21) Repacking Glycogen: Hormonal Factors (01:04:11) Pre-Sleep Anxiety: Normal and Easy To Solve (01:07:08) The Power of Objective Tools (01:08:14) Visualization (01:11:34) Mini-Synthesis (01:13:31) Resetting Your Clock (01:15:55) Don’t Trust the Mind Now (01:16:59) Two, (Maybe 3) Optimization Bouts Per Day (01:18:33) Organizational Logic (01:20:22) Wim Hof Breathing, Binaural Beats, Ice Baths, Etc. (01:24:42) Variation Among People, and Dogs (01:25:49) Accurate Versus Exhaustive (01:27:57) Familiar and New Ways To Support Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I discuss how we can use specific types of behavior to change our brain, both for sake of learning the movements themselves and for allowing us to learn non-movement-based information as well. I describe the key role that errors play in triggering our brains to change and how the vestibular (balance) system can activate and amplify neuroplasticity. As always, I cover science and science-based practical tools. Thank you in advance for your questions and for your interest in science! For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:29) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Waking Up (00:06:20) Nerves and Muscles (00:12:00) Exercise alone won’t change your brain (00:12:58) Behavior will change your brain (00:13:30) Remembering the wrong things (00:15:00) Behavior as the gate to plasticity (00:15:45) Types of Plasticity (00:17:32) Errors Not Flow Trigger Plasticity (00:21:30) Mechanisms of Plasticity (00:22:30) What to learn when you are young (00:23:50) Alignment of your brain maps: neuron sandwiches 00:26:00: Wearing Prisms On Your Face (00:29:10) The KEY Trigger Plasticity (00:32:20) Frustration Is the Feeling to Follow (Further into Learning) (00:33:10) Incremental Learning (00:35:30) Huberman Free Throws (00:38:50) Failure Specificity Triggers Specific Plastic Changes (00:40:20) Triggering Rapid, Massive Plasticity Made Possible (00:43:25) Addiction (00:45:25) An Example of Ultradian-Incremental Learning 00:49:42: Bad Events (00:51:55) Surprise! (00:52:00) Making Dopamine Work For You (Not The Other Way Around) (00:53:20) HOW to release dopamine (00:55:00) (Mental) Performance Enhancing Drugs (00:56:00) Timing Your Learning (00:57:36) (Chem)Trails of Neuroplasticity (00:58:57) The Three Key Levers To Accelerate Plasticity (00:59:15) Limbic Friction: Finding Clear, Calm and Focused (01:04:25) The First Question To Ask Yourself Before Learning (01:05:00) Balance (01:07:45) Cerebellum (01:10:00) Flow States Are Not The Path To Learning (01:11:18) Novelty and Instability Are Key (01:14:55) How to Arrive At Learning (01:15:45) The Other Reason Kids Learn Faster Than Adults (01:19:25) Learning French and Other Things Faster (01:22:00) Yoga versus Science (01:32:00) Closing Remarks Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode introduces neuroplasticity—which is how our brain and nervous system learn and acquire new capabilities. I describe the differences between childhood and adult neuroplasticity, the chemicals involved and how anyone can increase their rate and depth of learning by leveraging the science of focus. I describe specific tools for increasing focus and learning. The next two episodes will cover the ideal protocols for specific types of learning and how to make learning new information more reflexive. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:32) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Waking Up (00:03:50) Plasticity: What Is it, & What Is It For? (00:06:30) Babies and Potato Bugs (00:08:00) Customizing Your Brain (00:08:50) Hard-Wired Versus Plastic Brains (00:10:25) Everything Changes At 25 (00:12:29) Costello and Your Hearing (00:13:10) The New Neuron Myth (00:14:10) Anosmia: Losing Smell (00:15:13) Neuronal Birthdays Near Our Death Day (00:16:45) Circumstances for Brain Change (00:17:21) Brain Space (00:18:30) No Nose, Eyes, Or Ears (00:19:30) Enhanced Hearing and Touch In The Blind (00:20:20) Brain Maps of The Body Plan (00:21:00) The Kennard Principle (Margaret Kennard) (00:21:36) Maps of Meaning (00:23:00) Awareness Cues Brain Change (00:25:20) The Chemistry of Change (00:26:15) A Giant Lie In The Universe 00:27:10) Fathers of Neuroplasticity/Critical Periods 00:29:30) Competition Is The Route to Plasticity 00:32:30) Correcting The Errors of History 00:33:29) Adult Brain Change: Bumps and Beeps (00:36:25) What It Takes to Learn (00:38:15) Adrenalin and Alertness (00:40:18) The Acetylcholine Spotlight (00:42:26) The Chemical Trio For Massive Brain Change (00:44:10) Ways To Change Your Brain (00:46:16) Love, Hate, & Shame: all the same chemical (00:47:30) The Dopamine Trap (00:49:40) Nicotine for Focus (00:52:30) Sprinting (00:53:30) How to Focus (00:55:22) Adderall: Use & Abuse (00:56:40) Seeing Your Way To Mental Focus (01:02:59) Blinking (01:05:30) And Ear Toward Learning (01:06:14) The Best Listeners In The World (01:07:20) Agitation is Key (01:07:40) ADHD & ADD: Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (01:12:00) Ultra(dian) Focus (01:13:30) When Real Change Occurs (01:16:20) How Much Learning Is Enough? (01:16:50) Learning In (Optic) Flow/Mind Drift (01:18:16) Synthesis/Summary (01:25:15) Learning With Repetition, Forming Habits As always, thank you for your interest in science! Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

This episode is all about the two major kinds of dreams and the sorts of learning and unlearning they are used for. I discuss REM-associated dreams that control emotional learning and their similarity to various trauma treatments such as ketamine and EMDR. I also discuss Non-REM dreams and their role in motor learning and learning of detailed, non-emotionally-laden information. I relate this to science-backed tools for accessing more of the types of sleep and learning people may want. Other topics are listed in the time stamps below. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:30) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Waking Up (00:03:00) The Dream Mask (00:06:00) Cycling Sleep (00:08:10) Chemical Cocktails of Sleep (00:13:00) Motor Learning (00:16:30) High Performance with Less Sleep (00:17:45) Rapid Eye Movement Sleep (00:20:30) Paralysis & Hallucinations (00:23:35) Nightmares (00:24:45) When REM & Waking Collide (00:25:00) Sleeping While Awake (00:26:45) Alien Abductions (00:29:00) Irritability (00:30:00) Sleep to Delete (00:32:25) Creating Meaning (00:34:10) Adults Acting Like Children (00:36:20) Trauma & REM (00:37:15) EMDR (00:39:10) Demo (00:44:25) Ketamine / PCP (00:45:45) Soup, Explosions, & NMDA (00:48:55) Self Therapy (00:50:30) Note About Hormones (00:51:40) Measuring REM / SWS (00:53:15) Sleep Consistency (00:56:00) Bed Wetting (00:58:00) Serotonin (00:59:00) Increasing SWS (00:59:50) Lucidity (01:02:15) Booze / Weed (01:03:50) Scripting Dreams (01:04:35) Theory of Mind (01:07:55) Synthesis (01:10:00) Intermittent Sleep Deprivation (01:11:10) Snoring Disclaimer (01:11:40) New Topic (01:15:50) Corrections (01:17:25) Closing Remarks As always, thank you for your interest in science! Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

In this episode, I discuss a simple and reliable measurement called your "temperature minimum" that you can use to rapidly adjust to new time zones when traveling and to offset the bad effects of nocturnal shift work. I also discuss tools for adjusting sleep and waking rhythms in babies, teens, new parents and the elderly. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:30) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Waking Up (00:04:15) The bedrock of sleep-rest cycles (00:07:05) Night owls and morning larks (00:08:22) “The perfect schedule” (00:11:04) The 100K Lux per morning goal (00:15:15) Keeping your biological clock set (00:16:15) Reset your cortisol (00:21:22) Jetlag, death and lifespan (00:23:00) Going East versus West (00:28:45) The key to clock control (00:31:01) Your Temperature Minimum (00:36:30) Temperature and Exercise (00:41:20) Eating (00:42:50) Go West (00:44:15) Pineal myths and realities (00:51:13) The Heat-Cold Paradox (00:53:45) Staying on track (00:55:30) Nightshades (00:57:00) Emergency resets (00:57:30) Psychosis by light (00:58:05) Shift work (01:02:40) The Temperature-Light Rule (01:04:20) Up all night: watch the sunrise? (01:06:45) Error correction is good (01:08:20) NSDR protocols/implementation (01:10:44) The frog skin in your eye (not a joke) (01:16:39) Why stress turns your hair white (01:17:24) Ovaries or testes? (01:18:25) Babies and bright light (01:21:40) Polyphasic sleep (01:25:25) Ultradian cycles in children (01:27:38) Teens and puberty (01:29:50) Light before waking for better sleep (01:31:20) Older people and circadian rhythms (01:33:48) Sleepy Supplements (01:42:00) Red Pills & Acupuncture (01:43:50) Highlights (01:48:30) Feedback and Support As always, thank you for your interest in science! Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer

“Office Hours” — In this episode, I answer your most commonly asked questions about science-supported tools for accessing more alertness, better learning, and quality sleep. I also cover when to exercise, time meals, and how to systematically vary your temperature to achieve specific effects on your nervous system. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:31) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:05:50) Moonlight & Fire (09:25:00) Red Light: Good & Bad (00:15:45) Why Blue-Blockers Are Unscientific (00:19:20) Eyeglasses, Contact Lenses & Windows (00:22:05) Adding Up Your Lights (00:24:30) “Netflix Inoculation” With Light (00:25:25) How The Planet Controls Your Energy (00:27:00) A Season For Breeding (?) (00:31:15) Melatonin / Serotonin (00:33:50) Epinephrine vs Adrenaline: Same? Different? (00:35:00) Exercise & Your Sleep (00:40:30) Neuroplasticity & Food/Chemicals/NSDR (00:44:10) Using Sound & Smell To Learn Faster (00:46:45) Dream Meaning & Remembering (00:48:15) Waking Up Paralyzed (00:49:40) Nap/Focus Ratios For Accelerated Learning (00:52:45) Hypnotizing Yourself (00:54:05) Smart Drugs (01:01:10) Magnesium: Yay, Nay, or Meh? (01:02:10) How Apigenin Works (01:04:30) Serotonin: Slippery Slope (01:05:35) The Frog Experiment (01:08:35) Temperature (01:10:30) Morning Chills (01:28:00) Eating For Heating (01:30:30) Vagal Pathways For Gut-Brain Dialogue (01:31:50) Sex Differences (01:33:50) Self Experimentation As always, thank you for your interest in science! Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer