Tim Ferriss

March 8, 2023

Dr. Andrew Huberman — The Foundations of Physical and Mental Performance, Core Supplements, Sexual Health and Fertility, Sleep Optimization, Psychedelics, and More (#660)

“Sleep, nutrients, exercise, light, relationships—those really establish the foundation of what I consider to be all of the elements that create our ability to move as seamlessly as possible between the states that we happen to be in and the states we desire to be in.”
— Dr. Andrew Huberman

Andrew Huberman, PhD (@hubermanlab), is a neuroscientist and tenured professor in the Department of Neurobiology at Stanford University’s School of Medicine. He has made numerous important contributions to the fields of brain development, brain function, and neural plasticity. Work from the Huberman Laboratory at Stanford Medicine has been consistently published in top journals including Nature, Science, and Cell.

Andrew is the host of the podcast Huberman Lab, which is often ranked as one of the top five podcasts in the world by both Apple and Spotify. The show aims to help viewers and listeners improve their health with science and science-based tools. New episodes air every Monday on YouTube and all podcast platforms.

Please enjoy!

Listen to the episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Overcast, Podcast Addict, Pocket Casts, Castbox, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or on your favorite podcast platform. You can watch the interview on YouTube here.

Brought to you by Athletic Greens’s AG1 all-in-one nutritional supplement, Eight Sleep’s Pod Cover sleeping solution for dynamic cooling and heating, and Protekt’s REST sleep supplement.

The transcript of this episode can be found here. Transcripts of all episodes can be found here.

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#660: Dr. Andrew Huberman — The Foundations of Physical and Mental Performance, Core Supplements, Sexual Health and Fertility, Sleep Optimization, Psychedelics, and More

This episode is brought to you by AG1! I get asked all the time, “If you could use only one supplement, what would it be?” My answer is usually AG1, my all-in-one nutritional insurance. I recommended it in The 4-Hour Body in 2010 and did not get paid to do so. Right now, get a FREE Welcome Kit, including Vitamin D3+K2 and AG1 Travel Packs, when you first subscribe. Visit DrinkAG1.com/Tim to claim this special offer today and receive your 1-year supply of Vitamin D—a vital nutrient for a strong immune system and strong bones!

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REST has no added sugars, artificial sweeteners, or artificial ingredients. Protekt is veteran-owned, and they make all of their products right here in the USA. Visit Protekt.com/Tim to buy Protekt REST and you’ll get a FREE bottle of Clarity with your order. Clarity is a neurotropic mushroom blend of lion’s mane, reishi, cordyceps, and turkey tail, designed to support brain function and mental performance. I haven’t personally tested Clarity yet.

This episode is brought to you by Eight Sleep. Temperature is one of the main causes of poor sleep, and heat is my personal nemesis. But a few years ago, I started using the Pod Cover, and it has transformed my sleep. Eight Sleep has launched their newest generation of the Pod: Pod 5 Ultra. It cools, it heats, and now it elevates, automatically. With the best temperature performance to date, Pod 5 Ultra ensures you and your partner stay cool in the heat and cozy warm in the cold. And now, listeners of The Tim Ferriss Show can get $400 off of the Pod 5 Ultra for a limited time! Click here to claim this deal and unlock your full potential through optimal sleep.

Want to hear another episode with Andrew? Have a listen to our last conversation, in which we discussed visual considerations for optimizing sleep quality, morning mood elevation, shifting the circadian clock to avoid jet lag and the consequences of shift work, melatonin alternatives, the value of non-sleep deep rest, exit cage diving with great white sharks, counteracting the effects of caffeine, the perils of testosterone replacement therapy, and much more.

#521: Dr. Andrew Huberman — A Neurobiologist on Optimizing Sleep, Enhancing Performance, Reducing Anxiety, Increasing Testosterone, and Using the Body to Control the Mind

What was your favorite quote or lesson from this episode? Please let me know in the comments.

SCROLL BELOW FOR LINKS AND SHOW NOTES…

SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

Connect with Dr. Andrew Huberman:

Website | Twitter | YouTube | Instagram

SHOW NOTES

[05:20] Inspirations and principles.
[07:51] Sleep, nutrients, exercise, light, and relationships.
[19:30] Making movement matter.
[27:37] Striving to “be like a mule” on Sunday.
[29:32] The neurological processes of cultivating the physique.
[33:20] Monday.
[48:48] An aside about cheat day.
[50:09] Tuesday.
[52:35] Wednesday.
[54:23] A strong neck is more than just an appealing aesthetic.
[1:00:32] Thursday.
[1:00:47] Friday.
[1:01:56] Saturday.
[1:02:46] A recap of how the days synergize with one another.
[1:08:23] Nordic curls for boys and girls.
[1:11:14] Minimizing shin splints.
[1:13:47] You say soleus pushup, I say seated calf raise.
[1:16:42] Flat feet, Tabata, and self-coaching.
[1:18:32] The holy trinity of Andrew’s sleep stack + one.
[1:21:47] How the first half of your day should differ from the last half.
[1:25:24] Dutch bicycles or bust.
[1:26:55] Omega-3 supplement nausea.
[1:28:48] EPA dosage, Carlson’s oil on oatmeal, and sushi.
[1:30:00] Benefits of EPA.
[1:30:34] How EPA (and, in general, food) affects mood.
[1:35:38] Are you eating enough nattō and Bulgarian yogurt?
[1:38:00] Rhodiola rosea.
[1:43:09] Tongkat ali and Fadogia agrestis.
[1:45:00] Yes, men depend on estrogen too.
[1:46:47] Fine-tuning fertility (and, by proxy, vitality).
[1:55:11] Benefits of afternoon de-light.
[1:57:07] The highs and lows of self-pleasure in the modern era.
[2:00:03] Optimizing the health of one’s reproductive material.
[2:05:41] Is your smartphone sterilizing you?
[2:11:05] Lessons learned from IVF.
[2:14:55] Why you might consider selecting “Email receipt” at checkout.
[2:17:52] The consequences of having more than two drinks a week.
[2:19:09] Cocaine? Just say no.
[2:20:50] Concerns about cannabis.
[2:29:46] Changing thoughts on psychedelics.
[2:36:31] Raising research funds with Huberman Lab premium.
[2:40:12] Andrew’s clinical psychedelic experiences.
[2:48:15] A reminder not to trust street drugs, kids.
[2:49:15] The exciting, seemingly endless applications of psychedelic research.
[2:55:45] Parting thoughts.

MORE ANDREW HUBERMAN QUOTES FROM THE INTERVIEW

“If we don’t actually take the time to figure out what’s going on in our head, how can we really trust that we’re on the best path?”
— Dr. Andrew Huberman

“Sleep, nutrients, exercise, light, relationships—those really establish the foundation of what I consider to be all of the elements that create our ability to move as seamlessly as possible between the states that we happen to be in and the states we desire to be in.”
— Dr. Andrew Huberman

“The state that we’re in on Monday has a lot to do with what we did on Sunday.”
— Dr. Andrew Huberman

“If you’re on a plane and you’re bouncing your knee, it’s actually a meaningful—it’s not a replacement for exercise, but in terms of its metabolic impact, is meaningful. I find that really interesting and perhaps of all the things that we’ll discuss today, if you’re unwilling to try that, then your bar for entry is just way too high.”
— Dr. Andrew Huberman

PEOPLE MENTIONED

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Lisa B

2 years ago

Looking for the brand of Tongan Ali (spelling?) he mentioned would be put in the show notes

Admin

Paul

1 year ago

Reply to Lisa B

Hi, Lisa –

The spelling is tongkat ali, and if you’ll scroll up a little ways to the show notes, you’ll see a link to the recommended tongkat ali from Amazon.

Best,

Team Tim Ferriss

Lalaina Nasinto

2 years ago

Fish oil and nausea…Yes that’s me!! What you’ve described on the podcast with Dr Huberman is exactly what is happening to me. Oh I am so glad I am not alone lol I do take it in capsule form and also with food and every time I too feel this weird sensation and yes when I stop taking it the nausea is gone.

Theo Versteegh

2 years ago

Hey Tim, long time listener, first time caller. The 4-way neck is a great tool for uni-planar hypertrophy training. If you are interested in more dynamic multi-planar neuromuscular training, I have my PhD in this topic and won the NFL 1st and Future Award for Innovations to Advance Athlete Health and Safety. Happy to help you down some rabbit roles!
Cheers,
Theo Versteegh, PhD

jamie

2 years ago

Hi,
Huge fan of the podcast/books & general insight. In listening to a recent podcast, I learned that Tim was going and now has returned from a pilgrimage in Japan. I am wondering where he was traveling in Japan. Any recommendations would be greatly appreciated.
Peace,
Jamie

Ricky Law

2 years ago

Hello,
I highly doubt this message will reach you personally Tim, I imagine many such messages often fail to reach their destinations, but here goes nothing (you miss 100% of the shots you don’t take I guess).

I have lived in Japan since I was 19 and I’m now 32. A lot has happened in this time and after listening voraciously to your podcast I’ve been stuck with an idea—a calling if you will.

Despite being a nobody in a many people world, I’m considering writing an account of my life from a knows-nothing 19 year old kid, to a victim of domestic violence trapped in a toxic household, to a party ‘nanpa boy’ in Tokyo, to declining mental health, a suicide attempt, and the following rebuilding of my life until now.

I’m on the fence though. You’re pretty much the only person I can think of whose advice I’d like to hear about this considering your work.

Thank you,
Ricky

（ほぼ毎日ヘッドフォンでポッドキャスト聞いてて、耳がすごく痛くなってきましたw　それでも我慢して聞き続けます！ありがとうございます）

Alex Price Shultz

2 years ago

Reply to Ricky Law

Came across this comment – you should go for it! The only person who can tell your story is you – and it won’t be ready for the world to hear until you start writing it. I’m sure Tim would say the same thing.

Marc Louderback

2 years ago

Tim – Another great podcast; however, I think you are going to have to find a marijuana expert to address your question about low dose THC and sleep. Unfortunately, I found Andrew’s response and comments about THC/CBD to be lacking and in some cases wrong. He mentioned ‘Charlotte’s Web’ as a type of CBD when in reality it is a brand not a distinct type. I have also experienced a positive impact to sleep when taking a low dose gummy before getting ready for bed. I would love to learn more about this topic from someone who knows what they are talking about. Thanks.

𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐥𝐚 𝐒𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐚 (@AngelaShurina)

2 years ago

QUOTE I loved:
“Our state of body and mind at any point of time is strongly dictated by our state of body and mind in the hours and days prior to that.”

I’ve always been a huge believer and practitioner of that, all my work/life is based on the same idea – if we want to create any state (of health or life), all we have to do is BACKCAST from that future and ask ourselves,

“What can I do now that will build that future self/life moving forward❓”

🎙😃Thank you Tim for asking the wide-ranging questions as you always do!

I loved that it turned out to be kind of like executive summary of all things Andrew Huberman.

Core protocols from different areas of human health and development with a guide to where to go and explore more on a chosen subject.

Thanks a lot Tim! You are the best!

Tom

2 years ago

Shin splints are more likely to be caused by overstriding than by weak tib muscles or ankle mobility. When you get your foot out too far in front, you have a hard heel strike and the tib muscles work really hard to control that eccentric motion. When the foot lands more under your center of gravity, it will work more as it did back in the day before we had padded shoes with big heel-toe drop (and for what it’s worth, I am not a minimalist/barefoot runner, but it is true that our shoes have changed our gait and not for the better).

I’ve been helped by Joe Uhan’s videos on YouTube and he is available for personal gait analysis and training, though I haven’t done it. I found him, BTW, via top-level running coaches David and Megan Roche who send their athletes to Joe because he’s one of the best.

But if I were to say one thing (as someone who is absolutely not qualified to coach running except for having had lots of tib issues, both shin splints and foot drop), it would be this: increase your cadence. Count footfalls per minute (or let your watch do so if you have a fancy watch) and try to increase that by 10 steps per minute. For sure get that number over 170. That’s game changing and it will also help reduce stress on every other part of your lower body once you do. This can be true even ski touring by the way. It’s less obvious and less consequential, but long strides tend to be inefficient (long defined by how far in front your foot goes, not how much distance is covered). Joe Uhan’s ankling exercise, which I started doing for running, has translated very well to ski touring.

[Moderator: Link to “Runner Ankling Drill” on YouTube removed per YouTube embed policy.]

Looks stupid, but I was surprised how bad I was at it, how quickly I got good at it, and how much difference that made running and, to a lesser extent, ski touring (mostly on uphills when not breaking trail or breaking trail in not-very-deep snow).

And flat feet… people I trust say that 90% of the “flat feet” diagnoses are incorrect. If it exists at all (most diagnoses are from a minimally-qualified employee in a shoe store), it’s usually long-term weakness that can be corrected in younger people but can become really persistent and possibly uncorrectable if it’s been very bad for a very long time. Check out Mike Robertson’s recent (March 6) podcast interview with Dr. Courtney Conley of Gait Happens for an in-depth discussion.

And a last thing. First climbing then ski touring… like me but 30-50 years later 🙂 I’ll say on that score, go to the Alps young man. The ski touring there is off the hook. And go to Yosemite. The rock climbing is off the hook. But if you want to do both in one place, Chamonix will blow your mind if you have not ski toured and climbed there. And thank you for not calling in “skimo”.

Kevin Rehak

2 years ago

On the fish oil topic, I recommend TG based fish oil instead of Ethyl-ester(EE) fish oil. It’s less acidic, and doesn’t cause as much fish burps/indigestion. Examples are Nordic Naturals and Fortifye. Most cheaper fish oils are EE based.

Tony

2 years ago

Looking for a meal replacement that tastes good has no artificial sweeteners including no stevia plant. Not lactose laced. Isagenix was very goos but need something healthier

Kate

2 years ago

Love you Tim. I think you rules 🙂 I have a embarrassing feeling that maybe this will help you somehow: [Moderator: Link to Wyrwani z niewoli – świadectwo Piotra i Jacka removed per YouTube embed policy.]
I know it’s in Polish and wierd and so on but well nothing is impossible for you. Have you ever tried what he did?

2 years ago

Terrific interview. Huberman mentions Ambien is cut with fentanyl. I would love to send this factoid with many who struggle to stop taking Ambien, but don’t see any mentions of it online. Is there a source you or Huberman could possibly cite, please? Thank you in advance.

Tom82

2 years ago

would highly recommend paradox omega oils for those who don’t like fish. also added bonus of vitamin c.

Kasey Drayton

2 years ago

Based on your description of shin splints, have you been tested for compartment syndrome? Unlikely but something to consider.