Dr. Andy Galpin Reframes Fat Loss and Sleep Optimization Protocols
The Diary Of A CEO
Long-term fat loss fails due to structural execution mismatches rather than lack of exercise, while over-optimizing health protocols creates anxiety that undermines performance.
## Background
Published on YouTube by The Diary Of A CEO on August 13, 2026, this episode features performance scientist Dr. Andy Galpin. According to the page description, the discussion covers common sleep mistakes, optimizing daily energy, the pros and cons of sleep trackers, weight loss strategies, and health optimization.
## TL;DR
Dr. Andy Galpin explores the science of human performance, focusing on how sleep quality, light exposure, room temperature, and environmental factors impact daily energy and long-term health. He dissects common health and fitness misconceptions, outlining practical approaches to fat loss like the "Cooks vs. Bakers" personality framework and the 54321 training method. Furthermore, Dr. Galpin emphasizes that sustainable behavior change relies on mindset, process over outcomes, and high-quality movement rather than rigid metrics or quick fixes.
## Atmosphere & style
The conversation is grounded, analytical, and deeply reflective, blending rigorous exercise physiology with practical human psychology. Steven Bartlett and Dr. Andy Galpin maintain a fluid, collaborative dynamic where technical biometric data is balanced against real-world habit formation. The overall mood is empowering and candid, demystifying complex health concepts into accessible, actionable wisdom.
## Key takeaways
- [44:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2659s) The psychological pull to check screens and social media is driven by the human search for novelty and variable rewards, similar to how digital slot machines operate.
- [47:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2848s) Sleeping in the same bed with a partner consistently degrades sleep quality compared to sleeping alone, which can be managed with separate sheets or temporary 'sleep divorces'.
- [49:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2948s) The 'first night effect' and suboptimal bedroom conditions—such as extreme temperatures, dirty air conditioning filters, or face-directed fans—trigger micro-awakenings and sleep disruptions.
- [51:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3075s) Men and women respond to different acoustic sleep triggers, and major physiological events like pregnancy and postpartum can induce long-term sleep disorders in women.
- [53:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3218s) Fixating excessively on rigid sleep protocols can cause health anxiety, whereas the primary objective should be developing sleep resilience.
- [01:39:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5987s) Exercise repetition quality and the mind-muscle connection significantly enhance motor unit recruitment, allowing superior adaptations without needing extra 'junk volume'.
- [01:41:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6096s) Supplementation should primarily target physiological deficiencies verified by blood work, with performance supplements like creatine reserved for direct functional benefits.
- [01:43:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6212s) Weight loss strategies must match individual personality types: 'Cooks' succeed with high-level lifestyle rules, while 'Bakers' require precise macro and calorie tracking.
- [01:48:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6507s) Tracking food meticulously for two weeks acts as a visual baseline calibration to correct common tendencies like underestimating fat and overestimating protein intake.
- [01:51:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6661s) While diet drives initial fat loss, exercise mitigates adaptive thermogenesis and is the single most critical factor for long-term weight maintenance.
- [01:53:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6788s) Progressive overload and structured training plans are essential to avoid gym stagnation, and basic AI models can effectively auto-generate initial workout programs.
- [01:55:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6950s) In-person training and expert guidance remain invaluable because human connection, accountability, and narrative engagement drive behavior change far more than raw data.
- [02:00:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7243s) Lasting health transformation requires acute catalyst moments—such as health shocks or biometric test results—rather than abstract long-term health warnings.
- [02:08:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7689s) Focusing on underlying health metrics first makes weight loss significantly easier and provides a more meaningful measure of success than scale weight alone.
## Detailed walkthrough
### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=0s) Introduction and Evidence-Based Sleep Protocols
Dr. Andy Galpin and host Steven Bartlett kick off the episode surrounded by a table of sleep tools, supplements, and lifestyle interventions. Right out of the gate, Galpin notes that every item on display is backed by solid scientific evidence for improving sleep quality. Before diving deep into each intervention—which range from kiwis and light exposure to sound management and mattress choices—he emphasizes the staggering scale of the modern sleep crisis. The conversation highlights the counterintuitive paradox of the wellness industry: despite society spending more money on sleep optimization and wearables than ever before, actual sleep quality is at an all-time low.
Galpin outlines his 20-year career as a professor, scientist, and human performance coach working with world-class figures across sports and business. However, even at the highest levels of performance, basic physiological needs are often broken. He notes that roughly 50% of professional athletes suffer from a clinical sleep disorder. Expanding that to the broader human population, the numbers become even more alarming: 70% to 80% of individuals with clinical sleep apnea remain undiagnosed, and for women, that figure skyrockets to between 90% and 95%. Sleep apnea is not just a mild inconvenience; it is a critical health hazard strongly tied to long-term all-cause mortality, metabolic dysfunction, cognitive decline, and poor recovery.
- **Kiwis for Sleep:** Eating two to three kiwis shortly before bed has been demonstrated in clinical studies to enhance sleep quality.
- **Partner Interference:** Sharing a bed ("sleep divorce") frequently impairs individual sleep depth due to subtle movements and micro-arousals.
- **Fat Loss Framework:** Galpin mentions his "5-4-3-2-1 method" for body composition, designed to strip away complexity and make fat loss simple and actionable.
- **Subscriber Callout:** Bartlett briefly interrupts the opening to ask regular viewers to subscribe to *The Diary Of A CEO*, promising to continuously fight for top-tier guests in exchange.
[03:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=238s) Dr. Andy Galpin's Core Mission and Client Base
Steven Bartlett prompts Galpin on his underlying motivations, noting that Galpin seems far more driven by research and education than financial gain. Galpin confirms that his ultimate goal is removing performance barriers so people can achieve their full potential—whether that means winning a championship or simply living without chronic pain. He explains that he gets just as excited helping an NFL linebacker as he does assisting a parent who wants to wake up without back pain. His approach focuses entirely on underlying physiology, identifying the "biomolecular signature," structural imbalances, or metabolic red flags that hold people back.
Galpin categorizes every client goal into two primary buckets: **Rebuild** and **Upgrade**. "Rebuild" applies to clients who are broken, injured, severely sleep-deprived, dealing with clinical conditions, or struggling with stubborn weight gain. "Upgrade" is for individuals who already feel good but want to optimize their energy, metabolic health, or cognitive output. When breaking down his client base, he explains that professional athletes typically seek help for recurrent injuries or drained energy, whereas the general public usually reaches out for help with sleep, persistent fatigue, stubborn fat loss, strength plateaus, or subtle brain fog.
- **Credentials:** Dr. Andy Galpin earned his PhD in Human Bioenergetics and has been running his academic research laboratory since 2011, alongside consulting for high-performing individuals for over two decades.
- **Client Spectrum:** His roster includes NFL first-round draft picks, MLB Cy Young winners, Olympic gold medalists, UFC world champions, hemiplegic and paraplegic athletes, high-powered executives, and women navigating perimenopause.
- **Action Plan:** Bartlett reveals that Galpin reviewed his comprehensive blood panel prior to the episode, unearthing surprising deficiencies despite Bartlett assuming he was doing everything right.
[07:50](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=470s) Health Anxiety vs. Undiagnosed Sleep Apnea
Addressing the audience directly, Galpin cautions against developing "health anxiety"—an obsessive over-fixation on minor fluctuations in blood work, sleep trackers, or health metrics. While acknowledging that the vast majority of the general population needs to pay *more* attention to their health, high-achieving listeners often fall into the trap of over-analyzing non-critical variables. He stresses that performance optimization should never take precedence over identifying and treating actual medical diseases.
The discussion shifts to sleep apnea as one of the most widespread yet hidden diseases in modern society. Contrary to the popular belief that sleep apnea only affects older, severely overweight men who snore loudly, Galpin reveals that it frequently strikes fit, lean individuals and is massively underdiagnosed in women. Women are far less likely to report anatomical sleep issues and are often misdiagnosed, attributing their exhaustion to stress, cognitive load, hormonal fluctuations, or the demands of parenting.
- **Prevalence Rates:** Middle-aged men exhibit a 24% to 34% prevalence of clinical sleep apnea; women range from 9% to 17%; post-menopausal women sit around 25%; and seniors (65+) experience rates between 30% and 60%.
- **Global Impact:** Over 1 billion people worldwide suffer from clinical sleep apnea—not even counting subclinical sleep-disordered breathing or chronic insomnia.
- **Physiological Shift:** When lying down horizontally, bodily fluids shift upward into the neck and upper airway. Because larger individuals carry more overall fluid, this fluid shift can obstruct airways regardless of throat muscle tone.
- **Treatment Limitations:** Standard treatments like CPAP machines, oral appliances, or medications often fail due to generic application rather than targeting the exact anatomical, neural, or positional cause of the airway collapse.
[15:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=902s) The 3 Barriers to Fixing Sleep & How to Self-Diagnose
Dr. Andy Galpin summarizes the core issues causing modern sleep problems into three main barriers:
1. **Outdated Diagnostic Tools:** Traditional sleep assessment systems are old, inaccessible, or hard to navigate.
2. **Inaccessible Care:** Getting professional help or proper clinical sleep studies is exceptionally difficult for the average person.
3. **Generic Solutions:** Advice given in public health messaging is wildly generic. Telling people to simply sleep in a "cool, dark, and quiet room" leads to frustration because most people have already tried it without success.
To make progress, the medical and health fields must move toward precision solutions tailored to an individual’s specific sleep phenotype. Addressing how someone without unlimited financial resources can begin diagnosing their sleep, Dr. Galpin emphasizes starting with subjective feeling. If you wake up feeling good and have sustained daytime energy, there is no need to panic. High performers often fight natural fatigue, panicking when they feel tired at the end of the day or experience a mid-afternoon dip, but that energy decline is entirely natural and healthy.
For those who suspect a real issue, Dr. Galpin recommends starting with free, scientifically validated sleep questionnaires before spending money on expensive tests or clinical visits.
* **Subjective Energy Test:** Ask yourself how you actually feel throughout the day before stressing over data.
* **Free Validated Questionnaires:** Self-assessments are available for Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), sleep apnea, insomnia, circadian rhythm disruptions, and chronotype.
* **Escalation Path:** If a questionnaire flags an issue, present the results to a primary care physician to request a formal clinical sleep study (polysomnography) covered by insurance.
* **The Clinical Gold Standard:** In-lab sleep hospitals remain the gold standard for diagnosing clinical sleep diseases, though tech companies are actively working to bring hospital-grade diagnostic accuracy into the home.
---
[18:47](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1127s) Wearables: Promises, Pitfalls, and the Heart Rate Connection
Home wearables (ranging from $100 to $600) are powerful tools for building health awareness and accountability. They reliably track total sleep duration. However, Dr. Galpin warns of a major pitfall: wearables are notoriously inaccurate at predicting specific sleep stages, such as deep sleep and REM sleep. Relying too heavily on proprietary "sleep quality scores" or "readiness scores" can create unnecessary anxiety (orthosomnia), especially when the score contradicts how good you actually feel.
Instead of obsessing over sleep stages, Dr. Galpin uses long-term wearable data to find underlying physiological leverage points. He shares a case study of a high-performing client with over 1,200 days of Oura Ring data. Analysis revealed a direct linear relationship: for every 1-bpm drop in the client's resting heart rate (RHR) before bed, he gained an extra 6 minutes of total sleep.
By focusing on cardiovascular fitness and evening downregulation techniques, the client successfully lowered his resting heart rate, allowing his body to naturally stay asleep longer without forced effort.
> "He was a classic case of like, 'I try to go to bed, I do all the things, but I just can't stay in bed.' So, the key there to get him more sleep is to put his physiology in a position that would allow him to have more sleep."
* **Wearable Strengths:** Excellent for tracking broad trends, accountability, total sleep time, and resting heart rate.
* **Wearable Weaknesses:** Poor accuracy for sleep architecture (REM vs. Deep sleep stages) and arbitrary composite scores.
* **Practical Directive:** Focus on driving down your resting heart rate prior to sleep through physical conditioning and down-regulation practices.
---
[21:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1300s) Why Modern Sleep is Getting Worse: Light Pollution & "Skyglow"
Despite an estimated $600 billion spent globally on sleep products, average human sleep duration has dropped by 60 minutes over the last 60 years. A primary environmental culprit is global light pollution. Satellite data from NASA confirms that the Earth is physically brighter today than at any point in human history.
This issue is amplified by urbanization and a phenomenon known as "skyglow"—where artificial light from cities reflects off clouds back down to the ground, disrupting natural circadian rhythms even late at night. Additionally, modern globalized work cultures force people to stay awake on screens to communicate across time zones, keeping indoor environments illuminated long past sunset. Living in bright, noisy urban centers is correlated with a 20%+ increase in reported anxiety and depression, largely driven by ambient light and sound pollution.
---
[23:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1398s) Morning Light Exposure as an Anti-Fragile Shield
To counter evening light exposure, Dr. Galpin highlights a crucial circadian principle popularized by neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman: viewing bright sunlight early in the morning resets your internal biological clock and triggers the countdown timer for nighttime melatonin production.
Crucially, getting high amounts of natural light during the morning and afternoon acts as a protective buffer. It renders your circadian system far less vulnerable to the disruptive effects of artificial light exposure late in the evening.
* **Morning Sunlight:** Triggers cortisol release, sets the circadian clock, and starts the timer for sleep pressure buildup.
* **The Mitigation Effect:** Ample daylight exposure reduces the physiological damage caused by late-night ambient screen and overhead light.
* **Urban Survival Gear:** Modern urban environments make blackout curtains and eye masks practical necessities rather than optional luxuries.
---
[25:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1536s) Sound Pollution & The Traps of Sleep Background Noise
Sound consistency is critical for uninterrupted sleep. While rural background noise sits around a peaceful 35 decibels (dB), urban baselines routinely hover between 60 dB and 70 dB.
To block out erratic sounds like traffic or barking dogs, many people turn to white noise machines or sleep while listening to podcasts, TV shows, or books. Dr. Galpin warns against common mistakes with these approaches:
* **Sound Machine Volume:** Most people set sound machines too loud (40–50 dB) and place them too close to the bed. For adults and children alike, white noise should remain strictly below 40 dB.
* **The Podcast Dependency Trap:** Falling asleep to podcasts or TV indicates a need for cognitive distraction to turn off a racing mind.
* **Nighttime Disruption:** Leaving audio playing all night prevents the brain from entering its deepest, most restorative sleep states.
If you rely on media to fall asleep, Dr. Galpin recommends transitioning to cognitive down-regulation practices—such as deliberate breathing routines or specific supplements—that quiet the frontal cortex without disrupting sleep architecture throughout the night.
Reviewing a collection of sleep aids with solid scientific backing, Dr. Galpin categorizes options by their mechanism and strength of evidence:
* **Magnesium Bisglycinate:** Preferred over magnesium L-threonate in recent sleep literature for its superior relaxation benefits and gastrointestinal tolerance.
* **Tart Cherry Juice:** Naturally rich in phytochemicals and small amounts of natural melatonin, proven to improve sleep duration and quality in clinical trials.
* **Apigenin / Chamomile Tea:** Apigenin (the active compound in chamomile) acts as a natural "off-switch" for the frontal cortex, providing the same cognitive distraction release as a podcast without nighttime sleep fragmentation.
* **Kiwi Fruit:** Consuming 2 kiwis an hour before bed has been shown in multiple randomized controlled trials to significantly improve sleep onset and total sleep time, likely due to its high serotonin and antioxidant content.
* **Omega-3 Fatty Acids:** High-dose fish oil supports brain inflammation reduction and neurological recovery during sleep.
> "Epigenin or chamomile specifically will play that role. It is a reasonable switch that says 'frontal cortex turn off.' And so, you're getting there through the podcast where you could get through theirs through food or supplements if you'd like as well."
[29:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1778s) Melatonin Mechanics, Micro-Dosing, and Label Contamination
Dr. Andy Galpin distinguishes melatonin from minor sleep aids like kiwi fruit, pointing out that melatonin is a potent hormone and a drug with extensive clinical research across pediatric, geriatric, and bone health applications. Because it carries genuine physiological power, it demands a strict evaluation of risk versus benefit. The standard over-the-counter dosages of $5\text{ mg}$ to $10\text{ mg}$ are vastly over-concentrated; Dr. Galpin's team typically recommends micro-doses around $0.3\text{ mg}$ to $0.5\text{ mg}$ (roughly one-tenth of a standard pill), often instructing patients to split a $1\text{ mg}$ tablet.
Outside of rare medical edge cases, the sole primary purpose of melatonin is circadian rhythm realignment—such as adjusting to shift work, international travel, or jet lag. It is completely ineffective as an acute nightly sedative to knock someone out or to help them fall back asleep after waking up at 2:00 AM. In fact, waking up mid-night means the circadian rhythm is already set, so taking melatonin then achieves nothing; a gentle herbal tea like chamomile would be a far better option to calm cognitive arousal.
A major hidden danger of melatonin lies in product quality and label inaccuracy. Morning urine testing conducted by Dr. Galpin's lab reveals that unverified supplements can contain up to 100 times the dose listed on the label. Patients doing "all the right things"—meditating, optimizing room temperature, sleeping in total darkness—frequently wake up feeling horribly groggy due to massive "sleep inertia." Their morning urine tests show melatonin levels $100\times$ above the upper reference ceiling, forcing them to rely on high doses of daytime stimulants just to survive the day.
- **Physiological Mechanism:** Melatonin does not directly cause physical tiredness; it signals the endogenous system that night has arrived, triggering a cascade shift in cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, and serotonin.
- **Onset Window:** Onset ranges from 10 to 15 minutes for sensitive individuals up to an hour for others; it should be taken well before bed to allow metabolic breakdown before morning.
- **Third-Party Testing:** Consumers must only buy supplements from transparent companies that publish independent lab assays on their websites to avoid severe dosage inaccuracies (a problem also frequent in Vitamin D products).
---
[34:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2098s) The Caffeine Performance Trade-off and Sleep Ergonomics
Addressing Steven Bartlett's search for a catch-free supplement, Dr. Galpin reiterates his core physiological rule: "there's no free passes in physiology." Citing meta-analytic research led by his colleague Dr. Ben House, Dr. Galpin explains the subtle catch with coffee. While caffeine is a powerful ergogenic aid that enhances endurance and physical performance at baseline, it cannot fully rescue a sleep-deprived body.
When well-rested, caffeine elevates your baseline performance to an "augmented" state. When sleep-deprived, your baseline performance drops; caffeine can bring you back up to your normal baseline, but it will *never* restore the peak augmented state achievable only when fully rested and caffeinated. Relying on stimulants to replace sleep leaves performance on the table.
```
Sleep State vs. Caffeine Performance Output
┌─────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────────┐
│ Baseline Sleep Status │ Without Caffeine │ With Caffeine │
├─────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────────┤
│ Fully Rested │ Normal Peak │ Augmented Performance (Maximum)│
│ Sleep Deprived │ Suppressed Performance │ Restored Normal Baseline │
└─────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────────┘
```
Turning to physical sleep setups and ergonomics, Dr. Galpin notes that mattresses, pillows, and bedding are almost entirely driven by individual preference, with few absolute "no-gos."
- **Bed Sharing:** Structural issues only arise if a bed is too small for two partners, leading to unwanted physical contact that disrupts sleep.
- **Temperature Control Coverings:** Devices like Eight Sleep mattress covers, cooling sheets, or ventilated mattresses are highly effective solutions if overheating interrupts sleep.
---
[38:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2289s) Screen Time, Novelty Seeking, and Algorithmic Retention
The real threat of evening screen time is not merely blue light exposure—it is cognitive arousal driven by the brain's innate search for novelty. Engaging with podcasts, social media feeds, or mobile games activates puzzle-solving, interest, and emotional investment, blocking the mind's ability to wind down. Dr. Galpin illustrates this using his own home life: he successfully falls asleep watching dry history documentaries about Ulysses Grant on a large TV because it lacks cognitive engagement, whereas his wife struggles to sleep after reading provocative books despite avoiding electronic screens.
```
"What's more dangerous about your screen is the arousal associated with the search for novelty."
```
Steven highlights how modern AI technology intensifies this threat, referencing Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta earnings call regarding recommendation algorithms like the "Muse" model. Instead of relying on tags or captions, these AI models contextualize the complete audio-visual content of videos to predict user engagement with uncanny precision. Algorithms are evolving past simply serving friend or creator posts; they are moving toward generating hyper-personalized, infinite content streams designed to keep users scrolling late into the night.
- **Evolution of Content Feeds:** Social platforms are transitioning from social graphs (friends/followed creators) to AI-curated and AI-generated content tailored to individual psychological triggers at specific times of day (e.g., 11:00 PM).
- **Biological Drive for Novelty:** Humans are hardwired through evolutionary biology to seek out novel information and extraordinary feats—the foundation of Joseph Campbell's "Hero's Journey," classic mythology (Hercules), and athletic record-breaking.
- **Behavioral Safeguards:** Navigating modern environments requires conscious behavioral guardrails, such as placing phones in separate rooms or establishing strict morning/evening digital curfews to protect baseline health.
[44:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2659s) The Psychology of Novelty, Variable Rewards, and Screen Addiction
Dr. Andy Galpin and Steven Bartlett discuss the deep human psychology behind why we get hooked on screen time and social media. Using the example of watching Lionel Messi break a world record on television, Dr. Galpin explains that people aren't just reacting to a dopamine hit from novelty; they are driven by a psychological need for purpose and a desire to witness history. Humans are inherently wired to reward novelty, making it extremely difficult to walk away from that core evolutionary drive.
Steven brings up B.F. Skinner's famous psychological experiments with pigeons receiving variable rewards. When a pigeon presses a lever and receives a treat on an unpredictable schedule, it becomes significantly more addicted to the behavior than if it gets a treat every single time. Social media functions as a digital slot machine—users scroll past dozens of uninteresting posts for the unpredictable dopamine hit of that one rewarding piece of content. Dr. Galpin draws an analogy to choosing between $10,000 in cash versus $10,000 of equity in a volatile startup; people struggle to walk away from belief, hope, and the "what if."
When Steven mentions deleting social media apps to escape this trap, he notes how surprising it is that the feared "fear of missing out" (FOMO) never materializes, leaving only a net positive impact on life. Dr. Galpin shares an anecdote about his friend, famous UFC fighter Sean O'Malley, who was sitting by his pool scrolling Twitter while his one-year-old daughter was right in front of him. Realizing he was aimlessly scrolling rather than working or being present, O'Malley immediately handed off his social media accounts to his team and deleted the apps from his phone.
- **B.F. Skinner Pigeon Experiment**: Demonstrates that unpredictable, variable rewards induce stronger behavioral addiction than predictable rewards.
- **Social Media Slot Machine Effect**: Users willingly scroll through roughly 39 uninteresting posts just to experience the satisfaction of 1 impactful post.
- **Sean O'Malley Anecdote**: The UFC champion quit personal social media scrolling after catching himself staring at his phone instead of engaging with his toddler daughter by the pool.
---
[47:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2848s) Sharing a Bed, Sleep Divorces, and Environmental Triggers
Transitioning to environmental factors that disrupt sleep, Dr. Galpin introduces the "presence of other beings." Although sharing a bed with a partner is standard, scientific data consistently shows that individuals sleep worse when sharing a mattress. While suggesting a total "sleep divorce" (sleeping in separate beds or rooms) can be a tough sell in a relationship—Steven jokes that his fiancée is the opposite of Dr. Galpin's wife, who would happily sleep in a separate bed—there are practical compromise solutions.
To minimize physical disruption, couples can use separate top sheets or choose specialized mattresses and bedding that don't transfer movement when one person tosses and turns. For partners with differing preferences—such as Dr. Galpin feeling claustrophobic ("like I'm in *Shawshank*") when sheets are tucked in tightly while his wife prefers to be constricted—simple setup adjustments can prevent sleep friction. Other practical barriers include placing a pillow between partners to block accidental hitting, using earplugs, or attempting a "partial sleep divorce" during high-stress work weeks.
- **Movement Isolation**: Using individual top sheets or motion-isolating mattresses prevents one partner's tossing and turning from rolling or waking the other.
- **Physical Barriers & Sound Proofing**: Simple interventions like body pillows or earplugs mitigate accidental nighttime bumps and snoring.
- **Partial Sleep Divorce**: Temporarily sleeping in separate rooms during critical work periods provides recovery without damaging relationship dynamics.
---
[49:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2948s) The First Night Effect and Optimizing Sleep Temperature
When sleeping in new environments—such as hotel rooms while traveling—people frequently experience the "first night effect," where sleep quality degrades because circadian cues (light, sound, smell, temperature) feel unfamiliar and unsafe. Dr. Galpin advises frequent travelers and professional athletes (who travel every 3 to 5 days) to replicate their home environment by bringing their own pillows or using familiar sensory cues, such as lavender scent, which is moderately associated with helping people fall asleep.
Regarding room temperature, the optimal target for sleep is generally between **64°F and 68°F (17.7°C to 20°C)**, though individual preferences vary. However, Dr. Galpin warns against over-cranking the air conditioner. The sudden noise of an AC unit cycling on and off creates a sharp acoustic change that wakes sleeper brainwaves. Furthermore, uncleaned AC filters can blast dust, dander, and particulates directly into the room, causing nasal congestion that triggers hypopneic or apneic breathing events. Similarly, running a fan directly aimed at your face dries out the mouth and throat, forcing unwanted awakenings for water.
- **Optimal Sleep Temperature**: **64°F–68°F** (**17.7°C–20°C**).
- **First Night Effect**: Disruption caused by unfamiliar environmental cues; mitigated by traveling with personal pillows or consistent scents like lavender.
- **AC Noise and Air Quality Hazards**: Intermittent AC noise disruptions cause micro-awakenings, while dirty filters blow particulates that block nasal passages, leading to sleep apnea symptoms.
---
[51:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3075s) Sex Differences in Acoustic Sleep Triggers and Postpartum Sleep Disorders
Steven brings up a famous 2009 sleep study conducted by Mind Lab at the University of Sussex, where men and women were hooked up to EEG machines while ambient noises were played to measure immediate brain-wake responses. The study revealed stark evolutionary differences between genders: men's top auditory triggers were car alarms, howling wind, and buzzing mosquitoes, whereas women's top triggers were a baby crying, a dripping tap, and shouting outside. Snoring ranked fourth for both.
Dr. Galpin notes that childbirth and the postpartum period represent one of the single largest drivers of long-term sleep disorders in women. Postpartum medical care frequently shifts all attention to the newborn while neglecting the mother. The extreme sleep deprivation of the final trimester and early infancy can entrain permanent insomnia, circadian rhythm disruptions, and irregular sleep patterns that persist even when the children grow into adulthood. Steven adds the counter-argument that social roles and parenting expectations also dictate who wakes up, but both agree that long-term maternal sleep patterns require active rehabilitation.
- **Mind Lab Sleep Study (2009)**:
- **Men's top wake triggers**: 1. Car alarm, 2. Howling wind, 3. Buzzing mosquito, 4. Snoring.
- **Women's top wake triggers**: 1. Baby crying, 2. Dripping tap, 3. Shouting outside, 4. Snoring.
- **Maternal Sleep Vulnerability**: Sleep disruption during pregnancy and infancy often establishes chronic insomnia that endures long after children grow up.
---
[53:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3218s) Building Sleep Resilience Through Self-Experimentation
Dr. Galpin cautions against making sleep an obsessive, high-stress focal point. When health optimization turns into an elaborate 12-supplement bedtime cocktail and a rigid two-hour routine, it breeds anxiety. Instead, the ultimate objective should be **sleep resilience**—the capacity to perform and execute high-level tasks the next day even after a bad night of sleep or a delayed flight.
To build sleep resilience, Dr. Galpin advocates running systematically controlled self-experiments (using free self-experimentation guides available on his site). Wearables and sleep trackers are useful for identifying *how* you slept, but they cannot tell you *why*. Individuals should isolate variables one at a time—adjusting bedroom temperature, light exposure, meal timing, or late workouts—to figure out their specific triggers and make incremental, marginal gains similar to elite athletes like UFC fighter Jon Jones.
- **Sleep Resilience vs. Sleep Optimization**: The goal is surviving bad sleep nights with peak performance rather than relying on brittle, perfectionist pre-bed routines.
- **The "Why" vs. "How" of Wearables**: Sleep trackers provide sleep architecture data but require single-variable self-testing to diagnose root causes.
---
[55:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3354s) Commercial Break: Ketone-IQ and Shopify
The podcast transitions into two promotional sponsor messages.
- **Ketone-IQ**: Steven highlights his personal reliance on exogenous ketones during long 10-hour podcasting or filming days to maintain cognitive clarity, articulation, and workout capacity. He notes that team member Cristiana tested the product and called it "the best product ever made," leading Steven to become a co-owner. Viewers get 30% off their first subscription order plus exclusive merch at `[ketone.com/steven](https://ketone.com/steven)`.
- **Shopify**: Steven emphasizes the critical decision of where to build an e-commerce business. Highlighting his product team's use of Shopify for physical items like conversation cards and journals, he stresses the importance of owning customer data rather than relying on third-party platforms. Shopify handles payments, storefronts, logistics, and built-in distribution across Google, TikTok, YouTube, and ChatGPT. Listeners can access a free trial at `[shopify.com/bartlett](https://shopify.com/bartlett)`.
---
[57:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3472s) Daily Energy Management and Systemic Vitality
Shifting the conversation from sleep to wakefulness, Steven notes that the primary metric people care about while awake is **energy**. Referencing a prior podcast interview with researcher Dr. Martin Picard on mitochondrial health, Steven discusses how fundamental cellular energy is to relationships, focus, mood, and daily joy.
Dr. Galpin confirms that lack of energy is the **number one symptom** bringing clients to his performance center. High performers constantly report feeling exhausted throughout the day, lacking their historical stamina, or experiencing prolonged recovery windows after physical or mental effort.
- **Primary Client Complaint**: Low daily energy and inability to sustain historical output rank as the top reasons individuals seek executive health interventions.
- **Mitochondrial Foundation**: Energy production at the cellular level underpins all physical recovery, emotional bandwidth, and cognitive output.
[59:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3550s) Energy Management in High Performers
Dr. Andy Galpin clarifies that when people ask what separates world-class performers—whether Olympic athletes, top executives, or successful entrepreneurs—from everyone else, they usually expect to hear that elite individuals simply "work harder." In reality, they don't necessarily work harder, but they are categorically better at energy management. High performance relies on recognizing what activities, relationships, and habits yield a high return on investment versus those that drain capacity. Rather than running aimlessly for the sake of running, elite performers excel at identifying and eliminating the 80% of energy-sucking tasks that only yield a 20% return, ruthlessly choosing what actually matters.
Steven Bartlett frames this with an "energy chips" analogy: while high performers wake up with 100 energy chips and carefully allocate them to their primary objectives, average individuals let their chips seep away into distractions like spending 20 chips scrolling on Instagram. This trap often manifests as "routine bloat," where people listen to health podcasts and stack zone 2 cardio, journaling, meditation, and cold plunges until they have created an unsustainable 20-hour daily routine that yields very little actual progress. To combat this, Dr. Galpin advocates identifying the single biggest constraint holding someone back—whether it is chronic pain, poor sleep, mismanaged relationships, under-fueling, or overusing stimulants—and focusing on just one or two "active movements" per week that require conscious effort to change, while stripping away everything non-essential.
- **Key Distinction:** Top performers do not necessarily work harder; they manage cellular, mental, and interpersonal energy far more effectively.
- **The "Energy Chips" Metaphor:** Allocating finite daily energy toward high-ROI goals rather than letting it bleed out into low-value distractions.
- **Active Movements Strategy:** Limit new, conscious habit changes to only 1–2 per week (e.g., altering meal timing or fixing a specific joint pain) to prevent overwhelming daily capacity.
---
[01:02:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3775s) Analyzing Steven’s Blood Work: Cholesterol and Keto
Transitioning into a live analysis of Steven’s recent blood work, Dr. Galpin highlights the sharp contrast between clinical medicine and high-performance science. Reviewing Steven’s lipid panel, Dr. Galpin points out that across roughly a dozen cholesterol markers, "not one's good." In standard medical terms, extremely high cholesterol is strongly associated with cardiovascular disease, heart attacks, and strokes. Steven shares that at the time of the test, he was adhering strictly to a ketogenic diet rich in steak, bacon, and butter, and that both testing services he used—Function Health and Neko Health—advised him to drastically reduce his intake of high-saturated-fat foods.
Dr. Galpin explains that while saturated fat is not inherently "evil," dietary context is crucial. Independent of obesity, alcohol consumption, or smoking—none of which apply to 33-year-old Steven—elevated cholesterol driven by a high-saturated-fat diet can present genuine cardiovascular risk. The discussion turns personal as Steven reveals a strong family history of heart issues: his uncle passed away from a heart attack, and his father recently had a pacemaker installed after taking statins for nearly two decades. Dr. Galpin notes that while a ketogenic diet works well for some, Steven’s combination of elevated lipids and strong genetic predisposition makes the dietary response a serious concern that warrants medical follow-up and tracking over time.
- **Steven’s Lipid Results:** Showed widespread elevation across a dozen cholesterol-related markers despite being lean, active, non-smoking, and non-drinking at age 33.
- **Dietary Context:** High saturated fat intake from a ketogenic diet can cause significant spikes in blood lipids, which can be problematic when combined with genetic risk factors.
- **Familial Risk Factors:** Steven’s uncle died of a heart attack, and his father has taken statins for 15–20 years and recently received a pacemaker.
---
[01:07:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4046s) Cardiac Remodeling, Plaque Types, and the Widowmaker
Addressing Steven’s previous diagnostic imaging, Dr. Galpin evaluates Steven’s mention that a scan showed he had a "thick wall" in his heart. Dr. Galpin explains that this is often a healthy, non-pathological adaptation known as exercise-induced cardiac remodeling. Because the left ventricle is responsible for pumping oxygenated blood out to the entire body against gravity, heavy resistance training causes its muscular wall to thicken—much like a bicep growing larger from lifting weights. What would actually be alarming is evidence of soft, unstable arterial plaque that could dislodge and cause an acute blockage.
To illustrate why relying solely on standard blood panels can be dangerous, Dr. Galpin shares the story of his friend and renowned conditioning coach, Joel Jamieson. Despite being young, exceptionally fit, non-smoking, non-drinking, and having completely clean blood work, Jamieson insisted on getting a CT angiogram against his cardiologist’s initial recommendation. The scan revealed a 50% blockage in his left anterior descending artery—commonly known as the "widowmaker"—effectively saving his life before a fatal event could occur. Dr. Galpin emphasizes that while indirect blood markers provide useful clues, direct imaging offers definitive proof of cardiovascular health, allowing individuals to address actual plaque accumulation rather than living in unnecessary fear.
- **Left Ventricular Hypertrophy:** A natural, healthy enlargement of the left ventricular wall resulting from regular resistance training and intense physical exercise.
- **Plaque Dynamics:** Unstable or "sticky" plaque poses the highest risk of dislodging and causing strokes or cardiac events compared to stable, calcified tissue.
- **The Joel Jamieson Case:** A fit, asymptomatic individual with ideal blood markers whose CT angiogram uncovered a 50% "widowmaker" arterial blockage, proving the value of direct heart imaging.
---
[01:10:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4240s) Lowering Cholesterol through Fiber, Stress Reduction, and Medicine
Turning to actionable interventions for elevated cholesterol, Dr. Galpin details how targeted lifestyle adjustments can produce dramatic improvements. He highlights a specific case study of a high-charging corporate executive client whose total cholesterol started at an alarming 347 mg/dL. By introducing dietary fiber—which physically binds to cholesterol in the digestive tract to clear it from the body—and implementing aggressive stress management, the client’s total cholesterol dropped down to 223 mg/dL. Furthermore, his C-reactive protein (CRP), a key marker of systemic acute-phase inflammation, dropped tenfold from 2.0 down to 0.2.
Dr. Galpin explains that cholesterol components act as acute-phase reactants, fluctuating in response to elevated cortisol, systemic inflammation, and psychological stress. While lifestyle modifications brought this client’s cholesterol down substantially, reaching optimal target levels required an additional push. Working with his medical team, the client was prescribed a statin, which successfully brought his total cholesterol down to a healthy 163 mg/dL. Dr. Galpin points to this as a ideal example of how lifestyle interventions and traditional pharmaceutical medicine should work in tandem rather than in opposition.
- **Fiber's Mechanism:** Soluble fiber binds to cholesterol molecules in the gut, assisting in their physical elimination from the body.
- **Stress & Inflammation Impact:** Psychological stress elevates acute-phase reactants like CRP, driving systemic inflammation that negatively alters lipid panel readings.
- **Executive Case Study Outcomes:**
- Total cholesterol dropped from **347 mg/dL** to **223 mg/dL** via fiber supplementation and stress reduction alone.
- Systemic inflammation (CRP) decreased 10-fold, falling from **2.0** to **0.2**.
- Final total cholesterol reached **163 mg/dL** after incorporating statin therapy alongside ongoing lifestyle protocols.
[01:13:04](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4384s) Medical vs. Lifestyle Interventions and Bloodwork Realities
Dr. Andy Galpin addresses the nuance between lifestyle modifications and pharmaceutical interventions, arguing that it is unfair to push dogmatic narratives on either end of the spectrum. Telling patients that "everything can be solved with lifestyle" is just as misleading as telling them to rely solely on medication while ignoring their habits. Referencing a real-world case, Galpin points out that optimal health outcomes often require a combination of both—incorporating dietary changes, stress reduction, and targeted medical therapy. For individuals who lack access to private concierge medicine, the actionable approach is simply to run self-directed experiments: increase dietary fiber, actively manage stress, and iterate over time without unnecessary panic.
The discussion transitions directly to Steven Bartlett's personal lab results, specifically focusing on his vitamin D and omega-3 status. Bartlett expresses shock at being labeled deficient in vitamin D (clocking in at $37 \text{ ng/mL}$, below the ideal baseline threshold of $40 \text{ ng/mL}$) despite living in sunny Los Angeles. Galpin framing vitamin D as a functional "microcosm" for overall wellness: low levels frequently correlate with broader lifestyle deficiencies. While sunlight exposure and whole foods remain the gold standard, modern indoor work environments, shift work, and regional weather constraints often necessitate supplementation.
- **Vitamin D Reference Level:** Steven tested at $37 \text{ ng/mL}$, whereas $40 \text{ ng/mL}$ represents the lower end of the ideal physiological range.
- **Demographic Variance:** Individuals of African heritage statistically show lower baseline circulating vitamin D levels on standard assays.
- **Systemic Role:** Vitamin D acts as a master regulator across the brain, gut, endocrine system, immune response, bone density, and skeletal muscle synthesis.
- **Actionable Consistency Rule:** Requesting more than 1–2 active lifestyle habits per week leads to behavioral compliance failure.
---
[01:17:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4622s) The Omega-3/Mercury Dilemma and Energy Management
Moving down the blood panel, Dr. Galpin highlights an important trade-off involving Steven's omega-3 index and heavy metal toxicity. Steven's omega score registered at 5%, falling short of the target 8% threshold, while his mercury levels sat right at the upper safety boundary. Galpin warns that blindly ramping up fish oil or seafood intake to fix an omega deficiency often drives mercury into toxic territory due to bioaccumulation in marine sources. The resolution requires changing the source quality of omega-3s—either through ultra-purified, third-party tested supplements or lower-trophic seafood options.
The conversation shifts to systemic energy management, dividing exhaustion into **visible stressors** (lack of physical exercise, poor movement) and **hidden stressors** (low-grade systemic infections, environmental toxins, or caloric deficits). Galpin illustrates the impact of hidden stressors by sharing a case study of a Major League Baseball player who suffered severe, debilitating fatigue on the field; thorough diagnostic testing traced the root cause to severe mold exposure in his bedroom. Once the hidden toxin was remediated, his baseline energy returned.
- **Omega-3 Target:** Steven scored a 5% omega-3 index against a clinical target of 8%.
- **Mercury Contamination:** High dietary intake of low-grade fish oils or apex predatory fish directly correlates with elevated heavy metal retention.
- **Visible vs. Hidden Stressors:** Visible stressors include lack of movement and poor sleep; hidden stressors include subclinical mold exposure, occult pathogens, or low energy availability (chronic under-fueling).
---
[01:17:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4672s) Physiological Adaptations: The SAID Principle and Energy Production
Dr. Galpin details the physiological machinery behind exercise-induced energy expansion. Physical training increases total blood volume, erythrocyte (red blood cell) count, and mitochondrial density. Mitochondria—the cellular powerhouses responsible for processing aerobic energy—grow both larger and more numerous in response to physical demand. Galpin breaks down the core physiological law governing these changes: the **SAID Principle** (*Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand*). The body expands capacity only when subjected to a specific stressor.
The conversation reframes "exercise" from a modern, 75-year-old construct into a fundamental requirement for stress inoculation. Historically, human movement was woven into daily survival through carrying, sprinting, climbing, and grappling. Modern life removed those daily demands, forcing society to reintroduce artificial stress in gyms. Steven notes the cognitive application of this rule: challenging oneself in specific tasks—whether podcasting or writing—builds functional endurance for that exact domain.
- **Mitochondrial Adaptations:** Aerobic training increases mitochondrial volume, density, and oxidative efficiency.
- **Hematological Shift:** Endurance demands trigger an increase in overall blood volume and red blood cell count, enhancing oxygen delivery.
- **The SAID Principle:** "Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand" dictates that biological systems adapt specifically to the exact nature of the mechanical or metabolic stress applied.
- **Historical Perspective:** Structured "exercise" is a recent phenomenon resulting from the elimination of natural daily physical effort over the last 75 years.
---
[01:23:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5017s) Overcoming the Downward Aging Spiral: From Healthspan to Performance Span
Steven and Dr. Galpin unpack the dangerous feedback loop where minor pains lead to physical avoidance, accelerating muscular atrophy and functional decline. Steven shares how viewing a DEXA scan comparison between a sedentary 30-year-old and a 70-year-old elite master athlete fundamentally shifted his mindset: physical decline is rarely caused by chronological age alone, but rather by the premature cessation of mechanical loading. Refusing to accept age as an excuse for pain encourages proactive resistance training—such as squatting and bending—to restore tissue capacity.
The dialogue challenges current trends in longevity science. Galpin rejects the passive framing of "healthspan" (merely staying alive without disease or pain) in favor of **"performance span."** The true objective of health optimization is preserving peak cognitive, skill, and physical capacities late into life—enabling individuals to actively participate in demanding physical pursuits rather than remaining functional in a restricted environment.
- **Atrophy Feedback Loop:** "Atrophy leads to atrophy"—avoiding movement due to discomfort decreases structural load capacity, escalating the risk of future injury.
- **Master Athlete Scan:** High-level 70-year-old athletes display bone density and muscle cross-sectional area superior to sedentary 30-year-olds.
- **Performance Span Paradigm:** Shifting the longevity goal from mere disease avoidance ("healthspan") to maximizing high-level physical capability, skill retention, and cognitive output throughout life.
---
<ElicitationsGroup message="Explore related health and performance insights:">
<Elicitation label="Review the previous section on cholesterol and heart health" query="Summarize part 5 of the transcript focusing on Steve's cholesterol results and cardiac health."/>
<Elicitation label="Continue to the next section on grip strength and muscle power" query="Provide a detailed walkthrough for part 7 of the transcript starting around 01:29:30."/>
</ElicitationsGroup>
[01:26:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5206s) Exercise Consistency and Daily Energy
Steven reflects on his recent travel schedule in New York, noting a direct drop in his daily energy levels when his gym frequency dipped from almost daily down to three or four times a week. He asks Dr. Andy Galpin if this link between workout frequency and subjective vitality is purely psychological or grounded in exercise physiology.
Dr. Galpin clarifies that both mechanics are at play. Performing moderate-to-light, lower-intensity exercise acts as a net generator of daily energy. While "to the death," all-out training sessions—whether heavy weightlifting or peak-heart-rate cardio—might leave a person temporarily exhausted, they still boost aggregate energy over time. For busy, traveling, or recovering individuals, simply getting in motion to break a sweat is the single best strategy to elevate baseline mood and daily vigor, reserving high-intensity pushes for times when long-term training adaptations are the primary goal.
- **Travel Protocol:** During high-stress or high-travel periods, prioritize light-to-moderate movement over intense sessions to maintain energy without overtaxing the system.
- **Aggregate Energy:** Consistent exercise increases baseline daily energy, even if individual hard workouts temporarily cause fatigue.
---
[01:29:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5370s) Grip Strength: Diagnostic Indicator vs. Biomarker to Optimize
Steven introduces a digital grip strength dynamometer into the studio, citing the common claim that grip strength is the single greatest predictor of longevity and overall health. Dr. Galpin pushes back on this oversimplification while acknowledging its historical origins. In the late 1980s, Dr. Steven Blair and his research team analyzed large public health databases and discovered that performance-based markers—such as $\text{VO}_2$ max, $\text{VO}_2$ peak, and physical strength—out-predicted traditional clinical markers like blood pressure and cholesterol for all-cause mortality. However, Dr. Galpin cautions that the wellness industry has taken this finding too far by treating grip strength as a target to maximize rather than a broad screening tool.
A cheap handgrip dynamometer (often under $40) is an excellent, low-cost screening instrument to identify individuals who are exceptionally weak or at high baseline health risk. However, for a young, fit individual, a high grip score provides very little incremental insight into overall wellness. Mechanically, grip strength measures both local forearm muscle output and central nervous system (CNS) recruitment.
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ GRIP STRENGTH AS A BIOMARKER │
├────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┤
│ WHAT IT MEASURES │ WHAT IT IS NOT │
├────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│ • CNS recruitment capability│ • A target to over-optimize│
│ • Baseline neural health │ • A direct substitute for │
│ • Screening for frailness │ full-body strength │
│ • Early neurological risk │ • An isolated driver of │
│ (via grip asymmetry) │ longevity improvements │
└────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────┘
```
Steven tests both hands live on air using the dynamometer, producing a notable difference between sides:
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ STEVEN'S LIVE DYNAMOMETER RESULTS │
├─────────────────────────────┬───────────────────────────┤
│ Right Hand (Dominant/Control)│ 130 lbs │
├─────────────────────────────┼───────────────────────────┤
│ Left Hand (Non-dominant) │ 160 lbs │
└─────────────────────────────┴───────────────────────────┘
```
Dr. Galpin explains that this setup is common: dominant limbs are often specialized for fine motor control, while non-dominant limbs handle gross force production. Furthermore, Dr. Galpin highlights that over 20 to 25 recent studies have focused on **grip strength asymmetry**. Significant side-to-side force discrepancies are primarily researched in populations with neurological conditions to detect early signs of nerve denervation, Parkinson's, or Alzheimer's disease.
- **Historical Context:** Steven Blair's late-1980s research proved physical performance markers often out-predict standard blood clinical markers for mortality.
- **Neurological Mirror:** Handgrip force tests the central nervous system's capacity to drive motor units just as much as it tests physical muscle tissue.
- **Asymmetry Research:** 20 to 25 recent studies highlight grip strength asymmetry as an early warning sign for neurological degeneration and nerve denervation rather than simple muscular weakness.
---
[01:34:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5670s) Muscle Power, Sarcopenia, and "Powerpenia"
Shifting the conversation away from static isometric strength, Dr. Galpin explains why **muscle power** is an even more vital physiological marker for long-term functional health. Power is defined mathematically as force multiplied by velocity ($\text{Power} = \text{Force} \times \text{Velocity}$), where force itself equals mass times acceleration ($F = ma$). Demonstrating with a 12-kilogram kettlebell, Dr. Galpin illustrates that moving a weight slowly displays force, but moving that exact same mass explosively at high speed yields power.
While the medical field has long focused on *sarcopenia* (the age-related loss of muscle mass and basic strength), scientific attention has increasingly shifted toward *powerpenia*—the age-related loss of muscle power and explosive force. Power declines at a significantly faster rate with age than muscle mass or max strength. This loss of rapid force production directly impairs a person's ability to react quickly, catch themselves during a trip or slip, and prevent devastating falls, bone fractures, or joint dislocations past age 60 or 65.
```
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ SARCOPENIA VS. POWERPENIA │
├────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┤
│ SARCOPENIA │ POWERPENIA │
├────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤
│ • Loss of muscle mass and │ • Accelerated loss of │
│ isometric strength │ explosive speed & power │
│ • Gradual age decline │ • Faster drop-off rate │
│ • Affects overall force │ • Primary cause of fall- │
│ production │ related bone fractures │
└────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────┘
```
- **Power Equation:** $\text{Power} = \text{Force} \times \text{Velocity}$. Increasing power requires driving either higher load or higher movement speed.
- **Powerpenia Risk:** The loss of rapid velocity-based force production after age 60–65 is a primary driver of fall-related injuries, broken bones, and loss of independence.
- **Training Flaw:** Moving light weights slowly fails to build both strength and power, leaving the upper end of the velocity spectrum completely untrained.
---
[01:37:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5823s) Exercise Volume, Rest Intervals, and Quality Over Quantity
Steven asks whether achieving superior fitness outcomes—whether muscle growth, fat loss, or strength—requires increasing gym frequency from 3–4 days up to 6–7 days a week. Dr. Galpin dispels the myth that more frequent gym visits are inherently superior. For hyper-trophy (muscle growth), total weekly training volume—defined as the total load lifted across all sets and reps—is the primary driver. As long as overall weekly volume is equated, training 3 days a week can produce similar muscle growth to training 6 days a week.
The duo then debate rest intervals between sets. Steven notes the common gym advice to keep rest periods extremely short to maximize muscle growth. Dr. Galpin points out that this idea isn't supported by the broader scientific evidence. Taking overly short rest periods causes excessive fatigue accumulation, which degrades the amount of weight lifted or reps performed on subsequent sets, ultimately tanking total volume.
"In my world, quality is always number one," Dr. Galpin emphasizes. Resting 60 to 90 seconds—or up to 2 minutes—between sets allows the neuromuscular system to recover sufficiently to deliver higher-quality efforts. The main caveat is practical time management: longer rest periods mean longer workouts. However, Dr. Galpin warns against letting hyper-optimized details destroy basic consistency: if someone is consistently training three days a week, they are already achieving the vast majority of the benefits.
- **Weekly Volume Dominance:** Total sets and reps multiplied by load over a 7-day period dictates hyper-trophy far more than the exact number of days spent in the gym.
- **Rest Period Evidence:** Resting 60 to 120 seconds maintains mechanical tension and set quality better than short, ultra-fatiguing rest intervals.
- **Core Principle:** Execution quality and long-term consistency trump minor protocol tweaks every time.
<FollowUp label="Want to cover the rest of Dr. Galpin's fat loss and training protocols?" query="Summarize the remaining part of the Dr. Andy Galpin transcript covering fat loss, supplements, and workout strategies."/>
[01:40:57](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6057s) Repetition Quality and the "Mind-Muscle Connection"
Dr. Andy Galpin points out that beyond sheer volume, the actual quality of your repetitions determines your progress while protecting you from injury. Whether the goal is building muscle or gaining strength, quality comes down to strict technique, full range of motion, deliberate intent, and leveraging the "mind-muscle connection." For instance, when target-training a shoulder, you must actively feel and contract that exact muscle throughout the movement rather than just going through the motions.
When every single repetition is executed with high precision and focused intent, the efficiency of your training dramatically shifts. Athletes can achieve superior physiological adaptations with less total volume in shorter periods, avoiding junk volume that only accumulates fatigue.
---
- High-quality repetitions with strict technique and full range of motion prevent injury while maximizing muscle stimulus.
- Mind-muscle connection ensures target muscle groups are fully recruited during specific exercises.
- Focused execution allows individuals to get better overall results with less physical work and time in the gym.
---
[01:41:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6096s) Dr. Galpin's Personal Supplement Stack
When Steven Bartlett brings up the massive popularity of creatine and asks if Dr. Galpin and his athletes use it, Galpin confirms unequivocally that everyone on his roster takes it. He breaks his supplement strategy into two strict, distinct categories: **correcting physiological deficiencies** and **performance enhancement**. Deficiencies are identified exclusively through thorough blood work—such as low vitamin D—and addressed through whole food first, supplemented only as needed by high-quality multivitamins or fish oil.
Performance enhancers include compounds like creatine, beta-alanine, and sodium bicarbonate, which are dialed in depending on whether an athlete is training for hypertrophy, power, or endurance. Travel changes his routine: when on the road, where fresh vegetables are virtually non-existent in airports and restaurants, he supplements heavily with fiber. At home, where he controls his diet, he skips fiber supplements entirely. He also refrains from taking vitamin D or omega-3s during the summer because he harvests his own wild game (which is naturally higher in nutrient density than grain-fed meat), eats fresh fish, and gets ample sunlight living in the forest.
---
- **Creatine:** Taken across the board by Dr. Galpin, his team, and his high-performance clients.
- **Two Supplement Categories:**
- *Correcting Deficiencies:* Multivitamins, fish oil, vitamin D (governed strictly by blood work and food gaps).
- *Performance Enhancement:* Creatine, beta-alanine, sodium bicarbonate (tailored to active training goals).
- **Travel Protocol:** Supplementing with fiber to offset the lack of vegetables in airports and hotels.
- **Summer Protocol:** Zero vitamin D or omega-3 supplementation due to direct sunlight exposure and a diet rich in wild-harvested meat and fresh fish.
---
[01:43:32](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6212s) Weight Loss Misconceptions: "Cooks vs. Bakers"
Addressing weight loss, Dr. Galpin emphasizes that while fat loss is a difficult human endeavor practically, it is categorically very simple. The biggest myth is that there is a single "magic" food to eliminate or a secret training routine required for results. Because there are endless strategies to lower total food intake, the key to long-term success is matching the diet's execution structure to an individual's specific personality type. He illustrates this by framing people as either "Cooks" or "Bakers."
"Baking is chemistry," Galpin explains. In baking, precise measurements are mandatory or the final product fails to set or rise. A "Baker" personality thrives on explicit instructions: weighing and measuring every gram of food, logging every calorie, and removing all guesswork. Conversely, "Cooking" allows you to throw whatever is in the fridge into a pan and adjust by feel. A "Cook" personality prefers 1–3 simple concepts or broad boundaries—such as eating fresh vegetables and a clear protein source with every meal, or setting a restricted eating window—without having to track granular details.
```
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| DIET PERSONALITY MATRIX |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| "THE BAKER" (Precision & Data) | "THE COOK" (Concepts & Rules) |
+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| • Weighs and measures every gram | • Follows 1–3 high-level lifestyle rules |
| • Tracks exact macros and calories | • Focuses on food quality/composition |
| • Eliminates guesswork and decision | • Learns through habits, meal timing, |
| fatigue | or removing entire food groups |
| • Ideal for final-stage fat loss | • High sustainability for busy schedules|
+-----------------------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
```
When Steven admits he is firmly a "Cook" who prefers overarching concepts over tracking grams, Galpin notes a critical caveat: high-level concepts work great when someone has a lot of weight to lose, but when you are already very lean and trying to drop those last few pounds, "cooking" fails. At that stage, invisible calories—like an extra splash of olive oil or an unmeasured portion of rice—block progress, requiring the precision of a "Baker."
---
- Fat loss principles are simple, but practical execution fails when the approach clashes with the individual's psychological style.
- **Bakers:** Need explicit boundaries, food scales, and strict calorie tracking to eliminate decision fatigue.
- **Cooks:** Perform best with high-level behavioral rules (e.g., protein + vegetables at every meal, or restricted eating windows).
- **The Lean Plateau Exception:** Eyeballing food works well for significant weight loss, but shedding final percentages of body fat requires precise weighing and tracking.
---
[01:48:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6507s) The 2-Week Precision Calibration & Class Experiment
Dr. Galpin advises everyone—even die-hard "Cooks"—to adopt the "Baker" method for just two weeks. By weighing food, scanning barcodes, and tracking exact intake for 14 days, individuals visually calibrate what a true tablespoon of peanut butter, a cup of rice, or 3 ounces of meat looks like. Steven agrees, sharing that running calorie-tracking apps or strict keto for short periods fundamentally re-calibrated his intuitive understanding of food portions and carbohydrate "budgets."
To illustrate how skewed human perception of food is, Galpin shares an experiment he ran annually with his graduate students earning master's degrees in exercise science. He required them to complete a meticulous 7-day food log, weighing everything they consumed. Year after year, these advanced students were stunned by the results:
1. They consumed significantly more total calories from fat than they assumed (often guessing 20% of total intake when they were actually at 40%).
2. They drastically underestimated their carbohydrate consumption.
3. They consistently ate far less protein than they assumed.
---
- **The 2-Week Calibration Rule:** Track and weigh all food for 14 days to build a permanent, accurate visual baseline of portion sizes.
- **Graduate Student Experiment Findings:** Even advanced exercise physiology students consistently underestimated fat and carbohydrate intake while overestimating their protein intake.
- **Diet Awareness:** Short-term tracking (even via restrictive diets like Keto) acts as an educational tool that builds lifelong intuitive nutritional awareness.
---
[01:51:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6661s) Exercise's True Role in Weight Loss and Energy Compensation
Addressing myths surrounding exercise, Dr. Galpin tackles the extreme narrative shifts of recent years. Historically, the messaging was purely "burn more calories than you eat." Then, new scientific literature revealed that people burn far fewer calories during workouts than exercise machines claim. Furthermore, the body utilizes **adaptive thermogenesis**—meaning if an individual burns 500 calories during a workout, their body may downregulate its daily non-exercise energy expenditure (NEAT) by 300 to 500 calories to compensate, leaving them at a net-neutral calorie burn.
This led to a counter-myth claiming that exercise plays no role in fat loss. Galpin clarifies that while weight loss can be accomplished entirely through dietary intervention, meta-analyses prove that people who incorporate exercise during their weight loss journey are dramatically better at maintaining their fat loss long-term over months and years. Exercise builds the metabolic machinery and behavioral framework required to keep lost weight off permanently.
---
- **Cardio Machine Calorie Counters:** Consistently overestimate actual caloric expenditure during workouts.
- **Adaptive Thermogenesis:** The body often downregulates background metabolic rate or non-exercise activity after hard workouts to conserve energy, offsetting calories burned.
- **Long-Term Fat Retention:** While diet drives initial weight loss, consistent exercise is the primary predictor of maintaining fat loss over years.
---
[01:53:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6788s) The "54321 Method" for Fat Loss
To eliminate confusion around workout structure for weight loss, Dr. Galpin introduces his straightforward "54321 Method." This framework provides clear targets for physical activity, structured training, intensity, and modality while granting permission to take necessary recovery time:
- **5 Days a Week of General Activity:** Moving as much as possible through walking, physical labor, or active hobbies (with total permission to completely rest and "veg out" on the remaining 2 days).
- **4 Days a Week of Structured Exercise:** Dedicated workout sessions, which can range from heavy gym sessions to light yoga.
- **3 Days a Week of High Intensity:** Training hard enough to break a real, solid sweat to ensure sufficient caloric expenditure.
- **2 Days a Week of Strength Training:** Dedicated resistance work to maintain muscle tissue and metabolic health.
- **1 Day a Week of High Heart Rate:** Pushing cardiovascular output until the heart rate gets extremely high.
When Steven asks why so many people hit the gym 3 to 4 days a week yet feel completely stagnant and see zero physical changes, Galpin points to a lack of program focus and lack of progressive overload as the root causes.
---
- **54321 Rule Overview:**
- **5** days of general physical activity (walking, lifestyle movement).
- **4** days of structured exercise sessions.
- **3** days intense enough to produce a solid sweat.
- **2** days focused specifically on strength training.
- **1** day pushing heart rate to near-maximal levels.
- **Stagnation Cause:** Hitting gym frequency targets fails to yield physical transformation when programming lacks focus, intensity, or progressive structure.
[01:55:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6902s) The Importance of Having a Structured Training Plan
When someone goes to the gym 3 to 4 days a week without seeing progress, Dr. Andy Galpin points out that the issue is almost always a lack of a structured plan. Going in and simply "winging it" prevents progressive overload, which is essential for muscular adaptation. Progressive overload means systematically increasing the demands on the musculoskeletal system over time—whether by adding repetitions, increasing weight, increasing sets, or extending the range of motion.
```
Progressive Overload Strategies:
├── Repetitions (doing more reps than last week)
├── Sets (adding total volume)
├── Load (increasing resistance/weight)
└── Range of Motion (deepening movement patterns)
```
Steven Bartlett notes that most people fall into the trap of doing the exact same workout routine for months—such as walking on the stair master at level 8 for 10 minutes—and expecting different results. While adding 5 lbs every single week isn't infinitely sustainable, having a scientific framework ensures that training parameters shift dynamically to induce continued physical progress. For complete beginners, basic AI prompts can easily auto-generate a structured starting routine to follow for 6 to 10 weeks.
- Without a written program, it is impossible to track and execute systematic progressive overload.
- Progressive overload isn't just adding weight; it includes manipulating sets, reps, and range of motion.
- Simple AI-generated fitness plans are usually "good enough" to help absolute beginners establish a routine for their first 6 to 10 weeks.
---
[01:57:05](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7025s) Live AI Prompting and the Limits of Digital Coaching
To demonstrate how accessible basic workout guidance has become, Steven prompts an AI assistant live during the interview: *"Hi, I want to go to the gym 4 days a week and I want Andy Galpin's formula for me to gain muscle... what are the principles that I need to apply?"* The AI correctly identifies three core tenets from Dr. Galpin’s work: prioritizing progressive overload, utilizing a variety of rep ranges (low reps for strength, moderate-to-high for hypertrophy), and taking adequate rest periods of 2 to 5 minutes between heavy compound sets. Dr. Galpin laughs that while there's a slight touch of AI "hallucination," the output is remarkably accurate.
This shift in technology triggered a massive pendulum swing in the health and fitness industry. Following the 2020 pandemic shutdowns—which devastated brick-and-mortar gyms—online fitness coaching boomed, only to crash when AI models began providing personalized training templates for free. However, Dr. Galpin notes that the market is now swinging back toward in-person training. People have realized that information alone was never the missing ingredient; human connection, emotional support, and accountability are what drive real-world execution.
- **AI Recommendations generated live:**
- Progressive overload (gradually increasing weights, reps, or sets).
- Varied repetition ranges (heavy low-rep for strength, moderate/high-rep for growth).
- Rest periods of 2 to 5 minutes between heavy compound movements for full recovery.
- Online automated coaching took a hit as AI democratized access to workout programming.
- Demand for in-person personal trainers is surging because clients pay for accountability, human connection, and execution—not just raw data.
---
[01:59:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7158s) Information vs. Storytelling: What Drives Real Action
Steven and Dr. Galpin debate why people continue consuming hours of health content when basic fitness principles haven't changed in decades. Steven points out a growing trend in comment sections where users prompt tools like Grok or ChatGPT to summarize 3-hour podcasts into 10 bullet points. Dr. Galpin emphasizes that those looking for shortcuts rarely take action; the individuals who actually implement changes are the ones who listen to the full narrative.
> "It was never about the information... We always had the information. Dumbbells, barbells, rep ranges—none of us invented this stuff."
The real value of podcasts and expert consultation lies in story, lived experience, and real-world case studies. Hearing how a trainer helped an individual client navigate perimenopause or overcome specific constraints builds trust and makes concepts memorable. Furthermore, people pay experts to save time—delegating the programming so they can focus on their own lives and priorities.
- Raw information is widely available and largely unoriginal; execution depends on inspiration and trust.
- Case studies and real human stories provide context that allows listeners to internalize advice.
- Paying an expert is often about buying back time rather than acquiring secret knowledge.
---
[02:00:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7243s) Catalyst Moments and Behavior Change
When exploring what triggers lasting behavior change in stubborn individuals, Dr. Galpin notes that there is no single universal "rock bottom." While major life events—such as having children, losing a loved one, or turning a landmark age—frequently act as turning points, abstract warnings like the "threat of death" rarely work. If fear of death were an effective motivator, society wouldn't face a 40% obesity rate despite widespread knowledge of health risks.
Behavioral shifts happen when an event hits "too close to home." Steven shares a vivid childhood memory from when he was 10 years old: an assembly speaker brought in a police officer who described attending a fatal car crash, finding a deceased victim, and looking down at the victim's phone as it rang with an incoming call from "Mom." That traumatic detail permanently changed Steven's behavior, making him strict about enforcing seatbelt use with everyone around him for the rest of his life.
In health and performance, objective personalized data acts as a powerful catalyst. Dr. Galpin recalls a professional athlete who refused to admit he was losing speed until force-plate testing showed he was no faster than college students. Similarly, Steven shifted his stance instantly upon seeing his own personal lipid panel results rather than looking at an anonymous case study.
- Abstract health risks (e.g., smoking, obesity, social media) rarely alter behavior until an event occurs extremely close to an individual.
- **Primary drivers of behavior change:**
1. *Acute health shocks or wakeup calls* (a close friend or family member falling ill).
2. *Quantitative biometric feedback* (seeing one's own alarming bloodwork or performance data).
3. *Major life transitions* (becoming a parent, reaching landmark ages like 30/40/50, or retiring).
4. *Selling a company* (transitioning from intense career focus to personal body optimization to fill a purpose gap).
---
[02:05:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7540s) Optimization, Health Baseline, and Setting Better Goals
Dr. Galpin clarifies that you don't need to be obsessed with peak performance or extreme optimization to care about your health. While his background focuses on elite athletes, a non-optimizer can simply aim to maintain health long enough to enjoy life without suffering preventable declines. Getting routine preventive health checks is the most straightforward way to identify underlying issues before they require reactive intervention.
```
Health Mindset Spectrum:
[ Basic Health Maintenance ] ◄──────────────► [ Elite Optimization ]
(Preventing sudden decline) (Maximizing performance)
```
The discussion shifts to setting flawed goals that lead to failure. Steven recalls a personal goal he set at age 27: going to the gym every single day. When an unavoidable flight forced him to miss a day six months later, the streak broke, causing his motivation to crash entirely. Dr. Galpin points out that all-or-nothing goals are inherently fragile targets that fail to account for real-life disruptions.
- Health management doesn't require an extreme "optimizer" mindset; avoiding major health setbacks is a valid and practical objective.
- Getting comprehensive health checkups provides objective baselines that remove guesswork from wellness goals.
- Setting rigid daily goals (e.g., working out 365 days a year) sets up a single point of failure that can derail long-term adherence.
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[02:08:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7689s) Redefining Success: Why Health Must Come Before Fat Loss
Dr. Andy Galpin addresses a fundamental flaw in how most people approach weight loss and health goals. People typically jump straight to standard tactics, assuming they just need to exercise more and restrict calories. However, Galpin emphasizes that the key to lasting progress is diagnosing what is actually blocking them in the first place—such as hidden stressors or systemic health issues. Rather than pursuing fat loss as a prerequisite to becoming healthy, Galpin argues that individuals must prioritize getting healthy first, after which fat loss becomes significantly easier.
He illustrates this paradigm shift by rethinking how clients define success and failure. When a client sets a rigid target like losing 25 pounds, Galpin challenges them with a hypothetical scenario: if they lose 12 pounds, their chronic shoulder pain vanishes, their energy surges, and their digestive issues resolve for the first time in a decade, is that a failure? The answer is obviously no; it is a massive health success. By redefining progress beyond a superficial number on the scale, clients are able to overcome long-standing barriers and achieve meaningful, sustainable improvements.
- **The Tactical Mistake:** Most people default to "eat less, exercise more" without addressing underlying blockers or hidden stressors.
- **The Proper Order:** Getting healthy first makes fat loss significantly easier, rather than trying to lose weight to get healthy.
- **Redefining Success:** Broadening goals to include health markers (e.g., elimination of pain, improved gut health, higher energy) prevents mislabeling life-changing progress as failure.
---
[02:09:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7760s) "What Would Still Be Worth Doing If You Were Sure to Fail?"
Continuing the show’s tradition, host Steven Bartlett presents the final question left by the previous guest: *"If you were sure to fail, what would still be worth doing?"* Dr. Galpin reflects on his hyper-competitive nature, sharing that while he loves to compete, he is remarkably indifferent to the prospect of losing. His candid response is "all of it," because his satisfaction comes entirely from the act of engaging in the process rather than reaching the podium.
Whether spending quality time with his children or building businesses, Galpin finds intrinsic value in the doing itself. Steven summarizes this mindset with the phrase "the process over the podium." Galpin agrees, emphasizing that when you genuinely enjoy the journey, fear of failure loses its power over you.
- **Closing Tradition:** The signature *Diary Of A CEO* guest-to-guest question.
- **Galpin's Core Mindset:** Loves the competition and action, but holds zero fear of failure or losing.
- **Key Takeaway:** "The process over the podium"—the intrinsic reward lies in the effort and engagement, not just the final outcome.
---
[02:10:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7822s) A Tribute to Pure Motivation and Closing Remarks
Steven Bartlett expresses deep gratitude to Dr. Andy Galpin, commending him for his pure motivations, relentless scientific rigor, and ability to translate complex health concepts into practical advice. Steven notes a pre-show conversation where Galpin admitted he has little interest in the business aspect of his brand; his true passion is purely research, education, and coaching. Steven highlights that mutual friend Dr. Andrew Huberman also praises Galpin's obsession with truth and his dedication to helping people reach their full potential.
Galpin thanks Steven for the invitation, expressing genuine appreciation for the platform to share his work. He directs listeners to his podcast, *Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin*, as well as his website (`andygalpin.com`) and social media channels. Steven wraps up the episode by encouraging viewers to subscribe to Galpin's channel and check out the show notes for linked resources, including sleep questionnaires and health screeners discussed throughout the interview.
- **Host Appreciation:** Steven commends Galpin for his purity of intention, obsession with research, and skill as a communicator.
- **Andrew Huberman Mention:** Highlighted as a mutual friend who speaks to Galpin's dedication to scientific truth.
- **Where to Find Dr. Galpin:**
- Podcast: *Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin*
- Website: `andygalpin.com`
- Social Platforms: Instagram and YouTube
---
## Notable quotes
> [38:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2289s) What's more dangerous about your screen is the arousal associated with the search for novelty. — Dr. Andy Galpin
> [01:40:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6003s) In my world, quality is always number one — Dr. Andy Galpin
> [01:59:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7158s) It was never about the information... We always had the information. Dumbbells, barbells, rep ranges—none of us invented this stuff. — Dr. Andy Galpin
> [02:09:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7760s) If you were sure to fail, what would still be worth doing? — Steven Bartlett
## Mentioned
Dr. Andy Galpin, Steven Bartlett, The Diary Of A CEO, Lionel Messi, B.F. Skinner, Sean O'Malley, Mind Lab, University of Sussex, Twitter, Shawshank, Perform with Dr Andy Galpin, Grok, ChatGPT, Dr. Andrew Huberman
Andy Galpin 博士重新审视减脂与睡眠优化方案
长期减脂失败往往源于执行结构上的脱节而非缺乏运动，而过度优化健康方案带来的焦虑反而会削弱身体机能表现。
Andy Galpin 博士探讨了人体机能科学，重点关注睡眠质量、光照暴露、室温以及环境因素如何影响日常精力与长期健康。他深入剖析了健康与健身领域的常见误区，提出了如“厨师与烘焙师”（Cooks vs. Bakers）性格框架和 54321 训练法等实用减脂策略。此外，Galpin 博士强调，可持续的行为改变取决于心态、重过程轻结果的理念以及高质量的动作模式，而非僵化的数据指标或速成法。
频繁查看屏幕和社交媒体的心理冲动源于人类对新鲜感与可变奖励的追求，其运作机制类似于电子老虎机。 (44:19)
与伴侣同床相比独自睡眠往往会降低睡眠质量，这一问题可通过分被睡或临时“睡眠分居”（sleep divorces）来调理。 (47:28)
“首夜效应”以及欠佳的卧室环境（如极端室温、未清洗的空调滤网或正对脸部吹的风扇）均会诱发微觉醒并扰乱睡眠。 (49:08)
男性与女性对诱发睡眠觉醒的声响刺激反应不同，且孕期与产后等重大生理阶段可能导致女性出现长期睡眠障碍。 (51:15)
过度执着于刻板的睡眠方案反而会引发健康焦虑，而真正的首要目标应是建立睡眠韧性。 (53:38)
Reading summary
Dr. Andy Galpin argues that sustainable physical performance and fat loss depend on identifying and resolving root physiological constraints—such as undiagnosed sleep pathology, systemic stressors, and uncalibrated dietary habits—rather than pursuing rigid optimization routines or cosmetic shortcuts.
Clinical Pathology Precedes Sleep Optimization (7:50)
Galpin cautions that modern wellness culture often fosters "health anxiety" by over-focusing on sleep scores and elaborate bedtime routines while overlooking treatable medical conditions. He reports that approximately 50% of professional athletes suffer from a clinical sleep disorder, while 70% to 80% of individuals with sleep apnea remain undiagnosed—a figure rising to 90% to 95% among women, whose chronic fatigue is frequently misdiagnosed as stress or hormonal shifts. Galpin stresses that performance optimization should never supersede diagnosing disease.
Managing Energy and Biomarker Trade-offs (62:55)
Galpin observes that high performers differentiate themselves through disciplined energy management rather than raw work volume, prioritizing high-yield actions over exhausting "routine bloat." Physiologically, physical training expands mitochondrial density and blood volume via the SAID Principle (Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand). However, pursuing specific diets or regimens requires evaluating systemic trade-offs.
Analyzing Steven Bartlett's lab results, Galpin points out that an animal-heavy ketogenic diet pushed cholesterol markers into ranges of genuine cardiovascular concern, particularly given Bartlett's family history of cardiac events. Galpin also highlights the friction between raising an omega-3 index from 5% toward the 8% target while keeping mercury below toxic thresholds. Because blood markers can provide incomplete visibility, Galpin cites cases where direct imaging, such as a CT angiogram, proved necessary to reveal arterial blockages in asymptomatic, highly fit individuals.
Muscle Power, Longevity, and Training Quality (94:30)
Challenging passive definitions of "healthspan," Galpin promotes "performance span"—the preservation of high-level physical capacity into late life. While digital grip strength dynamometers offer a valid, low-cost screening tool for baseline vulnerability, Galpin cautions against treating grip strength as a metric to endlessly maximize in healthy individuals. Instead, he highlights "powerpenia"—the age-related loss of muscle power (force multiplied by velocity)—which deteriorates faster than muscle mass (sarcopenia) and directly impairs the rapid reaction time needed to prevent debilitating falls.
To preserve tissue and strength, Galpin emphasizes movement quality over gym frequency. Weekly volume is the primary driver of hypertrophy, meaning three properly loaded training days can match the outcomes of six days. He advises resting 60 seconds to two minutes between heavy sets, noting that cutting rest periods too short accumulates fatigue and degrades execution.
Behavioral Nutrition and Structured Fat Loss (103:32)
Galpin asserts that while fat loss physiology is simple, adherence requires matching dietary execution to behavioral personality. He distinguishes between "Bakers," who thrive on precise gram weighing and calorie tracking, and "Cooks," who operate best using broad rules, such as prioritizing protein and vegetables at each meal. He advises all individuals to follow a strict two-week weighing and logging calibration period, citing classroom experiments where exercise science graduate students consistently underestimated fat and carbohydrate consumption while overestimating protein intake.
Galpin clarifies that while adaptive thermogenesis downregulates daily non-exercise activity after strenuous sessions, exercise remains essential for long-term weight maintenance. To guide training, he introduces the "54321 Method": five days of general activity, four structured workout sessions, three sweat-inducing efforts, two dedicated resistance workouts, and one high-heart-rate session per week. He stresses that progressive overload requires a structured plan, and that resolving systemic health issues must precede attempts at aggressive fat loss.
Galpin concludes that sustainable progress relies on embracing "the process over the podium" rather than brittle, all-or-nothing goals that collapse after missed sessions. While tools like artificial intelligence can instantly generate accurate exercise programming, Galpin emphasizes that real-world adherence still depends on human coaching, context, and resolving underlying health roadblocks before targeting aesthetic change.
精炼阅读摘要
人类性能专家 Dr. Andy Galpin 指出，现代人在减脂与健康优化上的普遍停滞并非由于缺乏知识，而是陷入了无视基础病理与盲目堆砌方案的误区。他主张必须优先排查睡眠呼吸暂停等未诊断的生理瓶颈，并将健康调理置于减脂之前，依据个体心理类型与渐进负荷原则建立可持续的执行框架。
睡眠危机诊断与循证干预误区 (0:00)
Galpin 指出，尽管全球睡眠产品年支出已达数千亿美元，现代人的平均睡眠时间在过去60年间却缩减了60分钟。临床睡眠呼吸暂停在全人群中有70%至80%未被确诊，在女性中未确诊率更高达90%至95%，且常被误诊为疲劳或荷尔蒙波动。环境层面上，全球光污染导致的“空中发光”（Skyglow）与超过60至70分贝的城市环境噪音严重破坏昼夜节律。他建议清晨接受自然光照以重置生物钟并形成晚间光照防御缓冲，卧室白噪音应严格控制在40分贝以下，避免因整夜播放播客或电视而破坏深层睡眠结构。
在补充剂与药物方面，Galpin 强调必须厘清机制与风险。褪黑素是强效激素而非急救镇静剂，市售5至10毫克的剂量存在过度浓缩风险，临床推荐用于时差调节的剂量仅为0.3至0.5毫克，半夜醒来服用完全无效。相比之下，双甘氨酸镁、酸樱桃汁、睡前食用两颗奇异果以及富含芹菜素的洋甘菊茶拥有坚实的人体临床证据，能有效下调大脑前额叶皮层的过度激活。他提醒大众应追求具备容错能力的“睡眠韧性”，而非依赖繁琐、脆弱的睡前流程。
能量管理瓶颈与临床检查优先级 (57:52)
日间精力匮乏是高净值与高表现人群寻求干预的首要症状。Galpin 表示，顶尖表现者与普通人的差异不在于工作时间的长短，而在于能量管理能力与对低投入产出比事务的断舍离，避免陷入堆叠冷水浴、长时间冥想等导致的“日常事务膨胀”。从生理学角度看，运动通过“对施加需求的特异性适应”（SAID原则）促进红细胞增多、血容量扩张及线粒体体积与数量的增加；然而，潜在的低度系统性感染、环境毒素或过大热量缺口等隐性压力源，会直接透支线粒体功能并引发慢性衰竭。
在健康筛查策略上，Galpin 强调临床疾病排查必须优先于非必要的健康优化。针对追求生酮饮食导致胆固醇大幅升高的案例，即使个体体脂极低且不吸烟酗酒，高饱和脂肪摄入结合心血管家族病史仍构成实质风险。此外，常规血液生化指标无法完全反映动脉血管壁的真实病变，他举例指出即便是血液指标完全正常且体能卓越的专业体能教练，也可能经由CT血管造影（CTA）查出前降支动脉存在50%的严重软斑块狭窄。因此，直接影像学检查能够排除间接指标的推测误差，防止在盲目优化中忽视致命风险。
从握力筛查到爆发力衰退防范 (89:30)
握力常被大众健康圈神化为预测全因死亡率的决定性指标，但 Galpin 澄清其核心价值仅在于低成本的初级疾病风险筛查。握力反映的是局部前臂肌群与中枢神经系统的募集效率，对于虚弱和高危人群具有显著鉴别意义，但对于年轻健康的运动人群，进一步提高握力数值并不能带来额外的健康长寿收益。过度将基础筛查工具当作最高优化目标，是健康焦虑的典型体现。
相比于肌肉量和绝对力量随年龄流失的“肌少症”（Sarcopenia），衰老过程中更为致命却常被忽视的是“爆发力衰退”（Powerpenia）。物理学上功率等于力乘以速度，人体爆发力下降的速率远快于基础力量与肌肉容积的流失；60岁以上人群跌倒、骨折和关节脱位的主要诱因，往往是在身体失去平衡时无法以极快的速度产生对抗冲力。在日常训练安排上，每周总负荷量是肌肥大的主导变量，每周训练3天与6天在总量相等时效果相当，而组间休息60至120秒能确保神经系统恢复并输出高质量负荷，推翻了刻意缩短休息时间更有利于增肌的流行偏见。
减脂心理画像与“54321”结构法则 (103:32)
Galpin 认为减脂在生理学机理上极为明确，执行层面的失败主要源于饮食方案与个体心理特质的错配。他将人群划分为两类：“烘焙师”型需要精准称重、精算卡路里并依赖明确数据；“厨师”型则偏好宏观边界与原则（如每餐保证优质蛋白质和新鲜蔬菜）。无论是哪种类型，他建议所有人均应进行为期两周的精确称重与记录校准，其研究生实验证明，即便具备运动生理学专业背景的人，也会系统性低估40%的脂肪与碳水化合物摄入，同时严重高估蛋白质摄入。
针对运动在减脂中的作用，Galpin 纠正了两个极端论调：心率设备往往高估运动热量消耗，且机体会通过“适应性产热”下调非运动性日常消耗（NEAT）来抵消热量赤字；但长期追踪表明，结合运动的减脂者在数月甚至数年后的体重维持率显著更高。为破除无序训练，他提出“54321结构法则”：每周5天常规活动、4天结构化训练、3天高强度出汗、2天抗阻力量训练以及1天峰值心率冲击。他强调，长期停滞的根源在于缺乏计划与渐进负荷（增加负荷、次数、组数或动作幅度），且必须先通过修复睡眠与疼痛恢复身体健康，减脂才能水到渠成。
Dr. Andy Galpin 呼吁大众将注意力从脆弱的绝对减重数字转移到涵盖认知与行动力的“表现寿命”（Performance Span）上，确立“重过程轻结果”（Process over Podium）的长期主义心态。本期节目的讨论确立了基础生理排查高于盲目补剂堆叠的原则，但在缺乏专业团队监测与直接医疗影像支持的情况下，大众如何在日常生活中低成本、安全地排查隐性压力源与心血管风险，仍是一个有待医疗体系进一步简化的现实挑战。
Detailed notes — zh
## Background
本期内容由YouTube著名播客频道《The Diary Of A CEO》（主持人为Steven Bartlett）于2026年8月13日发布。节目特邀著名运动表现科学家与人体机能学专家Dr. Andy Galpin，深入揭示了摧毁现代人活力的重大睡眠误区、高发却鲜为人知的睡眠呼吸暂停危机、晨间节律调节与补剂真相，并探讨了过度追求健康优化为何反而可能适得其反。
## TL;DR
Dr. Andy Galpin系统性剖析了从睡眠修复到体能重构的科学路径，指出高达70%至80%的睡眠呼吸暂停患者从未确诊，强调应通过晨间光照、环境声控及降低静息心率来打造真正的“睡眠复原力”。结合主持人Steven全线偏高的胆固醇血检报告与心脏扫描案例，Galpin详述了高饱和脂肪饮食与家族遗传交织下的心血管风险，展现了膳食纤维、减压与现代医药结合的干预价值。此外，他打破了传统的减脂与力量迷信，提出应对跌倒风险的“爆发力减退症（Powerpenia）”认知以及结构化的“54321减脂法则”，呼吁大众摆脱健康焦虑，优先修复底层生理机能而非执着于死板的数字目标。
## Atmosphere & style
整场对谈兼具硬核扎实的运动生理学拆解与极具现场感的坦诚交锋，在严谨求真与风趣幽默之间保持着绝佳的节奏。当Steven当场展示自己全面飘红的真实血检报告、两人轮番挑战握力计并为出人意料的读数惊呼时，科学原理瞬间与个人的脆弱感和切身体验紧密相扣。Galpin博士以其服务奥运冠军与特种部队的深厚积淀，用务实、去神圣化的口吻击碎了当下流行的生物黑客迷信，整场对话既充满醍醐灌顶的认知震撼，又洋溢着专注于生命过程本身的理性与温情。
## Bulletin
- [08:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=510s) 临床睡眠呼吸暂停在全人群中有高达 70% 至 80% 未被确诊，女性漏诊率更是高达 90% 至 95%，且发病并不完全取决于体脂率，夜间平卧体液向颈部回流同样是关键诱因。
- [20:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1214s) 长达 1,200 天的可穿戴追踪数据显示，夜间静息心率每下降 1 bpm，实际睡眠时长可延长 6 分钟；但消费级设备在估算深睡、REM 阶段及睡眠评分上普遍不可靠。
- [29:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1785s) 市售褪黑素常见剂量（5-10 mg）严重超标，可能导致次晨尿液残留达正常上限 100 倍并引发严重睡眠惰性，科学补充的生理剂量仅需 0.3 至 0.5 mg。
- [01:53:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6788s) 针对减脂，Dr. Andy Galpin 提出“54321 法则”：每周 5 天保持活跃、4 天结构化运动、3 天练到出汗、2 天力量训练以及 1 天极限心率挑战。
## Key takeaways
- [10:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=621s) 睡眠障碍是全社会的隐形健康危机，睡眠呼吸暂停绝非肥胖人群的专利，体液平卧回流与解剖结构均可引发隐性缺氧与严重代谢损伤。
- [15:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=937s) 午后略感困倦以及入夜精力自然滑坡是正常的生理节律，高绩效人士无需因非病理性的日常疲乏产生过度健康焦虑。
- [17:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1076s) 消费级可穿戴设备擅长记录总睡眠时长与静息心率，但其计算的深睡比例、REM 周期与复合睡眠评分极不精准，不应被盲目迷信。
- [23:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1398s) 清晨充分摄入自然光不仅能校准体内昼夜节律开关，还能显著增强视网膜与中枢神经抵抗深夜意外强光侵袭的耐受韧性。
- [25:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1514s) 理想的睡眠环境噪音需控制在 35 分贝以下；白噪音设备若音量超过 40 分贝或过于贴近头部，反而会破坏神经系统的彻底下调。
- [26:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1597s) 睡前食用 2 至 3 颗猕猴桃或饮用洋甘菊茶拥有充分的循证医学支持，能通过生化调节帮助前额皮质自然关机，且无夜间药物干扰。
- [38:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2289s) 睡前刷屏幕最大的杀伤力并非单纯来自蓝光，而是不断追逐新奇内容与可变奖励机制所带来的持续高认知唤醒状态。
- [47:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2848s) 在伴侣同床引发睡眠干扰时，可通过独立被褥、中间放置长枕头缓冲或阶段性“部分睡眠离婚”来换取更纯粹的生理恢复。
- [57:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3472s) 顶尖高手的优势在于精力管理而非单纯拼命努力，其核心法则是在日常生活中做减法，每周最多增加 1 到 2 项消耗意志力的主动行为。
- [01:02:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3775s) 血液检测与运动表现存在巨大脱节，外表精瘦且高频运动的个体仍可能因高饱和脂肪生酮饮食与家族遗传而面临极高的心血管风险。
- [01:10:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4219s) 通过增加膳食纤维促进胆固醇肠道排泄并强力管理压力降低 CRP 炎症水平，结合必要时的他汀类药物，是逆转心血管风险的黄金组合。
- [01:18:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4708s) 运动适应遵循 SAID 原则（对施加需求的特异性适应），规律运动通过扩张总血容量与增加线粒体体积与密度，从细胞底层根本性提高精力上限。
- [01:34:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5694s) 衰老过程中爆发力减退症（Powerpenia）的丧失速度远超传统肌少症，肌肉功率的急剧下滑是老年人失衡摔倒与致命骨折的头号元凶。
- [01:37:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5823s) 在增肌与力量训练中，只要总容量一致，每周训练频次差异不大；充分的组间间歇（60-120 秒）才能保证每组动作的高机械张力与动作质量。
- [01:43:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6226s) 减脂不存在不可替代的特定动作或绝对禁忌食物；先经过两周严密称重的“烘焙期”校准分量认知，再过渡到原则导向的“烹饪期”最为长效。
- [01:51:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6718s) 单纯运动往往会触发身体的“适应性产热”与能量下调代偿，但减重期间坚持运动是日后数年维持体脂不反弹的决定性保障。
- [01:54:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6885s) 健身训练陷入停滞通常并非不够努力，而是缺乏结构化规划以执行包含负荷、次数、组数及动作幅度在内的渐进性超负荷。
- [02:01:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7290s) 抽象的健康威胁极难促成行为改变，而身边亲友的事故、无可辩驳的个人生物量化数据或生活身份转折才是顽固人群最强大的改变催化剂。
- [02:08:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7686s) 减脂成功的底层逻辑不是“先减肥才能健康”，而是“唯有先消除慢性疼痛、肠道紊乱与隐性压力使身体重获健康，减脂才会水到渠成”。
## Detailed walkthrough
### [00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=0s) 科学助眠策略与隐性睡眠呼吸暂停危机
访谈伊始，Dr. Andy Galpin 指向桌上的一系列物品与策略，明确指出每一项背后都有着确凿的科学实证支持，能够切实改善睡眠质量。在这些经过验证的干预措施中，排在首位的是出人意料的日常水果——奇异果（Kiwis）。多项严谨的科学研究表明，睡前食用两到三颗奇异果能显著提升整体睡眠质量。接下来被重点提及的则是“睡眠离婚”（Sleep Divorce），即伴侣在夜间分床或分房睡；客观数据显示，与他人同睡一张床往往会不可避免地损害睡眠连续性。此外，声音对睡眠的影响力不容小觑，其决定性甚至“等同于、甚至超过绝大多数其他外部环境因素”。连同屏幕使用习惯、晨昏光线暴露、枕头选型乃至各类可穿戴设备，共同构成了现代睡眠优化的核心拼图。
具有讽刺意味的是，现代人在睡眠辅助产品上的金钱投入创下历史新高，但整体睡眠质量却在持续恶化。在过去二十余年深耕运动表现科学与生理学指导的过程中，Galpin 接触过大量顶尖运动员、企业家和行业领袖，但他发现即使在职业运动员群体中，也有高达 50% 的人患有临床级别的睡眠障碍。更令人震惊的是普通人群中的漏诊率：约 70% 至 80% 患有临床阻塞性睡眠呼吸暂停（Sleep Apnea）的人对此毫无察觉，而在女性群体中，这一漏诊比例甚至高达 90% 到 95%。这种隐性缺氧与微觉醒对健康的破坏是毁灭性的，它与全因死亡率升高、认知能力衰退、情绪失调、运动恢复滞后以及代谢崩溃直接挂钩。无论是通过针对减脂的“54321 法则”，还是解决深层生理缺陷，核心目的都是消除那些阻碍个体释放潜能的未知路障。
- **睡前食用奇异果**：临床研究显示，睡前摄入 2–3 颗奇异果有助于显著改善入睡与睡眠质量。
- **伴侣同床干扰（Sleep Divorce）**：同床共枕普遍伴随微觉醒与动作干扰，分床睡往往能带来更纯粹的生理恢复。
- **声音干预的权重**：环境声音控制对深度睡眠周期的影响，其重要性不亚于甚至超越光线与温湿度。
- **睡眠呼吸暂停的惊人漏诊率**：普通人群中 70%–80% 未获确诊，女性漏诊率更是高达 90%–95%。
- **广泛的系统性损害**：睡眠障碍与远期死亡风险、代谢健康恶化、认知迟钝及情绪调节障碍呈强正相关。
---
### [01:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=101s) 频道订阅呼吁与内容承诺
主持人 Steven Bartlett 插入了一段真诚的幕后互动。团队向他展示的后台数据显示，有相当一部分长期观看节目的忠实观众实际上并未订阅，甚至有人反映系统存在偶发的自动取消订阅现象。Steven 坦言，节目目前正接近一个极其关键的订阅里程碑，他向听众提出一个简单的“互惠协议”：如果观众愿意花一秒钟检查并点击订阅按钮，帮助团队维持节目的完全免费与高水准制作，那么他也承诺将竭尽全力，每周、每月都为听众争取到最硬核的嘉宾与最具启发性的深度对话。
---
### [02:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=156s) Andy Galpin 的学术初心与顶尖运动员辅导谱系
当被问及“既然对单纯的财富积累兴趣不大，为何要在科研、辅导与大众科普之间长年奔波”时，Andy Galpin 给出了一个极其凝练的回答：“我想给每一个听众实现其目标与梦想的机会。”无论是渴望改变形体、追求极致运动表现，还是单纯摆脱日常病痛，他所做的一切就是运用生理学工具扫清客观障碍。Galpin 动情地表示，如果一个人最终成功或失败，原因应该完全归结于其个人意志与执行力，而不是被某种本可纠正的生理阻碍暗中拖垮。因此，他在指导 NFL 顶尖线卫与帮助一位仅仅希望“明早起床后背不再剧痛”的普通患者时，所感受到的兴奋与执着是完全平等的。
回顾二十余年的执业履历，Galpin 服务的对象代表了人类身体机能的最高与最特殊截面。这其中包括各大职业体育联盟的选秀状元、名人堂成员、美国职棒大联盟赛扬奖（Cy Young Award）得主、最有价值球员（MVP）、多项运动的奥运金牌得主以及格斗世界冠军。然而，他的视野并不局限于超级精英；他的实验室和辅导团队同样深入服务偏瘫（Hemiplegics）与截瘫（Paraplegics）患者、饱受围绝经期（Perimenopause）综合征困扰的女性、高压企业高管，以及普通的工薪阶层家庭。
---
### [04:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=242s) 生理学视角下的两大干预路径：“重建”与“升级”
谈及客户前来求助的诉求时，Galpin 将其归纳为两大主要类别：“重建”（Rebuild）与“升级”（Upgrade）。所谓“重建”，意味着当事人身体内部存在明确的器质性故障或损伤——无法逆转的体重暴增、严重的慢性睡眠剥夺、已被确诊的临床睡眠障碍、急性或陈旧性运动损伤，这些问题犹如巨大的绊脚石，必须先被彻底清除与修复。而“升级”则是针对那些自觉体感尚可、无明确器质性病变的人群；他们不满足于“还行”，而是追求身体潜能的最大化释放，渴望在日常体能、代谢灵活性以及大脑认知功能上跃迁到全新台阶。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 客户健康干预的双重路径模型
accDescr: 展示重建与升级两个维度的生理干预逻辑与具体表现
subgraph Rebuild["重建路径 (Rebuild)"]
R1["解决明确故障与损伤"]
R2["体重严重失控 / 慢性代谢异常"]
R3["临床睡眠障碍与慢性疼痛"]
end
subgraph Upgrade["升级路径 (Upgrade)"]
U1["突破基线状态 (体感良好以上)"]
U2["激发极致体能与代谢灵活性"]
U3["优化神经认知与高阶情绪调节"]
end
subgraph Physiology["底层生理学生物标志物 (Physiology)"]
P1["肌肉力学失衡\n(如颈部肌群失衡引发牵涉痛)"]
P2["系统性炎症水平与免疫应激"]
P3["生物分子表达谱与能量代谢通路"]
end
Rebuild --> Physiology
Upgrade --> Physiology
```
Galpin 强调，自己之所以能跨越不同人群并实现这些目标，核心在于直接锁定了底层的“生理学特征”（Physiology）及其深层的生物分子特征谱（Biomolecular Signature）。很多时候，表象上的疲惫与失控往往有着连环的生理病因：比如不易察觉的肌肉力学失衡引发了颈部慢性牵涉痛，疼痛进而在夜间阻碍了深睡眠与身体修复，睡眠缺失继而破坏了下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺轴的情绪调节能力，最终表现为日间的情绪崩溃与精力匮乏。不管是解决炎症还是纠正生物力学，关键都在于洞察身体内部各项系统的联动运行与分子表达。
- **个人学术背景**：Galpin 拥有人类生物能量学（Human Bioenergetics）博士学位，自 2011 年起建立并领导自己的独立大学科研实验室，本职为终身教授与前沿运动生理学家。
- **产学研结合**：在主持科研、发表同行评议成果的同时，创办了多家健康技术与咨询企业，保持了二十余年的高强度一线临床与运动辅导经验。
---
### [05:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=340s) 运动员与普通人的健康痛点排行及血液检查预告
在被要求对来访者的痛点进行排序时，Galpin 巧妙地区分了职业运动员与普通大众。对于顶尖运动员，求助原因通常非常集中：要么是陷入了“频繁受伤”与“精力见底、睡眠崩溃”的恶性循环，要么是处于极佳状态下的“前瞻性优化”（Optimizer），试图在伤病苗头出现前将其扼杀。而在非专业大众中，诉求逻辑惊人地相似：越来越多的人不愿等到疾病缠身才被动应对，他们希望通过精准的基线生理数据预测风险并防患于未然；但与职业选手不同的是，普通人每天往往只能挤出几分钟来执行健康干预，无法为了健康管理而彻底颠覆日常生活。
大众中最常见的高频问题高度集中在五大领域：睡眠障碍、全天能量波动、力量增长瓶颈、顽固脂肪难以消除，以及日常注意力涣散与脑雾（Brain Fog）。随后，Steven 透露了本期节目的一个重磅环节：他自己刚刚拿到了由 Galpin 亲自解读的血液生化检测报告。尽管 Steven 自认为平时的生活作息与训练非常自律，但报告结果却“并非全都是好消息”，其中揭示的几项严重微量营养素缺乏彻底震惊了他，不仅彻底颠覆了他的日常补剂方案，也改变了他的日常行为模式。与此同时，Galpin 还带到了另一份同龄男性从身体指标濒危逆转为极度健康的对照病例，双方的对比与实操建议将在后文展开深度剖析。
---
### [07:49](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=469s) 睡眠障碍的普遍性与“健康焦虑”的警示
在正式切入睡眠与能量管理的细节前，Galpin 提出了一个至关重要的前置思维框架：必须高度警惕“健康焦虑”（Health Anxiety）。在当下的生物黑客与健康量化浪潮中，人们极易陷入对细微指标的过度执念与病态担忧——为了血液化验单上的轻微浮动或智能手环上的某组睡眠评分而终日惶惶不安，这种心身应激本身就会对神经系统造成二次伤害。
Galpin 辩证地指出，在全球 80 亿人口的宏观维度上，世界真正面临的问题是绝大多数人对自身健康毫不关心，我们亟需更多人重视健康指标；然而，收听本期节目的受众绝非典型的大众样本，他们往往已经具备极高的自律性与健康意识。因此，对于这部分高阶人群而言，优化的关键在于明确自身已处于非常优秀的基线，在追求系统“升级”的同时，切不可跨越心理边界，避免将健康的量化工具异化为制造焦虑的心理枷锁。
### [08:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=510s) 健康焦虑与隐形危机：睡眠呼吸暂停的惊人未诊断率
安迪·加尔平（Dr. Andy Galpin）在切入健康与睡眠的硬核话题前，首先给听众打了一剂预防针。他告诫大家不要因为接触过多健康知识而陷入“健康焦虑”（Health Anxiety）——“我可不希望你因为碰了一张超市小票就吓得魂不守舍、焦虑三天”。加尔平指出，健康与表现之间存在着一个从“疾病”到“最优化”的连续光谱。如果在身体存在真正的临床疾病时，却去瞎折腾所谓的性能最优化，完全是本末倒置。而睡眠领域，恰恰是隐藏着最多未被察觉的临床疾病的重灾区。
最惊人的盲区莫过于睡眠呼吸暂停（Sleep Apnea）。加尔平披露，在所有患有临床睡眠呼吸暂停的人群中，竟有约 70% 到 80% 的人终生未被确诊。这种现象如果发生在骨折或糖尿病上，简直匪夷所思。在不同研究中，高达 50% 的顶尖运动员患有某种临床睡眠障碍；而女性的漏诊情况尤为严峻，大约 90% 到 95% 患有临床呼吸暂停的女性完全不知道自己的病情。
造成这种巨大认知偏差的原因在于根深蒂固的刻板印象。如果让斯蒂芬·巴特利特（Steven Bartlett）在十个人里挑出一个最不可能得呼吸暂停的人，大家本能地会指向身材最娇小纤细的年轻女性，因为世人总以为呼吸暂停是体型肥胖者的“专利”。加之女性通常更少主动就医抱怨，往往将白天的疲倦与精力不济归咎于激素波动、月经周期、巨大的认知负荷或是当母亲的重担。然而事实表明，睡眠呼吸暂停的发生并不必然取决于身体脂肪成分。
- **极高的漏诊比例**：全人群约 70%–80% 的临床睡眠呼吸暂停患者未获诊断；女性漏诊率更是高达 90%–95%。
- **运动员群体的高发**：根据不同统计，约 50% 的专业运动员存在临床睡眠障碍。
- **认知的盲区**：大众误以为该病仅存在于肥胖群体，忽略了体型纤瘦的女性同样可能患病。
---
### [10:21](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=621s) 什么是睡眠呼吸暂停：机制、体液流动与“达斯·维达”式通用治疗
睡眠呼吸暂停的本质是夜间睡眠时呼吸停止。斯蒂芬下意识地以为呼吸停止必然会让人惊醒，但加尔平纠正道，这种窒息往往根本不会把人唤醒，但它对健康的破坏力却极其阴险而致命。夜间缺氧与长期的全因死亡风险高度挂钩，并会在短期内直接摧毁认知功能、情绪调节、运动恢复与代谢健康。夜间无法顺畅呼吸，是人体健康所能遭遇的最严重打击之一。
关于其发病机制，传统的观点死板地盯住“脖子粗细”或肥胖程度。虽然肥胖确实会增加气道受阻的概率，但更关键的物理机制在于平卧时的“体液转移”（Fluid Shift）。加尔平拿桌上的饮品做比喻：当人白天站立或端坐时，身体处于垂直状态，体液聚集在下半身；一旦躺平，体内如同平放的杯子，大量体液会向颈部、喉部与咽喉周围回流，直接压迫上呼吸道。体型较大的人体内水分总量更多，这种平卧时的体液重力转移现象也就更加显著。此外，呼吸暂停不仅有物理或解剖学原因，还有神经中枢调控异常、睡姿问题以及环境因素。
面对这一复杂疾病，现行医疗体系的处理方式却显得极为机械。患者确诊后，通常只能得到三类千篇一律的处方：药物、正压呼吸机（CPAP，加尔平戏称为“达斯·维达式面罩”）或下颌前移口腔矫治器。这些疗法的实际依从率和成功率之所以很低，正是因为医疗界往往采取“一刀切”的粗放模式。精准医疗的未来方向，必须是区分出神经性、体位性还是解剖性病因，再精准匹配针对性的治疗（甚至特定手术），而非给所有人开同一台呼吸机。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 睡眠呼吸暂停的发病机理与体液流动
accDescr: 展示从白天直立到夜间平卧体液回流导致气道狭窄并引发全身健康后果的过程
subgraph Mechanism ["物理与生理机制"]
A["白天垂直站立/坐姿<br/>（体液受重力积聚在下半身）"] --> B["夜间平卧躺下<br/>（体液向颈部与上呼吸道转移）"]
B --> C["喉部、咽壁受压狭窄<br/>+ 神经中枢或体位因素"]
C --> D["夜间呼吸反复暂停<br/>（往往不伴随惊醒，隐蔽缺氧）"]
end
subgraph Consequences ["健康后果与系统性影响"]
D --> E["短期影响：认知减退、情绪失调、代谢紊乱"]
D --> F["长期风险：心血管损害、全因死亡率上升"]
end
```
---
### [13:38](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=818s) 全球十亿人的困境：为什么这种疾病在现代社会大规模爆发？
谈及实际流行率时，斯蒂芬列举的临床数据令人咋舌：中年男性中呼吸暂停的患病率为 24% 到 34%；中年女性为 9% 到 17%；65 岁以上老年人的患病率更是飙升至 30% 到 60%；而绝经后女性的患病率也达到了约 25%。加尔平指出，这意味着每三个中年男性听众中，就可能有一人正在默默承受着临床级的呼吸暂停折磨，这甚至尚未将数量庞大的亚临床人群计算在内。放眼全球，受此困扰的人口估算已突破 10 亿大关。
从进化生物学的角度来看，严重损害机体机能的睡眠呼吸暂停显然不利于生存繁衍，为何现代人会大面积中招？加尔平将原因归纳为三大支柱：
1. **环境与物理生活方式的急剧剧变**：现代人的室内环境、空气、光照、颌骨发育和体态习惯，是远古祖先从未经历过的。
2. **筛查与检测手段的极度落后与割裂**：目前的临床检测要么繁琐耗时、极其昂贵且难以预约，要么技术陈旧，难以走进寻常百姓家。
3. **公共健康传播的泛化与无效**：公众科普总是翻来覆去讲“房间要冷、要黑、要安静”等陈词滥调。大众早已听觉疲劳，这些空泛的建议对真正存在病理障碍的人毫无实质帮助。
- **中年男性患病率**：24%–34%（大约每三到四人中就有一人）。
- **中年女性患病率**：9%–17%（绝经后跃升至约 25%）。
- **老年人群（65岁以上）**：30%–60% 存在呼吸暂停问题。
- **全球总患者基数**：超过 10 亿人受此单一病种影响（尚未计入失眠症及其他节律障碍）。
---
### [15:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=937s) 自我诊断阶梯：从主观疲劳认知到科学筛查问卷
普通人究竟该如何判断自己是否需要专业干预？加尔平建议第一步永远是**“主观感受”**：你日常的精神状态到底如何？早晨醒来感觉舒服吗？他特别提到，许多极度自律的商业精英和高绩效人士（High Performers）患有严重的“疲劳恐惧症”——一旦下午感到困顿，或是夜晚感觉精力耗尽、注意力涣散，他们就会恐慌地以为自己身体出了大问题。加尔平甚至为此专门开导过他和斯蒂芬共同的一位挚友：“兄弟，这正是人体设计的本来目的！”在清晨之后，午后略感困意是正常的生理波动；而在漫长的一天行将结束时感到疲惫、失去动力，正是身体准备入睡的自然生理信号。
许多人喜欢将现在的体能与 20 岁出头时相比，加尔平坦言，25 岁之前的人体确实如同一台不知疲倦的性能怪兽，25 岁之后固然不能消极接受过早衰弱，但也不切实际地指望永远保留 20 岁小伙子的精力和活力。如果在 30 岁或 40 岁依然维持那种亢奋的能量水平，往往是外源性兴奋剂（如过量咖啡因）强行刺激的虚假结果。
对于预算有限、怀疑自己睡眠有问题的普通人（例如“手头拮据的珍妮”），加尔平给出了务实的逐步筛查路径：不要一上来就花大钱去昂贵的诊所。第一步是利用经过同行评审与科学验证的完全免费的标准化问卷，针对不宁腿综合征（RLS）、失眠严重程度指数（ISI）、睡眠呼吸暂停（STOP-BANG）、昼夜节律失调或时间型（Chronotype）进行自我筛查。如果问卷评分触发了警报，下一步才是进入 100 到 600 美元区间的消费级可穿戴设备或家用居家监测仪器进行连续追踪，进而按图索骥寻求精准医疗方案。
- **区分生理疲倦与病理枯竭**：午后的轻微困意与夜晚的精力滑坡是生物本能，无需产生病态焦虑。
- **排查第一阶梯（零成本）**：使用经过科研验证的免费量表（如 STOP-BANG 呼吸暂停筛查、ISI 失眠指数、ESS 嗜睡量表、PSQI 睡眠质量指数）。
- **排查第二阶梯（家用进阶）**：借助售价在 100–600 美元区间的可穿戴设备及家用监测技术进行客观生理追踪。
### [17:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1076s) 临床睡眠监测与可穿戴设备的利弊
若想获得真正确凿的医学诊断，最正统的途径是前往睡眠中心或睡眠专科医院。这意味着你必须住进医院一间陈设奇特的病房，全身贴满电极和导线，在单向观察窗的注视下睡上一晚。正如史蒂文脸上露出的微妙表情所言——没有人会真正乐意去经历这种折磨。然而，对于严重的病理性睡眠障碍而言，睡眠监测实验室在现阶段依然是不可替代的诊断金标准。目前，安迪·加尔平（Dr. Andy Galpin）及其团队与其他科研机构正致力于将高精度的睡眠监测技术引入家庭场景；虽然现阶段家庭级高精度多导睡眠监测的成本依然居高不下，但这无疑代表着未来的发展方向。对于有医疗保险的人群，加尔平建议先填写前文提及的标准化睡眠筛查问卷，携带评分报告去找医生开具正式的睡眠监测检查单。
与此同时，消费级可穿戴设备已十分普及。加尔平明确指出，可穿戴设备有其显著优势，尤其在提升自我健康觉察和行为监督方面表现优异，用于追踪总睡眠时间（Total Sleep Time）也相当准确。然而，这类设备存在致命短板：它们在预测深层睡眠（Deep Sleep）和快速眼动睡眠（REM Sleep）阶段时极其不可靠。
史蒂文随即分享了自己的切身体会：在某些夜晚，他做出了一些不良生活习惯，次日醒来感觉极差，而手环也同步显示昨晚的睡眠质量十分糟糕；通过这种因果印证，他甚至开始像做 A/B 测试一样逐步调整习惯，比如提早入睡或调低室温。加尔平对此表示认同，但他特意提醒，切勿过分迷信设备给出的“综合睡眠评分”（Sleep Score）或“睡眠效率指数”，因为这些综合算法的方向性往往并不准确。相比之下，醒来后最真实的直观感受——“我今天感觉糟透了”或“我今天精力充沛”——反而是最敏锐、最核心的指向性指标。
- **可穿戴设备的核心长处**：提升生活方式觉察力、行为问责性，以及精确记录总在床/睡眠时长。
- **可穿戴设备的明显短板**：对深睡眠（Deep Sleep）与快速眼动睡眠（REM）的估算算法极不精准，复合“睡眠分数”容易误导用户。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 睡眠监测路径与工具对比
accDescr: 对比临床多导睡眠监测与日常消费级可穿戴设备的适用场景与指标可靠性
subgraph Clinical ["临床诊断途径 (高精度 / 高门槛)"]
A["填写标准化问卷 (如 STOP-BANG / PSQI)"] --> B["医生开具睡眠监测处方"]
B --> C["睡眠实验室监测 (连线监护/金标准)"]
C -.-> D["未来趋势: 低成本家庭级多导监测"]
end
subgraph Wearable ["消费级可穿戴设备 (日常追踪)"]
E["可穿戴传感器 (手环 / 戒指)"] --> F{"数据可靠性分流"}
F -->|"高可靠性"| G["总睡眠时间 / 静息心率 (RHR)"]
F -->|"不可靠 / 算法推测"| H["深睡 / REM 阶段 / 综合睡眠分"]
G --> I["驱动生活行为改善 (A/B 测试)"]
end
```
---
### [20:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1214s) 静息心率与睡眠时长的秘密：1,200 天数据给出的答案
加尔平强调，他绝不主张大家扔掉可穿戴设备，他的科研与专业咨询团队每天都在高频使用这些工具。关键在于要懂得筛选数据，寻找隐藏在繁杂图表背后的底层生理规律，而不是被表面数字牵着鼻子走。
他分享了一个极具代表性的真实案例：团队调取了一位长期客户佩戴智能戒指（Oura Ring）长达 1,200 天的连续监测数据，并在数据挖掘中发现了一个极其惊人的规律——该客户的夜间静息心率（Resting Heart Rate, RHR）每降低 1 次/分（例如从 65 bpm 降至 64 bpm），其实际睡眠时长就会精确延长整整 6 分钟。如果该客户希望每晚多睡整整 1 小时，目标就变得无比清晰：通过强化心血管耐力训练以及睡前的下调副交感神经反射（Down-regulation），将入睡前的静息心率压低 10 个心跳单位。该客户属于典型的“尽管努力按时上床，却无论如何也睡不长”的高压忙碌人群，而静息心率正是其生理系统能否进入深度恢复状态的“煤矿金丝雀”。一旦有了这项确凿的数据挂钩，复杂的睡眠教练指导就简化成了一条极其清晰的行动指令：在睡前不惜一切代价降低心率。
- **1,200 天追踪数据规律**：夜间静息心率每下降 1 bpm，总睡眠时间增加 6 分钟。
- **生理调控逻辑**：通过提升心血管体能储备和睡前身心下调（降低交感神经兴奋度），为机体创造能够维持长时间睡眠的生理环境。
---
### [21:40](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1300s) 越花钱越失眠：现代光污染与城市化的睡眠代价
当史蒂文询问是什么导致该客户心率偏高时，加尔平解释称，物理环境、生活方式和内在生理机制中的任何扰动都会破坏睡眠。当前全球每年在睡眠辅助领域的消费支出已高达约 6,000 亿美元，但与 60 年前相比，全人类的平均夜间睡眠时间反而缩水了整整 60 分钟。投入的资金节节攀升，睡眠质量却在持续恶化。
造成这种局面的首要外在元凶是现代物理环境的全面恶化，其中最显著的就是“世界变得前所未有的明亮”。来自 NASA 的卫星观测数据证实，地球表面的夜间光照强度正在剧烈攀升。全球化的商业运转要求人们随时跨时区与新加坡、澳大利亚或美国实时联络，导致人们深夜依然对着明亮的屏幕、室内灯火通明；此外，人造光线射向云层又反射回地面的“天空辉光”（Skyglow）现象，使得现代城市几乎没有真正的黑夜。这就是为什么现代人必须借助遮光窗帘和睡眠眼罩——这并非矫情，而是为了对抗前所未有的环境光压力。
伴随人口不断向高密度都市迁移，多项医学研究表明，移居城市后人群的焦虑和抑郁发病率可激增 20% 以上，而这很大程度上归咎于城市环境中过度充斥的强光与噪音污染。
史蒂文提到，即使卧室本身装了遮光窗帘，如果深夜 10 点漫步在纽约街头去便利店买东西，视网膜接触到的高强度夜间光线依然会通过神经通路扰乱随后的睡眠。加尔平对此表示完全赞同，但随即指出了一项反直觉的神经生物学补偿机制：日间与清晨的光照管理。
- **全球睡眠悖论**：睡眠产业年开销突破 6,000 亿美元，但过去 60 年间人类平均每晚睡眠时长缩水了 60 分钟。
- **环境剧变**：NASA 卫星数据显示全球夜间光照显著增强；天空辉光（Skyglow）使夜间彻底失去原始暗环境。
- **城市化代价**：进入超大城市后，光污染与噪音导致人群焦虑和抑郁风险升高 20% 以上。
---
### [23:18](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1398s) 早晨的光线设定夜间的开关：神经与激素的节律级联
对抗夜晚光污染的最佳武器，恰恰隐藏在清晨。最新科学证据表明，早晨及白天充分暴露在自然光线下，能对夜间的光暴露损伤产生极其强烈的抵消与保护作用。加尔平笑着坦言，他的好友安德鲁·休伯曼（Dr. Andrew Huberman）多年来一直在不遗余力地科普“清晨看光”的重要性；加尔平起初还开玩笑调侃他，觉得只要不跨时区，体内的生物钟有什么好重置的。然而随着前沿研究的深入，他不得不承认休伯曼在这个领域具有非凡的远见：清晨的自然光摄入绝不仅仅是校准昼夜节律那么简单，它还能极大地增强个体抵抗深夜意外强光侵袭的神经韧性。
入睡与觉醒是由一整套复杂的神经和内分泌系统级联控制的。大脑是激活还是逐步关停，实时响应着环境光线、体育锻炼、情绪唤醒、食物摄入以及中枢兴奋剂等多重外部信号刺激。早晨的第一缕阳光不仅校准了生物钟的起始刻度，更如同按下了“睡眠压力”（Sleep Pressure）积蓄的计时开关，确保入夜后机体能够自然启动神经抑制。
---
### [25:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1514s) 环境噪音基准与白噪音的误区
在现场展示的城乡环境对比图表中，乡村与城市的夜间声环境呈现出云泥之别。科学上通常认为理想的睡眠环境噪音应维持在 35 分贝（dB）左右，乡村夜间的声级基本平稳徘徊在这一标准线；然而在城市中，即使夜深人静，基准环境噪音也普遍维持在 60 到 70 分贝的高位。加尔平强调，噪音对睡眠深层结构的破坏力丝毫不亚于光线，而其中最具破坏性的是“非持续性、不可预测的突发噪音”（Inconsistency）。
为了掩盖这类突如其来的声响（如夜间宠物的走动声、老旧窗框的吱嘎声或窗外呼啸而过的汽车），许多人会使用白噪音机（Sound Machine）。白噪音的作用在于用平稳的背景音遮蔽低频突发杂音。然而加尔平指出，绝大多数人使用白噪音机的方式完全错了：市面上设备的默认音量往往高达 40 至 50 分贝甚至更高，人们还习惯将其放置在床头极近的距离。科学数据显示，入睡时的声音强度必须严格控制在 40 分贝以下；尤其是对于听觉神经极其敏感脆弱的婴幼儿，家长更不能把白噪音机开得太大、放得太近。
在节目的最后，史蒂文困惑地抛出了一个个人习惯：为什么他的伴侣必须在绝对寂静中才能安睡，而他自己却总觉得必须戴着耳机听着播客才能沉沉睡去？史蒂文甚至承认自己并不会设置定时关闭，而是任由播客通宵播放。加尔平听后毫不客气地当场打破了他的侥幸：“这绝不可能让你获得最高质量的睡眠。”即使主观上觉得播客有助于入眠，彻夜不绝的语音信息流依然会持续激活听觉皮层与潜意识警觉，从而严重剥夺深度修复性睡眠。
- **理想睡眠声环境**：背景噪音需低于 35 dB；城市夜间噪音基准普遍处于 60–70 dB 的高警觉水平。
- **白噪音使用红线**：音量需严格控制在 40 dB 以下，且严禁贴近头部放置（特别是儿童房）。
- **听播客/音频入睡的生理代价**：睡眠中持续输入语义语音信息会刺激大脑感知中枢，无法达成神经系统的彻底下调与深层修复。
### [26:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1597s) 大脑关机困境与循证助眠食物：从播客到猕猴桃
很多人上床后往往处于一种高度的认知活跃状态，脑子停不下来，不得不借助播客、电视或阅读来转移注意力、强迫大脑“关机”。Andy Galpin 博士指出，这种依赖在当下如果被强行剥夺，往往会导致人躺在床上备受折磨、睡眠更差；但在专业干预中，真正的目标并不是用外部刺激掩盖问题，而是找到能让认知自然下调（downregulate）的根本解法。Galpin 博士指着桌上摆放的一系列物品解释，解决这种认知唤醒其实可以通过特定食物与补充剂来实现，桌上的每样东西在科学文献中都有中等至强力的循证支持。
桌上展示的助眠选择涵盖了从天然食材到提炼成分的多种层级。其中酸樱桃汁（tart cherry juice）与洋甘菊茶（chamomile tea）极为经典，洋甘菊中的核心有效成分芹菜素（apigenin）常被制成补充剂，其生物学机制就像是给前额皮质按下一个开关，示意大脑停止高速运转。更令人意外的是新鲜猕猴桃（奇异果）：在严谨的人体试验中，研究人员通常会让受试者在睡前食用两到三颗猕猴桃，数据稳定显示其能显著改善入睡与睡眠质量。此外，高循证证据链中还包括镁（magnesium）——目前针对睡眠的研究风向正逐渐从苏糖酸镁（threonate）转向双甘氨酸镁（magnesium bisglycinate），以及同样出现在 Steven 血液检测报告中有待改善的 Omega-3 鱼油。
在证据分级上，Galpin 博士将它们划分为三个等级：第一级（Level 1）拥有最多的随机对照试验（RCT）支持，包括褪黑素、特定形态的镁和洋甘菊等；而猕猴桃则属于第二或第三级。无论是通过食物中的植物化学物（phytochemicals）来降低大脑唤醒度，还是饮用洋甘菊茶，它们在神经层面上起到的作用与睡前听播客完全一致——都是让大脑认知“下线”，但前者不会像电子设备或声波那样在后半夜干扰睡眠架构。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 睡前认知下调途径对比
accDescr: 对比外部刺激与天然生物调节对前额皮质降温的不同路径与后半夜影响
subgraph External["外部刺激代偿（治标）"]
A["播客 / 电视 / 屏幕"] --> B["强行转移注意力"]
B --> C["被动关机但后半夜易中断睡眠"]
end
subgraph Biochemical["生化与生理下调（治本）"]
D["洋甘菊 / 芹菜素"] --> G["信号提示前额皮质停止激活"]
E["猕猴桃 / 酸樱桃汁"] --> G
F["双甘氨酸镁"] --> H["降低中枢神经唤醒度"]
G --> I["进入平稳深度睡眠且无夜间干扰"]
H --> I
end
```
---
### [29:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1785s) 褪黑素的常见误区：严重超标的剂量与晨间睡眠惰性
谈及公众最熟悉的褪黑素（Melatonin）时，Galpin 博士的态度转为极其审慎。褪黑素拥有比其他助眠成分加起来还要庞大的研究数据，涵盖儿童发育、衰老以及骨骼健康等诸多领域。但其本质并不是普通补剂，而是一种强效的内分泌激素，甚至属于药物级别。吃两颗猕猴桃完全无需担心风险效益比，但面对褪黑素，就必须严肃权衡其风险。临床上绝大多数市售产品的单片剂量高达 5 毫克甚至 10 毫克，而专业团队使用的生理剂量通常仅为 0.3 至 0.5 毫克——仅为市售剂量的十分之一左右，常常需要将 1 毫克的药片切半服用。
Galpin 博士强调，除了极少数特殊临床边缘案例，褪黑素真正的核心应用场景只有一个：因长途飞行时差或昼夜颠倒而需要硬性重置昼夜节律（circadian rhythm）。大众最严重的两个认知误区是：第一，将褪黑素作为日常安眠药每晚服用；第二，半夜惊醒睡不着时爬起来补吃一颗。半夜补服褪黑素完全是无效的，因为此时人体本来就处于夜间节律窗口期，褪黑素无法解决半夜由于认知反弹或焦虑引起的清醒；若半夜难以入眠，甚至喝一杯洋甘菊茶在神经机制上都比补服褪黑素更合乎逻辑。
更为严峻的隐患在于次日的“药物残留”。Galpin 博士的团队在大量晨尿检测中发现，不少人虽然睡眠环境黑暗阴凉、睡前坚持冥想，甚至自认为只吃了中等剂量的褪黑素，但第二天清晨尿液中的褪黑素代谢水平竟高达正常参考值上限的 100 倍。这意味着当事人的整个白天都被迫处于超大剂量褪黑素的笼罩之下，进而陷入严重的“睡眠惰性”（sleep inertia）——晨起极度昏沉、神智模糊、爬不起床，必须依赖大量咖啡因等中枢神经兴奋剂才能勉强维持清醒，彻底打乱了正常的觉醒生理节律。
- **常规滥用剂量与科学推荐剂量对比**：市售产品常见为 5mg 至 10mg，而生理性调节的最佳剂量仅为 0.3mg 至 0.5mg。
- **晨尿检测极端数据**：不当服用褪黑素后，次晨尿液检测中的褪黑素浓度可达正常参考区间上限的 100 倍以上。
- **睡眠惰性（Sleep Inertia）**：因体内蓄积超高浓度褪黑素导致的持续性宿醉感与昏睡状态，常被误认为是自身“没睡够”。
---
### [32:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=1950s) 补充剂的质量控制、作用机制与短期应用原则
针对为何会出现体内百倍超标的问题，Galpin 博士指出，市面上大量廉价褪黑素和维生素 D 产品的实际含量与标签标注严重不符，已有大量检测显示其实际有效成分可超出标签数倍乃至数十倍。因此，如果决定摄入补充剂，必须选择具备第三方独立检测认证、且主动公开批次检测报告的透明品牌。同时，服用的时机也极其关键：由于人体代谢需要时间，褪黑素绝不能在临睡那一刻才吞服，更不能在凌晨两点熬夜后仓促服用；通常建议在预期就寝前约一小时摄入，让身体在进入清晨前有足够的时间将其彻底降解代谢。
```mermaid
flowchart LR
accTitle: 褪黑素内分泌级联反应机制
accDescr: 阐明外源性褪黑素并非直接催眠，而是通过调节皮质醇和神经递质营造夜间生化环境
A["摄入低剂量褪黑素<br/>(睡前约1小时)"] --> B["向内源系统传递夜间信号"]
B --> C["皮质醇水平下降"]
B --> D["肾上腺素 / 去甲肾上腺素下调"]
B --> E["血清素等神经递质协同级联"]
C & D & E --> F["营造适宜睡眠的整体体内稳态环境"]
```
在作用机制上，褪黑素其实并不直接诱导“困意”。它不是一种镇静安眠药物，不会像强效镇静剂那样让人瞬间眼皮沉重，而是通过向全身系统宣告“黑夜降临”，从而触发体内激素环境的重新洗牌——降低皮质醇，调控肾上腺素、去甲肾上腺素与血清素的级联反应，营造出适合睡眠的整体内环境。Steven Bartlett 对此深有感触地指出，自己在应对跨时区旅行时会使用褪黑素，服药后三四十分钟内便会感受到困意袭来，但一旦调整过时差，便会在两三天内迅速停用。Steven 总结道，做播客让他深刻意识到“任何强效干预手段都必然伴随着代价，正面效果越显著，背后的代偿与潜在风险往往越大”，对强效补剂保持本能的敬畏与审慎，才是维持健康生理机能的最佳默认策略。
### [35:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2112s) 咖啡因的真正代价与性能错觉
Steven Bartlett 抛出了关于咖啡的困惑：它的好处如此明显，除了“中午之后喝会影响睡眠”之外，似乎没人能说清它到底有什么负面代价。Dr. Andy Galpin 随即引用了自己在课堂上常说的一句话：“在生理学中，从来没有免费的通行证（There's no free passes in physiology）。”他提到由同事 Ben House 博士主导的一项荟萃分析（meta-analysis），揭示了咖啡因与睡眠之间耐人寻味的内在机制。当人处于睡眠剥夺状态时，身体与认知能力都会不可避免地下滑，而咖啡因确实能够弥补这一跌幅，将你的机能拉回正常水平。
但这里存在一个巨大的认知误区：咖啡因虽然能掩盖疲劳，却无法让你达到“全面提升的峰值状态”。Galpin 解释道，如果你前一晚睡得很充分，在去投掷实心球、测握力或者进行冲刺跑时，本身就能表现出色；此时若再摄入咖啡因，它作为一种强效的促运动营养剂（ergogenic aid，尤其在耐力项目中极为有效），会让你在优质基准线上更上一层楼。然而，若你欠下了睡眠债，即便灌下大量咖啡，它也仅仅能将你从低谷拉回基准线，而绝不可能让你达到“充分休息加咖啡因加持”的超常表现。许多人总抱着“今晚熬夜没关系，明天多喝两杯咖啡就能满血复活”的侥幸心理，你在主观感觉上或许觉得自己还行，但实际身体表现早已大打折扣。要想发挥最佳极限，唯一的前提是：先拥有充分的休息，再利用咖啡因锦上添花。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 睡眠状态与咖啡因对体能表现的影响
accDescr: 流程图展示了睡眠充足与睡眠不足两种情况下，摄入咖啡因对身体表现的不同作用结果。
subgraph Rested ["睡眠充足状态"]
R1["饱满基准表现 Baseline"] --> R2["摄入咖啡因"]
R2 --> R3["突破性峰值表现 Augmented State"]
end
subgraph Deprived ["睡眠剥夺状态 (欠睡眠债)"]
D1["机能明显下降 Performance Drop"] --> D2["摄入咖啡因补救"]
D2 --> D3["仅恢复至普通基准 Baseline<br/>(无法达到峰值表现)"]
end
```
### [37:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2226s) 睡眠人体工学与温度调节
在谈到睡眠环境的人体工程学时，Steven 询问枕头、床垫是否有不可触碰的禁区。Galpin 指出，这在很大程度上取决于个人感受，并没有死板的禁忌；真正的硬性问题通常只出现在物理空间受到干扰时——例如两个人挤在一张太小的床上，导致彼此翻身碰撞影响休息。
至于市面上备受推崇的温控睡眠系统（如 Eight Sleep 等床垫罩），Galpin 给予了高度评价。他特别澄清，像 Eight Sleep 严格来说不是一张床，而是一个能精准调节温度的床罩。如果一个人的睡眠环境容易让人燥热出汗，这会严重破坏深睡结构，那么这类能温控的设备、透气排汗的床垫或更凉爽的床单就是极其出色的解决方案；但如果你本身睡觉温度适宜，也完全不必盲目跟风。核心关键始终在于温度调节，只要温度适宜，睡眠质量就会立竿见影地提升。
### [38:09](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2289s) 屏幕时间的真正元凶：“对新奇感的渴求”
大众普遍被灌输的概念是屏幕散发的蓝光摧毁了睡眠，但 Galpin 指出，真正更具破坏力、却极少被人触及的核心是：**屏幕背后所带来的大脑唤醒，以及我们对“新奇感”的无休止追逐（the search for novelty）**。无论是刷社交媒体、听播客、打游戏还是解谜，这些行为本质上都是由探寻答案、保持高度专注、刺激兴趣和期待下一条新鲜内容驱动的。正是这种心理唤醒状态直接导致了睡眠障碍。
多项对比电视、平板电脑、手机和睡前阅读的研究表明，它们对睡眠的潜在威胁其实不相上下，关键在于内容是否过度激发大脑。Galpin 举了一个生动的家庭对比：
- **Galpin 本人**：睡前习惯看大屏幕电视，即便蓝光扑面而来，但他选择看的是关于尤利西斯·格兰特（Ulysses S. Grant）等历史人物的纪录片，内容极其乏味无趣。他的一整天都被外界各种索取注意力的事情填满，睡前看无聊纪录片反倒成了一个让大脑关机、停止运转的“认知开关”，因此他依然能睡得极好。
- **他的妻子**：对睡前的光线极为敏感，因此选择睡前看书；然而她挑选的书籍题材往往情节紧凑或引人深思，反而引发夜间频繁醒来。
事实证明，关键并不单纯在于光线，而在于内容本身是否促使大脑陷入无法抽离的亢奋。
### [39:49](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2389s) AI 推荐算法、无限个性化与睡眠掠夺战
Steven 结合本周 Meta 的财报电话会议补充了一个发人深省的技术维度。马克·扎克伯格（Mark Zuckerberg）在财报中谈到，Meta 已全面利用大语言模型（LLM）改造了旗下 Instagram、Facebook 等社交应用的推荐算法。过去系统依赖标签和文字标题，而现在的多模态 AI 能够以真正的“理解力”观看并解析视频的完整上下文——它能认出视频里是穿着黑 T 恤、拿着卡片的 Andy Galpin，能提取逐字稿，精准掌握对话核心，从而以远超以往的精度把内容投喂给最感兴趣的人，使用户留存率显著提升。
扎克伯格在电话会中提到，平台上的内容以往来自两大来源：一是好友与关注的人，二是未关注的创作者；而现在即将迎来第三种极其庞大的全新内容源——利用自研模型（如 Muse 等技术）生成的近乎无限的个性化生成内容。这意味着未来的内容甚至不需要真人制作，AI 会在夜间 11 点专门为特定的某个人（比如 Andy 本人）量身定制他绝对欲罢不能的视频。在创作者生态中，创作者不再仅仅与同行竞争，而是在与能够源源不断吐出超级定制毒药的算法机器竞争。Steven 苦笑着告诫团队：“当你打开手机时，必须清醒地意识到，对面的 AI 正在倾尽一切算力留住你。”
面对这种算法对人类意志的全面包围，Galpin 直言当代人处于绝对的生理劣势。他坦言自己也做不到像某些人一样把手机放在三个房间之外，手机就放在卧室内。现代人的生存环境已演变成前所未有的注意力泥潭，每个人最终都必须做出痛苦的选择：你究竟是更在乎自己的身心健康和第二天的真实表现，还是更在乎刷到的下一个短视频？
### [43:24](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2604s) 追逐新奇的人性基因与英雄叙事
Steven 追问：既然道理人人都懂，为什么我们还是会明知故犯，忍不住一次又一次拿起手机？
Galpin 从生物进化与人类底层心理学给出了深刻的解答：**人类的整套生物学构造，本能深处就刻满了对新奇感（novelty）的渴求**。
- **突破与进化的连接**：在体育界和人类竞技中，人们之所以痴迷于极致的高水平表现，是因为当有人打破人类身体或认知边界时，整个人类群体都会从中获益并为之振奋。
- **英雄叙事的本质**：从约瑟夫·坎贝尔（Joseph Campbell）的“英雄之旅”（The Hero's Journey），到希腊神话中的大力神赫拉克勒斯（Hercules），再到马拉松战役的历史起源，翻开人类历史上的任何伟大传说，其核心全都是“某个人完成了前人从未做过的事情”。
- **对未知的渴望**：比起常规的胜负输赢，大众永远更狂热地关注世界纪录的打破。这种对“打破先例”、“从未见过的崭新事物”的原始饥渴，曾是驱动人类探索未知、躲避危险、实现进化的最强动力，而在今天，它却沦为了科技巨头和社交平台算法精准捕获、剥夺我们睡眠的最致命弱点。
### [44:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2659s) 新奇感与可变奖励：我们为何戒不掉屏幕？
讨论从人类对新奇事物的原始渴望展开。Andy Galpin 提出一个设问：为什么比起同场比赛中另一支队伍的胜利，大家更想亲眼见证梅西打破纪录？Steven 认为这是一种“多巴胺反馈”，但 Galpin 指出，这远不止是多巴胺，而是一种深刻的“意义感（sense of purpose）”——因为你见证了人类历史上从未发生过的事情，哪怕只是隔着三万公里通过电视观看，你也感觉自己参与了历史。人类的大脑天生就是为了犒劳新奇感而设计的，要摆脱这种深层驱动力极其困难。
Steven 联想到心理学中经典的鸽子实验：当给鸽子一个杠杆，如果是固定奖励，它的反应相对平淡；但如果采用“可变奖励（variable rewards）”，即鸽子无法预测按压何时能获得奖赏，它就会疯狂地持续按压，对这种行为产生极度成瘾。刷社交媒体本质上就像拉动老虎机的操纵杆，你根本不知道下一条内容是什么，可能翻过四十条平淡无奇的垃圾信息，只为等待那一条让你眼前一亮的内容。这种不可预测性促使大脑不断暗示“再刷一条、再多看一条”。Galpin 打了个比方：如果给人们两个选择——要么拿稳妥的 10,000 美元现金，要么拿初创公司价值 10,000 美元的股权（尽管大概率会归零），许多人还是会犹豫甚至选择股权，因为“放弃信念、放弃希望、放弃‘万一呢’的可能性，对人来说实在是太难了”。
谈及摆脱屏幕的实际体验，Steven 提到自己彻底从手机上删掉某款社交媒体应用后，原以为会有强烈的错失恐惧症（FOMO），结果却发现生活质量得到了巨大的净正面提升。Galpin 也分享了好友、UFC 格斗名将 Sean O'Malley（肖恩·奥马利）的真实经历：某天 Sean 坐在泳池边，低头刷着推特，忽然抬头看到自己一两岁的小女儿就在眼前，他猛然惊醒反思：“我到底在干什么？女儿就在我面前，而我却在漫无目的地刷手机，既不是在工作也不是在发推。”他当即把手机交给团队打理，自己彻底退出了日常社交媒体的沉迷。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 可变奖励与屏幕成瘾机制
accDescr: 解释大脑如何受到不可预测的新奇刺激驱动，从而陷入无休止的滚动与成瘾循环中。
subgraph Trigger["心理机制"]
A["新奇感与意义感渴望"] --> B["可变奖励机制 (Variable Rewards)"]
end
subgraph Loop["行为成瘾循环"]
B --> C["像拉老虎机一样滑动屏幕"]
C --> D["过滤 39 条无聊内容"]
D --> E["偶遇 1 条高价值刺激"]
E --> F["强化期待: '再看一条'"]
F --> C
end
```
---
### [47:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2848s) 同床共枕与“睡眠离婚”
离开屏幕话题后，Galpin 转向了另一个显著破坏睡眠的因素——“同寝者的存在（the presence of other beings）”，即俗称的“睡眠离婚（sleep divorce）”。尽管传统观念认为夫妻应该睡在同一张床上，但统计数据表明，和他人共处一床通常会导致睡眠质量下降。Steven 笑着打趣道，如果听他伴侣的，他们早就“睡眠离婚”了，因为伴侣总是说“离我远点，别碰我”，巴不得分房睡。
Galpin 指出，不必非得走向极端的分房分床，可以通过现实手段进行干预：
- **分开被褥与床单选择**：采用分开的两套被子（separate sheets），或者挑选在一方翻身时不会扯动另一方的材质。Galpin 吐槽自己的妻子喜欢把被子紧紧塞进床垫边缘（像紧身衣一样），而他自己则极度讨厌这种束缚感，感觉像被关进了肖申克监狱一样想要撕扯出来。
- **物理缓冲**：如果伴侣睡觉时频繁辗转反侧或肢体乱动，可以在两人中间放一个长枕头充当物理隔离墙，避免翻身时碰撞打扰。
- **隔音与部分睡眠离婚**：使用耳塞阻隔伴侣发出的轻微噪音；如果睡眠问题确实非常严重，可以考虑“部分睡眠离婚（partial sleep divorce）”，比如在需要深度休息的工作日前夕分房睡。
---
### [49:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2948s) 陌生环境的“首夜效应”与温度调控陷阱
当人进入陌生环境（如出差住酒店或换住处）时，会产生典型的“首夜效应（first night effect）”。大脑在潜意识中感到不够安全，加之声音、光线、气味、体感等环境昼夜节律线索被打破，睡眠往往会变差。对于每 3 到 5 天就要飞往客场比赛的专业运动员，Galpin 团队的策略是在客场尽可能复刻家中的睡眠微环境（例如自带枕头，或使用具有微弱助眠关联的薰衣草气味等）。Galpin 强调，这些单一细节虽不会像催眠药一样立刻把人放倒，但核心在于“累积微小胜利（stacking wins）”。
关于睡眠温度，通常建议的室温在 **64 至 68 华氏度（约 17.8 至 20 摄氏度）** 之间，不过这存在个体差异。Galpin 指出了近年来大众在追求低温睡眠时的常见误区：
- **空调启停噪音反成诱因**：许多人盲目把空调温度调到最低，结果中央空调频繁启停。正如噪音机制所揭示的，真正惊醒人的往往不是绝对分贝，而是**声音的突变**（空调瞬间启动和关闭的轰鸣声）。
- **空气滤网污染诱发呼吸事件**：长期未清洗的空调或风扇一旦全负荷运转，会将皮屑、尘螨及微颗粒物大量吹进空气中，导致睡眠中鼻塞，迫使人体转向口呼吸，进而引发呼吸不足（hypopneic）或呼吸暂停（apneic）事件。
- **风扇直吹导致口腔干燥**：如果早晨经常因口干舌燥被渴醒，很可能是风扇直接吹向面部引起的，建议调整吹风角度。
---
### [51:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3075s) 男女唤醒声音差异与产后睡眠障碍
Steven 提到英国萨塞克斯大学（University of Sussex）在 2009 年开展的一项知名脑电图（EEG）睡眠实验。研究人员在男女受试者睡眠时播放各种环境声音，记录哪些声音会立刻引发大脑苏醒反应，结果男女表现出了显著的进化本能差异：
| 唤醒敏感度排名 | 男性前四大触发音 | 女性前四大触发音 |
|:--- |:--- |:--- |
| **第 1 位** | 汽车警报声（Car alarm） | 婴儿啼哭声（Baby crying） |
| **第 2 位** | 室外狂风呼啸（Wind howling） | 滴水声（Dripping tap） |
| **第 3 位** | 蚊子嗡嗡飞过声（Buzzing mosquito） | 室外喧哗叫喊（Shouting outside） |
| **第 4 位** | 打鼾声（Snoring） | 打鼾声（Snoring） |
Galpin 确认了这种母性与生物学本能，并指出女性睡眠障碍的最大诱因之一就是生育。现代医疗体系往往在婴儿出生后将注意力全部转移到新生儿身上，而严重忽视了产妇的产后护理（postpartum care）。从孕晚期的生理不适到新生儿阶段必然面临的严重睡眠剥夺，常常直接打乱昼夜节律并引发失眠。令人担忧的是，在相当一部分女性身上，这种睡眠紊乱模式即使在孩子成年后依然长期残留，演变为持续一生的慢性睡眠问题。Galpin 呼吁必须高度重视产后阶段的睡眠干预与健康照护。
### [53:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3194s) 睡眠复原力与自我实验法
在总结睡眠话题时，Steven Bartlett 提到，关于男女在夜间应对婴儿哭闹等声音的差异，虽然存在演化论（男女对不同刺激的敏感度不同）的解释，但也有强有力的反驳观点认为：谁会真正醒来并下床照看，往往是由社会角色、育儿期待以及个人睡眠深浅决定的，而非男性在生物学上听不见婴儿的声音。
谈及如何打造卓越的睡眠，Dr. Andy Galpin 指出，无论预算如何——是零成本自律、投入少许资金，还是求助于专业医疗机构与高阶服务——每个人都具备进行“自我实验”（self-experiments）的能力。他们的团队在官网上提供了免费的睡眠自我实验指南。Galpin 强调，最关键的心态转变是：**不要让睡眠成为生活的沉重枷锁**。许多人一听到睡眠优化，就会抱怨自己太忙、根本腾不出 12 小时的睡眠与准备流程。Galpin 明确表示，他的终极目标不是让客户沉迷于繁重的“优化”（比如睡前必须吞下 12 种补剂、调制 4 种晚安特饮），而是建立**“睡眠复原力”（Sleep Resilience）**。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 睡眠管理观念对比：优化陷阱 vs 睡眠复原力
accDescr: 对比繁琐的睡眠优化与具备弹性的睡眠复原力之间的核心逻辑。
subgraph Trap["睡眠优化陷阱 (Optimization)"]
A1["过度关注完美指标"] --> A2["繁杂睡前流程/大批补剂"]
A2 --> A3["一旦受扰即产生焦虑崩溃"]
end
subgraph Resilience["睡眠复原力 (Sleep Resilience)"]
B1["单一变量自我实验"] --> B2["掌握核心调节手段"]
B2 --> B3["面对延误/偶发缺觉仍能稳定输出"]
end
```
- **睡眠复原力核心理念**：即便昨晚睡得糟糕、航班延误或突发危机，第二天依然能保持清醒并稳定执行任务；学会如何快速找回良好状态，而不是因偶尔的睡眠不足陷入恐慌。
- **自我实验执行逻辑**：可穿戴设备和追踪数据只能告诉一个人“睡得怎么样”，却无法直接解答“为什么会睡成这样”。用户必须像科学家一样每次仅改变一个单一变量——是卧室温度不对、伴侣翻身干扰、光线太敏感，还是运动、进餐时间过晚？逐一排查才能找到症结。
---
### [55:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3354s) 认知负荷管理与赞助支持
Steven 结合自身经历分享道，在进行极高强度脑力输出时——例如连续录制 10 小时播客，或在密集的电视节目拍摄间隙只有一两天去处理所有繁重工作——认知表现的微小改善会产生巨大杠杆效应。他提到自己与团队使用 Ketone-IQ 外源酮产品来支持思维敏锐度与体能恢复。随后，Steven 介绍了电商品牌平台 Shopify 为创业者与团队（包括其 Conversation Cards 和 1% 日记等产品）在独立用户数据、全渠道分销及基础设施方面提供的支撑。
---
### [57:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3472s) 顶尖高手的终极秘诀：精力管理与“精力筹码”
当话题从睡眠转向白天的清醒状态时，Steven 提到此前与研究线粒体的专家 Martin Picard 的对话，深受其关于能量本质的启发，并询问 Galpin：当客户主诉“整天疲惫”、“感觉精力不如从前”、“恢复时间变长”、“下班时脑力彻底枯竭”时，除了睡眠，究竟该如何破局？
Dr. Andy Galpin 透露，“精力问题”是人们前来求助的头号原因。然而，与外界普遍认为的“顶尖高手只是比普通人更拼命努力”不同，Galpin 经过数十年的实操观察发现，世界级运动员、顶尖企业家与领袖真正拉开差距的维度在于**精力管理（Energy Management）**。他们极其擅长识别自己的投入产出比：如果发现某件事占用了 80% 的精力却只带来 20% 的回报，就会立刻将其砍掉或替换。
Steven 将此形象地比喻为“精力筹码”：顶尖高手每天醒来手握 100 枚精力筹码，会极度自律地把它们全部押在最核心的事务上；而普通人则在不知不觉中四处漏水——刷 Instagram 扔掉 20 枚，盲目跟风其他琐事又扔掉 20 枚。Galpin 对此深表赞同，许多人听了某期播客就跟风去猛练 Zone 2 低心率有氧，听了另一期又把写感恩日记塞进早晨，结果拼凑出一套长达 20 小时、把自己累垮却毫无实质产出的日常流程。
- **减法原则**：真正的效率在于剔除杂音，明确唯一能以最高效路径达成目标的核心举措。
- **每周 1-2 项“主动行为”（Active Movements）**：Galpin 团队指导客户时，每周只允许增加 1 到 2 项需要动用意志力去刻意记住的行动；已内化为无意识习惯的事物（如刷牙、洗澡，或是已经自然成型的冥想习惯）无需占据脑力，任何新增的行为改变都必须严格限制数量，避免意志力过载。
### [01:01:59](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3719s) 寻找能量受限的单一瓶颈
安迪·加尔平（Dr. Andy Galpin）与史蒂文·巴特利特（Steven Bartlett）探讨了高绩效人士如何管理体能。加尔平指出，对于那些已经坚持健康习惯多年的人来说，维持这些习惯算不上额外的精力负担，真正的问题往往在于新习惯的叠加。许多人试图一次性改掉五件事，这几乎注定失败。加尔平的主张是做精准的“瓶颈分析”：只找出一个限制能量发挥的关键症结，并针对这唯一的痛点做出改变。这可能仅仅是调整进餐时间，或者改变训练形式。
受限的原因五花八门：可能是睡眠质量堪忧、人际关系消耗过大、工作过载、热量摄入不足，或者陷入了过度依赖兴奋剂导致睡眠变差的恶性循环，甚至可能只是因为晒太阳不足。加尔平强调，如果限制能量的根源是身体某处持续疼痛，那么当下唯一该做的事就是去查清楚膝盖为什么会疼，而不是盲目增加更多健康项目。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 寻找能量瓶颈的分析逻辑
accDescr: 展示从排查潜在限制因素到聚焦单一关键行动的决策流程
subgraph 潜在瓶颈排查
A["睡眠与日照不足"]
B["人际关系或工作压力消耗"]
C["摄入不足 / 兴奋剂恶性循环"]
D["慢性疼痛（如膝关节）"]
end
subgraph 决策原则
E["精确定位第一大瓶颈"]
F["一次仅执行一项改变，拒绝叠加复杂度"]
end
A --> E
B --> E
C --> E
D --> E
E --> F
```
- 核心原则：不要试图一次性做出 5 项新调整，而是找出单一的最大阻碍，只做 1 项精准改变。
- 常见能量约束：睡眠障碍、人际压力、工作过量、热量不足（Under-fueling）、刺激物过度使用、缺乏自然光照、身体慢性疼痛。
---
### [01:02:55](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3775s) 史蒂文的血检报告：全面飘红的胆固醇指标
谈话切入史蒂文近期的血液检测结果。史蒂文当时 33 岁，体型精瘦，生活习惯极佳，既不抽烟也不过度饮酒。然而，加尔平翻开史蒂文的体检报告时，首先映入眼帘的便是“医学诊断”与“运动表现”之间的巨大鸿沟。加尔平直言不讳地指出，报告中列出了十几个胆固醇及其相关指标，“没有一个是好的”（Not one's good）。这一结果具有极高的临床干预价值。
史蒂文好奇这些指标究竟代表什么，并试图自我诊断。加尔平解释，血液检查是评估生理机能的次级替代指标（Secondary measures），其核心目的是预测终点健康结局——在当前语境下，就是预测心血管健康状态。尽管“关联”（Association）一词需要严谨对待，但极度超标的胆固醇指标历来与早发性心血管疾病、心脏病发作乃至中风存在密切联系。
- 史蒂文的个人健康背景：33 岁，体脂率低，常年保持高频运动，不吸烟，不酗酒。
- 血液检测核心发现：十几个与胆固醇相关的生物标志物全线超标，远非处于理想范围。
- 临床与表现的差异：在运动机能表现出色的表象之下，深层的内科生化指标可能潜藏严重危机。
---
### [01:04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3875s) 生酮饮食、饱和脂肪与心血管家族病史
史蒂文透露，做这些测试时，他正处于长期的严格生酮饮食（Ketogenic diet）状态。加尔平提醒道，胆固醇升高的原因极其复杂，交织着生活方式、饮食习惯以及家族遗传因素。如果面对的是一个体脂率 35% 且大量酗酒的患者，首要任务是减脂和戒酒；但史蒂文体型健美、滴酒不沾，这意味着他的异常指标必须认真对待。雪上加霜的是，史蒂文补充了至关重要的家族病史：他的叔叔死于心脏病发作，而他的父亲上周刚做完心脏手术植入了起搏器，且遵医嘱服用他汀类药物（Statins）降低胆固醇已有 15 到 20 年之久。
此前，史蒂文曾通过 Function Health 和 Nico Health 两家机构做过全面检测，对方医生给出了一致建议：“史蒂文，别再天天吃牛排和培根了。”加尔平解释，医学界看重的并不是“牛排或培根”这些食物本身，而是它们所富含的饱和脂肪。“没有任何一种食物是绝对邪恶的，只有邪恶的语境（Evil context）。”生酮饮食本身并非一无是处，但如果一个人摄入高饱和脂肪后胆固醇暴增，再加上直系亲属严重的心血管病史，任何有职业道德的医学专家都会将其视为极其危险的信号，必须尽快寻求专科医生的医疗干预。
- 关键家族病史：叔叔因心脏病发作去世；父亲刚植入心脏起搏器，并长期服用他汀类药物长达 15–20 年。
- 饮食背景：长期生酮饮食，高频摄入富含饱和脂肪的红肉、黄油与培根。
- 核心观点：饱和脂肪不是普遍有毒，但结合特定遗传易感性与高胆固醇表型时，会构成极高风险的病理环境。
---
### [01:07:26](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4046s) 心脏扫描与运动性重塑：左心室肥厚与斑块风险
由于血液指标只是间接预测工具，加尔平询问史蒂文是否做过心脏影像学检查。史蒂文表示曾做过扫描，医生告知他存在“心室壁偏厚”。加尔平随即释怀，解释这属于典型的“运动诱发性心脏重塑”（Exercise-induced cardiac remodeling），特别是左心室壁增厚，对常年进行力量训练的人而言是非常健康的适应机制。人的心脏有四个腔室，右心室只需将血液泵入咫尺之遥的肺部，而左心室必须承受巨大阻力，把血液输送到全身远端、对抗重力回流，因此左心室就如同经常做弯举的二头肌一样，通过增厚增大来提供更强劲的收缩泵血力量。
相较于正常的心肌肥大，影像学真正需要警惕的是血管狭窄和动脉粥样硬化斑块。史蒂文回忆医生曾提到斑块有不同类型，最危险、易脱落引发栓塞的易损斑块他并没有，但存在一些可能转化的早期斑块。加尔平对此高度警惕，并分享了好友乔尔·贾米森（Joel Jamieson）的真实经历：贾米森年轻、身材极佳、无不良嗜好且血检完全正常，仅因家族病史而坚持要求做心脏 CT 血管造影（CT Angiogram）。当时心内科医生甚至认为他小题大做，但扫描结果却震惊了所有人——他的左前降支动脉（被称为“寡妇制造者”，Widowmaker）已经出现了 50% 的堵塞。加尔平借此强调，面对潜在的心血管风险绝不能心存侥幸，影像学检查往往能在没有症状时真正拯救生命。
- 心脏生理机制：左心室负责全身血液循环，负荷远高于仅负责肺循环的右心室；力量训练者的左心室壁生理性增厚属于良性代偿。
- 斑块辨识：稳定型斑块与易脱落破裂的易损斑块风险不同，后者是诱发急性心梗的主要诱因。
- 真实警示案例：体能专家乔尔·贾米森在血检指标完美、无症状的情况下通过心脏 CT 血管造影，查出左前降支动脉（Widowmaker）狭窄达 50%，及时规避了猝死风险。
### [01:10:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4219s) 胆固醇干预的真相：膳食纤维、压力管理与药物的协同
Dr. Andy Galpin 指出，Steven 之前的胆固醇偏高几乎可以肯定是对生酮饮食的直接生理反应。只要影像学检查证明血管没有出现斑块或狭窄，短期内就不必过度恐慌，但如果长期放任自流，确实存在潜在风险，因此每隔几年进行一次扫描监测至关重要。随后，Andy 分享了一个真实客户案例：一位高压行业的大企业 CEO，初始总胆固醇高达 347 mg/dL。在没有立刻用药的情况下，他们仅通过增加膳食纤维和强力减压，就将其降到了 223 mg/dL。膳食纤维能够直接在肠道中与某些类型的胆固醇结合并将其排出体外，而减压的作用同样立竿见影。
Andy 解释说，血液中的部分胆固醇和炎症指标属于“急性期反应物”（acute phase reactants），它们对身体承受的急性压力高度敏感。当人长期处于高压和高警觉状态时，皮质醇水平飙升，身体会诱发短期甚至全身性炎症。该客户最典型的炎症指标 C 反应蛋白（CRP）最初高达 2.0 mg/L（极高水平），经过减压生活方式干预后骤降至 0.2 mg/L，实现了整整 10 倍的降幅，从而使胆固醇水平随之大幅回落。
然而，223 mg/dL 依然处于偏高区间。为了让指标彻底进入理想的“全绿”安全区，客户的医疗团队介入并为其开具了他汀类药物（statin），最终将其总胆固醇压至 163 mg/dL。Andy 强调，这个案例完美展示了“生活方式干预与现代医学的良性结合”。社会上往往存在两种极端偏见：要么极端排斥药物、盲信纯靠生活方式能搞定一切；要么完全依赖药片而彻底放弃日常健康管理。对于没有私人医生团队的普通人，完全可以通过低成本实验来行动——多吃可溶性膳食纤维、学会释放压力，同时在必要时坦然寻求医生的药物支持，不必为此感到焦虑恐惧。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 胆固醇与炎症的阶梯式干预模型
accDescr: 展示通过生活方式干预（纤维与减压）及医疗手段（他汀）逐步降低胆固醇和CRP的流程
subgraph Phase1["第一阶段：生活方式干预"]
A["高危状态<br/>总胆固醇 347 mg/dL<br/>CRP: 2.0 mg/L"] --> B["生活方式调整<br/>• 摄入高膳食纤维（物理结合排泄）<br/>• 强力压力管理（平抑皮质醇）"]
B --> C["亚健康状态<br/>总胆固醇 223 mg/dL<br/>CRP: 0.2 mg/L（下降10倍）"]
end
subgraph Phase2["第二阶段：现代医疗介入"]
C --> D["医疗团队介入<br/>使用他汀类药物（Statin）"]
D --> E["理想安全状态<br/>总胆固醇 163 mg/dL<br/>（全面进入健康绿区）"]
end
```
- **真实案例数据对比**：总胆固醇从 347 mg/dL 降至 223 mg/dL（纯靠纤维与减压），再通过他汀降至 163 mg/dL。
- **炎症指标 CRP**：从 2.0 mg/L 降到 0.2 mg/L，下降了 10 倍，证实压力缓解与抗炎对代谢指标的直接改善。
- **关于纤维的免责声明**：Andy 郑重提醒，不要听了播客就以为“随便吃点纤维粉就能治好严重高胆固醇”，出现异常数值必须与专业医生紧密配合。
---
### [01:14:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4455s) 维生素 D 危机与现代生活的天然悖论
话题转向 Steven 自身的血液检测盲区：他原本以为自己在阳光充足的洛杉矶生活，维生素 D 和欧米伽指标一定非常亮眼，结果却被医生告知缺乏。Andy 解释，Steven 的维生素 D 读数为 37 ng/mL，处于临床临界偏低状态（常规健康参考底线通常为 40 ng/mL），同时非裔血统由于黑色素水平较高，在合成维生素 D 方面天然更容易偏低。
Andy 将维生素 D 称为人体整体健康的“缩影”或“晴雨表”，就像握力测试一样，一眼就能看出个体的综合健康状态。从生理机制来看，维生素 D 深度参与从大脑认知、肠道健康、激素合成、免疫调控到全身代谢的几乎每一个生理生化反应，它更是维持骨骼强度和合成骨骼肌不可或缺的核心要素。现实情况是，人群中极高比例存在临床或亚临床水平的维生素 D 缺乏。
讨论由此引发了关于“现代生活与自然本能悖论”的深层反思。Steven 感慨道，现代人一方面在日常中极力追求“纯天然”的饮食与养生，另一方面却生活在完全反自然的轨道上——终日坐在封闭办公室、长途飞行、离不开智能手机；过度执念于某一个生活截面的“绝对自然”，往往会带来新的认知困境与心理负担。Andy 强烈建议大家“多给自己一点宽容”（give yourself grace）：对于每天工作 12 小时的上班族、轮班倒的夜班护士、外科医生或是精力耗尽的单亲父母而言，每天在阳光下晒半小时根本不切实际。此时，现代科技的补剂和医药绝不是“垃圾”或“虚假产物”，而是弥补生存环境缺陷的有效工具。在习惯养成上，每周只聚焦 1 到 2 件需要额外花精力做的小事（例如今天出门散步见见光），贪多反而注定失败。
- **Steven 的生理读数**：维生素 D 检测值为 37 ng/mL，低于理想参考线（40 ng/mL）。
- **生理作用谱系**：骨骼生长、骨骼肌维持、免疫应答、肠道屏障以及神经内分泌调节。
- **生活建议**：天然阳光与全食物永远是首选；当所处纬度（如阴雨连绵的英国）或职业环境受限时，优质补充剂是安全可靠的现实替代方案。
---
### [01:17:02](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4622s) 欧米伽-3 与重金属汞的隐形博弈
在审视 Steven 的脂质组学报告时，Andy 揭示了另一个矛盾且危险的现象：Steven 的 Omega-3 指数仅为 5%（健康理想目标通常为 8% 及以上），但其体内的重金属“汞”（Mercury）指标却已经踩在超标的警戒线上。正常情况下，体内的 Omega-3 与汞含量往往呈正向联动，因为多数人获取 Omega-3 的主要途径是深海鱼类，而处于食物链顶端或劣质加工来源的鱼类通常富集了高浓度的工业汞污染。
Steven 表现出的“低 Omega-3 伴随高汞”意味着其机体摄入源存在严重缺陷。Andy 严肃指出，如果 Steven 按照常规建议盲目加大劣质鱼油或不合规海鲜的摄入量，其血液中的汞含量将不可避免地突破安全阈值，造成重金属中毒风险。解决这一困境的当务之急不是单纯增加摄入剂量，而是立即彻底升级摄入源的品质：要么严格筛选经过超纯度分子蒸馏、去除重金属残留的高品质鱼油补剂，要么调整饮食结构，选择小型野生杂食性鱼类等低汞污染源。
- **Omega-3 目标指标**：检测值为 5%，临床推荐优化目标为 8%。
- **潜在健康陷阱**：盲目补欧米伽可能伴随重金属蓄积，补充剂的纯度与来源安全比摄入数量更具决定性。
---
### [01:17:52](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4672s) 掌控高能状态：隐形压力与运动的线粒体赋能
随后，讨论切入许多高管与现代人最关心的核心议题——“如何彻底摆脱疲惫昏睡、获取充沛精力”。Andy 提出了一个宏观的能量分析框架：将所有消耗个体精力的因素划分为**“显性压力源”（visible stressors）**与**“隐性压力源”（hidden stressors）**两大阵营。
显性压力源是那些人们能够清晰感知、直观可控的要素，其中最典型的就是缺乏体育锻炼。科学数据库中的海量严谨研究一致证实，规律的体育活动是提升机体能量感最强有力的杠杆之一。当 Steven 追问其深层生理机制时，Andy 指出其核心根基之一在于“线粒体健康”（mitochondrial health）——运动不仅能修复受损的细胞能量工厂，更会直接刺激线粒体生物发生（biogenesis），通过增加细胞内线粒体的密度与产能效率，从细胞底层根本性逆转身体的疲惫状态。
### [01:18:28](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4708s) 线粒体与血液系统对运动的生理适应
当谈到运动对身体微观层面的改变时，Dr. Andy Galpin 解释道，多运动不仅会让体内的线粒体数量增多，还会让它们体积更大、功能更健康。Steven Bartlett 随即补充指出，线粒体负责处理能量，因此运动能换来更高效的能量代谢。Galpin 博士进一步阐明，尽管人体生成能量的途径多种多样，但线粒体是所有有氧代谢的终点通道；换句话说，任何利用氧气作为副产物来制造细胞燃料的过程，都必须依赖线粒体，因此它在能量供应中占据着核心地位。
然而，运动诱发的生理适应远不止线粒体层面的增生。Galpin 博士指出，耐力训练最基础的核心适应之一，是使人体内的总血容量实打实地增加。随着红细胞数量与总血量的上升，机体运载氧气的能力显著增强，进而能够向线粒体源源不断地输送氧气作为燃料。当被问及是否某种特定运动才能诱导这一变化时，Galpin 解释称，通常只要能对血流提出需求的刺激，都会促使供血能力上升，心血管运动亦遵循同样的底层逻辑。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 运动刺激与生理适应机制
accDescr: 展示运动对人体施加负荷后在心血管、骨骼与细胞层面诱发的级联适应机制
subgraph Stress ["施加负荷与刺激"]
S1["对心脏泵血施加需求"]
S2["对骨骼与结缔组织施加张力"]
S3["对细胞代谢与氧气施加需求"]
end
subgraph Adaptation ["SAID 原则响应"]
A1["心脏泵血效率提升<br/>总血量与红细胞增加"]
A2["骨密度增强<br/>结缔组织坚韧度提高"]
A3["线粒体数量增加、体积变大<br/>能量生成效率跃升"]
end
S1 --> A1
S2 --> A2
S3 --> A3
```
- **血容量与携氧能力**：耐力适应会直接扩张人体的循环血量与红细胞总量，从而大幅提升向组织输氧的物理上限。
- **线粒体形态改变**：经常运动的人，其线粒体不仅密度更高，而且个体形态更大、结构更完整。
---
### [01:19:19](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4759s) SAID 原则与“运动”概念的去神圣化
Galpin 博士强调，人体的根本法则是“压力等于适应”（Stress equals adaptation）。如果给心脏施加泵送更多血液的压力，它就会变得更善于泵血；如果给骨骼施加抵抗张力的机械负荷，它就会变得更坚硬，这一规律横跨结缔组织直到细胞健康的整个生理级联反应。在运动科学中，这被称为 **SAID 原则**（Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands，对施加需求的特异性适应）。
基于这一原理，Galpin 提醒大家重新审视“运动”（Exercise）一词的狭隘定义。在人类漫长的演化史中，奔跑、冲刺、搬运、跳跃、攀爬和缠斗都是生存活动的一部分，而把这些身体动作硬塞进一个脱离日常生活的专门场所（健身房）并进行结构化训练，其实仅仅是过去75年才出现的近现代产物。这一现象出现的本质，是因为现代社会过度削减了体力压力，导致人类不得不人为地将“压力”重新引入生活。
因此，运动绝不仅限于跑步、骑行、游泳或撸铁。无论是滑板、匹克球、园艺还是日常重体力劳作，只要能够对人体系统施加足够的负荷与约束，它们在降低死亡率、缓解关节疼痛以及改善身体成分方面的临床收益完全是等价的。
---
### [01:21:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4872s) 压力接种：能量匮乏与恶性萎缩循环
Steven Bartlett 将这一理论延伸到工作与生活场景中：如果一个播客主播想拥有更多主持节目的精力，是否应该多录播客？如果想有体力抱起孩子在花园里奔跑，是否就应该经常去抱重物并奔跑？Galpin 博士完全赞同这种被称为“压力接种”（Stress inoculation）的机制——只有向系统施加挑战，身体才会针对该特定行为发生适应，从而提供充沛的能量分配。
反之，很多人抱怨自己“没有精力”做某事，往往是因为他们从未给予身体足够的挑战来促成适应。Galpin 博士指出了一个普遍的恶性退化循环：
> “如果爬楼梯对你来说已经相当于一次 VO2 Max（最大摄氧量）竭尽全力测试，你还有多大可能会主动走楼梯？”
因为太吃力，人们便选择逃避；逃避导致机能进一步退化，从而让这项活动变得更加难以逾越。
除了缺乏锻炼导致的适应不足，Galpin 还分析了削弱人体能量的另外两类压力源：
1. **隐藏的非可见压力源（Hidden Stressors）**：例如未诊断的体内病原体或环境毒素。Galpin 曾诊治过一位感到极度疲乏、打不满整场比赛且双腿发软的职业棒球大联盟（MLB）运动员。经过对血液、卧室环境及眼部等一系列详细检测，团队确认该球员遭受了严重的霉菌（Mold）暴露。在彻底清除毒素源后，该球员的能量水平迅速恢复。
2. **能量代谢失衡（Energy Toxicity vs. Low Energy Availability）**：能量毒性即摄入热量长期过剩（与肥胖是两个概念）；而低能量可用性则是摄入热量严重不足，身体根本没有燃料来应对日常负荷。
认知层面也是完全一样的逻辑。一个平时不写作的人坐下来憋一本书会感到精疲力竭，而职业作家用45分钟敲出1000字却毫不费力，这正是神经系统经由长期压力接种所建立起来的持久力。
---
### [01:23:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5017s) 拒绝“衰老借口”：从健康寿命跨越到“表现寿命”
谈到生理退化，Steven Bartlett 分享了自己年过三十后的切身感悟：“用进废退”（Use it or lose it）。当身体某个部位（例如腰部）开始出现隐痛时，人性的本能是寻找代偿姿势避开疼痛、减少弯腰，而这种逃避恰恰触发了“萎缩导致进一步萎缩”（Atrophy leads to atrophy）的下行反馈循环。
Steven 回忆了之前在播客中采访过的一位女学者，对方曾展示过一张令人震撼的 DEXA 身体成分扫描对比图：一位70岁的五项全能运动员，其骨骼与肌肉量竟然堪比甚至超越了普通的30岁年轻人。这张扫描图彻底打破了 Steven 对年龄的刻板印象：
> “不要把身体的一切退化都归咎为衰老问题。因为一旦你接受了‘这是衰老导致的’，你就走上了衰退的下坡路。”
当自己的背部出现酸痛时，Steven 现在的解决方式不是“小心翼翼地护着腰不再弯曲”，而是走进健身房开始进行深蹲和针对性的屈伸训练。
Galpin 博士肯定了这一态度。虽然衰老确实会带来某些无法避免的生理改变（例如老年人通常自然睡眠时长会略微缩短），但绝大部分机能退化都是可以通过主动对抗来抵御的。Galpin 进一步批判了当前长寿（Longevity）领域里狭隘的“抗衰”叙事：
- **超越“寿命”（Lifespan）与“健康寿命”（Healthspan）**：传统的健康寿命追求仅仅是“活着但没有病痛、不那么难受”。Galpin 认为这种目标过于消极，“难道你的目标仅仅是别变老，而不是在70岁时还能扣篮吗？”
- **提出“表现寿命”（Performance Span）**：Galpin 打了个生动的比方：你绝不会花大价钱买下一辆配备顶级越野套件的四驱皮卡，却仅仅把它常年停在车库里积灰。同理，长寿的意义在于真实地体验生命，在尽可能长的时间跨度里，保持卓越的认知敏锐度、出色的身体机能与掌握高难度技能的能力，尽情去做自己热爱的一切壮举。
### [01:26:44](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5204s) 运动频率与精力水平的直接关联
史蒂文·巴特利特（Steven Bartlett）将话题引向精力管理，他提到自己在高频出差期间经常发现一个明确规律：过去几周去健身房的次数与当前的日常精力充沛程度高度正相关。比如在录制现场的纽约，他最近两周只去了大约三次健身房，而平时几乎每天都去，他明显感觉自己整个人精力下滑，因此好奇这究竟是一种心理暗示，还是背后有确凿的科学依据。
安迪·加尔平（Dr. Andy Galpin）明确指出，这既有心理层面的因素，也有坚实的生理学依据。如果去进行中低强度的运动，这类训练本身在结束后就能直接为身体“供能”并提振精神；而若是进行了极限强度的“玩命训练”（无论是大重量力量训练还是心率彻底拉满的爆发训练），练完当下可能会让人觉得精疲力竭，但从长远累积的角度来看，它们能够大幅拉高一个人的全天精力基准线。加尔平建议，在出差、生病或极度繁忙时，不要硬扛着去追求极限强度，只需进行中低强度训练，去活动身体、流点汗，就能维持良好的精力状态；只有在身体健康且追求长期生理适应与突破时，才值得全力推高训练负荷。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 训练强度对精力的短期与长期影响
accDescr: 对比中低强度训练与高强度训练在即时反馈与长期基准上的差异
subgraph LowInt["中低强度训练 (轻度/活动)"]
A["适合状态: 出差、疲劳、生病"] --> B["即时效果: 直接注入活力、促进循环"]
end
subgraph HighInt["高极限强度训练 (推向力竭)"]
C["适合状态: 健康良好、追求生理适应"] --> D["即时反应: 当下身体疲惫"]
D --> E["长期累积: 显著拉高全天日常精力基线"]
end
```
### [01:28:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5292s) 赞助商插播与个人健康警示：维生素 D 与晨间习惯
史蒂文在节目中插播赞助商信息并向企业管理者分享切身体会。他坦言自己 21 岁创立第一家公司，深知为每一个商业决策负责所承受的隐形心理负荷。他在赞助商 Function Health 进行了深度体检后才震惊地发现，由于常年呆在昏暗无光的演播室里，自己体内的欧米伽-3（Omega-3）水平偏低，而维生素 D 甚至达到了严重缺乏的程度。
这项体格检查彻底改变了他的生活方式。如今他每天清晨起床后的第一件事，就是出门在阳光下散步，这不仅是为了促进体内合成维生素 D，更是为了重置生物钟节律。他向观众推荐了该平台包含 160 多项化验指标的全面体检服务，并随后提醒观众查看视频下方的订阅按钮，呼吁常看节目的听众顺手点击订阅支持频道。
### [01:29:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5370s) 握力测试的真相：预测死亡率的科学演进与误区
话题转回体能评估，史蒂文拿出了一个便携式握力计。他提到外界普遍流传着“握力是预测长寿和死亡率的头号指标”的说法。加尔平纠正道，握力确实是一项非常优秀的科学检测工具，但绝不是“第一大预测指标”。这项研究的源头可追溯至 20 世纪 80 年代末，当时流行病学家史蒂芬·布莱尔（Steven Blair）及其团队通过庞大的数据库分析发现，以最大摄氧量（VO2 max/peak）为代表的心肺耐力，对预期寿命的预测能力甚至超过了血压、胆固醇等传统临床指标。这一开创性发现开启了长达数十年的运动表现与健康关联研究。
然而，加尔平指出这一结论在传播过程中被过分神化和夸大了。市面上一个不到 40 美元的握力计确实很实用，握力极弱的人群在统计学上往往健康状况堪忧；但若因此认为“人们应该专门为了最大化握力而调整整个生活方式”，就完全本末倒置了。如果一个人的握力已经处在人群的前 80% 分位数，刻意把它练到 90% 并不会让他多活一天。史蒂文问及握力究竟是全身力量的粗略代称，还是单纯反映手臂力量，加尔平给出了出人意料的答案：它本质上同时在测试神经系统与大脑。
- **科学史渊源**：史蒂芬·布莱尔团队在 80 年代末证实，机体运动表现指标对死亡率的预测价值胜过部分传统间接血液化验与血压指标。
- **神化误区**：市面上甚至有人试图开设“专门训练握力以求长寿”的健身房，这属于混淆了关联性与因果性的典型极端案例。
- **神经与肌力**：握力计测量的不仅是前臂屈肌的绝对力量，更是中枢神经系统向下调动运动单位的传导效率与神经健康状态。
### [01:32:41](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5561s) 现场握力测试与不对称性背后的神经健康隐患
加尔平进一步揭示了握力研究中最关键的前沿方向——握力不对称性（Grip Strength Asymmetry）。过去三年中已有超过二十篇高质量论文探讨该现象。非惯用手力量有时反而大于惯用手，因为惯用肢体通常主导精细运动控制（如写字），而另一侧肢体可能承担更多粗大肌力输出。但更核心的临床意义在于，双侧握力的显著失衡往往是神经退行性疾病（如阿尔茨海默病、帕金森病）以及运动神经失神经支配（Denervation）的早期预测指标。
随后加尔平指导史蒂文在现场进行规范测试：手臂屈曲呈 90 度，上臂与手肘不接触桌面，全力捏紧握力计。现场出现了一段充满戏剧性的比拼：
- 史蒂文在右手测出了 130 磅的高分（远超平均线），直呼“感觉脑袋快炸开了”；
- 换到自以为偏弱的左手时，测试结果竟然爆表达到了 160 磅，引得现场一阵惊呼；
- 加尔平亲自尝试，左右手分别测出 130 磅与 110 磅；
- 史蒂文指出，团队里的杰夫（Jeff）整体力量比自己大得多，但两人的握力表现并不完全与其常规深蹲、卧推力量对应。
加尔平对此总结道，握力测试是极佳的低成本筛查工具，能直接洞察神经与全身机能隐患，但它并不能完全代表一个人所有的健康与力量维度，人们绝不应当为了单一指标盲目去“刷分优化”。
### [01:34:31](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5671s) 从握力到肌肉爆发力（Muscle Power）
史蒂文询问是否存在更优质的综合健康与力量指标，并提出了“肌肉爆发力”（Muscle Power）。加尔平表示爆发力确实是极佳的生理维度，在物理学与运动生理学上，爆发力被严格定义为“力量（Force）乘以速度（Velocity）”。
为了展示爆发力的概念，史蒂文拿起桌上的物品做了一个慢动作投掷的手势，加尔平随即幽默地调侃道：“刚才这下可算不上什么爆发力，因为你动作实在太慢了。”真正的肌肉功率不仅要求肌肉能够募集大力量，更要求在极短的毫秒级时间内将速度爆发出来。
### [01:34:54](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5694s) 肌肉爆发力与爆发力减退症（Powerpenia）
Andy Galpin 博士现场拿出一件重物（约 12 公斤或 12 磅）直观演示力量（Force/Strength）与爆发力（Power）的核心区别。从经典物理学公式来看，力等于质量乘以加速度（$F = ma$），力量本质上是对抗或驱动特定质量的能力；而爆发力则是力量乘以速度（$\text{Power} = \text{Force} \times \text{Velocity}$）。如果将 12 公斤的重物以极慢的速度递出并以同样速度接回，施加的牛顿力是恒定的；但如果要产生爆发力，就必须在动作中叠加极高的速度。提升爆发力有两条核心路径：要么增加力量（施加更大的负荷），要么提升动作速度。
许多人在爆发力训练中最容易犯的错误，就是拿较轻的重量却以极慢的速度动作。这种做法既无法因为足够大的负荷刺激力量增长，也无法因为高速度激活爆发力，导致训练两头不讨好。Galpin 指出，过去医学与运动科学界长期关注肌肉减少症（Sarcopenia，即随衰老加速流失的肌肉量与肌肉力量），但如今科学界的焦点正在快速转向“爆发力减退症”（Powerpenia），即机体爆发力的丧失速度远超正常衰老轨迹。爆发力的流失极其致命，它直接决定了个体在滑倒时能否瞬间跨步稳住重心、失衡时能否快速做出支撑反应。缺乏爆发力是导致跌倒、骨折和关节脱位的主要诱因，尤其对于 60 至 65 岁以上的老年人群，跌倒骨折常常是健康状况急转直下的转折点。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 肌肉力量与爆发力的衰减差异
accDescr: 对比传统肌少症与爆发力减退症及其带来的健康后果
subgraph PhysicalDef["物理学定义与机制"]
Mass["质量 (Mass / m)"]
Force["力量 / 纯力量<br/>Force = m × a"]
Power["爆发力<br/>Power = Force × Velocity"]
Mass --> Force
Force --> Power
end
subgraph AgingImpact["衰老相关的机能退化"]
Sarcopenia["肌少症 (Sarcopenia)<br/>肌肉量与基础力量衰退"]
Powerpenia["爆发力减退症 (Powerpenia)<br/>神经募集速度与爆发力流失"]
FallRisk["反应变慢、无法防跌倒<br/>骨折 / 脱位风险倍增 (60岁+致命伤)"]
Power --> Powerpenia
Force --> Sarcopenia
Powerpenia --> FallRisk
end
```
---
### [01:37:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5823s) 训练频率、容量与组间间歇的科学真相
Steven Bartlett 提出了大众与健身爱好者的普遍困惑：想要更好的体型、增肌或力量，是不是必须拼命增加去健身房的次数（例如从每周 3-4 次强行提高到 6-7 次）？Galpin 澄清，训练更频繁确实能在理论上提供更多施加压力和诱导适应的机会，但就增肌（Muscle Growth）而言，只要全周的总训练容量（Volume，即负重乘以次数的总和）一致，每周究竟去几次健身房在生理学本质上没有太大区别。
对于“高密度训练”（例如 20 分钟内完成 1 小时的举重动作）是否更优，Galpin 否定了这种说法。缩短锻炼总时间实际上只是极度压缩了组间休息。大众健身文化中盛行“休息时间越短越能刺激肌肉生长”的说法，但这种观点“与现代运动科学证据完全不符”（Not consistent with the evidence）。短休息会导致过量的疲劳堆积，直接削弱下一组所能举起的重量、次数和组数，最终牺牲了整体的高质量训练容量。
Galpin 强调“动作质量永远是第一位的”（Quality is always number one）：
- **组间充分休息**：在时间允许的前提下，组间休息 60 到 90 秒甚至达到 2 分钟，能让神经系统与局部肌肉充分恢复，保证下一组动作处于高机械张力与高技术规格状态。
- **避免信息过载磨灭动力**：Galpin 强烈批评了当前社交媒体上让普通人产生严重“优化焦虑”的现象。对于已经每周坚持去 3 天健身房的人，大众应该给予鼓励，而不是用“休息没超过 60 秒就全白练了”、“代谢彻底毁了”、“内分泌崩盘”等危言耸听的言论去打击运动者的动力。
- **高质量动作带来事半功倍的效果**：追求高质量动作——包括精准的技术规范、全关节活动度（Range of Motion）、专注的发力意图以及清晰的“意念肌肉连接”（Mind-Muscle Connection）——能显著降低受伤风险，并让训练者在更短的时间、更小的总做工量下获得更显著的增肌与力量提升。
---
### [01:41:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6096s) 补剂逻辑：矫正缺陷与运动表现加速
在谈及当下极度热门的肌酸（Creatine）以及个人的日常补剂方案时，Galpin 明确将补剂分为两大泾渭分明的类别：一类是“矫正生理缺陷”（Correct Physiology），另一类是“提升运动表现”（Performance Enhancement）。在为顶级运动员和客户制定方案时，团队始终遵循“食物优先”原则，只有在日常饮食无法补齐时才利用补剂填补空白。
对于矫正缺陷类的营养素，完全依托定期的血液检测数据来判定机体缺乏或过载的指标。比如针对检测出的维生素 D 缺乏、或特定人群所需的优质多种复合维生素与鱼油。而出于提升运动表现目的的补剂，则属于功能加速器，涵盖了肌酸（Creatine）、β-丙氨酸（Beta-Alanine）和碳酸氢钠（Sodium Bicarbonate）等，这些会根据当下的体能周期目标（如偏向增肌还是耐力）进行动态切换。
被问及当下的个人日常补剂时，Galpin 坦言自己当前服用的补剂数量是“零”（Zero）：
- **维生素 D**：眼下正值夏季，且他居住在森林环境之中，日常户外日照极为充足，无需额外补充。
- **Omega-3 鱼油**：他近期对自己的膳食拥有完全的自主控制权，摄入了充足的鱼类；加之他平时有条件食用自己获取的野味肉食（Wild-caught meat），这类天然红肉所含的各种微量营养素与脂肪酸比例远优于工厂化养殖肉类。基于最新的血检结果，其体内各项 Omega-3 指标完全处于理想区间，因此无需额外服药。
- **差旅与特殊场景的动态调整**：在出差、飞行或频繁外食时，机场与餐馆极难获取足量优质蔬菜，Galpin 会针对性地补充膳食纤维（Fiber）；而一旦回到居家可控的生活状态，则全部回归全食物营养。
随随后，Steven 将话题切入无数普通大众与职业拳手都面临的核心痛点：无论是为了走上擂台称重脱水，还是普通人减掉身上多余的脂肪，大众对于减重（Weight Loss）最根深蒂固的误区与迷信究竟是什么。
### [01:43:46](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6226s) 减脂的最大误区与“烘焙 vs 烹饪”性格模型
Andy Galpin 博士指出，关于减脂最根本的误区，就是认为存在某种“绝不能吃的特定食物”或“必须做/不能做的某种特定训练方式”。减脂在原则上极其简单，只是在人类的行为实践中非常艰难。达标的核心逻辑只有几条，但通往终点的路径却有上亿种选择。
如果一个人自控力较弱、很难把握“适度”，Galpin 博士便不会强求其保持适度，而是先判断该个体的性格是属于“烘焙型”（Baker）还是“烹饪型”（Cook）：
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 饮食控制风格决策图
accDescr: 对比烘焙型与烹饪型两种减脂执行策略及其优缺点
A["减脂执行路径选择"] --> B["烘焙型 Baker"]
A --> C["烹饪型 Cook"]
subgraph Baker["烘焙型：严密测量"]
B --> B1["严格称重与记录每克食物"]
B --> B2["每日称重，零随机偏差"]
B3["优点：无需猜测与纠结<br/>缺点：极度繁琐耗力"]
end
subgraph Cook["烹饪型：原则导向"]
C --> C1["仅设立 1-3 条核心原则"]
C --> C2["不称重，自由搭配食材"]
C3["优点：执行自由度极高<br/>缺点：高阶减脂易因盲区翻车"]
end
```
- **烘焙（Baking）是化学实验**：食材克数、烘烤火候必须分毫不差，否则蛋糕就发不起来、无法定型。反映在饮食上，就是严格称重、分克不差、每日称重监测，不打任何折扣。
- **烹饪（Cooking）是即兴发挥**：看冰箱里有什么就放什么，随性调味。反映在饮食上，就是遵循 1 到 3 条核心宏观原则（例如“每餐必有新鲜蔬菜且搭配专门的蛋白质来源”），而不去死抠每餐的精确数字。
Steven 坦言自己更喜欢“烹饪型”的宏观概念，因为不想把脑力耗费在琐碎细节上。Galpin 博士指出，概念型策略很自由，但对于已经很精瘦、想冲击极致体脂率的人来说，往往难以奏效，因为此时往往一勺未计量的橄榄油或一小把米饭就会打破热量赤字；但如果是要减掉上百磅，靠抓大放小的原则就能取得极其显著的成果。
### [01:46:25](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6385s) 为什么大多数人反而更需要“具体死板的细节”
尽管直觉上人们可能觉得宏观原则更轻松，但 Galpin 博士透露，绝大多数来找他的学员或运动员，面对模糊原则时反而会陷入决策焦虑：“我该吃几餐？纤维摄入多少？鸡胸肉到底是吃 6 盎司还是 7 盎司？”当教练随口回答“吃 6.3 盎司”时，他们反而松了一口气，因为他们彻底省去了“纠结今天到底有没有吃超标”的心理负担。
无论是限制进食时间窗口（间歇性断食）、剔除垃圾食品，还是调整餐食成分组合，本质上全都是“制造热量缺口”的不同策略手段。Galpin 博士给出的最佳建议是两步走方案：
- **第一阶段（烘焙期）**：先拿出两周时间，对吃下的所有食物进行精确称重和记录。
- **第二阶段（烹饪期）**：有了这两周的校准，大脑就会对“一汤匙花生酱”、“一杯米饭”或“3 盎司肉”建立起清晰的视觉分量感知，此时便可退回至轻松的宏观原则模式。
Steven 对此深有共鸣。他回忆自己曾有一周使用扫条形码的 App 记录所有饮食，立刻击碎了他对常吃食物的固有幻想。Galpin 博士补充道，他每年都会让运动科学专业的研究生做“7 天饮食回忆与称重实验”，每次都会得出三个雷打不动的结果：
1. 几乎所有人摄入的**脂肪总量**都远超自己的想象（很多人自以为脂肪供能占 20%，实际一测高达 40%）。
2. 所有人摄入的**碳水化合物总量**都比预想的高得多。
3. 绝大多数人摄入的**蛋白质总量**都远低于自己的预估。
Steven 提到生酮饮食（Keto）对自己帮助最大的地方，正是强迫他在初期把摄入当作“碳水预算”（每天仅 50 克预算）去称量和计算，从而彻底重塑了他对食物成分的直觉。
### [01:51:01](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6661s) 运动在减脂中的真相与“适应性产热”
谈到运动在减脂中的角色时，Galpin 博士打破了两个极端的迷思。以往人们信奉“消耗大于摄入”，后来又有一批研究称“运动对减脂几乎没有意义”。
真相介于两者之间：
- **器械热量显示虚高**：跑步机或健身器械屏幕上显示消耗的热量数值，绝大多数情况下都远高于实际消耗值。
- **适应性产热（Adaptive Thermogenesis）与能量补偿**：如果你通过运动额外消耗了 500 大卡，身体（取决于个人的体脂率与体能状态）会在一天中的其他时间下调基础代谢或非运动性消耗，以对抗这种能量亏空。这意味着单纯指望靠运动疯狂刷卡路里，很容易被身体的自我代偿机制所抵消。
### [01:51:58](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6718s) 运动在减脂中的真实作用与代偿机制
探讨减脂时，Andy Galpin 博士指出了一个常被忽视的能量补偿（downregulation）现象：理论上，你在一场高强度训练中消耗了 500 大卡，但由于身体的自我保护机制，它可能会在随后的日常代谢中下调 300 到 500 大卡来补平这一差额，最终导致一整天的能量收支几乎归零。尤其是身材已经比较精瘦的人群，这种代谢下调反应发生得极为频繁。面对这种平台期，很多人盲目选择进一步缩减摄入、加码训练，结果引发更强烈的代谢代偿。
这导致近年来出现了一种极端舆论，认为“卡路里计算毫无意义”或者“运动对减脂起不到任何作用”。Galpin 博士明确反驳了这种观点：卡路里计算绝对重要；近年的多项荟萃分析（meta-analyses）显示，单纯通过饮食控制确实能实现减重，但运动无疑是增加能量消耗的极佳手段。更关键的是，研究一致表明：在减重过程中坚持运动的人，在饮食期结束后的数周乃至数年里，维持体脂不反弹的能力远胜于不运动的人。
---
### [01:53:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6788s) 减脂的“54321 法则”
为了给大众提供清晰、可执行的减脂行动指南，Galpin 博士提出了实用的“54321 法则”，通过层层递进的方式安排每周的活动与训练量：
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 54321减脂运动架构
accDescr: 展示从每周活动到结构化训练及高强度心率的层级递进要求
subgraph Base["日常基础"]
D5["5 天/周：保持身体活跃<br/>(快走/日常劳作/非久坐)"]
end
subgraph Training["训练层级"]
D4["4 天/周：结构化运动<br/>(力量/轻度活动/瑜伽等)"]
D3["3 天/周：练到充分出汗<br/>(确保热量消耗达标)"]
end
subgraph Focus["进阶目标"]
D2["2 天/周：抗阻力量训练"]
D1["1 天/周：极限高心率刺激"]
end
D5 --> D4
D4 --> D3
D3 --> D2
D3 --> D1
```
- **每周 5 天保持活跃**：不局限于健身房锻炼，散步、体力通勤、日常劳作均可，核心是创造足够的能量消耗。同时他也强调，每周完全休息一两天、在家彻底放松是完全没问题的。
- **每周 4 天结构化运动**：不必每次都拼尽全力（“Volume 11”），其中可以有一两天高强度，也可以安排较轻强度的瑜伽或拉伸。
- **每周至少 3 天练到出汗**：必须有 3 次训练的强度足以逼出一身透汗，确保产生实质性的能量缺口。做到这前三点（即“5-4-3”），减脂的基本盘就已经相当稳固。
- **每周 2 天力量训练**：若要进一步细化，安排 2 天的抗阻负重训练来巩固肌肉量。
- **每周 1 天极限心率挑战**：至少有 1 天让心率飙到极高区间，强化心血管适应。
---
### [01:54:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6885s) 为什么训练陷入停滞？渐进性超负荷的必要性
许多人常感困惑：“我每周规律去健身房三四天，为什么身材和力量毫无改变？”Galpin 针见血地指出，80% 的原因在于**缺乏规划（programming）**。大部分人只是在凭感觉盲目锻炼（“winging it”），就像没有任何商业规划却妄想公司业务自动增长一样荒谬。科学研究表明，采用哪套具体方案并非最关键因素，**“拥有一套固定的计划”本身才是最重要的**，因为唯有在计划指导下，才能实现**渐进性超负荷（progressive overload）**。
Steven Bartlett 深有感触地附和，绝大多数健身者过去 7 个月里在楼梯机（StairMaster）上永远调到 8 档踩 10 分钟，动作一成不变。Galpin 解释，超负荷并不等于无脑加重——人不可能每周都往杠铃上加 5 磅，加到三四周就会撞墙，这正是运动训练演化为一门独立学科的原因。必须科学交替调整变量：
- 增加单组重复次数（Reps）；
- 增加正式组数（Sets）；
- 适当增加负重负荷（Load）；
- 扩大动作的动作幅度（Range of Motion, ROM）。
---
### [01:56:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=6987s) AI 健身方案的兴衰与人际联结的价值
针对毫无头绪的新手，Galpin 认为借助 AI 生成一份入门课表是可行的。Steven 随即在现场拿出手机向 AI 语音助手提问：“我想每周健身 4 天，请根据 Andy Galpin 博士的研究与原则，给出未来 4 个月增肌的核心法则。”AI 迅速梳理出三项重点：
1. 优先实施**渐进性超负荷**，循序渐进地提升重量、次数或组数；
2. 组合**不同的重复次数区间**，结合大重量低次数的力量训练与中高次数的肥大训练；
3. 复合动作间保证**充分组间间歇（2 到 5 分钟）**，确保中枢神经系统充分恢复，保证每组完成质量。
Galpin 听完评价道：“相当不错，虽然略微带点 AI 的自由发挥（hallucination），但已经极其接近核心事实了。”
两人随后探讨了健身行业的周期摆动：2020 年疫情让线下健身房遭遇灭顶之灾，居家器材盛行；紧接着 AI 兴起，由于用户发现仅凭大模型就能免费生成个性化课表，导致收费每月一两百甚至三百美元的线上教练业务断崖式下跌。然而，市场钟摆正强力反向回弹，线下真人教练的需求暴增。因为人们最终意识到：
- **核心从来不是获取信息**：所有关于杠铃、器械和次数区间的知识，前人早就发现并公开了，"It was never about the information."
- **真人教练提供的是情绪价值、情感联结与责任约束（accountability）**：教练不仅告诉你该做什么，更确保你真正去完成它。
- **真实故事胜过干瘪的数据总结**：很多听众在评论区留言让 AI（如 Grok）直接提炼“3 小时播客里的 10 条干货”，但只看摘要的人往往从不付诸行动；唯有听完完整对话、被真实个案（比如 Galpin 分享如何指导围绝经期女性 Jenny 调整训练）所打动的听众，才会真正落实改变。整个世界最终愿意为之买单的，是“你是否真正实践并做成过这件事”。
### [02:00:14](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7214s) 信任背后的真实经验与行为改变的触发点
谈及为何人们依然愿意为专业教练买单而不是仅靠人工智能，Andy Galpin 指出，人类的真实经历（Lived Experience）具有不可替代的说服力。当人们看到一个有血有肉的故事，确认对方确实亲自做到过，就会建立起信任，直接采用对方验证过的方案；更重要的是，这能帮客户节省大量时间——你固然可以花大把精力去研究怎么向 AI 输入 Prompt 并生成训练方案，但也可以干脆“直接付钱给 Andy”，把省下来的宝贵时间投入到自己真正热爱和关心的事务中。
随后，Steven Bartlett 提出了一个深层问题：对于那些向来固执己见、不愿改变的人，是否存在某种共通的“催化剂时刻”（Catalyst Moment）？无论是在访客身上还是 Steven 自己的人生中，往往都存在一个分水岭般的“前后对比时刻”——在那一刻听到了某句话或发生了某件事，才下定决心认真对待健康。Andy 坦言这是一个极佳的问题，但很难给出一个标准答案，因为每个人的触发点千差万别；人们常说的“跌入谷底”（Rock Bottom）确实有时奏效，但绝非普遍规律。
### [02:01:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7290s) 死亡威胁为何失效，以及“离家太近”的震撼教育
面对 Steven 提出关于“重大变故（如生子、亲友离世）”是否属于催化剂的猜想，Andy 直言，单纯“死亡威胁”其实根本无法促成行为改变。如果死亡威胁真的管用，社会上就不会有高达 40% 的肥胖率；人人都清楚肥胖、酗酒、吸烟和沉迷社交媒体的危害，单纯的信息普及根本无法撼动行为。真正的转折点往往发生于危机“离家太近”（Too close to home）的时刻——比如邻居在车祸中丧生，人们才会突然惊醒，发誓开车时再也不看手机。
Steven 对此深有共鸣，并分享了一段刻骨铭心的童年回忆：
- **安全带执念的源头**：Steven 至今乘车都会神经质般地严格监督车内所有人系好安全带，哪怕乘坐伦敦黑色出租车或与团队同行也无一例外。
- **10岁那年的震撼**：学校组织了一场安全讲座，请来了一位在车祸中痛失爱子的母亲，随后一名警察走上台，极其具象地描述了车祸现场：警察低头看着刚在事故中丧生的遇难者手机，屏幕正好亮起，来电显示赫然写着“妈妈”（Mom）。
- **不可磨灭的情感印记**：这一极具创伤感的具象画面深深烙印在 Steven 脑海中，成为他终生行为模式的底层触发器。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 行为改变触发机制对比
accDescr: 对比抽象威胁与具象冲击对人类行为改变的不同效果
subgraph Weak["弱催化剂：无效驱动"]
A["抽象健康常识<br/>（知道肥胖/吸烟有害）"]
B["遥远的死亡威胁<br/>（统计概率/寿命缩短）"]
end
subgraph Strong["强催化剂：剧烈行为改变"]
C["切身情感冲击<br/>（亲友车祸/丧亲之痛）"]
D["客观量化数据<br/>（测力板差距/高胆固醇报告）"]
E["身份与生活转折<br/>（卖掉公司/晋升父母/整数岁数）"]
end
Weak -->|难以克服惯性| F["行为无实质改变<br/>（高肥胖率/拖延不改）"]
Strong -->|击穿侥幸心理| G["彻底执行行动转变<br/>（系安全带/重构训练/调适健康）"]
```
### [02:03:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7383s) 客观生物数据与人生重大转折：真正的行为催化剂
在运动表现与临床健康领域，Andy 指出另一种极具冲击力的催化剂是**客观可量化的生物数据**。早年他指导过一位自认为速度极快的职业运动员，团队将这名运动员请上测力板（Force Plate）采集客观数据，并安排了几名普通学生同台测试。当这名运动员亲眼看到学生的测试速度竟然与自己不相上下时，心理防线瞬间被击穿，随后百分之百遵从了教练组提出的每一项严苛训练调整。随着当下健康检测手段的普及，看到属于自己的真实数据往往会成为当头棒喝——如果拿给 Steven 看的是一份陌生人的高胆固醇血检单，他只会随口敷衍；但一旦确认那是他自己的化验结果，态度就会立刻变为“我们必须马上解决它”。
结合文献与实践经验，两人梳理了引发顽固人群改变的四大核心催化剂：
- **突发性健康冲击或确诊**：自身遭遇严重疾病或身体急性警报，这是最主要的原动力。
- **身边同侪的警钟**：朋友、亲属或手足突发意外或重病，使危险感瞬间具象化。
- **量化生物反馈（Biometric Feedback）**：如血检指标、测力数据、体脂成分等无可辩驳的个人数据。
- **重大人生阶段转变**：初为人父母、迈入关键年龄节点（如 30、40 或 50 岁整寿）、正式退休。
- **出售企业（Sold My Company）**：这是 Andy 接触的高净值客户中最普遍的现象。这类人往往经历类似“夺金后抑郁”（Post-Gold Depression）的迷茫期，突然失去了忙碌的目标，坐拥金钱与时间；过去二十年他们以牺牲健康为代价换取公司成功，如今没有借口再推脱，于是将自己的身体当成了全新的“创业项目”。
### [02:06:08](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7568s) 摆脱极端优化的执念与“糟糕目标”的陷阱
针对健康管理，Andy 澄清了一个常见误区：大众不必因为害怕走向“极端优化”（Optimization）而彻底放弃自我管理。Andy 习惯于使用运动表现、追求卓越和最大化潜能的话语体系，但他完全理解并非所有人都有成为“最强王者”的欲望。即使一个人毫无成为“健康极客”的执念，也不意味着可以对身体放任自流；最务实的策略是保持基本的体检与关注，确保健康隐患不会在多年后集中爆发，避免未来不得不耗费数倍的时间、精力和财力去逆转恶果。
当 Steven 问及“理清底层动机（Clear on your Why）”有多重要时，Andy 给出了出人意料的回答：在专业教练视角下，“Why”往往被过度神化了。主动寻求专业帮助的客户通常已经解决了“为什么要做”的动力问题，他们真正卡壳的是具体的执行层面——“做什么（What）”以及“怎么做（How）”。
相比于寻找动机，更具破坏性的是设定了**糟糕的目标（Bad Goals）**，让人直接瞄准了错误的靶心：
- **Steven 27 岁时的失败案例**：当时他给自己设定了“每天都去健身房”的目标。这个目标在坚持了六个月后，因为一次不可抗力的飞行延误彻底破裂。
- **断崖式崩塌的心态**：这种“全有或全无”的极端目标极具毁灭性，一旦断档一天，心理防线便全面崩溃，陷入“再也无法重新上马”的巨大挫败感。
- **目标设定的转向**：Andy 指出，像减脂这类常见诉求，不能依靠毫无容错率的极端死规矩，而是需要建立兼具弹性与科学性的长期系统。
### [02:08:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7686s) 重新定义成功：先修复健康，减脂自会水到渠成
当被问及“是什么阻碍了你拥有更精干的体魄”时，大多数人的第一反应往往脱口而出：“我必须加大运动量、严格节食。”安迪·加尔平（Dr. Andy Galpin）指出，这仅仅是战术手段，而非问题的根本所在。他更关心的是：“既然你早知道卡路里和运动的道理，为什么现在还没达到理想状态？”真正横亘在目标之间的，往往是深层的隐性压力源或身体机能障碍。许多人抱着“我必须先减脂才能变健康”的错误逻辑，而加尔平团队的方法论恰恰相反：“你必须先恢复健康，随后的减脂才会变得轻松得多。”
目标定义偏差往往导致人们对成败产生严重误判。加尔平在辅导中经常抛出两个核心问题：“对你而言，成功究竟是什么模样？失败又是什么模样？”当咨询者回答“成功就是减掉 25 磅体重”时，加尔平会反问：“如果最终你只减了 12 磅，但困扰多年的肩部慢性疼痛彻底消失了，十年来第一次恢复了规律正常的排便，日常精力也大幅飙升，这难道算失败吗？”答案显然是否定的。这并非没有达成目标，而是最初将“成功”的定义框定得过于狭隘与单一。重新审视并正确定义成功，是帮助长年陷入减脂瓶颈者取得实质突破的核心钥匙。
```mermaid
flowchart TD
accTitle: 目标重塑与健康优先逻辑
accDescr: 对比传统减脂执念与加尔平健康优先路径的流程图
subgraph 传统单一思维
A["设定死板数字: 必须减掉25磅"] --> B["执行表面战术: 拼命节食与加码训练"]
B --> C["若仅减12磅且遭遇瓶颈: 判定为失败并放弃"]
end
subgraph 加尔平科学路径
D["剖析真实阻碍: 排查隐性压力与机能障碍"] --> E["首要目标: 消除疼痛、改善肠道与精力"]
E --> F["重塑身体机能: 减脂成为健康的自然副产物"]
end
```
- **战术与根因的区别**：节食和运动只是实施手段，未能减脂的根源通常在于代谢抑制、内分泌紊乱或生活中的隐性压力。
- **健康优先法则**：不是“为了变健康而减肥”，而是“唯有先变健康，身体才具备顺利分解脂肪的生理条件”。
- **多维度成果评估**：关节疼痛缓解、胃肠道功能恢复、全天精力改善，其长期健康价值远超体重秤上的单一数字。
### [02:09:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7760s) 终极拷问：即便注定失败，依然值得全力以赴的事
按照《CEO日记》（The Diary Of A CEO）的闭幕传统，上一位做客的嘉宾在不知下一位嘉宾身份的情况下留下了一个问题：“如果你确信自己注定会失败，还有什么事情依然值得你去做？”
安迪·加尔平对这个问题赞叹不已。他坦言自己是一个极度求胜心切（ultra competitive）的人，但奇特的是，他其实完全不在乎输赢的结果。面对“即使注定失败也要做的事”，加尔平给出的答案是“全部的一切”。这种看似避重就轻的回应，实则是其内心底层信念的真实写照——失败本身根本困扰不了他，他真正迷恋的是参与竞争、亲历其中的行动本身。
加尔平分享了自己思考这个问题的脑海轨迹：他最先想到的毫无疑问是陪伴自己的孩子们，“在陪伴孩子这件事情上，无论外界如何定义输赢，过程本身就是无与伦比的胜利”；接着他想到了商业与工作，“即便在商业探索中一败涂地，我也毫不在意，因为最重要的是你获得了躬身入局、全力以赴的机会”。正如他所感叹的那样：“过程本身就太酷了（The process is dope）。”史蒂文·巴特利特（Steven Bartlett）对此高度共鸣并精辟总结道：“领奖台即是过程本身”，或者说，“过程的分量远远凌驾于领奖台之上（Process over the podium）”。
### [02:10:22](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7822s) 纯粹的科学执念与告别寄语
史蒂文·巴特利特向安迪·加尔平致以诚挚的敬意，探讨了加尔平在运动健康领域广受推崇的核心特质。一方面源于他对人体科学近乎痴迷的研究深度；另一方面则源于其动机的极度纯粹。在正式录制前，加尔平私下曾坦言自己对商业运作并无太大野心，他真正渴望倾注全部心血的，唯有科学研究、大众科普教育以及一对一的高水平指导。史蒂文提到，两人共同的好友安德鲁·休伯曼（Dr. Andrew Huberman）也曾多次称赞加尔平：他是一个对客观真理有着极致苛求，且全身心致力于“帮助他人挖掘潜能、成为最好的自己”的学者。
面对高度复杂的生物机制，加尔平展现出了卓越的整合与转译能力，将晦涩的生理学原理转化为人人可实践的健康指南。在节目的尾声，加尔平对再次受邀表达了感激之情，并分享了获取其系统知识的官方渠道：
- **播客节目**：加尔平主持的播客频道《Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin》，全平台均可收听。
- **个人网站与社交媒体**：访问 `andygalpin.com` 以及关注其 Instagram 等平台账号，可追踪最新的科研成果与训练方案。
- **临床筛查资源**：本期节目探讨的各项专业量表与测试问卷（包括睡眠筛查工具 PSQI、ASSQ、ESS、STOP-BANG 及失眠评估 ISI），均已整理并开放于节目简介供观众自测。
## Notable quotes
> [02:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=156s) 我想给每一个听众实现其目标与梦想的机会。 — Andy Galpin
> [08:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=510s) 我可不希望你因为碰了一张超市小票就吓得魂不守舍、焦虑三天。 — Andy Galpin
> [35:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2112s) 在生理学中，从来没有免费的通行证（There's no free passes in physiology）。 — Andy Galpin
> [39:49](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=2389s) 当你打开手机时，必须清醒地意识到，对面的 AI 正在倾尽一切算力留住你。 — Steven Bartlett
> [01:04:35](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=3875s) 没有任何一种食物是绝对邪恶的，只有邪恶的语境（Evil context）。 — Andy Galpin
> [01:21:12](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=4872s) 如果爬楼梯对你来说已经相当于一次 VO2 Max（最大摄氧量）竭尽全力测试，你还有多大可能会主动走楼梯？ — Andy Galpin
> [01:23:37](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5017s) 不要把身体的一切退化都归咎为衰老问题。因为一旦你接受了‘这是衰老导致的’，你就走上了衰退的下坡路。 — Steven Bartlett
> [01:37:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5823s) 休息时间越短越能刺激肌肉生长这种观点与现代运动科学证据完全不符。 — Andy Galpin
> [01:37:03](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=5823s) 动作质量永远是第一位的（Quality is always number one）。 — Andy Galpin
> [02:08:06](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7686s) 你必须先恢复健康，随后的减脂才会变得轻松得多。 — Andy Galpin
> [02:09:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7760s) 过程本身就太酷了（The process is dope）。 — Andy Galpin
> [02:09:20](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o&t=7760s) 过程的分量远远凌驾于领奖台之上（Process over the podium）。 — Steven Bartlett
## Mentioned
Dr. Andy Galpin, Steven Bartlett, Andrew Huberman, Ben House, Mark Zuckerberg, Sean O'Malley, Martin Picard, Joel Jamieson, Steven Blair, Eight Sleep, Oura Ring, Ketone-IQ, Shopify, Function Health, Nico Health, Meta, Grok, STOP-BANG, PSQI, ASSQ, ESS, ISI
## Video description
Performance Scientist Dr Andy Galpin reveals the BIGGEST sleep mistakes ruining your health, how to build better energy every day, why your sleep tracker could be making things worse, and whether health optimisation can actually backfire!
Dr. Andy Galpin is a Professor of Kinesiology and Executive Director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University. He has spent over 2 decades working with Olympic gold medallists, world champions, professional athletes, military special forces, and also hosts the Perform with Dr Andy Galpin podcast.
He explains:
◼ Why millions unknowingly have a sleep disorder that's silently damaging their health
◼ The morning routine that resets your body clock for better sleep at night
◼ The truth about melatonin, and why most people are taking it the wrong way
◼ The simple sleep tests you can do at home before visiting a specialist
◼ Why waking up exhausted after 8 hours could be a warning sign
Independent Fact Check: https://stevenbartlett.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/DOAC-Andy-Galpin-Independent-Research-Further-Reading.pdf
00:00:00 Why do you do what you do
00:03:58 What goals bring people to you?
00:07:50 Health anxiety and over-optimising
00:08:53 Sleep disorders are a health crisis
00:10:49 Does sleep apnea disrupt sleep?
00:14:40 Why is sleep apnea so common?
00:15:37 Do I have a sleep issue?
00:18:47 Pros and cons of wearables
00:21:40 What causes a high resting heart rate?
00:22:08 Why is sleep getting worse?
00:23:18 Morning light and light pollution
00:25:36 How much does sound matter?
00:27:11 Best evidence-based sleep supplements
00:29:44 Do you recommend melatonin?
00:34:58 Is there a downside to coffee?
00:37:06 What mattress should I sleep on?
00:38:09 The real issue with screen time
00:47:28 Sleeping when you share a bed
00:49:08 Sleeping in new environments
00:49:54 Optimal temperature for sleep
00:55:54 Ads
00:57:52 Energy management for high performers
01:02:55 Steve's cholesterol results
01:07:26 Why healthy people can have an enlarged heart
01:10:40 Lowering cholesterol with lifestyle and medicine
01:14:15 Low vitamin D
01:17:02 Omega 3 and mercury levels
01:17:52 Exercise and the SAID principle
01:23:37 Use it or lose it with age
01:28:11 Ads
01:29:30 Is grip strength linked to mortality?
01:34:30 How to build muscle power
01:37:03 Does more exercise equal better?
01:41:36 What supplements do you take?
01:43:32 The best way to lose weight
01:51:01 Exercise and weight loss myths
01:53:08 The 54321 method for fat loss
01:54:45 Why am I not progressing?
01:56:27 Can AI create a workout plan?
02:00:43 What motivates people to change?
02:07:03 Are my goals bad?
02:09:20 What is worth doing if you might fail?
Quiz Links:
PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) — https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/E41eW4P
ASSQ (Athlete Sleep Screening Questionnaire) — https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/3yDF4PF
ESS (Epworth Sleepiness Scale) — https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/9RKtDoZ
STOP-BANG (Obstructive sleep apnea risk screener) — https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/7UxNsxH
ISI (Insomnia Severity Index, PDF) — https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/4mgzHRs
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X - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/1Fw5A7k
Podcast - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/Fu8uPd7
LinkedIn - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/5ykmlog
Website - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/8T6M9KJ
Performance Coaching - https://link.thediaryofaceo.com/8QLLu9w
The Diary Of A CEO:
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[Source](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dmz--DQty8o)
Source quotes
[2:36] Andy Galpin: 我想给每一个听众实现其目标与梦想的机会。
[8:30] Andy Galpin: 我可不希望你因为碰了一张超市小票就吓得魂不守舍、焦虑三天。
[35:12] Andy Galpin: 在生理学中，从来没有免费的通行证（There's no free passes in physiology）。
[39:49] Steven Bartlett: 当你打开手机时，必须清醒地意识到，对面的 AI 正在倾尽一切算力留住你。
[64:35] Andy Galpin: 没有任何一种食物是绝对邪恶的，只有邪恶的语境（Evil context）。
[81:12] Andy Galpin: 如果爬楼梯对你来说已经相当于一次 VO2 Max（最大摄氧量）竭尽全力测试，你还有多大可能会主动走楼梯？
[83:37] Steven Bartlett: 不要把身体的一切退化都归咎为衰老问题。因为一旦你接受了‘这是衰老导致的’，你就走上了衰退的下坡路。
[97:03] Andy Galpin: 休息时间越短越能刺激肌肉生长这种观点与现代运动科学证据完全不符。
[97:03] Andy Galpin: 动作质量永远是第一位的（Quality is always number one）。
[128:06] Andy Galpin: 你必须先恢复健康，随后的减脂才会变得轻松得多。
[129:20] Andy Galpin: 过程本身就太酷了（The process is dope）。
[129:20] Steven Bartlett: 过程的分量远远凌驾于领奖台之上（Process over the podium）。
Source quotes
[38:09] Dr. Andy Galpin: What's more dangerous about your screen is the arousal associated with the search for novelty.
[100:03] Dr. Andy Galpin: In my world, quality is always number one
[119:18] Dr. Andy Galpin: It was never about the information... We always had the information. Dumbbells, barbells, rep ranges—none of us invented this stuff.
[129:20] Steven Bartlett: If you were sure to fail, what would still be worth doing?
Original transcript
[0:00] Everything you see in this table has a
[0:01] strong scientific evidence that it will
[0:03] help with sleep.
[0:04] >> So, we're going to dig into all of those
[0:05] in great detail.
[0:06] >> So, the first one is a really good one.
[0:07] Kiwis.
[0:08] >> Kiwis.
[0:09] >> Yeah. So, there's been good studies on
[0:10] them. So, if you have two to three kiwis
[0:12] before bed, you'll see people sleeping
[0:13] better. Next on our list is sleep
[0:16] divorce. People generally don't sleep as
[0:18] well when you're in the same bed as
[0:19] others. Next, we want this.
[0:21] >> This is more evidence than the rest of
[0:22] these things combined, and it is
[0:23] effective. Another one to think about is
[0:25] sound. And
[0:25] >> it really matters sound when you sleep.
[0:27] >> Yeah. as much if not more of any other
[0:28] factor. There's also screen usage,
[0:31] light, your pillow and wearables. But
[0:33] the other thing is we're spending more
[0:34] on sleep and sleep is getting worse. And
[0:36] for this last 20 years, I've been doing
[0:38] science coaching and education that
[0:40] enhances human performance. And I've
[0:42] been fortunate to work with the world's
[0:43] most elite athletes, entrepreneurs,
[0:45] leaders, and even 50% of athletes have a
[0:48] clinical sleep disorder. It gets worse.
[0:50] 70 to 80% of people who have clinical
[0:52] sleep apnea will go undiagnosed. And for
[0:55] women, it's somewhere in the
[0:56] neighborhood of 90 to 95% and it is
[0:58] delletterious to your health because
[1:00] it's highly associated with long-term
[1:02] death risk, cognitive function, mood
[1:04] regulation, performance, recovery,
[1:06] metabolic health, and it happens for a
[1:08] bunch of different reasons and we can go
[1:09] through them, but we look at the 8
[1:11] billion person population. We need more
[1:13] people to pay attention to their health.
[1:14] And so I just want to get the best
[1:15] possible out of people. So this could be
[1:17] energy, could be metabolic, it could be
[1:19] cognitive function, could be muscle
[1:21] growth or fat loss. And so I want to
[1:22] give every person listening to this the
[1:24] opportunity to reach their goals and
[1:25] dreams.
[1:26] >> I'd love to go through all of those. And
[1:27] you have a 5 4321 method. What is that?
[1:30] >> Yeah, it's just a little thing I came up
[1:31] with that says, "All right, can we help
[1:32] people with fat loss?" So the first
[1:34] thing to think about is
[1:41] this is super interesting to me. My team
[1:43] given me this report to show me how many
[1:44] of you that watch this show subscribe.
[1:46] And some of you have told us according
[1:47] to this that you are unsubscribed from
[1:49] the channel randomly. So, favor to ask
[1:51] all of you. Please could you check right
[1:53] now if you've hit the subscribe button
[1:54] if you are a regular viewer of this show
[1:56] and you like what we do here. We're
[1:57] approaching quite a significant landmark
[1:59] on this show in terms of a subscriber
[2:00] number. So, if there was one simple free
[2:03] thing that you could do to help us, my
[2:05] team, everyone here to keep this show
[2:07] free, to keep it improving year over
[2:09] year and week over week, it is just to
[2:10] hit that subscribe button and to double
[2:12] check if you've hit it. Only thing I'll
[2:13] ever ask of you, do we have a deal? If
[2:15] you do it, I'll tell you what I'll do.
[2:17] I'll make sure every single week, every
[2:19] single month, we fight harder and harder
[2:21] and harder and harder to bring you the
[2:22] guests and conversations that you want
[2:23] to hear. I've stayed true to that
[2:25] promise since the very beginning of the
[2:26] Dio and I will not let you down. Please
[2:29] help us. Really appreciate it. Let's get
[2:31] on with the show.
[2:36] Dr. Andy Gin, before we started
[2:38] recording, you said you want to do
[2:40] scientific research, coaching for your
[2:42] clients, and you said education.
[2:45] You also kind of alluded to the fact
[2:47] that you were less interested in money
[2:48] and these kinds of things. So the
[2:50] question is why why do you do what you
[2:52] do and what is it you're doing and who
[2:53] are you doing it for?
[2:54] >> The most concise way I can say it is I
[2:57] want to give every person listening to
[2:58] this the opportunity to reach their
[3:00] goals and dreams. You want to look this
[3:02] way or not look this way and you want to
[3:04] perform this way. How can we get you
[3:07] there? I want to remove those barriers.
[3:09] And if you get there or don't get there,
[3:11] it was because of you. It was not
[3:13] because something was holding you back
[3:14] that was in your way.
[3:15] >> Mhm.
[3:16] >> And so that's why I get equally excited
[3:18] to work with the best linebacker in the
[3:21] NFL and some person who just wants to
[3:24] wake up and not be in back pain
[3:25] tomorrow.
[3:26] >> So tell me who you've worked with then.
[3:27] Who has been a client of yours?
[3:29] >> Yeah, I've been fortunate to work with
[3:31] the world's most elite athletes for 20
[3:33] years at this point. So this is your
[3:35] number one draft picks in every major
[3:37] sport. Hall of Famers, Sai young
[3:39] winners, MVPs, Olympic gold medalists in
[3:41] many sports, world champion fighters.
[3:44] We've worked with hemoplegics and
[3:46] paraplegic individuals. We've worked
[3:49] with, you know, the cliche executives,
[3:52] the mom and pops, the person dealing and
[3:55] struggling with parmenopause. Like,
[3:56] we've really done most of it.
[3:58] >> And what kinds of symptoms or goals do
[4:00] they come to you with?
[4:02] >> So, I'll go broad categories and
[4:03] specifics below that. broad categories
[4:05] we tend to say is either rebuild or
[4:07] upgrade.
[4:08] >> Mhm.
[4:08] >> Rebuild is there's something wrong,
[4:11] hurt, broken, damaged. I'm overweight. I
[4:14] can't fix it. I'm dying from sleep
[4:16] restriction. I have a clinical sleep
[4:18] disorder. I have some injury. I have
[4:21] some huge clear limitation that needs to
[4:23] be resolved. The second half is what we
[4:26] call upgrade. I don't have any of that.
[4:28] Feel pretty good, feel okay. Now, I just
[4:30] want to get the best possible out of my
[4:32] life. So, this could be energy. It could
[4:34] be metabolic. It could be cognitive
[4:36] function. Why I can accomplish that and
[4:39] our our folks I work with can is because
[4:41] I'm after the physiology.
[4:43] >> What's what does you mean by that
[4:44] physiology?
[4:45] >> It's your biomolelecular signature. Do
[4:47] you have a muscle imbalance that's
[4:49] creating neck pain that's making it hard
[4:51] to sleep and that's giving you a hard
[4:53] time regulating your emotions. It could
[4:55] be classic things like inflammation.
[4:58] everything that is inside of your body
[5:00] and both the way that it is running and
[5:02] expressing itself.
[5:04] >> And what are your credentials?
[5:06] >> So my PhD is in what's called human
[5:08] bioenergetics. I started my lab in 2011.
[5:11] >> Your lab?
[5:12] >> Mhm. So I'm an active scientist. I'm a
[5:13] professor. That's my real job for the
[5:15] most part. And so we conduct and
[5:17] disseminate research there that enhances
[5:19] human performance. And then I've started
[5:21] a number of companies and privately
[5:23] coach people. That's what I've been
[5:25] doing for over 20 years. We talked about
[5:27] the different personas and the types of
[5:29] problems they come to you with. If you
[5:31] had to, and this might be quite
[5:32] difficult, order them in terms of the
[5:35] frequency in which people come to you
[5:37] with these issues. What would that sort
[5:39] of top five be?
[5:40] >> I'll break them from our professional
[5:43] athletes and I'll probably spend more
[5:44] time on non-professional athletes.
[5:45] Assuming u most of your audience is
[5:47] probably not a professional.
[5:48] >> I won't take that.
[5:48] >> Pretty close.
[5:49] >> I won't take that, guys.
[5:50] >> 50/50. We'll assume 5050. Yeah. Yeah.
[5:53] Great. The athletes typically come to us
[5:55] under two circumstances. Um, frequent
[5:58] injuries I'm getting or tanked energy,
[6:00] bad sleep. They they deal with the same
[6:02] human problems we deal with, right? The
[6:04] other one is what we'll just say is the
[6:06] upgrade, the optimizer. Feel great, feel
[6:08] young. I just want to get ahead of
[6:09] things and I want to catch things before
[6:10] they start. The general public is a
[6:13] similar breakdown because you have a lot
[6:15] of people who are like, I do feel pretty
[6:16] good. I'm great, but I don't want to
[6:19] play the game backwards. I don't want
[6:21] problems to come up and then I got to go
[6:23] scrambling and figure it out. So, let's
[6:24] collect baseline data now. Let's get
[6:26] ahead of things. Let's predict problems
[6:28] before they arise, but I've only got a
[6:31] few minutes a day,
[6:32] >> right? I'm not trying to like take over
[6:34] my whole life with all this stuff. Like,
[6:36] probably the most common ones are things
[6:37] like sleep and energy, performance
[6:39] goals, can't seem to get stronger, can't
[6:42] seem to lose that little bit of weight,
[6:44] maybe touch of brain fog, I don't feel
[6:46] as sharp. Well, I'd love to go through
[6:48] all of those. Sleep, energy,
[6:50] performance, strength, struggles,
[6:51] weight, but also I've got my blood test
[6:54] results here, which um Andy has taken a
[6:58] look at for me. It's not all good. Okay,
[7:00] so that's a pre-warning. It's not all
[7:01] good, but he's going to run me through
[7:03] my blood test results in this episode,
[7:05] tell me how I improve things. And there
[7:06] was a couple of deficiencies that I had
[7:07] that I had no idea that I had cuz I
[7:10] thought I was doing everything right,
[7:11] which have completely changed my
[7:12] supplement, um but also my behavior
[7:15] generally. And also you've got this here
[7:18] which is a gentleman I believe whose
[7:21] blood test results you did similar age
[7:23] to me and you took him from not so good
[7:27] to great and we'll talk about that as
[7:29] well. So hold on for a second while we
[7:31] we touch first on the subject of um
[7:33] sleep and energy which is one of the
[7:35] first thing you talked about. A lot of
[7:36] people listening struggle with sleep and
[7:38] they also in their waking life feel
[7:41] variances in their energy. Um, if we
[7:44] start then with sleep, what are the like
[7:47] most people problems of sleep?
[7:49] >> This is a great question. We'll start
[7:51] off and in fact I think this is a nice
[7:52] framing of everything we're going to
[7:53] talk about. We want to be weary of what
[7:56] we call health anxiety.
[7:57] >> Mhm.
[7:58] >> This is overfixation, over concern,
[8:01] worrying too much about little things
[8:03] with your blood work, with your sleep,
[8:06] everything. You're in a really great
[8:07] spot. So, we can look for some upgrade,
[8:09] but we want to be careful of pushing
[8:10] that line. Why that also matters is if
[8:13] we look at the 8 billion or so person
[8:16] population, we probably need more people
[8:18] to pay attention to their health than to
[8:20] not pay attention to their health,
[8:22] right? We're not in an abundance of
[8:23] people caring too much. But if you're
[8:25] listening to this show, you are probably
[8:27] not representative of the general
[8:29] population. And so I want to be really
[8:30] careful of everything I'm about to say
[8:31] for the next couple of hours.
[8:34] I don't want to create health anxiety. I
[8:35] don't want you to be so terrified to
[8:37] touch a receipt that it sends you in a
[8:39] three-day tail spin.
[8:41] Anytime we're talking about a health or
[8:42] performance, we want to run the spectrum
[8:44] of disease to optimization. We should
[8:48] not be playing around with optimization
[8:49] performance if we're in the presence of
[8:50] a medical disease. And why I say that is
[8:53] sleep is probably the biggest place of
[8:56] clinical disease that exists that no one
[8:59] knows about.
[9:01] Somewhere in the neighborhood of 70 to
[9:03] 80% of people who have clinical sleep
[9:05] apnea will go undiagnosed.
[9:09] >> Wow. If that existed for a broken bone,
[9:13] >> right? If that existed for diabetes,
[9:15] you'd be like insane. It gets worse. 50%
[9:19] depending on which study you look at of
[9:22] athletes have a clinical sleep disorder.
[9:24] For women, it's somewhere in the
[9:26] neighborhood of 90 to 95% of women that
[9:29] have clinical sleep apnea will go
[9:32] undiagnosed.
[9:33] >> Why?
[9:34] >> If you were to look at me and you would
[9:36] say, if I said, "Stephen, you think I
[9:38] have apnea?" He said, "No." Right? If I
[9:41] were to bring in a whole table of 10
[9:42] people and I said, "Pick the person in
[9:44] here least likely to have sleep apnnea."
[9:47] You'd find the smallest girl.
[9:49] >> True.
[9:49] >> You don't think about apnea as something
[9:51] that can happen unless you're big and
[9:53] fat.
[9:55] Women also are less likely than men to
[9:59] complain.
[10:02] They're less likely to think about it as
[10:04] an anatomical issue. They're going to
[10:07] charge it to hormones. to their
[10:09] menstrual cycle, to their cognitive
[10:11] load, to what it's the demands that it
[10:13] is to be mom. All these are true. By the
[10:14] way, it is also in the same point true.
[10:17] You could have apnea that has nothing to
[10:19] do with body composition.
[10:21] >> And let's define apnea for a second.
[10:23] >> You stop breathing at night
[10:24] >> and that wakes you up.
[10:26] >> Sometimes it doesn't. No,
[10:27] >> that's the that's the problem is it
[10:29] won't necessarily wake you up, but it is
[10:31] delterious to your health. It's highly
[10:32] associated with consequences from
[10:35] long-term death risk to short-term
[10:38] cognitive function, emotion, mood
[10:40] regulation, performance, recovery,
[10:42] metabolic health. It's really really
[10:44] nasty. In fact, one of the larger things
[10:46] uh that can go wrong in your health is
[10:48] is not breathing at night.
[10:49] >> This might be a silly question, but does
[10:51] sleep apnnea disrupt your sleep?
[10:54] >> It it can.
[10:54] >> So, it doesn't always.
[10:55] >> Doesn't always. Okay.
[10:56] >> And this is why do you think it's so
[10:58] poorly diagnosed? So the classic
[11:01] giveaways, if you were that person who
[11:03] wakes up four counties because you snore
[11:05] so loud, snoring doesn't necessarily
[11:07] mean you have sleep apnnea, but it's a
[11:08] really strong indicator. That's one form
[11:10] of it. So apnea happens for a bunch of
[11:13] different reasons. More evidence
[11:15] recently has suggested like neck size
[11:17] was this kind of original thing that we
[11:19] say like a big neck is just a problem.
[11:22] Doesn't look like that's as true, but
[11:24] certainly it is true. As you increase
[11:28] obesity rates, you'll see an increase in
[11:31] apnea as well. So, what's happening here
[11:33] is now you're talking about I'll call it
[11:35] anatomical or physical like something
[11:37] physically is landing on your neck and
[11:39] your tongue and your throat, your larynx
[11:41] and esophagus and it's stopping your
[11:43] breathing. And why this matters is when
[11:45] you're standing here or sitting here in
[11:46] this chair, you're in this vertical
[11:48] position and as you go and lay down,
[11:51] anatomy shifts. You also have a lot of
[11:54] research showing that the larger the
[11:56] human being, the more fluid they have,
[11:58] which is pretty normal, right? So, a
[12:00] person who's twice your size will have
[12:02] twice the amount of water in their body
[12:03] that you do. Imagine if you had I mean,
[12:05] we'll take this beverage right here. Why
[12:07] do you have red wine? Well, anyways,
[12:09] we'll come back in case you get thirsty.
[12:12] >> So, you see the water is sitting
[12:13] vertically, right?
[12:14] >> If I were to shift this cup
[12:16] horizontally, the water would shift and
[12:17] it would it would balance horizontally
[12:19] to where the gap in the air would be on
[12:21] the top, right? That happens in your
[12:23] body. So imagine this top piece start up
[12:25] here. That's your neck. Now when you lay
[12:29] down, your neck is over here. And I
[12:30] would tip this over, but it would spill
[12:32] everywhere. That fluid then shifts up
[12:34] into your neck. So it's not even
[12:36] necessarily a physical size thing, but
[12:37] it's the fluid associated with being a
[12:39] larger human being that the fluid shift
[12:41] can happen.
[12:41] >> Mhm.
[12:43] >> What we're now finding is a whole series
[12:45] of other types of apnea. Now there are
[12:47] neural causes to it. There are
[12:50] environmental causes. um there are
[12:52] positional causes. And so as a classic
[12:54] example to round the story out,
[12:57] traditionally if you're told you have
[12:59] apnea, you're going to be given one of
[13:00] about three choices. Medication,
[13:04] what's called a CPAP device,
[13:07] >> right? So that's the big like Vader
[13:09] breathing machine
[13:11] or potentially what's called an oral
[13:12] appliance. It's a mouthpiece that kind
[13:15] of repositions your jaw and neck. I'm
[13:17] for all of those treatments. Why they
[13:20] all have such low success rates is
[13:22] because they're given out generically.
[13:24] You come in, you have apnea, you get the
[13:26] same stuff. Now, what the field is
[13:28] moving towards is precision and saying
[13:31] you have this specific type of apnea. An
[13:33] oral appliance won't help here. You
[13:35] actually need this
[13:37] surgical intervention.
[13:38] >> I was looking at some of the data here
[13:39] and it says that sleep apnea is very
[13:42] common globally, much more common than I
[13:44] expected. It says men who are
[13:46] middle-aged
[13:47] have a 24 to 34%
[13:51] prevalence of apnea.
[13:53] Women 9 to 17%.
[13:57] Uh seniors
[13:59] >> 30 to 60%.
[14:01] >> That's right.
[14:01] >> Post-menopausal women 25%. So yeah,
[14:04] rough numbers. That means that listening
[14:06] now, if you're a middle-aged man
[14:08] listening, if there's three of you
[14:09] listening right now, one of you
[14:11] statistically might have apnea. Now,
[14:14] that's clinical sleep apnnea. That
[14:17] doesn't even count subclinical.
[14:19] >> And if you're a senior listening now,
[14:20] which is 65 years older, there's a 30 to
[14:24] 60% chance. Wow.
[14:26] >> Depending on some numbers you see,
[14:27] Stephen, you'll see a billion people
[14:29] across the globe.
[14:30] >> Yeah, that's what it says. It says a
[14:31] billion people. Yeah.
[14:33] >> Now, that's only apnea. That's not
[14:35] insomnia. That's not all the other sleep
[14:37] disorders. That's simply the one variant
[14:40] of it.
[14:40] >> Why is this happening? Because again
[14:43] from an evolutionary perspective, sleep
[14:44] apnnea couldn't have been a great for
[14:46] survival.
[14:47] >> Yeah. Three primary reasons why this is
[14:50] happening. The first is the fact that
[14:52] our our environment is physically
[14:54] changing.
[14:56] Our ancestors never had to deal with
[14:57] this.
[14:59] Two, our current solutions for testing
[15:02] are either insanely outdated or
[15:05] incredibly difficult to get to.
[15:08] The third major one
[15:10] is our solutions that we provide people
[15:12] in public communication are wildly
[15:14] generic. Thus not helpful. In fact, if
[15:17] you were to pull everyone listening
[15:18] right now, sleep comes up and you go,
[15:20] "Oh, great." They're going to tell me to
[15:22] sleep in a quiet room that's cold and
[15:24] dark and they're like, "I've heard it
[15:26] all." And you have. Where we need to get
[15:28] to next is how do we help people find
[15:29] these precision solutions based on their
[15:32] type of sleep issues. But that's that's
[15:34] the three-part reason uh why this stuff
[15:36] is happening. I'd like to go into all
[15:38] three of them. I also would like to just
[15:39] pause on the diagnosis part because
[15:40] there'll be people listening here that
[15:41] might have a suspicion that they need
[15:44] help. But again, they're going off their
[15:45] feelings.
[15:46] >> Yeah.
[15:46] >> How can they know for sure what help
[15:49] they need and what their problem is?
[15:50] >> Yeah. I always start with subjective.
[15:53] How do you feel? If you feel good, let's
[15:56] now like immediately take a breath.
[15:59] >> You have good energy. You wake up. You
[16:01] feel good. Like everyone's going to be a
[16:02] little bit tired.
[16:03] We also don't we've actually had a I've
[16:05] been working with for several years a
[16:07] very close friend of you and I. We
[16:08] constantly have to battle because he'll
[16:10] just get like really honestly terrified
[16:12] because he gets sleepy at the end of the
[16:13] day. And I'm like bro that's the point.
[16:18] People that are hard chargers, high
[16:19] performers are actually afraid of being
[16:21] tired. We have to recognize and realize
[16:24] that is natural and needed. You need to
[16:28] feel a little bit sleepy in the early
[16:29] afternoon and you should feel tired,
[16:31] unmotivated, lack of focus at the end of
[16:33] the day.
[16:34] >> What if I didn't used to? Because that's
[16:36] what people they compare it to old
[16:38] version of themselves.
[16:39] >> Sure. Again, we can say natural. When
[16:42] you are sub 25,
[16:45] like you're you're just a powerhouse,
[16:47] right? When you're past 25, we shouldn't
[16:50] just accept frailty. We shouldn't accept
[16:53] a permanent decline. But we do have to
[16:54] start to realize we're not going to have
[16:57] the energy of a 20-year-old. Like it's
[16:59] just it's just not typically super
[17:00] realistic. And if you do, you're
[17:03] probably getting there exogenously,
[17:05] right? Stimulants and other things which
[17:08] have a place, but we just want to be a
[17:09] little bit careful of those things.
[17:11] >> We'll talk about stimulants, melatonin,
[17:12] and all these things. But going back to
[17:14] this point of diagnosis, yeah.
[17:15] >> So Jenny who doesn't have much money.
[17:17] >> Y
[17:18] >> how does she get
[17:18] >> Okay, great. So one thing we can do and
[17:20] we can put these in your show notes for
[17:21] you for free. There are a ton of
[17:23] completely free short questionnaires
[17:25] that are scientifically validated.
[17:27] >> Okay?
[17:27] >> You can do these for RLS, you can do
[17:29] them for insomnia, you can do them for
[17:31] apnea, you can do them for circadian
[17:33] disruptions and disorders, you can do
[17:35] them for chronoype. Are you a a morning
[17:38] person or tons and I'll put as many of
[17:40] these for free. So my answer there would
[17:42] be start with one of those.
[17:43] >> Okay.
[17:44] >> If you flag that and you want to move up
[17:45] to the next step, then you kind of have
[17:47] a couple of different ways. And your two
[17:49] options are what we'll call wearables at
[17:52] home tech. These are typically we'll
[17:53] call the $100 to $600 range.
[17:56] >> Mhm.
[17:56] >> And then past that, you have a true
[17:58] medical option, which is a sleep
[18:00] hospital. This is when you would go
[18:02] into, you know, the hospital, you go
[18:04] into that weird room, and you sit there,
[18:06] you get all the wires, someone looks at
[18:07] you through a window, you sleep in for
[18:09] one night. You can see from the look on
[18:11] your face sort of, you're just like,
[18:12] "All right, who wants to do that?"
[18:14] >> Mhm. If you have a true disease at this
[18:17] point, for the most part, the sleep
[18:19] hospital, depending on the disease, it
[18:21] is where you need to get to. Now, what
[18:24] our group is working on and others is
[18:28] can we bring the sleep possible into the
[18:29] home. It's not super affordable at this
[18:32] point. We're working to get it there,
[18:33] but that is the clear future. If you
[18:35] have insurance, take that validated
[18:38] questionnaire I just said. Go to your
[18:39] doctor and say, "Here's what I scored
[18:41] this thing. Will you order me that sleep
[18:43] study?" Mhm.
[18:44] >> is a giant pain. I know it, but it is it
[18:46] is probably worth it. If you want to use
[18:48] the wearable, you can do that. The
[18:50] problem with the wearables is numerous.
[18:52] They are awesome at things like
[18:55] awareness, at accountability, right?
[18:58] They're pretty good for things like
[19:00] total sleep time. They're really, really
[19:02] bad. And a major pitfall for wearables
[19:05] is predicting things like deep sleep and
[19:08] REM sleep. Do you know what I you know I
[19:10] was I was thinking about I was thinking
[19:12] about certain times where um I've done
[19:14] certain things behaviorally and then I
[19:18] got in bed woke up feeling terrible and
[19:20] my wearable said to me
[19:23] >> you had a bad really bad night's sleep
[19:24] and I could kind of put two and two
[19:26] together and kind of establish cause and
[19:28] effect and I could almost I guess test
[19:30] that then going forward and say okay
[19:32] don't do that or maybe get in bed
[19:33] earlier or the heat was was way too high
[19:35] whatever it might be and I could sort of
[19:37] AB test my way to a better outcome.
[19:39] Yeah. So they can give you things like
[19:41] total sleep time. As I said, what you
[19:43] want to be careful of are the
[19:46] aggregate sleep effectiveness score,
[19:48] sleep quality score. That's the stuff
[19:50] that directionally won't be there. But
[19:52] you actually said something interesting
[19:53] a second ago, which is you felt worse.
[19:56] >> Mhm.
[19:56] >> That's the only directional thing we
[19:58] need to have to pay attention to. If you
[20:00] go, "Wow, I felt worse today."
[20:03] >> And then you can go backwards and go,
[20:04] "Yeah, that's because I did A, B, and C
[20:06] yesterday or I felt better today."
[20:08] That's not the only metric. And to be
[20:10] really clear, I'm not advocating to
[20:11] ditch all the wearables. We use them
[20:13] extensively.
[20:14] It's just really being careful about
[20:17] what data from those we pay attention
[20:18] to.
[20:19] >> Mhm.
[20:19] >> And what we don't. So stuff that we do
[20:21] now is find big themes
[20:24] that they're often times missing. Here's
[20:27] a good example. We had 1,200 days of
[20:29] data from I think it was an aura ring.
[20:32] And we are actually able to find that in
[20:34] in one of our clients for every one drop
[20:38] in resting heart rate. So his resting
[20:40] heart rate say went from 65 beats per
[20:42] minute to 64.
[20:43] He got six more minutes of sleep.
[20:47] And so we were like, "Okay, great. You
[20:48] want to add an hour to your sleep. Let's
[20:50] continue to work on your cardiovascular
[20:52] fitness." Every time he got more fit,
[20:55] his resting heart rate dropped. He slept
[20:56] more. Additionally, every time you put
[20:58] and you invest in down regulation,
[21:01] you'll lower your resting heart rate
[21:03] going into bed. You will sleep longer.
[21:05] So, he was a classic case of like, I try
[21:07] to go to bed, I do all the things, but I
[21:09] just can't stay in bed. So, the key
[21:10] there to get him the more sleep is to
[21:12] put his physiology in a position that
[21:13] would allow him to have more sleep. And
[21:15] for him, like that was the canary in the
[21:16] coal mine. So, that's the type of stuff
[21:18] where wearables can be like you can't
[21:20] replace that. Not only from a data, but
[21:24] from a coaching perspective. It was so
[21:26] easy for me to communicate to him,
[21:28] here's your data.
[21:30] This is our target. And he's an
[21:32] extraordinarily busy person. He's like,
[21:34] great, I got one thing to pay attention
[21:36] to. Do whatever it takes to keep that
[21:37] heart rate low going into bed. Copy
[21:39] that.
[21:40] >> What in his case was making his heart
[21:42] rate high.
[21:42] >> When it comes to something like sleep,
[21:44] anything that is in your physical
[21:46] environment, that's in your lifestyle,
[21:48] that's in your physiology can impact it.
[21:50] I mentioned earlier one of the reasons
[21:51] why sleep is getting worse is because
[21:53] these physical changes in our
[21:54] environment. annual spend on sleep is
[21:56] like 600 billion right now, but yet we
[21:59] have seen a 60inute drop in total sleep
[22:02] time over the last 60 years. So you're
[22:05] seeing an inverse. We're spending more
[22:06] on sleep and sleep is getting worse. I
[22:09] think your team printed out some cards
[22:10] here and we can go through them. The
[22:12] first one is a really good one. The
[22:14] world is physically brighter. In fact,
[22:15] there's data from NASA satellite data
[22:18] that can look and say the world is
[22:19] physically brighter now. you're expected
[22:21] to be communicating with Singapore and
[22:23] Australia and the US, which means you're
[22:26] going to be up later. Your business is
[22:27] going to be on. Your lights are going to
[22:29] be on. There's also a phenomenon called
[22:31] skylow, where the light from Earth is
[22:33] going up, hitting the clouds, and being
[22:34] shot back down. And so, it's keeping our
[22:37] world brighter. So, when you hear people
[22:39] talk about things like you got to have
[22:41] these blackout curtains and masks, and
[22:43] you're thinking like, I never did that
[22:45] when I was a kid. Like, what's the big
[22:47] deal? It's because of this. I mean
[22:49] there's some graphs that I found here.
[22:52] >> Yeah. Yeah.
[22:52] >> Which kind of demonstrate this which
[22:53] I'll put up on the screen.
[22:54] >> Yeah. More people are moving into urban
[22:56] environments. And if you look at some of
[22:57] the studies, not to be dramatic, but
[22:59] some of the studies have found things as
[23:00] high as like anxiety and depression are
[23:02] up 20 plus% when you move into the city.
[23:05] And that's largely attributed to things
[23:07] like light and sound. It's extremely
[23:10] bright and extremely loud in cities. It
[23:12] doesn't mean they're bad or you can't
[23:13] live in them. It just simply means
[23:16] that's why you have to take extra steps.
[23:18] I think a lot of people listening to
[23:19] this will think, "Well, Andy, my my
[23:21] bedroom's very dark."
[23:22] >> Great.
[23:22] >> But that's actually not what you're
[23:23] saying, is it? Because the way I was
[23:25] thinking about it is we are here in New
[23:27] York City now, and if I walked to the
[23:30] shop last night at 10:00 p.m.
[23:31] >> Yeah.
[23:32] >> and walked back, I was exposed to so so
[23:35] much light outside at a critical time
[23:38] when my body should be not exposed to
[23:40] light that it's going to impact me even
[23:42] when I get into that dark room.
[23:43] >> It goes even better than that. There's
[23:45] evidence now that the light exposure you
[23:46] have both in the morning and throughout
[23:48] the day dramatically counteracts what
[23:51] you just mentioned. So yes, you went for
[23:54] that walk, you went for that thing when
[23:56] light was still out and you had a
[23:57] brighter light exposure in we'll just
[23:59] call it the 3 or 4 hours before bed than
[24:01] you would have had ever in the past.
[24:02] >> Mhm.
[24:03] >> But you can mitigate that damage by
[24:06] seeing light appropriately during the
[24:08] day and in the morning.
[24:10] >> Oh, okay.
[24:11] >> And and this is actually something my
[24:13] friend
[24:14] Andrew Huberman has talked about for
[24:16] years now and I'm like I've always joked
[24:17] and laughed at him but then I'm like
[24:19] damn he nailed this. Like he was way
[24:20] ahead in this one. Light exposure in the
[24:22] morning will impact your sleep at night
[24:25] the next day. He always explains it as
[24:27] setting your circadian rhythm but it's
[24:29] more than that actually. It's like
[24:31] that's the part where I was like yeah
[24:32] whatever. Like I'm in the same time
[24:33] zone. Why do I care? But now I'm like,
[24:35] "Oh." Because then if you were exposed
[24:37] to high amounts of light later in the
[24:39] day, that exposure to light earlier will
[24:42] help reduce that damage.
[24:44] >> There's this whole cascade of things
[24:46] that influence when it is time to be
[24:48] awake and when it is time to go to
[24:49] sleep. And this is both hormonal based
[24:52] as well as neurally based. So your brain
[24:56] will shut down or activate in response
[24:58] to light, in response to exercise, in
[25:01] response to arousal, in response to
[25:02] food, in response to stimulants and a
[25:04] whole host of other things. That light
[25:06] earlier in the day sets that rhythm.
[25:08] >> Okay? So it's like starting the
[25:10] >> it starts the clock. It starts the sleep
[25:12] pressure. This is uh oh this is the
[25:14] graph of rural versus urban plot. And so
[25:17] yeah, I mean you can see that pretty
[25:18] clearly. The red line here is the noise
[25:21] in in a rural environment. And this is
[25:22] the noise here. The typical number you
[25:25] want to see um for sound at night is
[25:27] like 35 dB, right? So if you see the
[25:30] rural environment, you're cruising at
[25:32] about that. And you see the urban
[25:33] environment, you're looking in the 60 to
[25:35] 7 as a baseline.
[25:36] >> And it really matters sound when you
[25:37] sleep.
[25:38] >> Tons.
[25:38] >> Really?
[25:38] >> Yeah. As much if not more of any other
[25:40] factor that the big thing with sound is
[25:42] inconsistency. A lot of people will do
[25:44] things like uh put a sound machine in
[25:45] the room.
[25:46] >> Most people put them too loud because of
[25:49] that thing. So you put them pretty
[25:51] common default is like 40 to 50 dB for a
[25:54] sound machine. More the data suggests
[25:56] sub 40 especially for kids if you're
[25:58] using a sound machine for your children.
[26:00] Most people put them too close and too
[26:02] loud.
[26:02] >> What's a sound machine?
[26:03] >> Uh just a little device that makes a
[26:05] white noise. And what that does is it
[26:07] cancels out a bunch of low-level
[26:09] inconsistent sounds. Oh,
[26:11] >> okay.
[26:11] >> So the dog getting up, the window
[26:13] creaking, the you know the car driving
[26:16] by and so it can kind of cancel that
[26:17] noise level out. How come I can have
[26:19] like a great night's sleep listening to
[26:21] a podcast falling asleep whereas my
[26:24] partner can't? She needs silence and I I
[26:26] I almost feel like I need to listen to
[26:28] something to fall asleep.
[26:29] >> Most likely you would do better if you
[26:30] didn't do that.
[26:31] >> Really?
[26:31] >> Yeah.
[26:32] >> You turn them off before you go to
[26:33] sleep, right?
[26:33] >> No.
[26:34] >> Yeah. Okay.
[26:35] >> That will never lead to your best sleep.
[26:37] >> Okay.
[26:38] >> What happens is you get to bed and
[26:41] something is happening cognitively
[26:42] >> and you're like, I need something to
[26:44] switch me off
[26:44] >> to distract me. Yeah.
[26:47] >> Great. If we took that away from you,
[26:50] you might sleep worse because you're
[26:52] going to sit there and struggle through
[26:53] that moment.
[26:55] >> If you wanted to go from upgrade, we
[26:56] would say, "Okay, let's figure out what
[26:58] is actually a way for you to
[26:59] downregulate cognitively,
[27:02] give you that same thing that won't then
[27:04] disrupt your sleep throughout the
[27:05] night."
[27:05] >> Have you dealt with people in that
[27:06] situation before?
[27:07] >> Super common. Podcasts are an incredibly
[27:09] common one with that. Uh TV, books. My
[27:12] philosophy is let's step back and solve
[27:15] causes. Let's solve constraints rather
[27:18] than mask them. Uh you've got a host of
[27:20] different supplements over here.
[27:22] Everything you see in this table has
[27:25] moderate to strong scientific evidence
[27:27] that it will help with sleep.
[27:28] >> What are those things?
[27:29] >> So lovely, delicious looking tart cherry
[27:32] juice and I'll go through why that is.
[27:34] There you've got some chamomile tea. You
[27:35] would see this in a supplement form of
[27:38] apogenine. It's a really common way of
[27:39] that as kind of like distilled
[27:40] chamomile. Um look at these lovely
[27:43] kiwis. What's funny here is this is
[27:45] actually what happens in in research.
[27:47] They will give people two to three
[27:48] kiwis. They will eat them right before
[27:50] bed and you will very routinely see
[27:52] people sleeping better after ingestion
[27:54] of kiwis.
[27:56] Um other things that are high on the
[27:59] evidence-based list are of course
[28:00] magnesium and various forms. More of the
[28:03] research now on magnesium for sleep is
[28:06] turning to a particular form called
[28:08] magnesium bislycinate
[28:10] um rather than 38. That's up there as
[28:13] well. Uh, you will also see things like
[28:16] omega-3. This is your common fish oil.
[28:17] Oh, this is actually interesting because
[28:19] this popped up on your labs as something
[28:22] we have to work on.
[28:23] >> Oh, my test.
[28:24] >> Yeah, we'll come back to that in a
[28:25] second.
[28:25] >> Okay.
[28:26] >> And then of course you've got melatonin,
[28:29] right? The issue with all these is the
[28:31] same that you have with your podcast.
[28:35] These are doing the exact same thing.
[28:37] So, one thing we could do is say ditch
[28:39] the podcast and let's go with one or
[28:41] multiple of these options because
[28:42] they're doing the same thing. They're
[28:43] cognitive turnoff. Apen or chamomile
[28:46] specifically will play that role. It is
[28:48] a reasonable switch that says frontal
[28:51] cortex turn off. And so, you're getting
[28:53] there through the podcast where you
[28:55] could get through theirs through food or
[28:56] supplements if you'd like as well.
[28:59] >> Kiwis, Kiwis have scientific evidence
[29:02] that they improve sleep for some people.
[29:05] It's really common. If there's like
[29:06] levels to this, you'd probably like
[29:08] level one, two, and three. Level one
[29:09] being things like actually surprising
[29:11] enough magnesium, chamomile, melatonin,
[29:14] of course, lots of randomized control
[29:16] trials.
[29:17] >> Level one being the best,
[29:19] >> the best of the best,
[29:20] >> the best, highest quality.
[29:21] >> And you'd say what? Magnesium, kiwis.
[29:23] >> Yeah, kiwis would probably be like a
[29:25] level two or level three.
[29:26] >> Okay.
[29:26] >> So, there's been good studies on them
[29:28] enough to put them on this table. Enough
[29:30] to say there's data there. So, you're
[29:32] getting some product below it. In this
[29:34] case, epigenine, in this case, other
[29:36] phyitochemicals
[29:38] that either reduce a little bit of
[29:40] cognitive function, they reduce arousal,
[29:42] they put you in some sort of checkout
[29:44] state.
[29:45] >> And then there's this one over here,
[29:46] melatonin. Yeah.
[29:47] >> That a lot of people are aware of.
[29:48] >> Yeah.
[29:49] >> Strong. What level is melatonin?
[29:52] >> So melatonin probably has more evidence
[29:54] than the rest of these things combined
[29:55] because it's a medicine. It's a drug.
[29:57] There's a ton of research on it from
[29:59] children to aging to bone health and
[30:02] tons of other stuff, right? It's a
[30:04] hormone. You're going to be able to to
[30:05] move some units with this one. Um,
[30:08] nobody is going to be super concerned
[30:10] about risk factor profiles with eating
[30:12] two kiwis,
[30:13] >> but you start getting to the level of
[30:15] something like a melatonin and now you
[30:17] have to have real conversations about
[30:18] risk versus benefits. We typically don't
[30:21] use melatonin
[30:23] at the dosage that's normal. So a common
[30:25] dosage for melatonin is like 5
[30:26] milligrams, sometimes even up to 10.
[30:28] >> Wow.
[30:29] >> We will typically use like.3
[30:31] maybe 0.5. So about a tenth that dose. A
[30:33] lot of times we're trying to find like
[30:34] one milligrams, cut them in half, kind
[30:36] of things like that. The only real
[30:39] reason we use melatonin outside of some
[30:41] fringe cases is when we actually
[30:43] legitimately need to reset circadian
[30:45] rhythm, travel, jet lag,
[30:49] things like that. Uh and it is effective
[30:51] and it is useful there. It is safe in
[30:52] small doses. Where people mistake
[30:56] melatonin is I use it every night to go
[30:58] to sleep and or I wake up in the middle
[31:00] of the night, can't go back to sleep, I
[31:02] go grab a melatonin.
[31:03] >> Why is that bad?
[31:04] >> It doesn't work.
[31:05] >> It doesn't work.
[31:06] >> No, because the thing that melatonin is
[31:08] supposed to do is realign circadian
[31:10] rhythm. If you're in the middle of the
[31:11] night, you're already in that rhythm.
[31:13] It's not going to do anything. You would
[31:15] in fact, not to not want people to do
[31:16] this, but you would actually be better
[31:18] reaching for something like a chamomile
[31:20] perhaps because if you're having a hard
[31:21] time getting back to sleep cognitively,
[31:24] this is not going to do it. The other
[31:25] issue is we've done a lot of morning
[31:28] urine testing. There's enough studies
[31:32] that look at the dosage that's actually
[31:33] in the pill versus on the label and they
[31:35] can be up to 100x higher.
[31:38] >> 100x.
[31:40] >> And we see this in morning urine. We
[31:42] have seen people who are consistently
[31:44] tired.
[31:45] Their sleep doesn't look horrible.
[31:47] They're doing all the right things. It's
[31:48] cold. It's dark. They're meditating.
[31:50] They're doing all this stuff. They're
[31:52] popping in even a moderate dose of
[31:53] melatonin. And the amount of melatonin
[31:56] the next day in their urine is 100x the
[31:59] upper end of the reference range, which
[32:01] means they're spending the rest of their
[32:04] next day in a hyperdosed melatonin
[32:07] state. So they have to live then on
[32:09] stimulants to get better.
[32:10] >> How would they feel and horrible?
[32:12] >> They would feel sluggish and
[32:13] >> you wake up the next day and you're
[32:15] like, man, it's what we call sleep
[32:16] inertia.
[32:17] >> You're wildly groggy. You can't get out
[32:19] of bed or you're just getting throughout
[32:21] the day. This is a like don't talk to me
[32:23] until I've had my coffee kind of
[32:25] response, right? This is not a normal
[32:27] waking physiology that you should be
[32:29] going through.
[32:30] >> Presumably, that's just melatonin from
[32:34] sort of cheap sources that haven't been
[32:36] tested. That's going to knock off a huge
[32:38] part of your problem, right? Only this
[32:40] is why we'll always say you don't, no
[32:41] one needs supplements. Like no essential
[32:44] person needs to have any supplement to
[32:45] live a great happy healthy life. If you
[32:48] choose to use supplements though,
[32:50] just buy them from third-party tested
[32:53] transparent
[32:54] companies that place their testing on
[32:57] their websites that give you open access
[32:58] to it for for these exact reasons.
[33:00] Vitamin D's has a similar profile of
[33:03] inaccuracy. The other issue with that
[33:05] then simply let's say you're buying it
[33:06] from a high quality source. You're
[33:07] dosing it too much and you're taking it
[33:09] too late. So take it earlier than you
[33:12] think before bed so that your body has a
[33:14] chance to break it down before the next
[33:16] morning.
[33:16] >> What kind of time and how quickly acting
[33:18] is it?
[33:19] >> It's person to person dependent, but a
[33:21] lot of times you'll see things like an
[33:22] hour before. Uh some people will feel a
[33:24] response in 10 to 15 minutes. Some
[33:27] people will feel it closer to an hour.
[33:28] But that's a pretty good window.
[33:29] >> Hang on. If it's 2 a.m. in the morning
[33:31] and you're and you're getting in bed,
[33:32] don't take it. Don't take it at all.
[33:34] >> Okay,
[33:34] >> we're going to use this in very specific
[33:36] situations and then we're coming off of
[33:38] it. This is this should not be a part of
[33:40] your nightly routine most of the time.
[33:41] >> What exactly is going on in my brain
[33:43] when I take melatonin? Cuz a lot of
[33:44] people take it and we know that it makes
[33:45] us feel tired but but understanding the
[33:47] mechanism I think will help us under
[33:49] understand the application.
[33:50] >> So it actually doesn't really make you
[33:51] feel tired. That's part of the issue.
[33:53] >> Oh
[33:53] >> the mechanism is a circadian shift. So
[33:55] it's telling your indogenous system that
[33:57] this is nighttime. So it doesn't hit you
[33:59] with like a oh my eyes are there. This
[34:02] hits you with a shift in cortisol. This
[34:04] hits you with a shift in a whole cascade
[34:07] of epinephrine, norepinephrine,
[34:09] serotonin that are moving around and
[34:11] saying this is the millu that you need
[34:12] to be in that is consistent with a sleep
[34:15] pattern.
[34:15] >> Okay. So, I take it and then it
[34:17] regulates my other hormones which would
[34:19] be getting in the way of me feeling
[34:21] tired theoretically.
[34:22] >> That's probably more appropriate to what
[34:23] it does.
[34:24] >> Okay. Because yeah, I've taken it a
[34:25] couple of times again always for jet lag
[34:28] issues and within about 30 45 minutes I
[34:30] feel a bit drowsy and then I find my
[34:32] eyes going shutting and I'm off.
[34:34] >> Great. And then you get out of those
[34:36] that 2 or 3 day window,
[34:38] >> put it back away and you're off and
[34:40] going. That's a good use case for it.
[34:42] The mistake is when this is like I can't
[34:44] go to bed without
[34:45] >> I'm generally scared of all these things
[34:46] because um
[34:47] >> honestly anything that's effective I'm
[34:49] more scared of
[34:50] >> and so sure
[34:51] >> it's really effective which makes me
[34:53] hesitant to use it frequently.
[34:55] >> Yeah,
[34:55] >> it's a good default position to be in by
[34:56] the way.
[34:57] >> It's a good strategy.
[34:58] >> Yeah, cuz I one of the things you learn
[34:59] from doing a podcast like this is you
[35:01] just learn that everything has a
[35:02] trade-off
[35:02] >> always.
[35:03] >> And I and again this might not be
[35:04] logically sound but I assume that the
[35:06] bigger the upside the bigger the tra
[35:08] like the trade I'm making on the other
[35:09] side as a general rule. So, do you know
[35:11] the only thing that I've still not been
[35:12] able to, I guess, understand the full
[35:14] trade-off of is coffee
[35:16] >> because the upside is so significant. No
[35:19] one can articulate to me the downside
[35:21] other than they say if you have it after
[35:23] midday, it's going to
[35:24] >> impact your sleep. But I'm like, come
[35:26] on, there's got to be.
[35:27] >> The phrase that I'll say in my class all
[35:29] the time is there's no free passes in
[35:30] physiology.
[35:31] >> Mhm.
[35:32] >> With coffee specifically, there actually
[35:33] we have a meta analysis led by my
[35:36] colleague Dr. Ben House puts this
[35:39] together. But if you look at the
[35:40] research on caffeine and sleep, it's
[35:41] very interesting because if you go
[35:45] through sleep deprivation, your physical
[35:47] and cognitive performance goes down. No
[35:50] surprise there. Coffee can offset that.
[35:52] Caffeine specifically is is the thing.
[35:55] But what it doesn't do, at least the
[35:57] data and the meta analysis suggests, is
[36:00] it doesn't actually put you back into
[36:02] the augmented spot. Meaning if you did
[36:04] you sleep great last night?
[36:06] >> I think so. Yeah.
[36:06] >> Full night. Okay. Let's just say you're
[36:08] there. If we took you out and we had you
[36:10] throw that medicine ball and we did a
[36:13] grip strength tester and we did what
[36:15] some sprints up and down or whatever you
[36:16] wanted to do, you would perform well.
[36:19] And then if we gave you caffeine, you'd
[36:21] perform better. It's why we call it
[36:22] erggoenicate. It's a performance
[36:23] enhancer. Caffeine is really effective
[36:24] primarily at endurance based events, but
[36:27] it is a stimulatory thing that people
[36:29] will use. So let's just say you have
[36:31] normal baseline performance, then
[36:33] caffeine augments that performance. If
[36:35] you go into sleep debt, the sleep itself
[36:38] will reduce your performance. And the
[36:40] coffee can bring you back to normal, but
[36:43] it won't bring you back to that
[36:44] augmented state that you had when you
[36:45] were rested and caffeinated. This is
[36:48] important because a lot of people will
[36:50] be like, "Ah, I'll throw away the sleep
[36:52] or I won't worry about it as much
[36:53] because I'll just take more stimulants
[36:55] tomorrow and I feel great." You will
[36:58] feel as good, but you will not perform
[36:59] as well. So, what you need to perform at
[37:01] your best if you're a caffeine user is
[37:04] to be both well-rested and then
[37:06] caffeinated. Another thing you want to
[37:08] pay attention to in your sleep
[37:09] environment, um, labeled ergonomics here
[37:11] is your pillow, your bed, your mattress.
[37:15] This is mostly
[37:17] based on feel.
[37:18] >> Is there any no- go in this regard?
[37:19] >> Not really.
[37:20] >> Not really.
[37:21] >> No. Unless, let's say you have a
[37:23] sleeping partner and you're sleeping in
[37:24] a bed that is too small and that results
[37:26] in you hitting each other or touching
[37:27] each other and you don't like that. So
[37:29] other than those uh the framework
[37:31] themselves there there's really no
[37:33] nothing to be concerned with.
[37:34] >> What about these like eight beds?
[37:36] >> Asleep is fantastic. So asleep is not a
[37:38] bed it's a cover
[37:40] >> which regulates temperature. If you are
[37:42] in a bedding situation where you're
[37:43] getting hot then that's a problem. So if
[37:47] then an eight will help you regulate
[37:49] that temperature it's a great solution.
[37:51] If you're not in that situation then
[37:53] you're going to be just fine. So
[37:55] temperature regulation is a really big
[37:56] deal
[37:57] >> and you'll quite often see people that
[37:59] do that. Whether that's getting a
[38:01] product like that or it's getting a
[38:03] sheet that's cooler or a mattress that
[38:05] is better with ventilation, then you'll
[38:07] often times see them sleep a little bit
[38:08] better. Next on our list is screen
[38:12] usage. Everyone has been told and you
[38:14] know perhaps nothing's more destructive
[38:15] when you're sleeping screen. What's more
[38:17] interesting here is the stuff that
[38:19] people generally don't talk about. It's
[38:20] not the fact that necessarily screen
[38:23] usage is shooting your face with a bunch
[38:25] of blue light. What's more dangerous
[38:27] about your screen is the arousal
[38:30] associated with the search for novelty.
[38:33] >> The search for novelty. What does that
[38:35] mean?
[38:36] >> You're engaging in a podcast,
[38:40] social media, a game is puzzle driven.
[38:43] It is solution. It is interest. It is
[38:46] engagement. It is search for the next.
[38:48] That's the stuff that more likely than
[38:51] not cause sleep disturbance
[38:52] disturbances.
[38:54] In the studies that have looked at
[38:56] things like TV time versus tablet versus
[38:59] phone versus reading, those all can be
[39:02] equally dangerous to sleep. Here is the
[39:05] example. I am a TV before bed guy. A
[39:09] giant TV with a blast of blue light. I
[39:12] sleep great with that. My wife is really
[39:16] struggles with light before bed. she
[39:18] will read and yet she chooses to read
[39:21] things that I don't think she should be
[39:22] reading for a night and then she'll wake
[39:23] up because of the topics that she's
[39:25] reading where I'm watching things on TV
[39:27] that are you know documentaries on
[39:29] Ulysius Grant or something and you're
[39:31] just like that is the least engaging
[39:32] thing ever. So it's not the fact that
[39:34] the light is there. Um I use that stuff
[39:37] much like you use your podcasts which is
[39:39] my entire day is so driven by somebody
[39:41] wanting my attention and time. I have to
[39:44] have something that gives me a cognitive
[39:45] switch that says you get to turn off.
[39:47] >> I wanted to add something to this which
[39:49] I've been thinking about this week. So
[39:51] in Meta, Meta own Instagram and Facebook
[39:54] and WhatsApp etc. In Meta's earnings
[39:57] call this week, Mark Zuckerberg talked
[39:59] about how they had changed the
[40:00] recommendation algorithm on social media
[40:02] apps using AI. And this was something
[40:04] that we've always forecasted would
[40:05] happen and we've been thinking about the
[40:06] creator economy and how it would impact
[40:08] it. But specifically for people
[40:09] listening, what essentially he said is
[40:11] every time you post something on
[40:12] Instagram, whether it's a real or or a
[40:15] normal post, they now feed it to a large
[40:17] language model, an AI, and the AI
[40:20] effectively, and again, I'm summarizing
[40:21] here, watches it, and it can now
[40:24] understand the full context of what it's
[40:25] watching. So, if it's watching a clip of
[40:27] you and me right now, it'll understand
[40:28] that that is Andy Galpin. He's holding a
[40:31] card, he's wearing a black t-shirt, he's
[40:33] it'll look at the transcript, it'll know
[40:35] what you said. And this is all pertinent
[40:37] because it then can without in the past
[40:41] needing to look at the caption and the
[40:43] hashtags, it can then decide with way
[40:46] more context than ever before who
[40:48] exactly would want to see that. And the
[40:51] net impact of that for for the user of
[40:53] Instagram or these other social media
[40:55] apps or Tik Tok or whatever it is, is
[40:57] you're going to be more retained now
[40:58] than ever before. And as you were
[40:59] talking about that, I thought, I wonder
[41:00] if they think about timing of day. Like,
[41:03] I wonder if they think at 11 p.m.
[41:06] there's a certain thing that's going to
[41:09] keep Andy scrolling versus something at
[41:11] 9:00 a.m. when you're off to work. And
[41:13] of course they do because that and you
[41:16] know they were talking about on the
[41:17] earnings call Mark was saying how it's
[41:19] increased retention by I think 15 basis
[41:22] points. And there's this quote where he
[41:24] said there are already two large sets of
[41:26] content to draw from. first from your
[41:29] friends and people you follow and second
[41:31] from creators that you don't follow. But
[41:32] now there's going to be a whole new and
[41:35] nearly infinite universe of personalized
[41:39] content which from that I infer what
[41:40] they're saying is with their new large
[41:43] language model called Muse is we're
[41:45] actually going to make new content to
[41:47] show Andy Galpin
[41:48] >> that no one made no humans made. We're
[41:50] going to make stuff that we know Andy
[41:53] will like. And so I say all this to say
[41:55] that in this sleep conversation, we've
[41:56] been talking about as creators. We've
[41:57] been saying basically it's going to get
[41:58] really difficult if you're a creator
[42:00] because now if you have a million
[42:01] followers, it doesn't matter. No, if
[42:02] Jenny has zero followers, but she makes
[42:04] something that is contextually more
[42:05] interesting than the million follower
[42:06] guy, Jenny's thing is going to see be
[42:08] seen to everyone. But actually now
[42:09] you're going to be competing with an AI
[42:11] that's going to be churning out super
[42:13] personalized Andy Galpin content.
[42:15] >> Like that just Andy would just love at
[42:18] 11 p.m.
[42:19] >> I said to my team this week, I was like,
[42:20] just take care of yourself. Do you know
[42:22] what I mean? Just be aware, you know,
[42:25] when you open your phone that the AI is
[42:27] doing everything it can to retain you.
[42:29] >> Yeah. I mean, just don't be on your
[42:32] phone. We've been making this argument
[42:34] for years, but gez, um, you got every
[42:36] disadvantage possible coming in your
[42:38] way. And and look, we're all human. I I
[42:42] think I remember
[42:44] last time I was here, you were talking
[42:46] about how like you wake up and your
[42:47] phone's right there, but your your
[42:49] fiance like doesn't touch your phone for
[42:50] the first hour of the day or something.
[42:51] and it's just like on the charger until
[42:53] noon or something. You're just like,
[42:54] "What? I'm more like you." Right? I'm
[42:56] like, "My phone is in my room. It's not
[42:58] three rooms. Like, I'm just not doing
[42:59] any of that stuff." Right? And we
[43:01] started this entire piece by saying the
[43:02] environment you're in is just different
[43:03] than it's ever been before. And it's not
[43:05] getting any better. And at some point,
[43:08] you have to make that decision of
[43:11] do you care about your own health? Do
[43:15] you care about the thing the next day
[43:18] that you didn't do well? And you care
[43:21] more about that than you cared about
[43:22] that next reel.
[43:23] >> What is it that's causing us to
[43:25] understand everything you just said, but
[43:27] to ignore it and to pick up our phone
[43:29] anyway?
[43:30] >> You are hard driven through the entire
[43:32] biology of our species to search for
[43:34] novelty.
[43:36] In fact, I I look at this from the lens
[43:38] of sports. Why do you care about high
[43:42] achievement? Why do I care about
[43:44] performance? There has direct
[43:46] translation. When someone breaks a
[43:48] barrier,
[43:50] we all benefit from that. And I could
[43:52] give you direct examples of this. But we
[43:55] have every story. You want to go to
[43:58] Joseph Campbell heroes journey, right?
[44:00] You want to go back to Hercules, the
[44:02] story of the marathon. Like you pull any
[44:04] story from history out and what are you
[44:06] actually looking at? You're looking at
[44:08] somebody did something that no one has
[44:09] ever done before. You care more about
[44:11] records
[44:13] than you do regular wins and losses.
[44:15] Why? because they're novel.
[44:19] Why are you more interested in watching
[44:23] Messi break that record
[44:25] than you are the other team winning in
[44:28] the exact same shot?
[44:30] It's because you saw something. You got
[44:32] to be there when someone did something
[44:34] for the first time in human history.
[44:36] >> I get more of a dopamine hit from the
[44:37] novelty, from the new thing.
[44:38] >> It's more than the dopamine hit, though.
[44:40] It's a sense of purpose. Your life
[44:42] mattered
[44:44] because you got to be involved in
[44:45] something no one else has ever seen. And
[44:48] even as that bystander on TV 30,000
[44:51] kilometers away, you got to be a part of
[44:54] that. And that all comes down to we are
[44:58] so wired
[44:59] to reward novelty.
[45:02] So then now that comes back to your life
[45:04] and you have to be thinking how do you
[45:06] walk away from that core drive? thinking
[45:09] about a study I read about in psychology
[45:11] class in school with pigeons getting
[45:14] variable rewards.
[45:15] >> I'm going to butcher this, but bear with
[45:16] me. They took a pigeon and they got a
[45:18] little lever for it to press and every
[45:20] time it would press the lever and
[45:22] sometimes it would get a reward. And
[45:24] they found from the study that if they
[45:26] made the rewards variable, i.e. it
[45:28] couldn't predict when it was coming, the
[45:30] pigeon was more likely to keep pressing
[45:32] the lever, i.e. it was more addicted to
[45:33] the behavior if it didn't know when the
[45:35] dopamine hit was coming or the the treat
[45:37] in that case. Scrolling on social media
[45:39] is kind of like the slot machine of
[45:40] variable rewards. I just don't know what
[45:42] I'm going to get. But every fourth, you
[45:44] know, scroll, I get something that
[45:46] >> or every 40th.
[45:47] >> Yeah. Orth better, right? Because the
[45:50] more unpredictable it is,
[45:52] >> the more likely you are to be like, "One
[45:53] more, one more, one more, one more."
[45:55] Right? Like, if it actually comes too
[45:56] quickly, you care less.
[45:58] >> So, you're going to scroll through all
[45:59] the boring stuff, boring stuff, boring
[46:00] stuff, boring stuff, boring stuff for
[46:02] the one out of every 40 that gets you.
[46:04] That's what you're actually there for. I
[46:06] mean, if I gave most people and I said
[46:08] like you can have $10,000
[46:11] or you can have $10,000 in equity in a
[46:13] startup.
[46:15] I look at your face. Like I know what
[46:16] you're doing, right?
[46:18] You want to like people are it depends
[46:20] on where you're at, right? But it's just
[46:21] like okay. And if I said right now the
[46:24] most likely scenario is that $10,000 is
[46:26] go zero.
[46:27] >> Yeah.
[46:27] >> Which is what happens, right? You're
[46:30] like kind of hedge. Can I go five and
[46:32] five? like you're you're going to go you
[46:33] don't you unless you need the 10 grand
[46:35] which a lot of people do but you get the
[46:37] point because you're like man walking
[46:40] away from belief walking away from hope
[46:43] walking away from what if is in insanely
[46:45] hard to do.
[46:46] >> I deleted one of these social media apps
[46:47] just completely from my phone and
[46:49] honestly you always think that you're
[46:50] going to have like FOMO. You're not
[46:52] going to know what's going on or there's
[46:53] going to be some huge loss to your life
[46:54] if you don't have an app on your phone.
[46:56] And it's just remarkable when you delete
[46:57] these some of these social media apps
[46:59] how positive of a net impact it has on
[47:01] your life.
[47:03] >> I have a a friend of mine named Shaun
[47:05] Ali, a famous UFC fighter. He was
[47:08] sitting at his pool and he had his
[47:10] daughter was like one or two years old
[47:11] and he was like scrolling Twitter and
[47:14] was like, "What am I doing?" Like my
[47:16] daughter's over here in front of me.
[47:18] He's 2 years old and like I'm on
[47:19] scrolling like not doing work or not
[47:21] making a post. Not like I'm just
[47:23] scrolling.
[47:24] dumped it was just like team you guys
[47:26] handle it not on any social media more
[47:29] >> so that screens
[47:30] >> that's screens my friend another one to
[47:32] think about which we've sort of touched
[47:33] on is called the presence of other
[47:35] beings this is our classic sleep divorce
[47:40] I assume you uh as I do share your
[47:44] sleeping environment with your partner
[47:45] >> yes
[47:45] >> tough to make the argument of like get a
[47:48] sick divorce right
[47:49] >> yeah I'm not telling her
[47:50] >> you can tell that
[47:51] >> it's funny if it was up to my if we
[47:54] would have a sleep divorce.
[47:55] >> You're joking.
[47:56] >> No,
[47:56] >> she's like, "Get away from me. Don't
[47:58] touch me." She wants to like if we could
[48:00] have separate beds in separate rooms,
[48:02] she I don't snore earning, but she just
[48:03] like
[48:04] >> My fiance is the opposite.
[48:05] >> It's not super realistic, but it is
[48:07] true. There are data behind it. People
[48:09] generally don't sleep as well when
[48:11] you're in the same bed as others. The
[48:14] realistic solution, try to get sheets or
[48:17] a sleeping situation in which when one
[48:19] partner moves, it doesn't roll the other
[48:20] person.
[48:21] >> Oh, like separate sheets. separate
[48:23] sheets or simply the type of sheets.
[48:25] >> Um my wife loves to be really
[48:28] constricted so she likes the sheets
[48:30] tucked in tight. She likes to bed and I
[48:31] hate it. Like
[48:33] >> I feel like I'm in Shaw Shank. I'm like
[48:34] break me out like rip it all out of
[48:35] there. So there's little things like
[48:37] that that don't require you to buy
[48:38] anything where you just change kind of
[48:42] the the setup and the scenario to where
[48:45] their movement doesn't impact you as
[48:46] much. Um noise would be the same one. if
[48:48] you are sleeping with somebody who makes
[48:49] a lot of noise, tosses and turns a
[48:51] bunch, um you could put a pillow in
[48:53] between, so when they roll over and
[48:55] move, they don't hit you, earplugs,
[48:57] things like that. So, that one's a
[48:59] pretty straightforward one, but that
[49:00] said, it's pretty impactful. It can
[49:02] really make a big difference. And if
[49:03] you're really struggling,
[49:05] maybe do a partial sleep divorce.
[49:07] >> Okay.
[49:08] >> Next, sleeping in new environment. Uh
[49:10] this would oftentimes be called first
[49:12] night effect. So your first night,
[49:14] whether it's back home, whether it's in
[49:16] a hotel or somewhere else, you don't
[49:19] feel as comfortable and as safe. And
[49:21] your circadian rhythms, the things that
[49:22] set your timing, aren't there. This is
[49:25] sound. This is light. This is feel. This
[49:27] is temperature. This is smell. What you
[49:29] can do if you travel a lot, our athletes
[49:32] travel every 3 to 5 days, right? This is
[49:34] what they do. You can try to mimic your
[49:36] sleep environment at home on the road.
[49:38] Some people will take their pillows.
[49:40] Other things that are on the similar
[49:42] list are smells like lavender.
[49:45] Lavender is moderately associated with
[49:47] helping people fall asleep. None of
[49:49] those is going to like knock you out.
[49:52] >> Mhm.
[49:52] >> What you're looking to do is stack
[49:53] winds.
[49:55] Next is temperature. You want to be
[49:57] cool. Generally, you're looking at 64 to
[50:00] 68 degrees. This is personally
[50:02] dependent. Um, some people actually like
[50:05] to be a little bit colder so that they
[50:08] can have a heavier blanket because they
[50:09] like that feeling. When this idea got
[50:11] popular a bunch a few years ago, people
[50:13] just started raking the ACs, right?
[50:15] You're just like, get the room as cold
[50:16] as you possibly can. That can become a
[50:18] problem because we're seeing this
[50:20] somewhat consistency where when people's
[50:21] air conditioners kick on, it actually
[50:24] wakes them up. And as we talked about
[50:26] earlier with noise, it's not necessarily
[50:28] always about the volume, but it's the
[50:30] change,
[50:31] >> okay,
[50:32] >> in sound. And so you have something
[50:33] kicking on, kicking off, kicking on,
[50:34] kicking off. The other thing we see is
[50:36] because of air quality situations, uh,
[50:39] we've seen quite often when we have
[50:40] environmental sensors and stuff that if
[50:42] your air conditioner is not clean and
[50:44] the fan is out in there, you can
[50:45] actually kick a bunch of dander and
[50:47] particulates and other things into the
[50:49] air and then you start breathing those
[50:51] things in it overnight and your nose
[50:53] starts to get a little bit stuffed up.
[50:54] You can't breathe through your nose and
[50:55] then boom, you have this hypopnic or
[50:58] apnneic event. The last component that
[51:01] comes up, you know, pretty often at
[51:03] absolute rest is fans. This can make
[51:06] your mouth dry. So, if you're waking up
[51:09] with that and you're like, "Ah, I got to
[51:10] get a drink of water or something." Um,
[51:12] then maybe consider not having the fan
[51:14] blow directly out your face.
[51:15] >> An interesting thing I was thinking
[51:16] about there, which is there was the uh
[51:18] viral experiment done in 2009 by Mind
[51:22] Lab sleep study where they conducted um
[51:24] the sleep experiment at the University
[51:25] of Sussex. Researchers hooked men and
[51:27] women up to an ECG machine to measure
[51:29] their brain waves and played a variety
[51:31] of ambient sounds while they slept to
[51:34] see which noises triggered an immediate
[51:36] wake response. And the top wake
[51:39] responses from men and women was
[51:40] completely different. Men's top trigger
[51:42] was a car alarm. Women's top trigger was
[51:44] a baby crying. Men's top trigger was
[51:47] wind howling outside. Uh women's second
[51:50] top trigger, I should say, is a dripping
[51:52] tap. Yeah.
[51:54] >> Men's third top is buzzing or flying of
[51:56] a mosquito. Uh women's was um shouting
[52:00] outside. And both of their fourth top
[52:02] trigger was snoring. But it was
[52:04] interesting that the thing that woke
[52:07] most men, their top trigger in that
[52:08] study was an alarm outside, but women's
[52:10] was a baby's crying. Yeah. Every mother
[52:13] out there is gone. Yep. It's in in fact
[52:15] one of the largest causes of sleep
[52:17] disorders in women is having children.
[52:20] what happens after child birth and and
[52:22] it's a whole interesting field to hear
[52:23] of uh postpartum care is really poor in
[52:26] women like we just sort of like start
[52:28] paying attention to baby stop paying
[52:30] attention to mom as soon as baby comes
[52:31] out well I'm saying that because it is
[52:34] obvious and clear that the last
[52:36] trimester can present a lot of sleep
[52:38] challenges for women and then especially
[52:39] as soon as a baby's there like you're
[52:41] just going to have some known period of
[52:42] sleep deprivation whether it's delivery
[52:44] or having a newborn all that stuff and
[52:47] that can actually cause patterns this
[52:49] can cause insomnia. This can cause
[52:51] irregular sleep schedules, circadian
[52:53] disorders, natural things. Totally fine.
[52:55] In some percentage of women, those
[52:58] patterns will persist. And so, you'll
[52:59] see women who have sleep disorders, even
[53:01] with adult children that started because
[53:04] of the child birth. We were advocating
[53:07] at all times like, yeah, get through it.
[53:09] I got two kids, you know, I've been
[53:10] there. But then just make sure you're
[53:13] you're providing care and going back to
[53:14] try to fix those things. And why that is
[53:16] difficult is because the study you just
[53:18] mentioned
[53:19] >> it's worth saying there is an
[53:20] evolutionary theory behind this that
[53:22] says you know men and women are attuned
[53:24] to different things. But there's also a
[53:25] counterargument that says the difference
[53:27] in who actually wakes up and who gets
[53:29] out of bed is often heavily driven by
[53:30] social roles. Parenting expectations and
[53:32] individual sleep depth rather than a
[53:34] biological inability for men to hear the
[53:35] baby. So how how do we close off on the
[53:38] subject of sleep? Is there anything that
[53:40] we haven't touched on that we should
[53:41] have touched on as it pertains to how to
[53:43] have incredible sleep? One thing that I
[53:45] think will help everyone whether you're
[53:47] at any of those stages free a little bit
[53:49] of money or you got to go the full end
[53:52] of the spectrum and use a hospital or a
[53:54] service like ours
[53:56] is everyone has the ability to run
[53:58] self-experiments. We we have a a free
[54:01] guide that anyone can go use and it's
[54:03] just a a quick tutorial about how to run
[54:05] your own self-experiment for sleep
[54:07] specifically.
[54:08] >> Oh, there you go. Yeah. Um so this is up
[54:11] and available for free on our website.
[54:13] Anyone can check it out. There's a lot
[54:14] of stuff in here we've covered. You can
[54:16] get more into it. But the short answer
[54:17] of it is we don't want to make people
[54:20] think sleep has to be the center of
[54:23] their life. I often times when sleep
[54:25] comes up, people start thinking, I'd
[54:27] love to sleep more, but I'm too busy.
[54:30] Hey, I'm the same boat. Like, I can't
[54:33] afford to have a 12-h hour sleep
[54:34] routine. What we should be paying
[54:36] attention to is sleep resilience. Steve,
[54:38] I want you to be as resilient to bad
[54:42] sleep as possible.
[54:44] I don't want you optimizing your sleep
[54:46] because optimization turns into that
[54:50] giant routine before bed. I got to take
[54:52] 12 different supplements and four
[54:55] different cocktails and I got if I have
[54:57] to do that along the way, great. The
[55:00] endgame though should be resilient.
[55:02] Meaning, you had a bad night of sleep,
[55:05] cool, and you still performed.
[55:07] We had this challenge. Flight got
[55:09] delayed. Great. We still executed. I
[55:12] want you to know how to get a good night
[55:14] of sleep so you can feel as refreshed as
[55:16] possible, execute the next day, and then
[55:18] get right back onto it.
[55:20] >> The way you get there is, and that's the
[55:23] way our company works, like we're just
[55:24] going to run a series of experiments.
[55:26] And everyone can do that. Start by
[55:29] changing one thing. Your trackers,
[55:32] your data are going to tell you how
[55:35] you're sleeping, but they're not telling
[55:37] you why you're sleeping that way. So,
[55:38] that's your quest. Go figure out why
[55:40] you're sleeping that way. Is it your
[55:42] bedroom temperature? Is it your partner?
[55:45] Is it the fact that you're sensitive to
[55:47] light? Is it the fact you're exercising
[55:48] too late? Are you eating too late? Like,
[55:50] all these things are possible.
[55:53] One at a time. Just like Jon Jones,
[55:56] where marginal improvements in your
[55:58] cognitive performance can have a massive
[55:59] impact. Sometimes I podcast for 10 hours
[56:01] a day. Over the last couple of weeks,
[56:02] I've been in filming for a TV show and I
[56:05] have like one or two days off to get all
[56:06] of my work done, which means there's
[56:08] lots of cognitive load. And so I turned
[56:10] to ketones because I find myself more
[56:12] articulate, able to think more clearly,
[56:14] able to work out better when I'm fueled
[56:16] by ketones. And so the reason I became a
[56:19] coowner of this company and the reason
[56:20] why they now are a sponsor of this
[56:21] podcast is because I remember one of my
[56:23] team members called Cristiana, she tried
[56:24] it once and came up to my desk and she
[56:26] goes, "This is the best product ever
[56:28] made." And I think in part that's
[56:29] because she really cares about those
[56:31] cognitive benefits as I do, as Jon Jones
[56:33] does, and as I think most of my
[56:34] listeners probably will. So if you
[56:36] haven't tried these yet, all you have to
[56:38] do is go to ketone.com/stephven,
[56:42] and you'll also get 30% off your first
[56:43] subscription order. You'll get exclusive
[56:45] Ketone IQ merch and of course cognitive
[56:48] benefits that might just change your
[56:50] life. If you're thinking about starting
[56:52] a business, one of the first decisions
[56:54] you'll have to make is actually one of
[56:56] the most important, which is where do
[56:57] you build that business? Our product
[56:59] team who manages everything we do from
[57:00] our conversation cards to our diaries
[57:02] has always used our sponsor Shopify.
[57:06] There are a few reasons for this, but
[57:07] one of the big ones is that when you're
[57:09] running a business, you really need your
[57:11] own store and your own customer data.
[57:13] And Shopify gives you exactly that. You
[57:15] aren't renting space from someone else's
[57:17] platform, hoping the rules don't
[57:18] suddenly change. And you avoid the
[57:20] classic founder challenges that
[57:21] inevitably come, like sorting out
[57:23] payments and logistics and storefronts,
[57:25] because it's already built into Shopify.
[57:27] Those early days are messy enough
[57:28] without the infrastructure challenge to
[57:31] create extra problems for you. And
[57:33] Shopify's distribution piece is
[57:34] underrated, too, because your products
[57:36] automatically get in front of people on
[57:38] Google, Tik Tok, YouTube, ChatGBT, which
[57:40] again isn't something you have to figure
[57:42] out yourself. It's just already built
[57:44] into their platform. If you are serious
[57:46] about starting your own thing, start
[57:47] your free trial at shopify.com/bartlet.
[57:52] I guess one could argue that the
[57:53] antithesis of sleep is being awake. And
[57:56] when we're awake, the thing we care
[57:57] about is energy. Now, I had a really
[58:00] great conversation on this podcast with
[58:02] um several people that talk about
[58:04] mitochondria and energy and those kinds
[58:06] of things. And some some of those
[58:08] conversations have really really changed
[58:09] me. If you hadn't haven't listened to
[58:10] the more recent conversation we had on
[58:12] um mitochondria on the channel, please
[58:14] do go listen to it.
[58:15] >> Martin Peard.
[58:16] >> Martin Peard. It was a really honestly
[58:18] it's one of my favorite conversations
[58:19] I've had this year just because I've I
[58:21] knew about the mitochondria like I I
[58:22] conceptually knew what it was but I
[58:24] hadn't thought about it as being so
[58:29] central to everything in my life because
[58:32] energy is essential to everything in my
[58:34] life like my relationships, my ability
[58:36] to do this, my my joy, my everything. If
[58:39] someone is trying to improve their
[58:41] energy levels and that's what they come
[58:42] to you with in terms of a symptom that
[58:44] they self-describe, where do you aim?
[58:46] Okay, we talked about sleep, but where
[58:48] else do you aim?
[58:50] >> Energy is
[58:52] probably the number one thing on our
[58:53] list of reasons people come to us.
[58:55] >> What do they say?
[58:56] >> I'm tired all day, can't figure it out,
[58:58] or I don't have the energy I used to
[59:01] have, or I can't sustain output like I
[59:04] used to. Whether this is physical, uh,
[59:06] my recovery is longer than it used to
[59:08] be, or I just can't hang working as many
[59:10] hours as I used to do, I get fatigued at
[59:13] the end of the day cognitively, I'm not
[59:15] of the camp that this is entirely
[59:17] mitochondria. But I certainly will agree
[59:19] that energy would be the number one. In
[59:20] fact, probably the most common question
[59:22] I've ever got in my career is what
[59:23] separates these world performers from
[59:25] the rest of us? And people want me to
[59:28] say things like they work harder. They
[59:31] they don't. They are categorically
[59:34] though better at energy management.
[59:36] That is the one thing that seems to be
[59:38] most consistent again with the world's
[59:40] highest performers, athletes,
[59:42] entrepreneurs, leaders, executives, you
[59:45] name it, however you're defining
[59:47] success. When you get better at managing
[59:49] energy,
[59:51] you're more effective. This is
[59:53] everything from cellular energy to
[59:56] understanding things like your own
[59:58] interpersonal communication.
[60:00] What type of relationships give you
[60:01] energy? What type of relationships take
[60:04] energy from you? What type of activities
[60:06] give you energy? What types give you
[60:07] back? When can you be more efficient?
[60:09] When are you running for the sake of
[60:11] running and not actually running in a
[60:12] direction? And I mean this figuratively,
[60:14] not literally.
[60:16] This is all energy management. And what
[60:18] you'll see is these people are
[60:19] world-class performers. get incredibly
[60:21] good at going 80% of my energy suck
[60:24] comes out of here for 20% ROI. I'm going
[60:26] to switch that out. They're better at
[60:28] choosing what matters and what doesn't
[60:29] matter.
[60:30] >> Okay?
[60:30] >> And this is everything from what
[60:31] supplement is working to what type of
[60:34] person that they work with. Where people
[60:36] struggle is in the like what if I could
[60:38] also be doing this? What if I could also
[60:40] be doing this? What if I add this on
[60:41] top? What if I add this on top?
[60:42] >> Okay. So, I thought you were talking
[60:43] about um I guess if I try and put this
[60:46] into some sort of analogy or metaphor,
[60:48] >> the high performers wake up with 100
[60:51] energy chips, let's say, and they're
[60:53] really really good at allocating them
[60:55] against the most important thing.
[60:56] >> Yes.
[60:57] >> Whereas maybe Jenny and Dave listening
[60:59] kind of let it seep out. They put 20 on
[61:01] Instagram, 20 over here on this
[61:03] >> and they spin their wheels.
[61:04] >> They spin their wheels.
[61:05] >> They go, "Okay, great. I'm going to I
[61:08] listen to this podcast and I got super
[61:10] excited about zone 2. I'm going to go
[61:12] hop into a bunch of zone too. And then I
[61:13] listen to this other podcast and I get
[61:14] super excited about journaling. Let me
[61:17] go add journaling to my mix.
[61:19] >> And then what ends up happening is you
[61:20] see their daily routine and you're like,
[61:23] "Okay, your daily routine is 20 hours."
[61:25] And then at some point like you didn't
[61:27] actually do anything that mattered. What
[61:29] is the one thing that can get you to
[61:31] that goal in the most effective way
[61:34] possible? And then everything else has
[61:36] to actively be stripped away. So the
[61:39] traditional thing we like to do is we
[61:41] give one to two what we call active
[61:44] movements per week which is this is
[61:47] something Stephen you have to actively
[61:48] remember to do. You don't actively
[61:51] remember to brush your teeth. You don't
[61:52] have to actively remember to shower blah
[61:54] blah blah. You might at this point not
[61:55] have to actively think about your
[61:57] gratitude practice or your meditation
[61:59] time. Like you probably have these
[62:00] things you've been doing for years,
[62:01] right? I don't actually call those
[62:03] additive because you you do those.
[62:04] You're going to get those in. But I
[62:06] might ask you to do one thing different.
[62:08] I don't know what that would be, but I I
[62:09] would look at this and say, "Here's your
[62:11] constraint. I'm not going to ask you to
[62:13] do five things new. It's too difficult.
[62:16] Maybe this is a change in what time you
[62:18] eat."
[62:18] >> Okay?
[62:19] >> Your training style. Find what's
[62:22] constraining you from your energy.
[62:24] >> What things could it be?
[62:25] >> It could be sleep. It could be
[62:26] mismanagement of relationships. It could
[62:28] be you're working too much. It could be
[62:30] you're under fueling. You're not eating
[62:32] enough. It could be that you're
[62:34] overusing stimulants. sleeping poor and
[62:36] you're in that cycle, right? It could be
[62:38] you're not seeing sunlight. So, what you
[62:40] need to do is run a a quick analysis and
[62:43] think what is the single biggest thing
[62:44] in your way. Is it the fact that you're
[62:47] in pain?
[62:49] Great. Maybe the only one thing I want
[62:50] you to go after then is
[62:53] let's go figure out why that knee hurts.
[62:55] >> Okay. So, for me, you've seen my blood
[62:56] results.
[62:57] >> Yeah.
[62:57] >> So, what things might improve my energy
[62:59] from the blood results that you saw?
[63:01] >> What are you mid-30s? Early 30s. and 33.
[63:05] >> 33. All right. You're lean, you're
[63:07] active. The first thing that jumps out
[63:10] on your report.
[63:11] >> Yeah. Can we skip that?
[63:12] >> I think uh skip the page. You're going
[63:16] to see quickly the difference between
[63:17] medicine and performance.
[63:18] >> Okay. Um this is medical. So, we're
[63:21] looking at cholesterol and cholesterol
[63:23] related markers. You've got I don't know
[63:25] a dozen of them or so there. Not one's
[63:27] good.
[63:29] >> This is incredibly actionable.
[63:31] >> Can I ask a question about this? what
[63:33] what does it mean? And then I was going
[63:35] to ask a secondary question which is I
[63:37] was going to try and self diagnose why I
[63:38] think this is the case but
[63:39] >> I would love that second question
[63:40] that'll actually tell us where to go. So
[63:42] when you look at things like blood work
[63:43] these are secondary measures of
[63:45] physiology. They're trying to predict
[63:47] what I what we'll call an outcome.
[63:49] Meaning in this case we are looking at
[63:50] your heart health.
[63:52] >> Okay.
[63:53] >> There is an association and I choose
[63:55] that word carefully between cholesterol
[63:57] and cardiovascular disease.
[63:59] >> Okay. High cholesterol, low cholesterol,
[64:01] good cholesterol. All the above. Very
[64:05] traditionally, excessively high
[64:07] cholesterol is going to be associated
[64:09] with earlier heart disease, heart
[64:11] attack, could even manifest itself into
[64:13] strokes and things like that, right? So,
[64:16] if we were to just like zoom all the way
[64:18] out and we say, "All right, your
[64:19] cholesterol is extremely high. I'm
[64:21] concerned about your heart health."
[64:23] >> There's way more to the story, but at
[64:26] the top of it, that's where we're at.
[64:28] So, the second question I was going to
[64:30] ask is at the time that I did these
[64:32] blood test results, I was frequently in
[64:34] a ketogenic diet.
[64:35] >> I know there's a lot to unpack here and
[64:37] a lot of people are going to get mad
[64:39] online. Cholesterol has lifestyle,
[64:42] dietary, and familial causes. Often
[64:46] times, you might have high cholesterol
[64:48] and all these various markers simply
[64:50] because that's a familial genetic
[64:51] inheritance and there's not a lot of
[64:53] action behind it. When you see these
[64:55] things independent of obesity, now we
[64:57] have a different connotation. If I were
[64:58] to look at all this stuff and go, "Oh,
[64:59] yeah, sure. You're 35% body fat. I know
[65:02] you drink alcohol." Then I'm like,
[65:04] "Okay, this is true, but let's tackle
[65:06] those things first because those have so
[65:09] many robust implications on your
[65:10] health." That's the starting place. You
[65:13] don't drink alcohol excessively. I don't
[65:15] even know if you drink alcohol at all
[65:17] and haven't in years, I assume, right?
[65:19] You don't smoke. You don't like I know.
[65:21] So, all those things are checked off the
[65:23] list. This means this is actionable.
[65:24] >> I should give you some context here. My
[65:26] uncle died of a heart attack and my dad
[65:27] had a heart operation last week.
[65:29] >> Ooh.
[65:30] >> So,
[65:30] >> do you remember what kind of heart
[65:31] operation?
[65:32] >> He had a pacemaker put in. Um,
[65:35] >> but he's been on statins, I think, for
[65:38] >> to lower his cholesterol.
[65:39] >> A long time. I think he's been on
[65:40] statins for about 15 years if I was to
[65:42] guess. About 15 20 years.
[65:44] >> Yeah. So, when I look at this
[65:46] independent of your obesity with your
[65:48] familial history, do you remember what
[65:49] advice you got when you got these
[65:51] results of what to do? Do
[65:52] >> you know I did two two um tests. I did
[65:55] this one with Function Health, who I
[65:57] believe are a sponsor, so I should say
[65:58] that. Um, and I did the second one with
[66:00] Nico Health,
[66:01] >> where I'm a big investor in the company.
[66:03] They both said to me like, "Steve, stop
[66:05] eating steak all the time. Um, bacon,
[66:07] stop eating bacon all the time." The way
[66:09] that I heard it was, damn, this
[66:11] ketogenic diet you've been on, Steve,
[66:12] you need to just take it easy.
[66:14] >> And have you done blood work since then?
[66:16] >> No.
[66:17] >> All right. First thing that would pop up
[66:19] and this is the order I would do this
[66:20] in. When you get something like blood
[66:22] work,
[66:23] the value is not in the data. The value
[66:27] is in the interpretation. What they're
[66:29] talking about why you heard that as
[66:31] steak, butter, bacon is because those
[66:34] are food items high in saturated fat.
[66:37] Saturated fat is not evil. There are no
[66:40] evil foods. It's only evil context.
[66:42] Right? So in your particular case, if we
[66:44] saw those and we don't have this, but if
[66:47] we had your baseline
[66:49] before that test and then we had this
[66:52] and we went, okay, when you change your
[66:54] diet and increased your saturated fat
[66:55] intake and then we saw these numbers
[66:57] increase,
[66:58] most ethical people in this space would
[67:00] look at that and say that's not a
[67:01] positive thing. That does not mean
[67:03] ketogenic diets are bad or unsafe. Not
[67:07] at all. It only means if we had those
[67:09] theoretical data for you, it's probably
[67:12] not healthy. You stack that on top of
[67:14] the fact that you have your uncle and
[67:15] your dad in there. Then I would triple
[67:17] down and go talk to your doctor. I'm not
[67:20] your medical doctor, but I'd be really
[67:22] concerned about that. Then what I would
[67:25] do would be go to the next step. Let's
[67:26] run the experiment and see. This is an
[67:29] indirect marker. And remember, what is
[67:31] it trying to predict? Your heart health.
[67:34] Have you had your heart scanned?
[67:36] >> Yes, I have. And
[67:37] >> they said that I had like I had a thick
[67:40] wall.
[67:40] >> Okay. Exercise induced cardiac
[67:43] remodeling
[67:45] if especially if it's left ventricular.
[67:47] >> It's a good thing. Right. So your heart
[67:48] has four chambers. Two on top, two on
[67:50] bottom. The two on the top are called
[67:51] atria.
[67:52] >> Uhhuh.
[67:53] >> Ventricles on the bottom. Oh, you got a
[67:54] great image there as well. Yeah. So you
[67:56] can look at this as a maze. Okay. So
[67:59] we'll use double modeling here. Can you
[68:01] see how the left ventricle
[68:05] is much larger than the right ventricle?
[68:07] >> Mhm.
[68:07] >> There's a reason. The right ventricle
[68:09] only has to kick blood to your lungs.
[68:12] >> Yeah.
[68:12] >> Which are, you know, physically
[68:14] >> quite close
[68:15] >> a few inches away. The left ventricle
[68:18] has to kick it up out through your
[68:21] entire body down to the tip of your toes
[68:23] all the way back up against gravity and
[68:25] then back up into your heart. Mhm.
[68:28] >> And so what you're seeing here is
[68:30] strength training. This is resistance
[68:32] exercise. Your left ventricle is lifting
[68:33] weights. It has to be bigger. It has to
[68:36] be stronger so that it can contract
[68:37] really hard and shoot all that blood up
[68:40] and down and up and out. If you said you
[68:43] had a thicker wall either naturally or
[68:46] exercise induced, just like when you
[68:48] lift with your biceps more, it's larger.
[68:51] The same thing is happening your left
[68:52] ventricle. Incredibly common and healthy
[68:55] adaptation. Okay.
[68:57] >> What we would be concerned about is if
[68:59] there was any type of blockage
[69:02] or any type of plaque buildup.
[69:05] >> One of the things that I remember them
[69:07] saying is they, again, I'm going to
[69:09] butcher this, but they told me there's
[69:10] kind of like two types of plaque build
[69:11] up in my veins or my arteries, whatever.
[69:13] And they said, "The bad type you haven't
[69:16] got."
[69:17] >> And they said, "But the other type you
[69:21] have got." And they I think they were
[69:22] referring to like the bad type as being
[69:23] like more sticky.
[69:24] >> Yeah. and it like doesn't go,
[69:26] >> it'll dislodge.
[69:27] >> Oh, okay. And that can cause a risk.
[69:29] >> Yeah.
[69:29] >> They said I didn't have the bad type,
[69:31] but I had this other type that can is
[69:32] like temporary, but could turn into the
[69:34] bad type or something.
[69:35] >> Yeah. One thing you want to be really
[69:36] careful of, and this happened to a dear
[69:38] friend of mine, Joel Jameson, young,
[69:40] super fit, all the things. No stress,
[69:43] doesn't smoke, doesn't drink, much like
[69:44] you, all this stuff. Family history.
[69:46] >> Mhm.
[69:47] >> Didn't think about it. Blood work came
[69:49] back totally fine. still asked to get a
[69:52] CT angiogram scan of his heart. His
[69:55] cardiologist said, "No, you don't need
[69:57] it. You're young. You're all the thing."
[69:58] Got it anyways. And he had a I think he
[70:00] had a 50% blockage of his what's called
[70:02] a widowmaker.
[70:04] You're flipping the dice whether you're
[70:05] going to die here, right? So, this is a
[70:06] classic case to me where he's doing all
[70:08] the right things, but imaging saved his
[70:10] life. Let's not live in fear. Let's go
[70:12] look. He went had a looked. I'll just
[70:14] trust your physicians. Great. then I'm
[70:17] less worried about this because this
[70:19] could be a direct response to your
[70:21] ketogenic diet, which it almost
[70:22] certainly was. And if it's presenting no
[70:25] risk to the place we actually care
[70:26] about, then I'm less concerned about
[70:28] your cholesterol.
[70:29] >> But is if it carries on like this, could
[70:31] it create a risk?
[70:32] >> Absolutely could.
[70:32] >> Okay. Cuz they all did tell me to fix
[70:34] this.
[70:35] >> Yeah. Just keep getting it scanned every
[70:36] few years and if you see any aggress any
[70:38] any buildup at all, then I would manage
[70:39] it.
[70:40] >> Okay.
[70:40] >> Now, in what you're seeing over here is
[70:42] that client of ours. And so as an
[70:45] example, I'll give you a specific
[70:46] number. His total cholesterol was 347.
[70:50] We got him down to 223.
[70:51] >> What did you do?
[70:52] >> Fiber.
[70:53] >> Why fiber?
[70:54] >> Stress reduction. Fiber, depending on
[70:57] the type of cholesterol, will actually
[70:59] bind to the cholesterol and clear it
[71:00] from the system.
[71:01] >> You will physically reduce it.
[71:02] >> That's why they one of the supplements I
[71:04] was told to take is a fiber supplement.
[71:06] >> It's not always going to solve
[71:08] something. And I want to be really
[71:09] clear.
[71:11] If you have numbers like you had, you
[71:13] need to work with a doctor. and you need
[71:14] to get screened. Don't just be like, I
[71:16] took Fiber. I'm fine. This guy said on a
[71:18] podcast. That's not what I'm saying. But
[71:19] it is, it can be effective. The other
[71:21] thing we did was massive stress
[71:22] reduction. Guy was a a very hard
[71:24] charging CEO for a large company.
[71:26] >> How is stress reduction going to impact
[71:27] my cholesterol?
[71:28] >> Things like cholesterol can be what are
[71:30] called acute phase reactants, some parts
[71:32] of them, not all of them. Meaning it
[71:34] responds to acute stress and stimuli.
[71:36] When you look at things like blood work,
[71:38] they aren't static. They are responding
[71:40] to the entire system. And so if you were
[71:42] to be stressed, and we not to blame
[71:44] anything on cortisol, but cortisol is
[71:46] elevated. You are in a uh heightened
[71:48] alert state. This causes short-term
[71:51] inflammation. In fact, if you look at I
[71:53] think your inflammation was a little bit
[71:55] um nuts over there. Oh, this guy as
[71:56] well. Probably like your most classic
[71:59] inflammation marker is called CRP. His
[72:03] was at two, which is really high. We got
[72:05] him from two to 2. So 10x reduction that
[72:08] then allowed cholesterol to normalize.
[72:10] Um the the easiest most technical way to
[72:13] get to say it is it's an acute phase
[72:14] reactant. Meaning it will change in
[72:16] response acutely to inflammation. Some
[72:19] markers will go up and some will go down
[72:21] in response to that like like D like
[72:22] vitamin D goes down
[72:24] >> if what if you
[72:25] >> in a a stressed environment. Some go up,
[72:28] some go down. Blood glucose goes up.
[72:30] >> So you got stressed down, you got his
[72:31] fiber up.
[72:32] >> And that took him from 347 to 223, which
[72:35] is still high. Went from 223 to 163. Now
[72:38] that took a statin.
[72:40] >> Oh. Obviously you did give him a statin.
[72:41] >> We didn't but his medical team did.
[72:43] >> Okay.
[72:44] >> And so this I why I want to draw this
[72:46] point out is we were able to go a long
[72:48] ways with lifestyle.
[72:52] But he wanted to go more. He wanted to
[72:53] be green green green.
[72:56] So that's when medicine came in. And I
[72:59] to me this represents a a great marriage
[73:01] of the two. Some people are very anti-
[73:04] medicine. Some people are that's not my
[73:06] decision. That's up to you and your
[73:07] medical provider. But I think it's it's
[73:09] it's unfair to tell people things like
[73:12] all of it can be done with lifestyle and
[73:15] there's no need for medicines ever or
[73:17] the opposite of just like oh just take
[73:18] the drug don't worry about it. He needed
[73:21] all of it. He needed stress reduction.
[73:23] He needed some changes in his diet and
[73:25] that made a huge change in his
[73:27] biological health. So if you were to be
[73:29] like look this is so complicated this
[73:31] guy like how can I make actional advice
[73:33] of all this stuff this guy's saying I
[73:34] don't have a private doctor and cool
[73:36] just run the experiment. Try more fiber.
[73:38] try to regulate your stress. If you want
[73:40] to go the opposite route and jump right
[73:42] into the the medical side, that's fine,
[73:43] too. Um, but it doesn't need to be super
[73:46] scary or super daunting because these
[73:48] are not like especially if your heart
[73:50] has been scanned. I'm not concerned
[73:51] about an acute emergency.
[73:53] >> The two things on here that I thought
[73:54] were were shocking to me are my my
[73:58] vitamin D levels and my omega levels,
[74:00] which I was told were deficient.
[74:02] >> Yep.
[74:03] >> I thought I was smashing it with those
[74:04] two cuz I think I was living in LA at
[74:06] the time and
[74:07] >> Yeah. So your vitamin D was borderline
[74:09] low. Fairly traditionally people of
[74:13] African heritage are going to be lower
[74:14] in that marker.
[74:15] >> Okay.
[74:16] >> You're at 37.
[74:18] Kind of lower end of that number is 40.
[74:21] That might actually be fine.
[74:22] >> I think I heard you say something about
[74:24] vitamin D. Again, I don't want to
[74:25] butcher your words if this wasn't what
[74:26] you said, but you kind of make the
[74:28] assumption that most people are
[74:29] deficient.
[74:30] >> Yeah, it is true.
[74:30] >> Why does it matter?
[74:31] >> So vitamin D is a nice microcosm of
[74:35] overall health. So what I mean by that
[74:36] is you will tend to see people low in
[74:38] vitamin D who are also tending to make
[74:40] poor health choices. So it's a little
[74:41] bit like grip strength and all that
[74:43] where it's kind of a one snap shot at
[74:46] saying are you generally healthy or not?
[74:49] Why is it needed specifically? It is
[74:52] involved in every reaction from your
[74:55] brain to your gut to your hormones, your
[74:57] immune system, metabolism and everything
[75:00] in between. It's critical to maintaining
[75:02] bone health. that's critical to being
[75:03] able to grow skeletal muscle. It's also
[75:07] clinically low in a high percentage of
[75:09] the population and even subcl clinically
[75:11] low in a vast majority of the
[75:13] population.
[75:14] >> So, should we be supplementing if we are
[75:15] low?
[75:16] >> The real world will always win. Whole
[75:18] foods, sunlight, positive social
[75:20] environments. That's always the place to
[75:22] start. So, do you want to supplement
[75:24] with it? That's up to you. I would much
[75:26] rather you get sunlight if possible.
[75:28] Now, enter everyone in the chat going,
[75:29] "I live in the UK. There's no sun. sort
[75:32] of up here. Fine. If you want to choose
[75:35] a supplement um because you live in
[75:37] those situations, then that's absolutely
[75:39] fine.
[75:39] >> Or I work in an office for 12 hours a
[75:41] day. It's it's interesting because there
[75:42] is a bit of a paradox here in we're all
[75:44] in search of very natural solutions in a
[75:47] very unnatural way of living. I had this
[75:50] conversation with my fiance a couple of
[75:51] couple of weeks back about a few things
[75:52] where in one area of our life we're
[75:54] trying to be really really natural.
[75:56] >> Y
[75:57] >> um
[75:58] >> but I'm like babe like look at the rest
[76:00] of our lives. so unnatural. We get on
[76:02] planes and have these smartphones and
[76:03] and so almost forcing this one part to
[76:05] be natural is
[76:07] >> arguably going to cause a bit of a
[76:08] problem.
[76:08] >> I mean, it happens to me, right? Like
[76:10] I'll
[76:11] put in the entire hours of the day and
[76:13] not even realize I didn't step outside.
[76:15] >> Yeah,
[76:15] >> it absolutely happens.
[76:17] >> So, what I think you have to do is
[76:19] number one, give yourself grace, right?
[76:21] Like you're not going to be perfect. I'm
[76:22] especially thinking about like single
[76:24] parents. It's just like you're not going
[76:26] to go out and spend 30 minutes in the
[76:27] sun.
[76:27] >> Night shift workers.
[76:28] >> Totally. Boy, that's a really hard
[76:30] thing. Um, we've dealt with a lot of
[76:31] nurses and surgeons and things like that
[76:33] where you're on call, you're out. And
[76:35] that's when we can lean towards modern
[76:37] medicine, modern supplementation. It
[76:39] that's why those things are not trash.
[76:40] They're not garbage. They're not fake.
[76:42] Our strategy typically is that's can we
[76:44] find one actionable thing, one thing
[76:46] that you're doing as a focus that is
[76:48] something you got to go out of your way
[76:49] and do. And that might be you have to go
[76:52] outside today. You have that might be
[76:54] your one thing to pay attention to. When
[76:56] you start asking for more than one to
[76:57] two active things per week, you start
[77:00] end up failing.
[77:01] >> Okay, fine.
[77:01] >> So, with your omegas, so your omega
[77:04] score at five is low.
[77:07] >> Mhm.
[77:07] >> You want that to be eight. But you
[77:08] probably didn't notice your mercury was
[77:10] right on the line of high as well. Those
[77:12] things will typically track. The more
[77:15] omega-3s you consume, the more mercury
[77:17] goes up.
[77:18] >> Oh, really?
[77:19] >> Because most omega-3 sources
[77:22] are going to be filled with mercury. But
[77:24] I was low omega and high mercury.
[77:26] >> So what that tells us is if you were to
[77:29] jack your omega-3s up, your mercury is
[77:32] going to get into the line that we don't
[77:34] want it to be in. So solution,
[77:38] you need to alter the source of your
[77:40] omega-3s. Get it from a higher quality
[77:42] place. So I'm not sure where you were
[77:43] getting them from there.
[77:44] >> All over the place.
[77:45] >> Yeah. But you would want to to either
[77:47] choose your supplement more carefully or
[77:50] choose better quality foods. What
[77:52] actually moves the needle on this
[77:53] subject of energy, which is what we're
[77:54] talking about here. Is there anything
[77:56] that is more consequential as it relates
[77:59] to these people that are trying to get
[78:01] more energy in their life? They feel
[78:02] lethargic. We talked about sleep as
[78:03] being a real foundation here.
[78:05] >> If you're looking for more energy, I
[78:06] would divide everything into two
[78:07] buckets. Hidden stressors and visible
[78:10] stressors. Visible stressors are things
[78:12] like you're not exercising. We know from
[78:16] excellent databases, physical exercise
[78:20] enhances energy. Why? And how?
[78:22] >> Mitochondrial health is one of the many
[78:24] aspects of it.
[78:25] >> You'll have more mitochondria if you
[78:28] exercise more.
[78:29] >> Generally, not only will you have more,
[78:31] they'll be larger and they'll be
[78:32] healthier.
[78:32] >> And mitochondria basically process your
[78:34] energy. So, you get more efficient
[78:36] energy production.
[78:36] >> They're one of the ways you can make it.
[78:38] You can make energy a lot of different
[78:39] ways. It is the end path of all aerobic
[78:42] exercise. So, in other words, anytime
[78:44] you're using oxygen as a byproduct to
[78:46] make fuel, mitochondria have to be
[78:48] there. So, it is central and core to
[78:50] that. Um, but it is more than
[78:51] mitochondria. You'll have more total
[78:53] blood
[78:54] >> if you exercise.
[78:55] >> Yes.
[78:56] >> It's one of the primary adaptations to
[78:57] endurance is you'll physically have more
[78:59] blood in your body
[79:00] >> and that will mean
[79:01] >> you carry more oxygen.
[79:02] >> Oh, okay.
[79:03] >> You have more red blood cells.
[79:05] >> So, you're able to carry more oxygen to
[79:07] fuel those mitochondria.
[79:09] >> Is that a certain type of exercise that
[79:11] gives you more?
[79:12] >> Generally, anything that demands blood
[79:13] flow will increase blood supply.
[79:17] >> Cardiovascular exercise
[79:18] >> can be can be anything.
[79:19] >> Okay. Stress equals adaptation. Meaning,
[79:22] if you put a demand on your heart to
[79:23] pump more blood, it'll get better at
[79:25] pumping more blood. If you put a demand
[79:26] on bone to resist tension, it'll get
[79:29] better at resisting tension. You run the
[79:32] whole cascade of connective tissue to
[79:35] cellular health. It is simply what's
[79:38] called the said principle. S A I D,
[79:40] specific adaptation to imposed demand.
[79:43] And also is it fair to say then if we
[79:45] take the word exercise out of the
[79:47] traditional definition which is like in
[79:49] a gym doing a thing and we broaden it to
[79:51] work or just you know cognitive
[79:55] performance. Remember exercise is a
[79:57] novel madeup term. This is a new thing
[80:00] to us. Historically humans have carried,
[80:03] have sprinted, have jumped, have
[80:04] climbed, have grappled, have done all
[80:06] those things. putting that into a
[80:08] structured non-aily activity is a last
[80:12] 75 year phenomenon, right? It wasn't
[80:14] actually until we started to realize
[80:16] that stress reduction to the end of the
[80:19] limit is a bad thing and then we had to
[80:21] recreate stress into our lives. One form
[80:23] of that was we call that exercise. So
[80:25] yes, if you think about exercise as
[80:28] either running, cycling, swimming or
[80:30] lifting weights, you have left a bunch
[80:33] on the table. I don't care how you're
[80:35] challenging yourself. Even if that
[80:37] structured exercise in your example is
[80:39] more vocationally based,
[80:41] >> it's the stress being provided to the
[80:43] system. And so when you start to look at
[80:45] things like what's the best exercise
[80:46] protocol for AB and C, one of the things
[80:48] you start to realize is all of them can
[80:50] have equal responses given a few
[80:54] constraints and if they hit that
[80:55] constraint, they work. So if you have a
[80:58] movement practice, you skateboard, you
[81:00] play pickle, you walk, you garden, fine.
[81:03] All those can have equal clinical
[81:05] outcomes.
[81:06] mortality, joint pain, body composition
[81:09] because they're getting to the same
[81:11] spot.
[81:12] >> Does this make sense then? So, if I'm
[81:14] say I'm a podcaster and I want to have
[81:16] more energy to podcast,
[81:17] >> Yeah.
[81:17] >> I should podcast more.
[81:19] >> Yeah. You'll be more resilient, right?
[81:20] >> Okay. So, you could apply that to sort
[81:22] of any vocation or activity. If I want
[81:24] to have more energy to
[81:26] uh lift my kids up and run with them in
[81:29] the garden, then I should lift things
[81:31] and run with them.
[81:33] >> Stress inoculation. And then in the
[81:34] future my body will adapt and it will
[81:36] give me more energy for that particular
[81:37] activity.
[81:37] >> Yep.
[81:38] >> So sometimes when people say they don't
[81:39] have energy for a thing, it's because
[81:41] they haven't challenged themselves in
[81:43] that particular activity enough to
[81:46] expand and adapt.
[81:47] >> It's it's really difficult, right? So if
[81:49] if walking up the stairs is a V2 max
[81:52] test for you, how likely are you to walk
[81:55] upstairs? Oh,
[81:56] >> okay. So it's like a downward spiral.
[81:57] It's
[81:58] >> too difficult, right? So then what
[81:59] happens?
[81:59] >> You don't do it
[82:00] >> and you get
[82:01] >> Yeah. less good at it.
[82:02] >> Able to do it, right? Yeah.
[82:03] >> So when we start thinking about energy
[82:05] and I started talking about like hidden
[82:06] visible stressors, right? I'm looking
[82:08] for constraints. Do you have an
[82:11] undiagnosed pathogen in your body? We
[82:13] have a major league baseball player.
[82:16] Felt horrific. I'm talking like can't
[82:18] make it through a baseball game. Legs
[82:20] are shot. No energy whatsoever. In his
[82:24] particular case, we were able to confirm
[82:26] in his blood, in his physical bedroom,
[82:30] and with a bunch of other tests for
[82:32] actually you test his eyes and you test
[82:34] a bunch of other stuff. He had a very
[82:36] gnarly exposure to mold.
[82:38] >> Oh yeah.
[82:39] >> All we had to do in large part was get
[82:42] that cleared and his energy came back.
[82:44] That's an example of a hidden stressor.
[82:46] But one of the things we're always
[82:47] looking for is are you an energy
[82:48] toxicity? Meaning, are you eating too
[82:50] many calories, which is not the same as
[82:52] being obese, or are you in low energy
[82:55] availability? You're sleeping fine, but
[82:57] you're of low energy.
[83:00] Are you eating enough calories? Oh,
[83:01] you're not. Like, we have to go no
[83:03] further on this train. You are
[83:04] underfueled for what you're asking. So,
[83:07] there's things that are hidden stressors
[83:08] like that. There are visible stressors,
[83:11] which we just talked about. Like, you're
[83:12] not actually doing the thing. Another
[83:13] easy way to explain this is cognitively.
[83:16] If you want to write a book and you
[83:19] don't currently write and you sit down
[83:21] to write, it's going to be exhausting.
[83:23] >> Mhm.
[83:24] >> And then you talk to a writer and
[83:25] there's like, oh yeah, like I I need 45
[83:27] minutes so I can crank out a thousand
[83:28] words.
[83:29] >> Mhm.
[83:29] >> It's like not exhausting at all. Right.
[83:31] Stress inoculation. This is exactly what
[83:32] you said before. You can build up
[83:34] endurance in those things by them.
[83:37] >> This is one of the things I've learned
[83:38] from this podcast and meeting all these
[83:40] exceptional people is um this like use
[83:42] it or lose it principle.
[83:43] >> Oh yeah. you know, because I'm getting
[83:45] older and you start to feel the odd
[83:46] pain,
[83:47] >> you know, and so you start to like not
[83:49] use that part, you know, your back for
[83:51] example.
[83:52] >> Yeah.
[83:52] >> Or bending down and so you find ways to
[83:55] not bend down properly so you can avoid
[83:57] the pain.
[83:58] >> And what's happening there is because
[83:59] something is difficult, you do it less,
[84:01] which then means it becomes more
[84:03] difficult. So you do it less and there's
[84:04] this downward feedback loop to decline.
[84:07] >> Atrophy leads to atrophy.
[84:09] >> Yeah. And like, you know, I think the
[84:10] critical idea that got in my head a
[84:12] couple of years ago from someone I was
[84:13] interviewing on the podcast was that
[84:16] aging isn't always the excuse. And I
[84:18] think we assume it's just aging so we
[84:21] accept it and we don't fight back.
[84:23] >> When I sat here with one of the
[84:25] exceptional PhDs that I interviewed, she
[84:27] showed me I think it was a DEXA scan of
[84:29] a 70-year-old.
[84:30] >> It was like a pentathlete and then a
[84:33] DEXA scan of someone that was like 30
[84:34] years old. And this 70-year-old was just
[84:38] phenomenal. Yeah. Their their sort of
[84:40] bone, their muscle, etc. And she
[84:41] basically proved to me. I'll put up the
[84:43] scan on the screen. It really is a
[84:44] mind-blowing scan. I've actually sent it
[84:45] to my best friends because it really did
[84:47] I couldn't I couldn't get this idea out
[84:48] of my head that actually don't accept
[84:50] everything as an aging problem because
[84:51] the minute you do, you go on this
[84:53] downward cycle. And it blew my mind. And
[84:55] that was such an important idea to get
[84:56] in my head at my age at 30 years old. So
[84:58] when I feel like a pain in my back, my
[85:00] my solution isn't, oh, okay, Stephen,
[85:02] you're getting older. stop bending down
[85:04] and protect the pain. It is go to the
[85:06] gym and start squatting and bending etc.
[85:09] There are some things that will go down
[85:10] with age. Sleep is actually one of them.
[85:13] We typically just see you will sleep a
[85:15] little bit less as you age. Fine. There
[85:17] are some aspects of that but I think you
[85:19] can resist and fight as much of that as
[85:20] possible. This is actually you're seeing
[85:23] a turning of a tide right now that just
[85:25] starting to emerge with longevity.
[85:28] longevity is currently being positioned
[85:30] as this anti-aging
[85:32] phenomenon and people are already bored.
[85:36] Like, is your goal to just not age or is
[85:39] your goal to dunk a basketball at 70? Do
[85:42] you want to have the 4x4 truck that has
[85:45] the best off-road package ever and it
[85:48] stays in your garage? Probably not,
[85:51] right? like you want to be able to be
[85:52] like no you you want to live
[85:56] because you want to experience life and
[85:59] so then you want to be able to take
[86:00] advantage of those capacities and
[86:02] functionality.
[86:03] >> Yeah. Someone said to me you want to
[86:04] extend your health span not necessarily
[86:05] your lifespan.
[86:06] >> It's not health span though.
[86:07] >> Oh really?
[86:08] >> No that's what I'm that's what I'm
[86:09] pushing back on. Hell span cool. I mean
[86:11] lifespan fine great. We're all past
[86:13] that. Health span though is still like I
[86:15] don't want to be in pain. I don't want
[86:16] to be I'm saying performance span. I'm
[86:20] saying I want you to be focused on
[86:22] having the most skill. I want you to
[86:25] just be crushing cognitively. I want you
[86:28] to be able to do anything you want
[86:29] physically for as long as we possibly
[86:31] can. And not just being like, well,
[86:33] that's going to go away. Let's just stay
[86:35] alive and be out of pain. I want you to
[86:37] be thinking about, no, like, I'm going
[86:39] to be doing awesome stuff in whatever
[86:41] venue you like to do it in for as long
[86:44] as you possibly can.
[86:44] >> I think people want both.
[86:46] >> Yeah, of course.
[86:47] >> Yeah. But let's not for let's just not
[86:49] leave that end of the table off and
[86:50] assume the performance has to go away.
[86:54] >> So on this point of energy then I think
[86:55] we've we've covered a lot of it and
[86:57] given me some sort of like really
[86:58] actionable principles there for how to
[87:00] have more energy. I do notice I have to
[87:03] say cuz I travel quite a lot and so on
[87:05] on occasion my gym routine will be
[87:08] impacted
[87:09] >> and there's quite a clear correlation
[87:10] for me between the amount of times I've
[87:12] gone to the gym in previous weeks
[87:14] >> Yeah. and how I feel in terms of energy
[87:16] today. I was thinking about this this
[87:18] morning. We're in New York here and over
[87:20] the last couple of weeks, I've probably
[87:21] been going to the gym like three or four
[87:23] like three times a week if I'm being
[87:24] honest. Whereas usually I'd go almost
[87:27] every day and I have felt a difference
[87:29] in my energy. And I wasn't sure if that
[87:30] was just like psychological or if that
[87:32] was supported by science.
[87:33] >> Both. If you go and do a a moderate to
[87:36] to light lower intensity exercise
[87:39] session, those are generally going to
[87:40] provide energy. Mhm.
[87:41] >> If you're like, "No, I did a like to the
[87:43] death training. I I pegged it. I went
[87:45] all the way." Whatever that is, whether
[87:46] you're lifting weights, intensity,
[87:47] whether you're getting your heart rate
[87:49] all the way up, then you might walk out
[87:50] of those and be like, "Woo, I'm
[87:52] exhausted." But on aggregate, those will
[87:55] provide more daily energy. If you're
[87:57] traveling, sick, super busy, do the
[88:01] former. Like, just get in some motion.
[88:03] You'll feel better. You'll get a sweat
[88:04] in. You there. If you're healthy and
[88:06] looking for long-term adaptation, then
[88:08] that's when you can start to push the
[88:10] pace on the training.
[88:12] >> I want to speak to the business owners
[88:13] listening and watching right now. I know
[88:15] what it's like to be personally
[88:16] responsible for every decision. I
[88:18] founded my first company at 21 years
[88:19] old, and honestly, the pressure can be
[88:22] immense. It's the kind of mental load
[88:24] that takes its toll below the surface. I
[88:26] recently did some tests through our
[88:27] sponsor, Function, which got me thinking
[88:29] about that invisible impact. I found
[88:31] that I had low levels of omega-3s. I had
[88:35] deficient levels of vitamin D, probably
[88:37] because I sit inside this dark room all
[88:39] day. And that has totally changed how I
[88:42] construct my day going forward. I get up
[88:43] in the morning and the first thing I now
[88:45] do is I go for a walk outside in the
[88:46] sunshine. In part to help my vitamin D
[88:48] levels increase, but also because it
[88:50] helps to reset my circadian rhythm. With
[88:52] Function, you can check your brain
[88:54] health, your aging, your stress, and so
[88:56] much more. They provide over 160 lab
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[89:28] hit that button. Thank you so much.
[89:30] >> Speaking of training, you know what this
[89:32] is, don't you?
[89:32] >> Sure.
[89:33] >> This is a a grip strength machine.
[89:36] >> Yeah.
[89:36] >> A lot of people told me that um grip
[89:39] strength is the single biggest predictor
[89:41] of I think they said like longevity and
[89:43] stuff like that.
[89:44] >> I wouldn't call it the number one
[89:45] predictor of mortality. It is a really
[89:47] nice scientific test. late 1980s,
[89:51] Stephen Blair and his team started
[89:52] looking at giant databases and started
[89:55] to realize that cardiovascular fitness,
[89:58] V2 max, V2 peak, things like this were
[90:01] predicting how long people were going to
[90:02] live.
[90:04] And in fact, they started to realize it
[90:05] was out predicting what we call
[90:07] traditional clinical markers, blood
[90:09] pressure, your cholesterol levels,
[90:10] things like that. And this launched an
[90:13] entire 45 year field that we're in now,
[90:16] which is like, wait a minute, these
[90:18] performance-based markers are actually
[90:21] predicting health more than these
[90:23] indirect markers.
[90:25] The unfortunate problem is that got like
[90:27] too taken too far. And so when you hear
[90:30] things like people and my colleagues who
[90:32] have been on your show and said things
[90:33] like, "Oh, grip strength is an important
[90:35] predictor of mortality." It's good. It's
[90:36] great. It's an important message. But we
[90:38] have to be careful in being lost in what
[90:40] that means. Getting a grip strength
[90:42] device like that, which is probably
[90:44] under $40 is amazing. And what you will
[90:48] see consistently is those people that
[90:49] are really, really, really weak,
[90:51] are in worse health on average. Where we
[90:54] come become false is saying, okay,
[90:56] therefore, you need to alter your
[90:58] lifestyle to maximize grip strength.
[91:00] >> I did do my grip strength results
[91:02] actually.
[91:03] >> Do you remember how they were?
[91:04] >> It was they was it was good. It was uh
[91:06] it was high. You know what that tells me
[91:08] about your health? Well,
[91:09] >> nothing.
[91:09] >> Okay.
[91:10] >> Why wouldn't it be high? You're young.
[91:11] You're fit. I have all those other
[91:12] markers. It's not going to tell us
[91:13] anything. You know, these things are
[91:15] really powerful. Somebody who doesn't
[91:16] have blood work or doesn't have a body
[91:19] composition test or doesn't have
[91:20] anything else. It can give us a crude
[91:22] strength or a crude metric. Let's say
[91:25] this person's probably at a health risk.
[91:28] So, I've always been quite confused by
[91:30] this because is grip strength a proxy
[91:32] for my overall strength of my entire
[91:35] body and therefore it's just indicating
[91:37] that my overall strength is low or is it
[91:40] actually like my arm?
[91:41] >> It's both.
[91:42] >> Oh, okay.
[91:42] >> It's both. Here's why. You know what
[91:44] you're really testing right there?
[91:45] >> What's that?
[91:46] >> Ner nervous system.
[91:48] >> Oh, really?
[91:48] >> You're testing your brain.
[91:50] >> So, you're not testing your strength as
[91:51] much.
[91:51] >> You are,
[91:52] >> but it's both.
[91:53] >> There's an overlap. Mhm.
[91:54] >> That's why your grip strength does it
[91:56] indicate general poor health? Yes.
[91:58] >> That's the value. Does it tell you
[92:01] anything directly about your It can. And
[92:04] so this is when you see two camps here.
[92:06] So camp one is like great, I'm going to
[92:08] open up a gym down the street and it's
[92:10] going to test your grip strength and
[92:11] then we're going to focus all of your
[92:12] training on grip strength training. That
[92:14] is we've exaggerated the point. The
[92:16] other camp is it doesn't matter. It's
[92:18] all indirect. That's not true either. is
[92:20] an actionable, useful thing where you
[92:22] don't need to worry about us optimizing
[92:24] maxing it. Like I if you're in the 80th
[92:26] percentile, going to the 90th percentile
[92:28] probably doesn't make you live a day
[92:29] longer. Over the last probably 3 years,
[92:32] I would imagine there's over 20 to 25
[92:35] studies that have been published on a
[92:36] very specific type of grip strength, and
[92:38] that's grip strength asymmetry.
[92:40] Do you know why that matters?
[92:42] >> I don't, but I know that I'm I'm
[92:44] stronger on my left side than my right.
[92:45] >> It's not uncommon. Um, typically your
[92:48] force dependent limb is not your neural
[92:50] control limb. So you write right-handed
[92:52] because you have to have fine motor
[92:54] control.
[92:54] >> Okay.
[92:55] >> Gross strength can be in the opposite
[92:56] side.
[92:57] >> Go like this. You know, keep it in here.
[92:59] Don't touch your arm to the table at
[93:00] all. Keep it 90° like that. Yep. And
[93:03] then you're just going to squeeze, you
[93:05] know, one good effort as hard as you
[93:06] can.
[93:08] >> All right. Don't blow out now.
[93:11] >> All right. Let's see.
[93:12] >> Oh gosh, my head nearly exploded.
[93:16] 130. So you're you're above average. So
[93:19] >> can I try this side as well?
[93:20] >> Yeah.
[93:21] >> This is my So this is my weaker.
[93:22] >> All right. Here we go.
[93:23] >> My weaker hand.
[93:24] >> All right. You got to beat it though.
[93:25] Now
[93:27] >> gosh, it's a bit slippery.
[93:31] >> I think you did.
[93:31] >> Did I beat it?
[93:32] >> Oh my god. Wow. 160.
[93:35] >> No, you're joking.
[93:36] >> 160. Not the
[93:39] lot crunching there.
[93:42] >> 130.
[93:43] >> Okay. Okay. On that side
[93:44] >> and your left side.
[93:45] >> Let's see.
[93:51] >> 110.
[93:52] >> Crossing, man. That's really good.
[93:54] >> But it what it taught me is that it's
[93:55] not it doesn't correlate to overall
[93:56] strength because Jeff is definitely
[93:57] stronger than me.
[93:58] >> For sure. For sure. Yeah. I mean, it's a
[93:59] very specific type of strength, right?
[94:01] So, the asymmetry actually matters
[94:03] because most of the work in that area is
[94:05] in groups with neurological disease. So,
[94:08] you're trying to look at early
[94:09] predictions of Alzheimer's, Parkinson's,
[94:10] and things like that. which ties into my
[94:13] earlier point is it is not simply an
[94:15] overall proxy of your health. It can
[94:17] tell us direct things like nerve
[94:19] denervation
[94:20] and overall neurological health. So it
[94:23] to me is a it's a great tool but what we
[94:26] don't want to do then is optimize
[94:30] for that.
[94:30] >> What is a better marker of my overall
[94:31] health?
[94:32] >> There's not a single marker that will
[94:34] tell you everything.
[94:35] >> What about muscle power?
[94:36] >> Muscle power is great as well.
[94:38] >> What is that?
[94:38] >> Power is defined as force multiplied by
[94:40] velocity. So if I
[94:42] >> Yeah.
[94:43] >> If I throw this
[94:44] >> Yeah.
[94:45] >> Do you want to throw it?
[94:46] >> Go ahead.
[94:46] >> Okay. Put your hand on there.
[94:48] >> Yeah. Yeah.
[94:49] >> Yeah. Great.
[94:50] >> Is that Is that muscle power?
[94:52] >> That wasn't much power because you did
[94:54] it slow.
[94:54] >> Okay.
[94:55] >> So, think about it this way. This is uh
[94:58] 12 kilos, right? 12 kilos. I don't know.
[95:01] Pounds. Kilos. That is mass. Kilos.
[95:05] Pounds is a unit of mass. Force. That's
[95:08] what you think when you think of
[95:09] strength. That's force.
[95:11] Force is defined as F= ma. It's mass
[95:13] times acceleration is force. Okay? So
[95:15] it's the mass multiplied by how you can
[95:18] how well you can accelerate it. Power
[95:21] is your force multiplied by your
[95:22] velocity. So here's the difference. If I
[95:25] were to take this 12 pounds of mass or
[95:27] 12 kilos and hand it to you slowly.
[95:29] >> Mhm.
[95:30] >> Okay. That is an expression of 12 pounds
[95:33] of force is how we'll think about it.
[95:34] Now if you hand it back to me the exact
[95:36] same speed that is the same amount of
[95:38] newtons of force. How I create power is
[95:40] now I do that same thing with speed.
[95:42] Ready?
[95:44] >> So there are two ways you can get more
[95:46] powerful. More force, more velocity.
[95:50] >> You would use an implement like that
[95:51] because you're trying to say give me a
[95:52] little bit of mass but you can obviously
[95:54] lift more than 12 kilos. But now I'm
[95:57] going to emphasize the velocity into the
[95:59] spectrum. Where people make the mistake
[96:01] in training for power is if you go slow,
[96:04] the mass is too light to do anything. So
[96:06] you don't get stronger and you don't get
[96:09] faster. Why this matters in the current
[96:11] conversation is you see power and what
[96:15] some people will call call things like
[96:17] powerpenia.
[96:19] So the the term that we've been using
[96:21] for a long time is sarcopenia and this
[96:23] is the the accelerated loss of muscle
[96:25] and probably muscle strength with aging.
[96:28] You're going to drop some but sarcopenia
[96:30] is are you dropping faster than you
[96:32] should? And now there's a turn of
[96:34] scientific attention to powerpenia,
[96:36] which is are you losing the power faster
[96:39] than you should be losing power. That
[96:41] matters because it is everything from
[96:43] prevention of fall,
[96:45] >> catching yourself when you slip to be
[96:47] able to move and accelerate quickly. And
[96:49] so you see that thing that stuff highly
[96:51] associated with breaking of bones uh
[96:55] fractures, dislocations
[96:58] which are incredibly impactful to health
[97:00] especially post age 60 or 65.
[97:04] >> I think a lot of people listening and me
[97:06] too. So I guess one of the questions we
[97:09] have as it relates to the gym and
[97:11] working out is we often think that in
[97:13] order to get better results in the gym
[97:15] and you can define that however you want
[97:17] to. fat loss, muscle gain, whatever,
[97:19] strength,
[97:20] >> we need to go more often.
[97:22] And I was curious, someone who spends so
[97:25] long with athletes,
[97:27] is that a bit of a myth? Because even my
[97:29] even me, I'm thinking, well, if I want
[97:30] better results in the gym, I probably
[97:32] just need to I'm currently going three
[97:34] or four days a week. I need to go back
[97:35] to going six or seven days a week to get
[97:36] better results.
[97:37] >> You could go either way. It is generally
[97:39] true that if you train more, you give
[97:42] yourself more opportunity to create
[97:44] stress, which is more opportunity to
[97:46] create adaptation.
[97:48] But that said, depending on the marker,
[97:50] the answer here could range from yes to
[97:52] no. Let's use muscle growth as an
[97:54] example. As long as you hit the same
[97:58] volume throughout the week, the amount
[98:01] of times you go to the gym doesn't
[98:03] matter that much in theory.
[98:05] >> Volume. How much load did you lift? How
[98:09] many times
[98:10] >> does time period matter? I.e. if I
[98:12] lifted four weights in 1 hour versus
[98:15] lifting four weights in 20 minutes.
[98:17] >> No, because now all you've changed is
[98:19] really the rest in between.
[98:20] >> Yeah. Does that matter? It does in the
[98:22] sense that if you take a short rest
[98:25] interval and that leads to excessive
[98:28] fatigue accumulation and then that
[98:30] compromises how heavy you can lift or
[98:32] how many reps you can do or how many
[98:33] sets you can do. That will have
[98:35] compromised your volume.
[98:36] >> Wait, so cuz everyone talks about taking
[98:39] shorter rests in the gym to build more
[98:42] muscles.
[98:42] >> Not consistent with the evidence.
[98:44] >> Really?
[98:44] >> Yep. But this is this is the game you're
[98:47] playing at all times, right?
[98:49] Who has the time to wait two and a half
[98:51] minutes between every set? You're going
[98:52] to be in the gym for an hour and a half.
[98:54] >> A lot of people are on their phones.
[98:56] >> Totally. And then because of that,
[98:58] they're like, I got to get out of here.
[98:59] So they do half the amount of stuff,
[99:00] they leave cuz they're out of time. So
[99:03] the battle is in an isolated world,
[99:08] if you were to probably spend 60 to 90
[99:11] seconds or maybe up to two minutes
[99:12] resting in between each set, generally
[99:14] you recover enough to have a higher
[99:16] quality set the next one. So, is that
[99:18] the most important thing to be
[99:19] optimizing for is the high making sure
[99:21] the next rep you do is high quality?
[99:23] >> In my world, quality is always number
[99:25] one.
[99:26] >> So, you're saying take a bigger break as
[99:28] long as you can recover and are more
[99:31] strong for the next rep.
[99:33] >> As long as it doesn't put you in a
[99:35] position where you're in the gym so long
[99:37] that you won't do all the stuff you
[99:38] needed to do.
[99:39] >> But in a world where you had unlimited
[99:41] time
[99:42] >> really
[99:42] >> generally
[99:43] >> depends on what adaptation we're working
[99:44] for. If we're working on endurance, then
[99:47] we don't necessarily have to do that.
[99:48] >> Okay?
[99:48] >> But if we're working on speed or skill
[99:51] or flexibility or balance or muscle
[99:53] growth or fat loss, now we have options.
[99:55] So depending on the outcome you're
[99:57] looking for, you have tools. I I think
[99:58] the biggest point we want to make here
[100:00] is
[100:01] where the field struggles right now is
[100:05] making a little bit of information get
[100:07] in the way of motivation.
[100:11] If you're going to the gym three days a
[100:12] week, I'm clapping.
[100:15] done. Like, we're winning. I don't want
[100:18] you to hear messages and go, "Oh, I'm
[100:20] doing it all wrong. I'm not going to get
[100:22] any results. I'm tanking my metabolism.
[100:25] I'm breaking my hormones." That's the
[100:27] that drives us nuts. You're
[100:29] motivated. It's hard enough to get to
[100:31] the gym and when you get there to try
[100:33] really hard. We've gotten over the hill.
[100:36] Now, if you're past that point, we could
[100:37] start tinkering with some things. But I
[100:38] hate it when people leave conversations
[100:40] like this and go, "Oh, did you know that
[100:42] if you don't rest more than 60 seconds
[100:45] that you're not getting anything?"
[100:47] That's not true. So, we can get like
[100:50] upgrades, but in general, I think most
[100:53] people quality should be the biggest
[100:56] thing you pay attention to because this
[100:57] is going to reduce your likelihood of
[100:58] injury. And there's even evidence that
[101:01] whether you're trying to get stronger or
[101:04] grow muscle,
[101:05] the quality of the repetition as defined
[101:07] by your technique, as defined by your
[101:11] range of motion, as defined by your
[101:13] intent, as defined by what we call your
[101:15] mind muscle connection. So like are if
[101:18] you're trying to contract your shoulder,
[101:20] are you really contracting your should
[101:21] like all these things start to matter.
[101:23] And so what you'll see happen is you can
[101:25] get more results
[101:28] with less work and shorter time because
[101:31] each individual repetition is of a
[101:33] higher quality and a more focused
[101:35] intent.
[101:36] >> I mean this might be a good time to just
[101:38] quickly take a I mean everyone's talking
[101:41] about creatine at the bloody moment. Do
[101:42] you have your athletes taking it?
[101:43] >> Yeah, of course
[101:44] >> you do.
[101:44] >> Yeah, everybody.
[101:46] >> Do you take it?
[101:46] >> Yeah.
[101:47] >> What do you take? What's in your
[101:48] supplement stack? my personal supplement
[101:50] stack.
[101:52] Same with all of our clients and
[101:53] athletes. There's two things. Correct
[101:55] physiology, performance enhancement.
[101:58] Totally separate categories. Correct
[102:00] physiological
[102:02] deficiencies are, in your case, your
[102:04] vitamin D. What is low, what is high,
[102:06] what is off track based on blood work,
[102:08] right? We try to solve this through
[102:10] food. But what this often time looks
[102:12] like is a high quality multivitamin,
[102:15] oftentimes fish oil. Now you have
[102:17] performance accelerators on the other
[102:19] side of that equation. This is when
[102:20] creatine can come in. If I'm traveling,
[102:23] I'm going to take things like fiber,
[102:26] right? Because it's harder to get
[102:28] vegetables when you travel. You probably
[102:30] know this, but airplanes, airports,
[102:32] restaurants, like vegetables are nowhere
[102:34] to be found. And so I know those are
[102:36] going to be a struggle. I'm going to
[102:37] take fiber there. I'm generally not
[102:39] taking it as much when I'm home because
[102:40] I can control my diet. Performance
[102:43] enhancers are things like creatine, are
[102:45] things like beta alanine, sodium
[102:47] bicarbonate. So depending on what
[102:49] fitness training goal I have at the
[102:50] moment, I'm going to alter those based
[102:52] on if I'm looking for muscle growth or
[102:53] endurance or
[102:55] >> What are you taking right now?
[102:56] >> Zero.
[102:57] >> Zero vitamin D like this week.
[102:59] >> No. No. Summertime.
[103:01] >> Okay.
[103:02] >> I live in I live in the forest.
[103:03] >> Omega-3.
[103:04] >> Nope.
[103:06] >> Why?
[103:06] >> I got full control of my diet and we got
[103:08] a lot of fish right now. So we are good
[103:10] there. I also have I'm fortunate I get
[103:14] to harvest my own meat and one of the
[103:16] things you'll see pretty consistently is
[103:18] even in red meat sources they're higher
[103:21] in a lot of nutrients wild caught versus
[103:23] unw wild. So we're in a pretty good plus
[103:27] I have my blood work I know where my
[103:29] omega-3 numbers are. So I'm going to get
[103:30] there if I don't have to take those
[103:32] things I don't.
[103:32] >> A lot of people I imagine come to you
[103:34] for with weight loss goals whether
[103:35] they're trying to cut weight for a a
[103:37] fight or if it's just mom and pop
[103:39] looking to lose a few pounds. What are
[103:40] the big misconceptions about weight
[103:43] loss?
[103:44] >> Yeah, it's the magic of it, right? It's
[103:46] the there's one specific element you
[103:49] can't eat or one way you have to train
[103:51] or can't train. That is the the biggest
[103:54] misconception around fat loss. The
[103:56] specificity. It is
[104:00] categorically quite simple to lose fat.
[104:03] It's practically hard. It's difficult
[104:06] human endeavor, but categorically it's
[104:08] incredibly simple. We only have a few
[104:09] things we have to do and now you have a
[104:12] billion choices of how to get there. So
[104:14] if you are the type of person who
[104:17] struggles with moderation,
[104:20] then I'm not going to give you
[104:21] moderation.
[104:22] >> Moderation of calories
[104:23] >> could be or exercise or environment. Do
[104:28] you know the difference between baking
[104:30] and cooking?
[104:31] >> Uh yeah, I guess so. Conceptually,
[104:33] >> baking is chemistry.
[104:35] >> Okay.
[104:35] >> You mix something together and put in
[104:36] the oven. You can't just fake the
[104:38] amounts
[104:39] >> because it won't rise, it won't set, it
[104:41] won't do the things, right? If you're
[104:43] cooking on a stove and you could just be
[104:46] like, "Okay, what's in the
[104:48] >> fridge? Put it in there."
[104:49] >> You can't do that in baking, right?
[104:51] Depending on what you're baking. We will
[104:53] address this fat loss problem with
[104:54] trying to identify, are you a cook or
[104:57] are you a baker personality type? Here's
[105:00] what I mean. If you came to me and we
[105:01] were going to help you lose some fat,
[105:02] you're already pretty lean, but let's
[105:03] say you wanted to just get super lean.
[105:05] All right, great. I would I first
[105:07] question I would ask you is how do you
[105:08] want this to operate? You get one of two
[105:10] ways.
[105:12] One way is I tell you exactly what to
[105:15] eat. You weigh and measure every single
[105:17] thing. You do not deviate. You check
[105:20] your weight every single day and you
[105:22] follow exactly
[105:24] what I tell you. The other option is I
[105:26] give you concepts. We have one to three
[105:28] rules. You're going to check weight
[105:31] maybe daily, maybe once a week. And I
[105:34] want you to stay airtight to those
[105:35] concepts.
[105:36] >> I prefer the concepts.
[105:37] >> Concepts. Great. Concepts or cooking.
[105:40] >> Okay.
[105:42] >> Baking,
[105:43] weigh and measure everything. Right.
[105:45] Here's why this matters. You're a
[105:47] concept kind of guy. Why? You do not
[105:49] want to be thinking about all that
[105:51] little stuff cuz you got other stuff
[105:52] you'd rather be thinking about, right?
[105:54] >> It's great because it's freeing.
[105:57] You know, the downside is
[105:59] if you don't know exactly what's in your
[106:01] food and you don't have a really good
[106:03] eye in calibration, someone like you
[106:05] might have a hard time losing fat
[106:06] because you're already at the end. We
[106:09] need to be weighing that olive oil. We
[106:11] need to be measuring that rice cup. We
[106:12] can't just be like, a little bit of rice
[106:14] over there, right? If you're trying to
[106:15] lose a 100 pounds,
[106:17] we can probably eyeball a lot of things
[106:19] and get really, really far.
[106:20] >> Yeah.
[106:21] >> But personality type is what I'm really
[106:22] getting at here. Okay.
[106:25] If I gave that concept to some people
[106:28] listening, some people would be going
[106:32] like like how many meals am I eating? Um
[106:34] like what's what's the fiber? Like they
[106:36] want the detail, right?
[106:37] >> What's the what's the concept?
[106:39] >> The concept could be something like
[106:40] >> give me an example of a
[106:41] >> I want you eating fresh vegetables at
[106:44] every meal and I want you to have a
[106:46] dedicated protein source every time you
[106:48] eat.
[106:49] >> Okay,
[106:49] >> that might be the only rule I give you.
[106:52] Well,
[106:52] >> could it be an eating window? Could be.
[106:54] Sure. I could say, "Eat whatever you
[106:56] want, but you're only going to eat
[106:57] between these hours."
[106:58] >> Okay?
[106:58] >> I could do whatever kind of one to three
[107:00] rules I want. I could say none of those
[107:03] things and I'll just say, "All right,
[107:05] just cut out all your junk food."
[107:06] >> Okay?
[107:07] >> I'm not going to tell you what to eat.
[107:08] I'm just going to give you a list of
[107:09] things not to eat. I could only give you
[107:11] I prefer to do the opposite. Defer to
[107:13] give you things rather than take things
[107:14] away because you're going to take those
[107:16] things away, right? So, I could play
[107:17] with your meal timing. I could play with
[107:20] your meal frequency. I could play with
[107:21] your meal composition. So, what types of
[107:23] food you're eating, the combinations of
[107:25] them, I could do anything there. And why
[107:28] all those work because those are simply
[107:30] different strategies to likely reduce
[107:33] food intake.
[107:36] That's all that's all we're really
[107:37] doing. But some people hate that because
[107:39] it's not enough detail.
[107:41] >> There's no specificity. There's no
[107:43] precision. They get anxiety from
[107:44] guessing. I've had plenty of athletes
[107:46] before just be like, "Okay, but like 6
[107:48] ounces of chicken or seven?" And I'm
[107:49] like, "6.3." Like, "Okay." Like who
[107:52] cares? Like it doesn't matter. But
[107:53] they're just like they want they don't
[107:54] want to make any decisions.
[107:56] >> Mhm.
[107:57] >> You have to make decisions about what
[107:58] you're going to eat because you got only
[107:59] have concepts. The nice part about the
[108:02] way you measure is you have no choices.
[108:03] >> I think the the average people listening
[108:05] would rather have the concepts. Like
[108:06] it's much easier for me to they they
[108:09] busy lives. They don't want to be
[108:10] weighing 6.3 g of so
[108:12] >> so you'd be stunned.
[108:14] Most people want that.
[108:16] >> Most people want the
[108:17] >> they want the detail because they don't
[108:18] have to think. They don't have to guess.
[108:20] They don't have to worry. They don't
[108:21] have to go, "God, like maybe I ate too
[108:22] much today. Maybe I didn't or whatever."
[108:24] >> But that's like hard to measure.
[108:26] >> Super hard. So, here's the
[108:27] recommendation.
[108:29] Do the baking approach first for two
[108:31] weeks.
[108:32] >> And by that, you mean measure
[108:33] everything. Understand what's in it.
[108:35] >> 100%. Then you can back off and start to
[108:39] go, "Okay, I have a better sense of what
[108:41] a tablespoon of peanut butter looks
[108:43] like. I have a better sense of what a
[108:44] cup of rice is.
[108:46] >> I'm getting a better sense of what
[108:49] >> 3 ounces of this is, whatever. now I can
[108:51] start toning things back.
[108:52] >> I think this is really great advice
[108:53] because I think the big shifts that I've
[108:55] seen in my own diet have have um been in
[108:58] that exact order where for one
[109:00] particular week I did it might be
[109:02] calorie counting or it might have been
[109:03] some of these apps where you can scan
[109:05] the food by using the barcode
[109:07] >> and it tells you what's inside there.
[109:09] And through that it only took me a week
[109:11] or two to discover that the things I ate
[109:13] frequently weren't what I thought.
[109:15] >> Yeah.
[109:16] >> Both in quantity but also in like
[109:17] nutritional profile. I think it's just
[109:19] super important for as many people as
[109:22] possible to spend at least a week doing
[109:24] that.
[109:25] >> And then I could make informed decisions
[109:26] about what I wanted to keep and what I
[109:29] actually didn't really like that much.
[109:30] Anyway,
[109:30] >> you know, I used to run this experiment
[109:32] in class every year. These are graduate
[109:34] students getting master's degrees in
[109:37] this particular field and we would have
[109:39] them do a seven-day diet recall. Just
[109:41] measure weigh everything you eat for
[109:43] seven days. Consistent themes that
[109:45] popped up.
[109:47] Almost everyone ate way more fat than
[109:50] they think.
[109:51] >> Is that a bad thing?
[109:52] >> If you're eating more calories than you
[109:54] need.
[109:54] >> Oh, fat. So, it's the calories is the
[109:56] problem versus the
[109:56] >> That's not bad for you. And there's no
[109:58] evil foods.
[110:00] People ate way more carbohydrates than
[110:02] they realized. Same answer. People ate
[110:05] way less protein than I think.
[110:06] >> What about sugar?
[110:08] >> Everyone knows they're eating sugar.
[110:09] where they're always stunned is they're
[110:11] like, "Whoa, I thought I was eating a
[110:15] small percentage, you know, 20% of my
[110:17] calories from fat." They didn't realize
[110:18] they're at 40%.
[110:19] >> This is why the keto diet actually did
[110:20] help me because it forced me to check
[110:23] everything for a while.
[110:24] >> So, this is great.
[110:25] >> It was really learning. It was learning
[110:27] what was in all these things that I
[110:28] loved. And keto forced me. You know, the
[110:31] the principle of a concept that I had
[110:32] when I was on keto was that I could have
[110:33] about 50 grams of carbs a day roughly
[110:36] >> and stay in ketogenic keto ketosis
[110:38] rather. Yeah. So I would think about it
[110:39] like a budget. I'd be like, "Oh, hm, I'd
[110:41] spend 23 carb, you know, grams of carbs
[110:44] on this particular thing." But but to do
[110:45] that, I had to look at everything,
[110:47] research everything.
[110:48] >> Yeah.
[110:48] >> Um and now I have an intuitive idea.
[110:50] >> Exactly. The point is simply your
[110:52] awareness and consciousness of what is
[110:53] actually
[110:54] >> in the elements that you want. And then
[110:55] if you want to change and tweak, you can
[110:57] do that cuz you know, but if you don't
[110:59] have the knowledge, you can't even play
[111:01] the game.
[111:01] >> What are the big misconceptions about
[111:03] exercise's role in weight loss?
[111:05] >> It is valuable. forever we've been
[111:06] telling people burn more calories than
[111:09] you ingest, right? And then then it's
[111:11] still true. And then we had a bunch of
[111:13] research pop out that was sort of like,
[111:15] hey, exercise is not playing the role we
[111:17] think it is in fat loss. And those data
[111:19] still hold true in the sense that you
[111:21] don't burn as many calories in your
[111:22] workouts as you think. Most of the time,
[111:24] if you hop on a piece of exercise
[111:26] equipment and it tells you you burned x
[111:27] amount of calories, you burned most
[111:29] likely significantly less than that.
[111:32] It's also true that there's there is
[111:34] places where you can get to with
[111:37] adaptive thermogenesis. Meaning if you
[111:40] burn say 500 calories with exercise,
[111:44] if you are lean enough or non-lean
[111:47] enough or fit enough or not fit enough,
[111:49] your body will change how many calories
[111:51] it burns throughout the day in response
[111:54] to that 500 calories from exercise.
[111:55] Meaning, you could be in a situation
[111:58] theoretically where you burned 500
[112:00] calories in your workout, but then your
[112:03] body downregulated your energy
[112:05] expenditure by three or four or even up
[112:09] to 500 calories
[112:10] >> to make up for it. So, it was
[112:12] >> you're neutral.
[112:13] >> Okay.
[112:13] >> When you're lean like that, that can
[112:16] happen quite often, right? And so then
[112:17] what do you do? You pull more calories.
[112:20] You train harder. You get a more of a
[112:22] response. This is a like oh okay calorie
[112:25] counting doesn't matter like it
[112:26] absolutely matters may not be the
[112:28] strategy you want but it matters there.
[112:31] So then there was a big push of like
[112:33] exercise is playing no role in fat loss
[112:36] which was fundamentally also not true
[112:38] because now we have meta analyses in the
[112:41] recent years as well as more studies
[112:42] showing probably the fairest way to say
[112:44] it is exercise is a fantastic way to
[112:48] burn some calories. It is not the only
[112:51] thing that you can do though to lose
[112:55] weight. You can handle weight loss
[112:56] entirely through nutrition if you want.
[112:58] That said, people who exercise during
[113:00] their weight loss journey consistently
[113:02] are better at keeping that fat off over
[113:06] the weeks to years at the end of the
[113:08] diet.
[113:08] >> You have a 54321 method. Oh,
[113:12] >> sure. 54321 was is just a little thing I
[113:14] came up with that says, "All right, can
[113:15] we help people with fat loss rules? Five
[113:18] days a week be active.
[113:20] Now this can be exercise. It can be
[113:23] walking. It can be your vocation. I
[113:25] don't really care. But what was cons has
[113:27] to happen with fat loss is you have to
[113:30] be able to produce caloric expenditure
[113:34] and you got to do a lot of it. This is
[113:36] my way of saying be active. And also I'm
[113:39] saying it's cool to take a rest day too.
[113:41] Like it's totally fine to just veg. You
[113:43] can do that. But be as active as you
[113:45] possibly can. Then from there, I want
[113:48] four days a week of structured exercise.
[113:52] One of these days can be a super hard
[113:54] day. It can be light. One of those days
[113:56] could be a yoga day. Like not all four
[114:00] days have to be head to the gym, volume
[114:02] 11, like train as hard as you can. But
[114:05] four days a week where I want you doing
[114:07] structured exercise, at least three days
[114:09] a week, I want you training hard enough
[114:11] to sweat. If you're doing all that,
[114:14] you're active five days a week, you're
[114:16] doing structured exercise four days a
[114:18] week, three of those sessions, you're
[114:19] doing it hard enough where you're
[114:20] getting a really good solid sweat,
[114:22] you're probably doing enough to burn
[114:25] enough calories to give yourself a
[114:27] chance from the exercise perspective
[114:29] um to losing weight. If you've done
[114:32] those first three, we could even we
[114:33] could even just call it the 543. Like,
[114:35] you're in a pretty good spot. If you
[114:37] mean more granular, I would love a
[114:38] couple of days a week of strength
[114:40] training and I would love at least one
[114:42] day where your heart rate's getting
[114:43] really, really, really high.
[114:45] >> So, a lot of people, including myself,
[114:47] often think, you know, I'm going to the
[114:48] gym 3 4 days a week, but nothing's
[114:50] changing. I feel like I've stagnated.
[114:52] >> Yeah.
[114:53] >> What is going on there? Typically,
[114:55] >> typical solutions for this are lack of
[114:57] focus. And I don't mean in your
[114:59] training. I mean in your programming.
[115:01] So, if you are looking at your program
[115:02] saying, I'm going to the gym 3 or 4 days
[115:04] a week. First question would be, okay,
[115:06] what type of training program are you
[115:08] on?
[115:08] >> I'm kind of just winging it.
[115:09] >> That's why.
[115:10] >> Okay.
[115:11] >> If I said the same thing to you and gave
[115:12] you any business analogy here, you would
[115:14] look at me in the face and smile. I'd be
[115:15] like, you have a plan. Why would you
[115:18] expect without a plan to get to any
[115:21] particular direction?
[115:21] >> It's a good point.
[115:22] >> 80% of the time, that's the answer. Now,
[115:24] here's the thing, and we have literature
[115:26] on this. There's good evidence. The plan
[115:29] itself isn't the biggest factor. It's
[115:33] actually just having a plan.
[115:35] >> Interesting.
[115:36] >> Because you have the ability to
[115:37] progressively overload.
[115:39] >> What does that mean?
[115:39] >> Meaning you were able to increase your
[115:42] number of repetitions than you did last
[115:43] week. You can do a few more sets than
[115:45] you did. You can increase the load. You
[115:48] can increase the range of motion.
[115:49] There's all kinds of ways that we can
[115:51] overload the system progressively. You
[115:55] can't do all that.
[115:55] >> This is, you know, I think this is
[115:56] really the heart of it, which is most of
[115:58] us go to the gym and we do the same
[115:59] thing.
[116:00] >> Totally.
[116:00] >> We do the same thing we did last week.
[116:01] We put the the stair master machine on
[116:04] level eight and we do 10 minutes. And we
[116:06] did that for the last 7 months.
[116:08] >> Yeah.
[116:08] >> Whereas we should really just put it up
[116:10] one. But in order to do that, we kind of
[116:11] need a plan as you say
[116:12] >> because you can't just go up one every
[116:14] time.
[116:14] >> Yeah.
[116:15] >> Like how many how many weeks in a row
[116:16] can you add 5 lbs?
[116:19] >> Three, four. Like it's not going to be
[116:20] very long. This is the entire reason
[116:22] exercise is a scientific field, right?
[116:24] We have that. So my strong
[116:26] recommendation would be if you're a
[116:28] absolute beginner and you're not going
[116:30] to the gym at all, you're not doing
[116:31] anything, you can probably use AI tools
[116:35] and give you some basic starting
[116:36] program. In fact, I people send these
[116:38] things all the time to me be like, "Hey,
[116:40] I prompted my thing with like all of
[116:42] your content and I have a complete
[116:45] personalized training program from Andy
[116:47] Galpin." I'm like, "Great." And I look
[116:49] at them, I'm like, "Pretty good." Like,
[116:51] "All right, that's pretty reasonable."
[116:53] And it's they're good enough to get you
[116:54] started. They're going to get you the
[116:55] basics. They're going to get you going
[116:56] and then you have something to follow
[116:58] for six, eight, 10 weeks, whatever.
[117:01] >> Let me ask AI for Andy Galpins.
[117:05] >> Put in your constraints. Tell it how
[117:06] many days a week.
[117:07] >> Okay, let's do it like so everyone can
[117:08] hear.
[117:10] Hi. Um, I want to go to the gym 4 days a
[117:13] week and I want Andy Galpin's formula
[117:16] for me to gain muscle, but what are the
[117:20] principles that I need to apply based on
[117:23] Andy Galpin's work over the next 4
[117:25] months in order to gain this muscle?
[117:27] >> To gain muscle in strength over the next
[117:29] 4 months, you'll want to focus on a few
[117:31] key principles from Dr. Galpin's work.
[117:34] First, prioritize progressive overload
[117:36] by gradually increasing the weight,
[117:38] reps, or sets over time. Second, use a
[117:41] variety of repetition ranges,
[117:43] incorporating both heavy low rep work
[117:45] for strength and moderate to high rep
[117:47] work for muscle growth. Finally, ensure
[117:49] you're taking adequate rest between
[117:51] sets, usually two to 5 minutes for heavy
[117:54] compound movements to allow for full
[117:55] recovery and maintain high quality
[117:57] effort.
[117:59] Pretty good. That's not There's a little
[118:00] bit of hallucination in there, which is
[118:02] AI, but that's pretty close.
[118:04] >> A lot of people aren't doing this now,
[118:06] aren't they? using AI is like the
[118:08] >> we saw a huge pendulum in the last 5
[118:09] years. 2020 almost ended health and
[118:13] fitness.
[118:15] Gyms went out of business. Everyone went
[118:17] home. Everyone bought their exercise
[118:18] equipment. And as soon as AI came
[118:20] online, online coaching tanked and
[118:22] online companies got crippled cuz
[118:25] everyone was like, "Why am I going to
[118:26] pay you a hundred bucks a month, 200
[118:27] bucks a month, 300 bucks a month for
[118:29] that?"
[118:30] >> And they were right. It's going the
[118:32] exact opposite now. It's already swung
[118:34] back. In-person training is way more in
[118:37] demand.
[118:37] >> I'm not surprised
[118:38] >> because
[118:39] >> everyone's tired of that.
[118:40] >> It's also personal trainers don't just
[118:42] tell you what to do. No,
[118:43] >> they make sure you do it, you know? So,
[118:45] >> how do I do it? It's the emotion. It's
[118:47] the connection.
[118:48] >> It's the emotion. It's the connection.
[118:49] It's the like holding me accountable.
[118:51] >> So, what you're seeing is people going,
[118:54] "It was never about the information."
[118:55] >> Yeah. We always had the information.
[118:57] >> We always had it. Nothing in that
[118:59] >> I made up.
[119:00] >> Yeah. That stuff's been around for like
[119:03] it's funny. Every time I talk about like
[119:04] exercise prescription, somebody will hit
[119:06] the comments and be like, "Why don't you
[119:07] give credit to blah blah blah? They're
[119:08] the one that invented that." And I'm
[119:09] like, "None of us invented this stuff."
[119:12] >> Mhm.
[119:13] >> Dumbbells, barbells, like rep rang. This
[119:14] is
[119:16] It's not the information. It's never
[119:17] been it.
[119:18] >> So, what is it then? Like, why why do
[119:20] people keep listening to these
[119:22] conversations when they kind of a lot of
[119:24] them kind of know the stuff? I don't
[119:25] know what's happening on your platform,
[119:27] but a lot of people are not listening to
[119:30] podcasts anymore because you're going to
[119:32] see this probably in the comments
[119:33] section. Hey, Grock, tell me the 10
[119:35] actionable things from this three-hour
[119:36] conversation.
[119:37] >> Cuz they just try and extract the data,
[119:39] right?
[119:39] >> Mhm.
[119:40] >> And then they don't do anything. You
[119:42] know who's going to take action from
[119:43] this? The people who listened.
[119:47] >> True. Yeah. Yeah. Because it's not it's
[119:49] the it's not the information.
[119:50] >> Yeah. In part in part it is the story.
[119:52] And I say the story in particular
[119:54] because one of the most compelling
[119:55] things that we see on these podcasts is
[119:57] when you tell me real case studies of
[119:59] real people. You talk about what Jenny
[120:01] did and you were training Jenny and she
[120:02] had this thing and she was permenopause
[120:04] and she did this thing with this thing
[120:05] and da
[120:06] >> and people go ah okay those stay with
[120:08] me.
[120:08] >> You know what I'm willing to pay for you
[120:10] know what the world is willing to pay
[120:11] for. Have you done it before?
[120:14] >> Oh yeah. Yeah. True. Human experience
[120:15] like lived experience. So when you see a
[120:17] story, you're able to go, "Okay, I
[120:20] believe that person's done it
[120:22] >> and now I trust that opinion because I
[120:23] could just go grab the program, right?"
[120:25] The other thing is it's saving me time.
[120:27] Like you could sit there and go, "Okay,
[120:29] here's all the prompts and whatever,
[120:30] throw it in there and get your own
[120:32] training program." Or you could be like,
[120:34] "Yo, I'm just going to go pay Andy. I
[120:36] know he's done it before. I trust him
[120:38] and now I'm going to go spend my time on
[120:40] this other thing that I care about
[120:41] learning about and spending my time on."
[120:43] Are there any commonalities in the
[120:45] catalyst moment that causes behavior
[120:48] change in people who are otherwise
[120:50] stubborn? So I think everyone that I I
[120:52] sit with and just even myself there's a
[120:54] there was a moment in my life where I
[120:55] heard something or something happened
[120:57] where I go Yeah.
[120:58] >> And that was the day it was like a
[121:00] before and after moment I call them that
[121:01] was the day that I decided to take this
[121:03] seriously.
[121:04] >> Yeah.
[121:04] >> And do you see any commonalities in what
[121:06] that is for different people?
[121:07] >> It's such a fabulous question and I
[121:08] don't have a good answer for you
[121:10] >> because it's always so different.
[121:11] >> It's so hard. I would love to say
[121:14] it was the rock bottom moment. I mean,
[121:16] it can be true. It's not always true.
[121:19] >> Can I suggest another
[121:20] >> please?
[121:20] >> Maybe like big life changes like kids,
[121:24] >> death, friend, family, life becomes
[121:26] real.
[121:27] >> I've heard that a few times on this show
[121:28] actually.
[121:29] >> You'll see that. Um,
[121:30] >> my dad had a heart attack and that's
[121:31] crazy. The threat of death doesn't
[121:33] motivate anybody,
[121:35] >> right?
[121:35] >> If it would have, we wouldn't have a 40%
[121:37] obesity rate.
[121:38] >> Yeah. Who doesn't know obesity tanks?
[121:42] Everybody knows. It's not a information
[121:44] issue. You know the risks associated
[121:46] with alcohol, smoking, social media.
[121:49] That does not change behavior. You get
[121:51] closer though when it it's at home,
[121:54] right? Somebody died in the car
[121:56] accident.
[121:57] I'll I'm going to stop looking at
[121:59] my phone while I drive cuz my neighbor
[122:02] just died. My ex Like that's the thing
[122:04] that makes you go
[122:06] >> too close to home.
[122:07] >> That's so true. I was saying to my
[122:08] fiance when I was um driving the other
[122:10] day in the car cuz I'm notorious for
[122:11] asking everybody to put their seat belts
[122:13] on. If we get in a car, I'm the guy in a
[122:15] black cab or I'm like, "Everyone, could
[122:16] you put your seat belts on, please?" My
[122:17] team know this as well. Like if we going
[122:19] anywhere, I look around at every single
[122:20] person to make sure they have their seat
[122:22] belts on. Yeah.
[122:22] >> When did this begin? When I was 10 years
[122:25] old.
[122:25] >> Yeah.
[122:26] >> And they came to my school. I remember
[122:27] being sat in the front row. I almost
[122:28] remember my seat number. It was that
[122:30] vivid for me. Two things I remember from
[122:32] 10 years old.
[122:33] >> They brought a mother who had lost her
[122:35] child in a car accident. And then they
[122:37] brought out a police person and he
[122:38] described going to the scene of the
[122:40] accident, looking down at the person who
[122:42] had just been in a car accident's phone,
[122:44] realizing that they were deceased, and
[122:46] then looking down and seeing their phone
[122:47] ringing and it said, "Mom."
[122:50] >> And I just I've never forgotten it. It
[122:53] was somewhat traumatic, but it's meant
[122:55] that for the rest of my life, I've
[122:56] policed seat belts.
[122:58] >> Yeah.
[122:58] >> And that's what I mean by these catalyst
[123:00] moments where an idea gets in your head
[123:01] and it just completely changes.
[123:03] >> Yeah. And so I'm wondering what those
[123:04] ideas are for people as it relates to
[123:06] like weight loss and health. And so we
[123:08] we ticked off some of them. Someone gets
[123:10] a line in your family. Maybe a diagnosis
[123:12] in the performance perspective. This is
[123:14] when we would argue for data
[123:16] because we've had this happen earlier in
[123:19] my career with a professional athlete
[123:20] who was not fast enough and was
[123:22] convinced he was fast. And then we put
[123:25] him on a force plate and we started
[123:27] collecting objective data. And at the
[123:29] same time, I had some of my students
[123:30] around and I had them do it kind of like
[123:32] what you did with your grip strength
[123:35] with Jeff and was like, "You see how
[123:37] they're as fast as you are?" And he was
[123:39] like, "Oh,
[123:42] everything changed." Like he was totally
[123:43] bought in, made every training change
[123:46] that we asked. He had to see it in front
[123:48] of his face. Like he had to see his
[123:49] data. So my other answer to that to you
[123:51] would be now that we've democratized
[123:54] health in this sense, the ability to see
[123:55] your own data, I would be willing to bet
[123:59] had I pulled up a blood panel that had
[124:02] the cholesterol levels that you saw and
[124:04] I said, "Oh, this is a client of mine."
[124:06] You would be like, "Oh, okay, great.
[124:08] Uh-huh. Uh-huh." But then when I pull up
[124:10] yours and say, "This is," you're like,
[124:12] "Sit
[124:14] over." Like, "We're done with that."
[124:16] Right? Like there's no question. I was
[124:18] looking for some research and there's
[124:19] some um evidence here backed by some
[124:21] research that goes to answer the
[124:23] question and I think we actually
[124:24] answered we hit most of them which is an
[124:26] acute health shock or diagnosis which is
[124:27] the primary catalyst
[124:29] >> um various health events which become
[124:31] wakeup calls which you talked about as
[124:32] well which is
[124:33] >> someone else a peer or friend or
[124:35] sibling. Number three you touched on as
[124:36] well which is this quantitive biometric
[124:38] feedback so data.
[124:40] >> Yep.
[124:40] >> Um yep
[124:41] >> it says major life this one we didn't
[124:43] touch on major life transitions i.e.
[124:46] >> Yeah. um such as becoming a parent,
[124:48] turning a landmark age like 30, 40, or
[124:51] 50.
[124:51] >> Yeah.
[124:52] >> Or reaching retirement. You see that a
[124:53] lot?
[124:54] >> Yeah. You know what? Actually, that made
[124:56] me think. Here's one we've seen the
[124:57] most. Sold my company.
[125:00] >> Oh,
[125:02] >> that one changes everyone's life. It's
[125:04] similar to post gold depression.
[125:06] >> Oh, you've lost purpose.
[125:08] What do I do?
[125:09] >> I need to do something.
[125:10] >> Now I got Now I got money. Now I have
[125:12] time.
[125:12] >> Interesting.
[125:13] >> I'm investing in my health now. like I
[125:15] didn't I sacrificed my health the last
[125:16] 20 years. Ding ding ding ding ding. Now
[125:19] I got to turn around and I'm like okay.
[125:21] >> But is it also just like I need a new
[125:23] purpose and my body then becomes the the
[125:24] project.
[125:25] >> That's exactly what it is where in the
[125:26] past I had the excuse of sacrificing for
[125:30] the company
[125:31] >> and I I couldn't focus on myself. It was
[125:34] selfish. It wasn't fiduciarily
[125:35] responsible to do that. And now I have
[125:38] no more excuse. Well, looking at this
[125:40] list then, listen, we can't we're going
[125:42] to pray no one in your family or no one
[125:44] you know gets sick. So, let's stay away
[125:45] from that one.
[125:46] >> Um the the two of them there that can be
[125:49] quite motivating and again, we don't
[125:51] want to motivate you if you're
[125:52] completely fine. But this actually
[125:54] answers the question is to go and get
[125:55] your health checked.
[125:56] >> Yeah,
[125:57] >> that's like a simple solution because
[125:58] maybe you're fine and that's great.
[126:00] maybe you're doing everything right, but
[126:01] also um just saying, "Oh, I want to lose
[126:03] a bit of weight or I want to do this
[126:05] isn't as solid enough as going and
[126:07] finding out how you're doing."
[126:08] >> One thing also I think is important cuz
[126:11] I will default to performance and
[126:14] optimization and getting the best and
[126:15] excellence. Like that's just the
[126:16] language and stuff I do, but that's not
[126:19] the opposite of what you just said. To
[126:22] be really clear on that point,
[126:24] not everyone gravitates the idea of
[126:27] being the best possible ever.
[126:29] >> Yeah. Totally fine. But that still
[126:31] doesn't mean it's okay to just check out
[126:34] on your health. You can have it both
[126:36] ways. You can be like, "Look, I'm not an
[126:37] optimizer. I'm not a maximizer. I'm not
[126:39] that doesn't
[126:41] li live with my ethos." And cool. We can
[126:45] still though say you still want to live
[126:47] that life for as long as possible,
[126:49] right? All right. Let's just make sure
[126:51] we're paying enough attention to where
[126:52] nothing catches up and we're not waking
[126:54] up one day and being like, "Oh my gosh,
[126:57] now I've got to go invest all these time
[126:59] and resource energy and all those things
[127:01] and go backwards in that." So pay
[127:02] attention enough.
[127:03] >> How important is it to get clear on your
[127:05] why?
[127:06] >> You're not going to love the answer
[127:09] because
[127:10] traditionally when people approach me,
[127:13] they already have that figured out.
[127:15] They're getting to me. they figured out
[127:17] why they're here or they're if they
[127:19] haven't figured it out, they at least
[127:20] have had the motivation to seek outside
[127:22] counsel like that.
[127:23] >> Mhm.
[127:24] >> So now they're getting to the what and
[127:26] how part.
[127:27] >> What about bad goals? I I look back at
[127:30] my life and I had some bad goals that
[127:31] set me up for
[127:32] >> that's more realistic to what we will
[127:33] do.
[127:34] >> Okay.
[127:34] >> And this is a you're aiming at the wrong
[127:37] target.
[127:37] >> I was aiming at my goal when I was 20 I
[127:39] think it was 27 was to go to the gym
[127:41] every day and I failed.
[127:42] >> Oh yeah. Yeah.
[127:42] >> I failed six months later but then once
[127:44] I failed it was catastrophic for me. How
[127:45] are you not going to fail?
[127:46] >> Yeah. Yeah. But yeah. And
[127:48] >> like were you going to go every day the
[127:49] rest of your life?
[127:50] >> It was a terrible goal because the day
[127:52] that I missed one day cuz some flight my
[127:56] it was like my entire motivation was
[127:57] over.
[127:58] >> Yeah. Yeah. Sure.
[127:59] >> And I was like, "How do I get back on
[128:00] the horse now?"
[128:01] >> Yeah. Here's an example. You want to
[128:02] lose fat.
[128:04] >> Your goal is fat loss. Cool. Why aren't
[128:06] you leaner right now? And you
[128:09] automatically think, "I have to exercise
[128:10] more and diet." And I'm like, "Great.
[128:12] That's the tactic.
[128:14] I want to know why you're not there
[128:15] right now.
[128:17] >> Like what is the thing that's actually
[128:18] getting in the way? Because like
[128:20] calorie, fine. Like yeah. Yeah. Like you
[128:21] know that though, but it's not working.
[128:24] What is really in the way? Do we
[128:27] actually have some hidden stressor? Um a
[128:30] lot of times people will say things like
[128:32] I I got to lose fat so I can get
[128:34] healthy.
[128:35] >> And we will generally say you need to
[128:37] get healthy first
[128:40] >> and then the fat loss will be a whole
[128:41] lot easier. That's the bad goal. And and
[128:44] so we'll ask this question like, "What
[128:46] would success look like? What would
[128:48] failure look like?" And when we hear
[128:50] things like, "Oh, success is I'll lose
[128:52] these 25 pounds." All right, great. Let
[128:55] me ask you this.
[128:57] If we lost 12 pounds and then your
[129:00] shoulder pain went away, you have normal
[129:03] bowel movements now for the first time
[129:04] in 10 years. Your energy is way up.
[129:09] Is that all a failure? No. That's
[129:11] success. So then we didn't just find
[129:12] success properly.
[129:13] >> So it is a huge focus of of how we help
[129:16] people actually make progress in those
[129:18] areas that they've struggled with. Dr.
[129:20] Andy Galpin, we have a closing tradition
[129:22] where the last guest leaves a question
[129:23] for the next, not knowing who they're
[129:24] leaving it for. And the question left
[129:25] for you is, if you were sure to fail,
[129:31] what would still be worth doing?
[129:35] What a great question.
[129:36] >> Yeah,
[129:37] >> fantastic question. I am
[129:41] ultra competitive,
[129:43] but I really don't mind losing. So, my
[129:46] answer to that question was, it sounds
[129:48] like a copout, but it's all of it cuz I
[129:51] actually don't care about failing that
[129:52] much. It just doesn't bother me. Like, I
[129:54] just like the competing thing. I like
[129:56] the doing thing. So, my initial reaction
[129:58] to that was like, God, being around my
[130:01] kids, right? There's you fail anything
[130:03] you want there. And I'm like, winning,
[130:04] right? And then I went to business
[130:06] things and I'm like I don't even really
[130:07] care about losing those like
[130:10] >> cuz you get to do it. You get to be
[130:11] active and whatever. So kind of a cop
[130:12] out but my answer would be all of them
[130:14] man. Like
[130:16] >> the process is dope.
[130:17] >> The podium is the process.
[130:18] >> Yeah man.
[130:20] >> Or the process over the podium.
[130:22] >> Dr. Andy Galbin, thank you so much.
[130:24] Thank you. You're held in such high
[130:25] regard by everybody. I think there's two
[130:26] reasons. I think it's so you're so
[130:27] deeply obsessed with this subject matter
[130:29] for reasons that we talked a lot about
[130:30] last time, but also I think the essence
[130:34] of your motivations is so unbelievably
[130:36] pure. You before we started recording
[130:38] you were saying to me how like you
[130:40] you're really not that concerned with
[130:41] the business side of things because what
[130:43] you'd love to do is just be focusing on
[130:44] the research, the education, and the
[130:46] coaching. And I think that says a lot
[130:47] about you and it comes through. People
[130:48] understand that you're just deeply
[130:49] obsessed about this stuff in a way which
[130:51] allows us to benefit tremendously from
[130:54] all the work that you have done. and
[130:55] you're a wonderful synthesizer of very
[130:58] very complex things. So please carry on
[131:00] doing what you're doing. If people want
[131:01] to go and listen to your show or if they
[131:03] want to go consume more of your stuff,
[131:04] if they want to continue this journey
[131:05] with you, where do they go? Where's the
[131:07] best place to send them?
[131:08] >> Well, first of all, thank you for those
[131:09] kind words and to be invited back. It's
[131:11] it's a huge opportunity. I will never be
[131:14] ungrateful for it. Uh my podcast is
[131:16] called Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.
[131:19] Available everywhere. and then
[131:21] andygalpin.com and social media,
[131:23] Instagram and all that stuff is probably
[131:24] the easiest way to follow along.
[131:26] >> I highly recommend you go and subscribe
[131:27] to Andy's channel and we're going to
[131:29] link it down below now. But it's um it's
[131:31] what you're incredibly rigorous with all
[131:33] the work that you do. Having spoken to
[131:35] Andrew Andrew Huberman, who's a good
[131:37] friend of both of ours. He he's also
[131:40] told me just how utterly obsessed you
[131:41] are with truth and also your mission of
[131:44] helping people become who they could be.
[131:47] Um and that shines through in all of
[131:48] your work. So, please go and subscribe
[131:49] to Andy's podcast as well, perform, and
[131:52] um I shall link all of his other
[131:54] resources below, including some of them
[131:56] that we've mentioned today, including
[131:57] the tests and questionnaires that we
[131:59] talked about. Andy, thank you. YouTube
[132:02] have this new crazy algorithm where they
[132:03] know exactly what video you would like
[132:06] to watch next based on AI and all of
[132:08] your viewing behavior. And the algorithm
[132:10] says that this video is the perfect
[132:13] video for you. It's different for
[132:14] everybody looking right now. Check this
[132:16] video out and I bet you you might love
[132:18] it.
