Nutrition & Supplementation

Creatine Supplementation, Muscle & Cognitive Function, Loading Phase

Momentous, Levels, LMNT

Dehydration, Overhydration, Night Urination

Tool: Hydration, Caffeine & Electrolytes

Tool: Sweating, Salt & Performance

AG1 (Athletic Greens)

Galpin Equation for Hydration & Exercise, Focus

Tool: 5 Steps to Optimize Hydration, Sipping Water, W.U.T. Status, Salt

Electrolytes, Carbohydrates & Exercise

InsideTracker

Training Fasted versus Fed, Caffeine, Carbohydrate Timing

Caffeine & Endurance

Citrulline, Beet Root Juice & Performance; Alpha-GPC & Focus, Nootropics

Rhodiola, Cortisol & Fatigue

Tool: Supplement Formulations

Supplements, Dependency & Root Cause; Foundational Behaviors

Acute vs. Chronic Effects, Supplements & Gut Microbiome

Tool: Sleep Environment, Absolute Rest

Tools: Sleep & Disturbances, Inositol

Tool: “Fitness Fatigue” Model, Taper, Anti-Inflammatory Supplements

Exercise Recovery: Curcumin, Omega 3s, Glutamine, Nutrition, Vitamins

Intermittent Fasting, Training & Keto Diets; GABA

Carbohydrate Loading; Amino Acid Supplements; “Anabolic Window”

Garlic; Tart Cherry Extract; Examine.com

Fitness Testing, Training Programs; Exercise Recovery

Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Neural Network Newsletter


Dr. Andy Galpin joined Andrew Huberman to discuss nutrition and supplementation to maximize fitness, exercise, and performance goals. He discussed the basics of sleep, nutrition, and hydration, as well as the 80-20 rule of taking 20% of supplements to get 80% of the benefit for the lowest cost. He also discussed the benefits of creatine, beta alanine, sodium bicarbonate, beetroot juice, and caffeine, as well as hydration and electrolytes. He provided the Galpin equation for hydration during exercise, and discussed the use of nootropics, rhodiola rosea, and caffeine for performance enhancement. He also discussed the importance of third-party certified and tested supplements, and the need to become a scientist of yourself and limit the number of variables. Finally, he discussed the importance of sleep and the use of supplements to improve quality and duration of sleep.


- Nutrition and supplementation can help maximize fitness, exercise, and performance goals.
- Supplements can provide potent compounds that can transform performance and recovery.
- Focus on the basics: sleep, nutrition, hydration.
- Supplements can be unproductive, destructive, or counterproductive if taken in high concentrations.
- 80-20 rule: 20% of supplements can give 80% of the benefit for the lowest cost.
- Supplements can help with muscle growth, fat loss, energy, physical performance, and longevity.

- Creatine is a supplement with many benefits, including muscle performance, strength, bone mineral density, cognitive function, and potential benefits for depression, mood, and neurodegenerative diseases.
- It is taken in a dose of 3-5 grams per day of creatine monohydrate, with minimal side effects.
- Creatine has a slow accumulating effect, and should be taken consistently for several weeks to have a noticeable effect.
- It is relatively inexpensive and has a good return on investment.
- It can be used to rehydrate and suppress anxiety.
- Other supplements to consider include beta alanine, sodium bicarbonate, beetroot juice, and caffeine.

- InsideTracker is a personalized nutrition platform that analyzes data from blood and DNA to help reach health goals.
- Blood tests and DNA tests provide information about various levels of lipids, hormones, and metabolic factors, but don't provide guidance on what to do with the information.
- InsideTracker provides personalized platform to see numbers and do's and don'ts, nutritional changes, and supplementation to bring levels into optimal ranges.
- Get 20% off any of InsideTracker's plans by visiting insidetracker.com/Huberman.

- Training fasted can be beneficial, but it is important to make sure glycogen stores are topped off the night before
- Total energy expenditure is more important than timing of macronutrients
- For hard workouts, aim for 0.5g of carbohydrate per pound of body weight and 0.25g of protein per pound of body weight
- Amount of carbohydrate can be adjusted based on energy expenditure
- Recovery starts during the previous workout

- Caffeine has an ergogenic effect and can be taken at a reasonable dosage for the individual
- Caffeine typically takes 30-45 minutes to take effect
- Half-life of caffeine is 4-6 hours
- Performance-enhancing effects of caffeine are seen at 1-3 milligrams per kilogram of body weight taken 30 minutes prior to exercise
- Regular caffeine users may see a mental performance-enhancing effect if they have abstained from caffeine for 2-15 days
- Performance can be degraded if too much caffeine is taken (over 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight)
- Commercially available coffees contain 250-350 milligrams of caffeine, which is 2-3 times higher than standard lookup tables

- Citrulline, arginine, and nitric oxide can be used to enhance performance without the use of caffeine.
- Beetroot extract is the most consistent supplement for this purpose.
- Alpha GPC is a cholinergic agonist that can be used to enhance focus and alertness.
- Nootropics can be used to enhance brain function prior to challenging training sessions.
- Can be used in cases of caloric restriction to help with mental alertness and focus.

- Rhodiola Rosea has been studied and can have a number of effects, but is not a panacea
- Can be helpful in managing cortisol, but can also reduce muscular endurance in some cases
- Should be taken from a high quality source and may not work for everyone
- Can help with intense weight training sessions, allowing for longer and harder workouts
- Should be taken with caution, as cortisol suppression can be a sign of long-term excessive stress

- Single ingredient formulations are the best way to build a rational approach to supplementation and make adjustments if something isn't working
- Become a scientist of yourself and limit the number of variables
- Single ingredient formulations allow you to adjust dosages and take things two on, one off
- Third-party certified and tested supplements are important to ensure the amount on the label is correct
- Blends may include the least amount of the most expensive ingredient

- Taking supplement holidays or varying frequency of supplement intake is important to avoid dependency
- The goal is to get to a point where lifestyle, sunlight exposure, stress management, physical activity, sleep, hydration, and nutrition provide everything needed
- Use short-term tactics to symptom manage, while searching for the root cause
- Better living through chemistry still requires better living
- Focus on behaviors and nutrition before supplements and prescription drugs
- Caffeine acts as an adenosine antagonist, so it is important to push caffeine intake out 90-120 minutes after waking

- Supplement protocols don't necessarily need to be taken all the time
- Foundational nutrition supplements should be taken every day
- Probiotics can be taken in pill form if needed, but can also be obtained from food
- Beta alanine needs to be taken consistently to be effective
- Fish oil can be skipped a day here and there
- Gut microbiome supplementation should be done with intention and with a qualified physician
- Gut microbiome is a fascinating area of emerging science

- Sleep is a powerful performance enhancer
- Consider supplementation to improve quality and duration of sleep
- Wash sheets at least once a week
- Keep pets out of the bedroom
- Check air conditioning, temperature, humidity, light, and CO2 levels in the bedroom
- Consider psychological factors such as anxiety and depression
- Look into negative ionization machines or zero-cost methods to increase negative ion concentration in the sleeping environment

- Time Shifter app can help with jet lag
- Elevating the head of the bed can help with acid reflux
- Myofunctional therapy can help with REM sleep
- Only have sex and sleep in bed
- Avoid checking sleep score for first 60 minutes after waking up
- Use night mode or do not disturb on phone
- Inositol (900mg) can help with falling back asleep
- Reverie app can help with sleep issues
- Behavioral tools first, then supplements

- Podcast is separate from Stanford and Cal State Fullerton teaching and research roles
- Momentus is the first sponsor, offering high quality single ingredient supplements that ship internationally
- Levels is a program that provides real-time feedback on blood glucose levels
- Element is an electrolyte drink with a science-backed ratio of 1,000 milligrams of sodium, 200 milligrams of potassium, and 60 milligrams of magnesium and no sugar

- Exercise induces various adaptations depending on type, specificity, volume, intensity, etc.
- Inflammation is necessary to trigger adaptation response to exercise, but should be reduced during recovery period
- Omega-3 fatty acids, ashwagandha, curcumin, etc. can have anti-inflammatory effects
- Fitness fatigue model: when fitness increases at same or similar rate as fatigue, performance doesn't improve
- Taper/deload: reduce training volume by 50% over a week for every 8 weeks of training, maintain intensity and frequency
- Taper/deload can lead to 3-8% improvement in performance and 10% increase in fast twitch muscle fiber size

- Recovery is a three-step process: inflammation, proliferation, and remodeling
- Omega-3s, curcumin, and glutamine can help with inflammation
- Glutamine is beneficial for proliferation
- Macronutrients and micronutrients are important for remodeling
- Increase caloric intake by 10%
- Aim for 1g of protein per pound of body weight
- Consider taking a multivitamin, magnesium, calcium, vitamin D, and tart cherry juice

- Solicit social media for questions from the audience
- Answer each question in 3-4 sentences
- Intermittent fasting with keto and muscle mass gain is TBD
- Generally don't spend too much time on GABA supplements
- Can train high-performance fasted and how long before needing to refuel depends on individual
- Fasting may not improve performance

- Carbohydrate loading prior to a long duration endurance performance is best done over the course of 3-4 days
- Essential amino acid supplementation is not necessary if total protein intake is sufficient
- The post-exercise anabolic window is real, but timing of protein and carbohydrate intake is important for multiple training sessions per day

- Garlic may have a role in enhancing recovery from injury or tissue damage
- Immunity is a verb and is made up of many processes
- Tart cherry extract may aid in sleep and muscle soreness
- Examine.com is a great resource for information on dosages and effects of different compounds
- Examine.com also provides topical reviews on topics such as muscle damage, blood pressure, and testosterone enhancement

- Dr. Andy Galpin provided actionable knowledge on assessing fitness, strength and hypertrophy training, endurance, designing an optimal fitness program, and nutrition and supplementation
- Science is an ongoing and changing process, so use the information provided as guidelines
- Andrew Huberman thanked the audience for listening and Dr. Galpin for giving credit to other scientists, bringing on direct sources of information, and providing a platform for deep dork science
- Dr. Galpin thanked Andrew Huberman for the opportunity to be on the platform and for being a gracious host

This chapter is already very short - skipping summarization:

Thank you. And as I mentioned before, it's completely zero cost. By going to hubermanlab.com, you can also go into the menu tab and go to newsletter and see some example newsletters from months past. Thank you once again for joining me for today's discussion about fitness, exercise, and performance with Dr. Andy Galpin. And as always, thank you for your interest in science.

- Hydration is an important factor in overall health and performance.
- Consuming 2-3 liters of water per day is recommended for optimal hydration.
- Electrolytes are important for hydration and can be obtained through food.
- Dehydration can lead to a reduction in physical and mental performance.
- Drinking too much water can lead to sleep problems, focus issues, and anxiety-like symptoms.
- Bladder fullness can also cause anxiety.
- Nocturia (waking up multiple times a night to urinate) can be a sign of sleep disorders or excessive hydration.

- Half an ounce of fluid per pound of body weight is a rough rule for hydration
- 125% of fluid lost during exercise should be replaced
- Amount of fluid lost during exercise varies from 1-5 pounds per hour
- Caffeine does not necessarily cause dehydration when ingested with fluid
- Sodium loss due to caffeine is not a major concern, but sodium levels should be monitored due to exercise-induced loss

- Sweating ability can vary from person to person and can be trained.
- Heat acclimation training can help improve sweating ability.
- Sweating is a process of bringing fluid from the body to the surface of the skin and then evaporating it off.
- Clothing can be used to identify if someone is a heavy salt sweater or not.
- Hydration tests and blood tests can be used to measure hydration levels.
- If you are not losing more than 2% of your body weight during exercise, hydration is not critical.

- Athletic Greens is a vitamin, mineral, probiotic, and adaptogen drink designed to help meet foundational nutritional needs.
- The speaker has been taking Athletic Greens daily since 2012.
- Athletic Greens contains adaptogens which are important for recovering from stress, exercise, work, or life.
- Special offer available at athleticgreens.com/Huberman: 5 free travel packs and a year supply of vitamin D3K2.

- The Galpin equation for hydration during exercise is to take body weight in pounds and divide by 30, then consume that number of ounces of water every 15-20 minutes.
- In the metric system, the equation is 2 milliliters per kilogram.
- Hydration should be done slowly and steadily, rather than in one bolus.
- The Galpin equation can also be used for mental work, as hydration is important for mental clarity, energy, and focus.
- Drinking too much water can also be disruptive, so it is important to find the right balance.

- Start the day with 16-30 oz of water depending on body size
- Consume mostly real, whole foods to maintain hydration
- Limit fluid intake 3 hours before sleep and avoid gulping large amounts of water
- Consider mouth taping or using a dilator to reduce mouth breathing and nighttime urination
- Use WUT system (weight, urine, thirst) to gauge hydration status
- Consider electrolytes with 200-400mg of sodium and 2-3:1 sodium to potassium ratio
- Coconut water is a good option but may need a pinch of salt
- Monitor sodium intake if prehypertension or hypertension
- Salt appetite and taste can be a good guide for salt intake

- Supplementation can enhance training by taking certain things before training.
- Recommended 3:1 sodium to potassium ratio.
- Carbohydrates can enhance performance during long duration or high intensity exercise.
- 5-9% glucose concentration in fluid is recommended.
- Combination of glucose and fructose can maximize carbohydrate intake.
- Train your gut by trying different food items and amounts in practice.

Dr. Andy Galpin: Optimal Nutrition & Supplementation for Fitness | Huberman Lab Guest Series