I’ve tried many supplements, herbs and whole foods to help with my focus and mood. ALCAR is one of my favourites. It is highly effective, but I have to split a 100mg capsule up and take throughout the day, or it makes my IBS worse.
There’s also some concern about TMAO and oxidative damage, at least from long term, high-dosage use.
An amino acid found in meat, ALCAR can increase physical and mental ‘energy’ and focus by helping shuttle fatty acids into the mitochondria – a tiny organ (organelle) that products energy in the form of ATP.
ALCAR increases the amount of choline in the forebrain, in rats at least – which has a positive effect on cognition, in most people. Study here.
ALCAR with Alpha Lipoic Acid
Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is know for its blood sugar lowering impact, and it’s antioxidant effect. It is also a cognitive enhancing supplement (a “nootropic”) as it increases the products of acetylcholine, by activating/up-regulating the enzyme choline acetyltransferase. This in turn can increase the effect of ALCAR.
Some people also state that ALA can also enter into cells and help with specific oxidation, that may result from ALCAR supplementation – although I cannot find any scientific references to support this theory.
ALCAR and ALA, when taken together, have been shown in some studies, to reduce the number of damaged mitochondria and increase the number of ‘intact’ hippocampal mitochondria. This in turn can improve brain function.
You can read more about the impact on brain health (or theorised impact), in a study done on rats here.
I can only speak for men, as I am a man, and as we’ve seen by the soaring rates of mental illness and suicide – a lot of men are fucked.
Many of us grow up, for whatever reason, without a father. We then enter an education system, dominated by female teachers.
We enter a culture that deems masculinity as toxic.
We have no roadmap for coping, and many of us feel lost. Completely rudderless.
In addition, if our father left or died, we have a huge amount of abandonment trauma to deal with – that tends to come and bite us right in the arse around our mid twenties.
Traditionally, we turn to drink or drugs. However, Prof. Huberman has given us an alternative path. Deal with your trauma by reprocessing it (ideally with journaling, therapy and yes, psychedelics), maintain a healthy lifestyle so your body works and feels much better, and optimise the mind.
Yes, that’s not everyone’s cup of tea, but for a nerdy meathead like me, it’s perfect. He’s also legitimised many of the practices that I was doing anyway. For example, I’ve been using a cold plunge since 2005-ish*, red light therapy, a SAD lamp, and meditating for many years.
*I remember doing a sport science talk at a football club about ice baths, and everyone was like “WTF are you on about”. These were commonplace in the MMA community at the time though.
Question the Message Not the Messenger
The logical fallicy “Ad Hominem” is by no means completely watertight or fool proof, but in this instance – I think it is important.
Have a healthy amount of cynicism and check the science for yourself – it’s not hard, especially with tools like consensus.app and websites like Google Scholar; and finalise the decision to do, or do not as Huberman, yourself.
If all the allegations are true, well that’s shit, and not nice. But the guy is delivering scientific information, in an entertaining and easy to digest way. Information that has improved many lives.
He’s also criticised for presenting information outside of his area of expertise. In this sense, I personally just see him as a curator of information. His expertise are clear. FFS, who do you want us to look up to? Andrew Tate?
I don’t feel like Hubermans alleged behaviour has any impact on the quality of his podcast, or the benefits that it brings to the lives of many people. AG1 is a bit of a rip off though.
It’s a decent supplement but the price is obscene. Just buy another organic greens powder or make your own.
AG1 FAQs
Does AG1 Break a Fast?
yes, theres about 50 calories and 6g of carbs per serving.
Is AG1 worth it reddit?
Most people on reddit, say nope.
AG1 Nutrition
the main ingredient is spirulina. I would just buy some organic spirulina, some organic mushroom powder including lions mane and turkey tial mushrooms, and perhaps some psyllium husk and mix that up and save yourself a small fortune.
Thoughts of fellow Loughborough University graduate and S & C coach Ian Crump:
“Never used. Don’t think it’s required. Definitely not cost effective. They’ve been smart with their marketing – huge list of micronutrients on the left, but if you compare that to say, liver (which I haven’t), but infinitely cheaper and would give a similar list.”
In the Huberman Lab podcast episode, Dr. (I think he’s actually a professor?) Andrew Huberman discusses the role of oral health in overall brain and body – and your mouth & teeth etc.
Me smiling, with teeth and that^
Disclaimer – This is written with a tongue in cheek comical tone. Please confirm the information yourself before putting anything into action:
Here are the key takeaways from H-man:
Oral Health’s Importance
Oral health is crucial for mental & physical health. In some instances physical performance. Your teeth and mouth are linked to brain and body health both short-term and long-term. Poor oral hygiene is related to some neurodegenerative conditions. In summary – floss or die! Here’s a link to a study about oral health and brain health
Causes of Cavities
Despite what you may have been told as a kid, cavities are not directly caused by sugar. It’s the bacteria that feed on sugar and food. The bacteria cause an acidic environment that promotes demineralization – i.e. tooth decay. This can damage to the teeth, can be reversed in some instances – depending on how deep the cavity is. Here’s a study about toothpaste and remineralization of teeth It looks like nanohydroxyapatite toothpaste is a good shout/idea (according to the study).
Fluoride Use
Woah, controversial! While fluoride can strengthen teeth by replacing hydroxyapatite bonds, concerns exist about its high dosage effects on thyroid and brain health. The podcast suggests moderation in fluoride use.
Some studies here about fluoride and thyroid health
The podcast recommends avoiding alcohol-based and antiseptic mouthwashes. These mouthwashes can disrupt the oral microbiome. Instead you can use xylitol-based products to combat cavity-causing bacteria. You can get xylitol in a powder, in sweets and in chewing gum. Remember it’s deadly to some animals such as dogs.
Diet and Oral Health
If you want nice tooth, you should probably avoid alcohol, smoking, stimulants, dipping tobacco, sugar, and acidic foods, which can alter saliva pH and promote demineralization. Adderrall for example, changes the PH in your mouth. From personal experience, acidic drinks that you sip on – like sports drinks – have given me loads of cavities – and I’ve not had any since I stopped consuming these drinks.
Oral Care Tips
Key tips for better oral health include keeping the mouth less acidic, maintaining moisture through nasal breathing, allowing periods without food or drink to promote saliva production for remineralization. Consider mouth-taping at night! (to make sure your not mouth-breathing). Chewing xylitol gum is also a good idea after meals.
Brushing and Flossing
Soft bristle brushes are recommended for both teeth and gums,. You should focus on night-time brushing due to reduced saliva production during sleep.
Dr. Huberman highlights the interconnectedness of oral health with the gut microbiome and overall well-being. He promotes a holistic approach, for a complete overview and approach to oral hygiene that includes regular brushing and flossing.
It’s probably best to avoid commercial mouthwashes too.
Some notes I made whilst listening to the podcast:
Complex carbohydrates, not just sugar, can damage your teeth (as acid producing bacteria can ‘feed’ on them)
Brushing your teeth at night, is majorly important – more so than morning teeth brushing
“Oral health is inextricably linked to all aspects of brain and bodily health both in the short term and long term and is perhaps the most overlooked aspect of mental health and physical health.” – Andrew Huberman
Flouride is probably okay for your brain at low doses. Flouride replaces and reinforces some of the hydroxyapatite bonds in teeth. These bonds are what make them strong and resilient to cavities.
consider using a separate brush to brush your tongue – to stop cross-contamination of bacteria.
Ale is bad for your teeth – Alcohol puts the mouth in a demineralization state and kills some healthy cells of the mouth. So try and limit the amount of beer and other alcoholic drinks you consume, if you want healthy teeth.
You actually catch the bacteria that are bad for your teeth and produce acid – Strep Mutans
Apparently some dentists avoid kissing their kids near their mouths, so they don’t get strep mutans early in life – although there’s a 99% chance they’ll get it as an adult
Conquering the Beast: A Comprehensive Guide to 48kg Kettlebells
by Drew Griffiths (BSc, MSc) – 30 years training experience, First Class Degree in Sport Science from Loughborough University, Master’s Degree in Exercise & Nutrition Science from the University of Liverpool.
Disclaimer – Exercise at your own risk – 48kg is a heavy kettlebell!
I’m currently looking to upgrade my makeshift 44kg kettlebell – it’s a 40kg kettlebell with 2 x 2kg weight plates duct taped to it; so I thought I’d try and make the process, into a very niche blog post.
As you can see, my current kettlebell is quite rubbish:
If you are in the UK like me, then the 2 best value for money are:
Factory weights and METIS
Here’s a nice image of the METIS kettlebell:
There’s hardly any companies that supply the 48kg version – at the time of writing the METIS one is £119.99, Factory weights is £119 but sold out.
In my experience, the main thing to look for in a kettlebell – is that it’s single cast, rather than having the handle welded on.
Also, you want a decent, sensibly sized handle, and of course the kettlebell should be balanced equally so it’s easy to hold in various positions.
Extra 48kg Kettlebell Info
The 48kg kettlebell, which is often referred to by Cross Fitters as “The Beast,” sits upon the iron throne of kettlebell weights (reference to Game of Thrones there).
It’s a symbol of strength, resilience, and athletic prowess, reserved for the dedicated few who dare to challenge its reign. Well not really – it’s a heavy fQcker though, and generally regarded as an advanced weight to use.
It’s intermediate level of weight if you are doing deadlifts with it, but for most other exercises, including any presses and Olympic style lifts, it’s very heavy.
So be careful if you’ve not lifted it before!
Strength Beyond Measure:
Build strength and power with this beast bastard. The most obvious perk of the 48kg kettlebell is the monumental strength gains it can help to create.
Mastering exercises like swings, cleans, presses, and squats with this weight translates to improved overall strength, power, and athleticism. Imagine effortlessly picking up heavy objects, performing explosive sprints, or conquering challenging hikes – the 48kg kettlebell prepares you for all of this and more.
Using it for swings, will make your whole body work in order to stabilise it – so be very careful! It’s easy to injure your back and very hard to recover from.
Beyond Brute Force: Building Resilience and Control:
While strength reigns supreme, the 48kg kettlebell fosters more than just raw power. It’s a right bugger to control the 48kg kettlebell swing for example, on the way up and down.
A Challenge Worthy of Its Nickname:
Undoubtedly, the 48kg kettlebell presents a significant challenge to almost anyone. It demands dedication, patience, and a solid foundation in kettlebell training. Anyone able to press this kettlebell in any form, for example, is a strong MFer.
Training Considerations for the Dedicated:
To safely and effectively conquer the 48kg kettlebell, a well-structured training programme is essential. Prioritize proper form with lighter weights. Make sure to build up slowly to this weight.
Stories of the Beast:
Many inspiring individuals have tamed the Beast. For example, Veteran kettlebell instructors such as Russian dude Pavel Tsatsouline and America’s own Steve Maxwell demonstrate its use for building functional strength, power and athleticism.
The Final Swing:
The 48kg kettlebell isn’t for everyone, because it’s so bloody heavy.
Remember to warm up properly and build up over months (if not years) before attempting to lift this weight.
We bought a 1 year extended warranty, and the dealership said the car needs a new engine and they need to strip it to get it covered by the warranty.
Long delay…as need to get car up in the garage pit to take pictures for warranty.*
I suspect they were trying to kill time so that we no longer had the right to ask for a refund within 30 days of purchase. Another unethical sales tactic I’ve seen this method used In my time in marketing, dragging out the returns for as long as possible to emotionally exhaust the stressed out customer. Which they definitely did accidentally (maybe) to my wife who was crying on the phone to them at least 3 times.
Anyway, they’ve not replaced the engine, instead they’ve fixed the cam cover.
The belt issue is a known problem with this engine and other manufacturers did a full recall on there cars, but not vauxhall unfortunately. Fault therefore existed before we bought the car.
we can, apparently, no longer give the car back, as its outside the 14 day window they offer (although legally this is at least 30 days) although I believe yiu have 6 years to get compensation if garage sells a car with pre existing fault.
we’ve basically paid 11k for a car that’ll need a new engine within a year or two, at a cost of 5k to 8k according to the grandland forum.
DO NOT BUY FROM LOOKERS VAUXHALL
every man and his dog knows about the issue with the grandland x…but not my Mrs unfortunately (well, she does now).
I made a rap song and video to accompany my review
turns out the peugeot and Citroën cars with the same engine, all got recalled because the “wet belt” issue, but not vauxhall cars.
*I submitted a freedom of information request, asking to see the photos that took so long to take of the engine – the team that dealt with the request could not find any photos or emails to the warranty company. To me this suggests the whole thing was just a delaying tactic to push us beyond the 30 days within which we could request a full refund.
we spoke to a solicitor and CAB and managed to get a full refund on the car eventually.
We were however lied to about our right to request a refund, and several breaches of the consumer rights agreement occurred.
the used car sales manager continually ignored questions regarding our rights and up until the very end, even after a refund was agreed, tried to trick us into picking up the car (right to full refund is dependent on the time owner has possession / use of the car).
Had to ask 4 times for all communications in writing, despite this being a statutory right.
the same car is now for sale again at the ellesmere port dealership.
If someone at a bank or similar organisation lied and breached consumer laws in regards to an £11k issue, they’d be fired and or struck off. Why is nothing done when it’s regarding a car?
lookers should look at who they are hiring, how they are monitoring staff behaviour and how the staff are Incentivised. This level of corruption is going to damage or destroy their brand long term.
If you can afford a cryotherapy chamber, fear not! There are still loads of fun and healthy biohacks you can do on a budget
Grounding
just walk or stand bare foot on the earth/grass for 5 minutes. There’s loads of research on grounding or earthing, it’s free – although you can buy mats and sheets to sleep on
Bounding / Rebounding and inversions
skip, if you can, if not jump on a trampoline or just shake and jump back and to on the spot.
inversions and bounding, are great for the lymphatic system.
Ice Baths
If you have a bath, try adding cold water and an ice brick or two.
I would add that cold water immersion does stress the heart and it can take a while to warm back up, so talk to a doctor and always have warm clothes on standby and a towel.
Red Light Therapy
Panels van cost thousands of quids, but I got one for £35 off aliexpress and it seems to do the job.
Methylene blue is a bit controversial as a supplement, but you may want to look into the pronounced effects of combining red light therapy and Methylene blue – great for energy and recovery.
NAD – from niacin
NAD supplements are expensive, but full flush Niacin is cheap and raises NAD levels for extra energy and wellbeing.
Non flush can be harsh on the liver, the niacin flush is something to get used to, and enjoy, maybe.
Look into methylation and supplementing TMG before you go wild with niacin though.
Other protocols that aren’t really biohacks as such include:
wim hof breathing
Tabata
Tabata interval training for fitness gains in just 4 minutes 5 times a week
One set resistance training
Intermittent fasting
Blood Sugar Levels
Ceylon cinnamon and/or supplementing berberine and alpha lipoic acid to stabilise blood glucose levels
Mouth Taping
There’s a few MMA fighters who swear that using a sleep quality monitor, using mouth tape (there is such a thing!), dramatically improves sleep quality – because it makes you use nasal breathing only
Notes from podcast and my own research – may have some inaccuracies so please listen to the podcast
Dopamine Summarised
Dopamine is a hormone that makes people motivated, and in a sense happy.
We probably evolved to produce dopamine to make us explore and forage and hunt.
Dopamine is increased with drugs like cocaine and supplements like L-tyrosine and herbs including Mucuna Pruriens.
The big problem with dopamine, tends to be for that every increase, there’s a corresponding decrease in dopamine that’s equal or sometimes greater. This is why people always want more cocaine 20 minutes after a line and (along with blood sugar) people want more food after a sugary treat.
Dopamine is classed as a neurotransmitter.
Dopamine is required for motivation and focus. If you didn’t have any dopamine, studies and observations have shown – you literally wouldn’t move – you’d be incapable of movement and you’d be very depressed
Dopamine is released from the brain when we do activities that we find rewarding, like eating, exercise or even learning.
Dopamine is instrumental in all addictions
Myths About Dopamine
There is no such thing as a “dopamine hit.”
Dopamine is released gradually.
Dopamine is not the only neurotransmitter that is involved in motivation and reward. There are a number of other neurotransmitters involved in reward including serotonin, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine.
How to Control Your Dopamine
Stay off social media – “Intermittent Positive Reinforcement” really fecks with your dopamine levels. So scrolling through a social media feed until your find something you like, is similar to gambling – in that you never know when you’ll get a reward.
Novelty – varying activities increase dopamine.
Set Progress and Target goals. Progress goals – how are you going to achieve your goal – e.g. I will go to the gym twice a week for an hour on a monday and Wednesday – is a good progress goal, for the target goal off “I will lose 2 inches off my waist measurement by [set date]”
Meditate or practice mindfulness
Get good quality sleep and enough of it.
Eat a health diet, low in sugar.
Avoid stress and drugs like cocaine!
Learn to increase dopamine by effort and doing things – instead of focusing on the reward and/or end point. Learn to love the grind/effort.
Cold water immersion can increase dopamine levels for a few hours.
Nicotine, sex and chocolate also increase dopamine, but only in the short term – so probably best to avoid if you want to increase dopamine baseline.
Caffiene is okay and doesnt mess with dopamine too much.
Ideally – you want to upregulate dopamine receptors, rather than increase dopamine, so stop using social media
Practical Strategies for Dopamine Control
Breaking Up High Dopamine Activities: It’s probably best not too ‘layer’ high dopamine activities but spread them out.
Avoiding Dopamine Peaks Before/After Work or Study: It’s probably best to avoid high dopamine generating activities before or after engaging in ‘hard’ tasks like studying or working. Try and think of the effort as enjoyable! The effort or working or studying etc.
Starting the Day: Engaging in studying or meditation first thing in the morning is advised to raise dopamine levels gradually. Get sunlight early in the day
Movement and Cold Showers in the Morning: Ice baths and cold showers are great – they raise dopamine levels for several hours.
Finding Gratitude in Tasks: Think about why effort is good – you’re improving yourself, helping others, building resilience, helping provide for your family etc.
Randomizing Rewards: Intermittent Reinforcement – Don’t give yourself a reward every time after a task, but randomise it
Sleep – sleep is crucial to restore baseline dopamine
Yoga Nidra – or None-sleep Deep Rest (see video below)
Don’t go on social media or gamble, or watch adult videos etc.Thanks
This video / podcast is about how to increase your willpower and tenacity. As the title suggests!
Summary
Tenacity & willpower might be limited resources.
this is similar to “decision fatigue “. We can only make so many decisions per day (this is why Steve jobs wore the same stuff each day, he didn’t wate energy deciding what to wear). If you do one hard thing, it’s harder to maintain willpower later in the day.
If you were to resist eating a plate of cookies, and then do a fitness test, it’s likely you’ll perform relatively poorly on the fitness test, because your willpower has already been taxed.
Being tired or sleep deprived negatively impacts willpower.
Intermittently reward yourself for soing something hard.
Force yourself to do some ‘micro-sucks’ – choose something you don’t want to do and do it – this is a great way to train and develop willpower.
This could be adding an extra set to your resistance training, 100 jumping jacks after your mile run, a sprint after your workout, not eating dessert one night you want it, extending your fasting period, etc
The legend that is Andrew Huberman says that willpower can be defined as the ability to resist temptation and persist – keep going in the face of difficulty. Willpower is a complex trait that is influenced by both genes, our environment and other factors like testosterone levels.
If we are in pain – physical or mental, we will tend to be distracted and have less willpower
How to increase Willpower
Sleep
There are a number of things that we can do to increase our willpower. One is to get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation can impair our ability to make decisions and resist temptation.
Exercise
Another thing we can do is to exercise regularly. Exercise releases endorphins, which have mood-boosting and pain-relieving effects. This in turn, can help us to stay motivated and focused.
Mindfulnesss
Prof Huberman says that we can also increase our willpower by practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention to the present moment without judgment. This can help us to become more aware of our thoughts and feelings, and to make better decisions.
ACC – Keep Working Hard!
Huberman describes a brain region called the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC). The ACC is involved in a number of cognitive functions, including willpower.
We can activate the ACC by doing things that are difficult or challenging. This can help us to build up our willpower over time.
Do things you don’t want to do, to build ACC activation and willpower.
The use of red light therapy (RLT) to encourage muscle growth has been researched and examined in several academic studies, with a mixture of results.
Studies Supporting the Effects of RLT on Muscle Hypertrophy
“Effects of Red and Near-Infrared Light-Emitting Diodes on Human Muscle Performance and Recovery” (2014) – PubMed Link
The study found that RLT improved muscle strength and reduced muscle soreness after exercise. Whilst this doesn’t show a direct increase in muscle size, increase in strength and recovery would most likely, lead to enhance sports performance and muscle mass in the medium to long term.
“Effects of Light-Emitting Diode Therapy on Muscle Hypertrophy, Gene Expression, Performance, Damage, and Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness” (2015) – PubMed Link
This study found that RLT increased muscle mass and strength in healthy adults.
“
The present study shows for the first time the beneficial effects of phototherapy by LEDT on skeletal muscles of genetically identical humans (monozygotic twins) subjected to a strength training program. Light-emitting diode therapy compared with placebo therapy promoted a resistance to muscle fatigue, reduced a biochemical marker of muscle damage (CK), lessened the score of delayed onset muscle soreness (VAS), and reduced expression of genes related to inflammation (IL-1A) and atrophy (MSTN). Moreover, LEDT increased the maximal load achievable in exercise, the expression of genes related to oxidative stress defense (SOD2), and protein synthesis (mTOR) and produced thigh muscle hypertrophy shown by MRI.”
Does phototherapy enhance skeletal muscle contractile function and postexercise recovery? A systematic review
Paul A Borsa et al. J Athl Train. 2013 Jan-Feb
Phototherapy administered before resistance exercise consistently has been found to provide ergogenic and prophylactic benefits to skeletal muscle.
Conclusion
My scientific conclusion is that with the power of magic, red light therapy can indeed enhance muscle gains from pumping iron.
Best Protocol for Using Red Light Therapy for Muscle Growth
Use a red light device with wavelengths between 600 and 900 nanometers. These wavelengths are most effective at penetrating muscle tissue.
Apply the light to the muscles you want to grow. You can use a variety of devices, including handheld wands, panels, and masks. You’ll probably want a panel for bodybuilding and recovery though.
Treat the muscles – i.e. stand in front of the panel, for 10-30 minutes per session, 2-3 times per week.
Combine RLT with resistance training. This will help you to build muscle more effectively. Obviously.
You can also use red light therapy before training to increase intensity and afterwards for enhanced recovery.
Use red light therapy at your own risk
Use a high-quality device from a reputable manufacturer.
Clean the device before and after each use.
Avoid looking directly at the light source.
Do not use RLT if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Talk to your doctor before using RLT if you have any health conditions.
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