Podcasts about hrv

View This Week's Show NotesStart Your 7-Day Trial to Mobility CoachJoin Our Free Weekly Newsletter: The AmbushWhat if the fitness metrics you're obsessing over aren't telling you what you think they are? HRV. VO2 max. Resting heart rate. Zone 2. Wearables have given us more data than ever… but do you know how to use it to inform your training?In this episode of the Ready State Podcast, Kelly and Juliet Starrett sit down with renowned strength and conditioning coach Joel Jamieson to cut through the noise around cardiovascular fitness, recovery, and resilience. Drawing on more than 25 years of experience coaching UFC champions, Olympic athletes, special operators, and professional sports teams, Joel explains why a higher HRV isn't always “better,” what Zone 2 training is really trying to accomplish, and why your aerobic engine matters even if endurance sports aren't your thing.They also explore how to balance low, moderate, and high-intensity training, practical ways to measure whether your conditioning is actually improving, and why stress outside the gym has to factor into how you train. The takeaway? Better fitness isn't about chasing a perfect score – but about understanding what your body can handle, how well it recovers, and how to train accordingly.What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy a higher HRV doesn't always mean you're better recoveredWhat Zone 2 training is actually trying to accomplishWhy cardiovascular fitness is important for improving resilienceHow to balance low, moderate, & high-intensity conditioningWhy stress outside the gym should influence how you trainKey Highlights: (00:00) Intro: Joel Jamieson on HRV & Conditioning(03:33) The HRV Problem for Midlife Athletes(05:13) What Is HRV?(09:41) The Evolution of HRV Tracking(13:32) What's a Good HRV?(16:18) Morning vs Overnight HRV(20:49) Why Higher HRV Isn't Always Better(24:00) HRV, Resting Heart Rate, & Heart Rate Recovery(26:50) Chest Strap vs Wrist-Based HRV(29:33) How to Improve Your HRV(34:10) How Fast Cardiovascular Fitness Declines(37:53) Training Intensity Zones Explained(43:30) Low, Moderate, & High Intensity Training(45:59) Why Low-Intensity Training Builds VO2 Max(48:33) Is VO2 Max Testing Worth It?(51:04) The Cooper's Test(55:09) How Fast Can Conditioning Improve?(59:55) Team Athletes & Recovery(1:01:46) Life Stress, HRV, & Training(1:04:00) Lifestyle Sets Your Gym Limits(1:05:21) Infinite ShelfHuge thanks to our sponsors,Momentous, LMNT, and BEDGEAR.

In this Wellness Tech Series episode, Nurse Doza breaks down the Hume Band and why daily health data changes how he makes decisions. He walks through the metrics he checks every morning — sleep depth and wake-ups, heart rate variability as a window into stress and recovery, pulse oximetry day and night, body temperature, and steps — then explains how the Hume Pod adds body fat, skeletal muscle mass, and visceral fat. Labs are a snapshot; this is the daily trend line underneath them.   ---   ## Featured Partner: Hume Health   **Hume Health** makes at-home health tracking gadgets — the Hume Band (wrist wearable) and the Hume Pod (smart body composition scale) — paired with a free app and a 10-year warranty.   - **Storefront:** https://humehealth.com - **Discount code:** `NURSEDOZA` - **Offer:** 20% off *Note: a wearable is a trend-tracking tool, not a diagnostic device. Metrics like overnight oxygen saturation are worth discussing with a licensed provider if the pattern looks unusual — they do not replace a sleep study or clinical evaluation.*   ---   ## School of Doza   Want help turning your own health data into decisions? **School of Doza** is a health-education community with live group consults every **Wednesday at 1 PM Central**, plus courses and protocols you can actually follow.   **Start your free trial:** https://www.schoolofdoza.com   ---   ## 5 Key Takeaways   1. **Labs are a snapshot; wearables are the trend line.** A panel drawn twice a year can't tell you what last night did to your recovery. Daily metrics fill in the space between blood draws. 2. **Sleep isn't one number.** Total hours matter, but so do depth, light sleep, and how many times you were awake. Seeing the breakdown each morning is what makes the adjustment obvious. 3. **HRV reads both sides of the day.** Overnight HRV reflects recovery; daytime HRV reflects the stress load you're carrying right now. Watching both separately is more useful than either alone. 4. **Pulse ox is the quietly important one.** Continuous oxygen saturation — especially overnight — is a pattern worth bringing to your provider if you snore or wake up unrefreshed. Screening data is a conversation starter, not a diagnosis. 5. **The Pod covers what the band can't.** Body fat percentage, skeletal muscle mass, and visceral fat round out the metabolic picture. Visceral fat in particular is the depot most consistently associated with insulin resistance and fatty liver in the research. ---   ## Peer-Reviewed References   1. *Impact of objectively-measured sleep duration on cardiometabolic health: A systematic review of recent evidence.* PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9806213/ 2. *Stress and Heart Rate Variability: A Meta-Analysis and Review of the Literature.* PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5900369/ (PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29486547/) 3. *Overnight pulse oximetry for obstructive sleep apnea.* PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6259496/ 4. *Using wearable skin temperature data to advance tracking and characterization of the menstrual cycle in a real-world setting.* PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11294004/ 5. *The role of adipose tissue dysfunction in hepatic insulin resistance and T2D.* PMC. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11378142/ (PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38967989/) *Citations were located via PubMed/PMC search and are listed by title and PMC ID. PMC blocks automated page fetches, so individual author lines were not machine-verified and are deliberately omitted rather than guessed.*   ---   ## Connect with Nurse Doza   - Website: https://www.schoolofdoza.com - Supplements: https://mswnutrition.com - Recommendations & partner codes: https://www.schoolofdoza.com/recommendations - YouTube / Instagram / TikTok / X / LinkedIn: @nursedoza

A lighter week of running action but a big performance out of Berlin needs some more context.Discussed in this episode:– Berlin Marathon — men's race: Guy Adola wins in 2:02:51 in the absence of Sebastian Sawe (stress fracture to the right tibia ruled him out of all fall marathon options).– Tigst Assefa, 2:11:04, and the Achilles that didn't quite hold: Assefa won Berlin in 2:11:04 for the third fastest women's marathon ever. She was on world record pace through 40K. The projection was 2:09:44. At 40K the wheels came off. Her management's statement says she first felt pain at 31K and suffered a severe injury — described as a complete rupture of the right Achilles — at approximately 40K. She completed the final 2.2 kilometers. Surgery followed on Monday. Recovery timeline: potentially up to seven months.We unpack:– The science debate on an Achilles injury– The medical opinion– Her Achilles history– The credibility question on if she would have broken Ruth Chepngetich's world record– The Adidas additional AIU testing question– What's next for the women's marathon WRAlso briefly touched on:– London Marathon's two-day split — decided by rock, paper, scissors– NYC Marathon's cheer zone rules– Boston Marathon cutoff time– Clayton Young hamstring reaction+ More____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠

AI-generated show notes... "No niin, no niin, rauhoittukaa hyvät ihmiset ja ottakaas kuppi kuumaa!" Hessun Kahvilan 20-vuotisjuhlavuoden kunniaksi pöytään katetaan tuhti annos digitaalista elämäntapaa, nostalgiaa ja tuoreinta laiteähkyä. Tässä jaksossa käännetään katseet ranteeseen, sormeen ja nenänvarteen: miksi näytöttömät puettavat laitteet tekevät paluuta, jyrääkö Apple Watch vihdoin perinteiset urheilukellot, ja tyhmentääkö kaikkialle tunkeutuva tekoäly meidät lopullisesti? Laita suodatin laulamaan, istahda nojatuoliin ja pistäös kuunnellen! Jakson aiheet (Show notes): Alkusanat & Kahvilan 20-vuotishistoriaa Vuodesta 2006 alkanut taival digitaalisen elämäntavan äänenkannattajana. Miten blogi- ja podcast-kulttuuri muuttui päiväkirjamaisesta vuorovaikutuksesta alustatalouteen. Terveiset HeKan Signal-yhteisölle! (Liity mukaan HeKan Signal-ryhmään!) Näytöttömät puettavat (Screenless Wearables) & historia Jawbone Up, Polar Loop ja varhaiset askeleet ilman näyttöä. Oulun yliopisto, Polar, Firstbeat ja sykevälivaihtelun (HRV) suomalaiset juuret. Miksi näyttöjen poissaolo houkuttelee taas? Älylasit ja uudet hyökkäysvektorit Ray-Ban Meta -älylasit käytännössä: kamerat kasvoilla, avoin ääni ja kätevyys lenkillä. Yksityisyys, salakuvauspelot ja yritysturvallisuus – miksi Nokian E-sarjassa ei aikoinaan ollut kameraa? Oura Gen 4 pitkäaikaistestissä Kokemuksia älysormuksen arjesta, akun kestosta ja koon valinnan haasteista. Palautumismetriikat, unenseuranta ja Oura Advisor (LLM) treenisuunnittelun tukena. Applen uutuuspommit: Taitettava iPhone & Kellomaailman mullistus Ensimmäiset ajatukset taittuvasta iPhonesta – tietokoneen ja puhelimen rajapinnalla? Apple Watchin uusi RMSSD-pohjainen palautumislaskenta: Onko Garminin ja Polarin urheilukellohegemonia uhattuna tavalliselle kuntoilijalle? Satelliittiyhteydet ranteessa. Tyhmentääkö tekoäly meidät? Tekoälyn nopeutus vs. ajattelun ulkoistaminen: tiivistelmät, sähköpotkulaudat ja Wolt-sukupolvi. Mitä inhimilliselle osaamiselle ja oppimiselle tapahtuu, kun kaikki helpottuu? Linkit & Palautteet: Verkkosivut & arkistot: www.hessunkahvila.fi Signal: Klikkaa tästä Palauteloosteri rämisee osoitteessa: hessunkahvila@gmail.com

Während wir unsere Autos regelmäßig zum TÜV schicken, um zu schauen, ob Gas und Bremse einwandfrei funktionieren, schauen wir bei unserem autonomen Nervensystem nur selten unter die Haube. Tatsächlich eröffnet die Herzratenvariabilität (HRV) genau diesem Blick und kann uns anzeigen, wie unser Körper auf die täglichen Reize reagiert. Warum Smartwatches und anderen Wearables gar keine HRV – sondern die PRV – messen, wie man die HRV  wirklich misst und was wir im Alltag für einen ausgeprägten Parasympathikus tun können, habe ich extensiv mit meinem geschätzten Kollegen Prof. Dr. Dr. Sylvain Laborde besprochen. In dieser geballten Marathonfolge zur HRV klären wir verständlich:Was ist die Herzratenvariabilität (HRV)?Was beeinflusst die HRV?Wie misst man die HRV?Was sagt die HRV aus? UND:Wie können wir die HRV im Alltag nutzen?Sylvain ist nicht nur ein absoluter Experte auf diesem Gebiet, der sein eigenes HRVLab aufgebaut und vor kurzen mit 3 Kolleg*innen DAS Standardwerk zur HRV veröffentlich hat. Er ist auch ein extrem energetischer, engagierter und neugieriger Kollege, der Projekte mit ganzen Herzen angeht. Sylvain lebt das, was er im Podcast erzählt und kann selbst komplexe, physiologische Sachverhalte über einfache Beispiele Verständlich machen. Damit bleibt auch die längste Folge, die es jemals bei Exercise Indie Out gegeben hat, lebendig und unterhaltsam. Zum krönenden Abschluss hören wir sogar in einem Song, was die Liebesbeziehung zwischen Herz und Gehirn ausmacht. Also – bleibt gespannt…

“I called my shot. I'm confident in my ability to still chase the American record. I've already learned so much this build that it's already been a success.”My guest today is Brooks professional marathoner and Suunto-supported athlete Clayton Young, joining us two weeks before the 2026 Chicago Marathon.Earlier this spring, Clayton finished 11th at Boston in 2:05:41 after a ten-week build that followed a significant injury and a change in sponsors. He's spent months preparing for Chicago with a bigger goal in mind: chasing Conner Mantz's American marathon record of 2:04:43.Part of that ambition came from watching Josh Kerr call his shot at the mile world record. Clayton took to heart the idea of creating the conditions for a breakthrough, and he's written the same declaration in his journal every day: “I, Clayton Young, will break the American record on October 11th, 2026 at the Chicago Marathon.”But his tune-up at the Great North Run didn't go as planned, and he had an MRI afterward. For the first time, Clayton shares the extent of the injury and what it means for Chicago.We also talk about the psychology of stating his goal publicly, the data behind his training decisions, how Coach Eyestone has adapted, and what Clayton makes of Chicago competitors Charles Hicks and Vinny Mauri. He explains why this race feels different from Boston—and what he wants spectators to yell when they see him on the course.We discuss:– The daily journal ritual– Having fun is a skill he has had to practice– Josh Kerr's mile world record as the direct inspiration for calling his shot with the American record attempt– The contrasting psychologies with Charles Hicks– Dr. Craig Manning and the purpose of a goal– Abundant mentality on the field: Charles Hicks, Vinny Mauri and the rest of the young Americans entering this distance. There are only three Olympic Trials spots and only one American record, but this sport is growing and there's enough for everyone. He's actively working against the scarcity mindset and wants all of them to succeed.– Coach Eyestone's adaptations to recent success by other runners– The data gathering from Commons Clinic, Stride, Suunto, Brooks Sports Research Lab– The build being the best training of his career– The injury and the first public disclosure of its extent– What it means for the 2026 Chicago Marathon– What he learned from The Great North Run– What to yell on course for him+ More____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠

Better sleep after 40 comes from building the right daily rhythms, not from trying harder at bedtime. Mollie McGlocklin, creator of Sleep Is a Skill, makes the case that sleep is a learnable skill, and that forcing it or chasing a perfect score on your tracker usually makes it worse. Mollie went through acute insomnia while traveling overseas and left doctor after doctor with sleeping pills and no real guidance. In this episode she explains what sleep latency and sleep efficiency tell you, why falling asleep the second your head hits the pillow can be a red flag, which tracker numbers you can trust (and why deep sleep and REM aren't among them), when a nap helps and when it hurts, what to do when good sleep habits aren't enough, and why sleep really begins in the morning. Time Stamps: 03:42 Why you can't force sleep 05:07 Mollie's insomnia story 06:17 Sleeping pills and the case for CBT-I 09:07 Sleep as a skill, not a sleeper type 11:36 Sleep latency: when falling asleep fast is a red flag 13:18 Sleep efficiency and nighttime wakeups 14:51 Binaural beats, white noise, and sleep sounds 17:28 Sleep stages and why tracker data misleads 18:37 Blood oxygen averages and missed sleep apnea 20:12 Track trends in one device: HRV and heart rate 23:35 How wearables spotted COVID early 25:14 Why sleep apnea testing should be repeated 27:18 Naps and the insomnia exception 28:49 The caffeine nap 31:50 Shift workers and longer naps 33:37 When sleep hygiene isn't enough 35:15 CBT-I, ACT, and circadian entrainment 38:52 The health of your word 39:09 Sleep begins in the morning 40:48 Loneliness, relationships, and sleep 41:29 What hunter-gatherers teach us about sleep Links: Sleep Is a Skill (newsletter, podcast, and coaching): https://sleepisaskill.com The Wellness Roadmap: https://amzn.to/3U1xEdn  

Save 20% on all Nuzest Products WORLDWIDE with the code MIKKIPEDIA at www.nuzest.co.nz, www.nuzest.com.au or www.nuzest.comCurranz Supplement: Use code MIKKIPEDIA to get 20% off your first order - go to www.curranz.co.nz  or www.curranz.co.uk to order yours NZ listeners - save 10% off Calocurb by using the code Mikkipedia10 at www.calocurb.co.nzEpisode SummaryCliff Harvey PhD is back on the podcast, and this one ranges widely before settling on its main subject. Cliff is a registered clinical nutritionist, qualified naturopath and strength and nutrition coach who has been in clinical practice since the late 1990s, and he founded the Holistic Performance Institute. He and Mikki open with wearables — Cliff has swapped an ageing Oura ring for an under-mattress Withings sleep analyser — before getting into whether an already-active person really needs dedicated cardio, and why Mikki has deliberately upped her carbohydrate intake for running after years of being firmly in the low-carb camp.The second half is a careful working-through of the alcohol evidence. Cliff's central point is a distinction that often gets lost: the research supports the claim that there is no healthy dose of alcohol, but that is not the same as showing there is no safe dose. He walks through why all-cause mortality is the endpoint to start from, where the cancer data genuinely does look different, and why effect sizes at low intakes are small enough to be hard to interpret. Both are clear that alcohol is a toxin and neither is advocating that anyone start drinking. What they are arguing is that absolutist public health messaging that outruns the data erodes trust, and that time spent getting people active would do more good than telling them to drink nothing at all.Key TopicsCliff's move from an ageing Oura ring to a Withings under-mattress sleep analyser, what resting heart rate and HRV are and aren't useful for, and Mikki's 59-day Garmin step streak and how it endedThe one thing they openly disagree on: Cliff argues accumulated movement at varying intensities can make structured zone two largely redundant for an already-active person, while Mikki champions aerobic work in its own right and pushes back on messaging that walking plus lifting is all anyone needsWhy Mikki has substantially increased her carbohydrate intake around running after years of being low carb, and the difference she reports in running, recovery and appetiteCliff on the research he co-authored — habitually low-carb athletes benefit from carbohydrate during exercise to essentially the same extent as high-carb athletes — and early-2000s field research at a 24-hour mountain bike event where athletes needed far more per hour than the then-accepted 60 g glucose and 90 g glucose-fructose ceilingsThe distinction the episode turns on: no healthy dose of alcohol is not the same claim as no safe dose, and why the Zhao 2023 meta-analysis is often read as saying the secondWhere the cancer data does look different, how relative risk and absolute risk come apart, and why a 5% relative increase can mean very little in absolute termsConfounding, residual confounding and abstainer bias — why abstainers can look worse in the data until you account for who stops drinking and whyGuardrails rather than prohibition: Cliff's dozen beers a month, what he used to tell clients, and why zero-tolerance messaging that diverges from the data erodes trust and tends to fail in clinical practiceCongeners, drink type and individual response, including why some people react differently to whiskey than to vodka — and why no spirit gets you out of a hangover at doseLinchpin behaviours: why both land on physical activity as the thing most worth people's limited attention, and Cliff's case for mindfulness as an effective non-diet interventionChapters00:00 Introduction03:07 Wearables, sleep tracking and step streaks10:38 Does everyone need dedicated cardio15:40 Running, mobility and upping carbohydrate18:31 Carbohydrate during exercise and low-carb dogma28:45 Alcohol guardrails and personal limits33:10 Mortality versus single disease endpoints38:51 Cancer risk, relative and absolute47:29 Confounding, abstainer bias and patterns58:46 Drinking culture and absolutist advice1:07:43 Drink type, congeners and sleep1:13:35 Linchpin behaviours and what matters most1:18:19 Take-homes, recommendations and outroGuest / ResourcesCliff Harvey PhDWebsite: cliffharvey.comHolistic Performance Institute: holisticperformance.instituteInstagram: @cliffdoggydogCliff is a registered clinical nutritionist, a qualified naturopath, and holds a diploma in fitness training and health coaching in patient care. He has over 20 years' experience as a strength and nutrition coach and has been in clinical practice since the late 1990s. His PhD research was in ketosis and ketogenesis, and Mikki helped supervise part of that pathway. In the episode he mentions that a full review on alcohol and mortality was due to go up in the Holistic Performance Institute's database of living review articles.Studies and research discussedZhao et al. (2023), Association Between Daily Alcohol Intake and Risk of All-Cause Mortality: A Systematic Review and Meta-analyses, JAMA Network Open. The meta-analysis at the centre of the conversation, drawing on 107 studies. Cliff's reading is that it shows no healthy dose, but does not establish that there is no safe dose.Health effects associated with alcohol consumption: a Burden of Proof study, Nature Health (2026). Referenced as looking at disease risk rather than mortality.Sarich et al. (2026), Alcohol-attributable cancer risk and burden estimates for Australia's updated alcohol consumption guidelines, British Journal of Cancer. This is the paper Mikki reads figures from during the episode. It reports that for every additional ten drinks per week, the risk of all cancers combined increased by 5%.The 45 and Up Study — the large Australian cohort (over 225,000 participants) that the above cancer analysis draws on, and the source of the absolute risk figures Mikki looks up live.Mendelian randomisation research on alcohol and risk, referred to in general terms rather than as a specific named study.Research on abstainer bias, which Cliff attributes to earlier work by Zhao and colleagues preceding their 2023 meta-analysis.Zinn, Harvey et al. (2023), Exercise and sports performance, a chapter in Ketogenic: The Science of Therapeutic Carbohydrate Restriction in Human Health (Elsevier). The chapter Cliff co-wrote with Caryn Zinn, and the source of his point about low-carb athletes benefiting from carbohydrate during exercise.Cliff also refers to research on Mediterranean diet and drinking patterns, on physical activity as protective against alcohol-related mortality risk, and on mindfulness as a non-diet intervention. These were discussed in general terms and no specific papers were named.People mentionedDr Eric Helms — teaches on the Holistic Performance Institute ...

Medical Disclaimer: The information shared on This Week in HRV is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine. This week on This Week in Heart Rate Variability, we cover six studies that together sketch the future of HRV science. Each one points in a distinct direction: a new metric for measuring rhythm organization across a large psychiatric population, a systematic content audit of consumer HRV apps, a rigorous benchmark of five noninvasive sensor technologies measured simultaneously in the same subjects, a new mathematical framework that challenges the stationarity assumption underlying conventional HRV analysis, a nonlinear dynamical study of group physiological coordination using attractor reconstruction and neural network clustering, and a deep learning system that extracts HRV from facial video alone to detect driver drowsiness at nearly ninety-five percent accuracy. What unites these studies is not a single topic but a shared direction: the field is expanding its metrics, scrutinizing its tools, rethinking its assumptions, and reaching toward applications that would have seemed impractical not long ago. 1. Heart rate fragmentation in psychiatry: across age stages and association with conventional heart rate variability PUBLICATION: Psychiatry Research: NeuroimagingAUTHORS: XinFan Zhang, AiMei Ye, Min Su, Hao Chai, YanYan Wei, YiYi Yang, YuXuan Xiong, Yin Cui, Dan Zhang, Xiong Jiao, HuiRu Cui, LiHua Xu, XiaoChen Tang, HaiChun Liu, MingLiang Ju, LingYun Zeng, ChunBo Li, LiYing Huang, Jin Gao, JiJun Wang, and TianHong Zhang KEY FINDING: Researchers analyzed resting three-minute electrocardiograms from 3,813 patients with schizophrenia, depressive disorder, anxiety disorder, or sleep disorder, ranging in age from 10 to 80 years, treated at the Shanghai Mental Health Center. The study derived both heart rate fragmentation indices—specifically the percentage of inflection points (PIP) and the related percentage of alternating segments (PAS)—alongside conventional HRV measures including RMSSD, SDNN, low-frequency power, and high-frequency power. Heart rate fragmentation increased systematically across age groups, while every conventional HRV index declined. That divergence is the central finding: aging appears to produce both less variability and less organized variability, and these are not the same thing. Partial Spearman correlations and multivariable linear regression confirmed that PIP retained independent associations with all conventional HRV metrics, even after adjusting for available covariates, with the strongest association observed for high-frequency power. Sex differences in fragmentation were confined to adolescence and early adulthood, with males showing higher PIP than females in those life stages, but these differences disappeared by middle and late adulthood. Diagnostic category had a statistically significant main effect on PIP, but the differences between diagnostic groups were modest and did not meaningfully interact with age. SIGNIFICANCE: Heart rate fragmentation asks a different question than conventional HRV metrics. While RMSSD and SDNN measure how much the intervals between heartbeats vary, fragmentation measures how organized that variability is. The consistent independent relationship between PIP and conventional HRV metrics suggests that fragmentation captures something about rhythm organization that amplitude-based measures do not fully account for. Because fragmentation can be computed from the same R-R interval data used in conventional HRV analysis, there is no additional measurement burden when adding it to existing protocols. Read th...

Unlike “normal” global championship years, this professional season ended with three championships of a sort: the Diamond League final, World Ultimate Championships, and World Road Running Championships.As its name implies, the “ultimate” championship feels like the closest thing we had this year to a be-all-end-all determination of who's the best athlete in their respective events, but it's easier to look at the calendar and suggest that success in other forays—whether it's the European Championships, regular-season DL circuit, Commonwealth Games, or something else entirely—could mean the same or more than a trophy in Budapest.That made sorting out our year-end power rankings all the more challenging. How do you account for a steeplechaser who didn't have the option of competing at WUC? Or a sprinter who ran really well, but didn't necessarily face the same competition as a U.S. championship? When we first took on this assignment in June, World Indoors was the single biggest event on the schedule you could point to as evidence of championship mettle, and spillover good vibes from 2025 were still in the air. That's no longer true. 2025, and even this year's indoor season, are both increasingly distant memories. What have you (the top 25 athletes on the track and in the field) done for us lately?As always, there's a healthy dose of subjectivity that goes into these rankings. How do you compare a single-event specialist against a more generalized sprinter or distance runner? How much does consistency over the regular season matter compared to winning when it “counts?” How much does the top-end talent of an event or event group like the women's 800m or the men's pole vault elevate a star who didn't win all that much? How much should you weigh consistently beating a deep field of competition, like in the women's 100m hurdles or men's 100m?Top 25 Track Athletes of 2026:25 – Femke Bol 24 – Djamel Sedjati 23 – Gabby Thomas 22 – Emma Zapletalova 21 – Cooper Lutkenhaus 20 – Keely Hodgkinson 19 – Likina Amebaw 18 – Faith Cherotich 17 – Jakob Ingebrigtsen 16 – Cameron Myers 15 – Georgia Hunter Bell 14 – Klaudia Kazimierska 13 – Oblique Seville 12 – Emmanuel Wanyonyi 11 – Rai Benjamin 10 – Julien Alfred 9 – Marileidy Paulino 8 – Kenny Bednarek 7 – Collen Kebintashipi 6 – Ja'Kobe Tharp 5 – Josh Kerr 4 – Audrey Werro 3 – Melissa Jefferson-Wooden 2 – Alison dos Santos 1 – Masai Russell____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠

What if the way people respond to you is being shaped before you say a word? In this episode, Dr. Andrew Miles explores how heart rate variability (HRV), nervous system regulation, and emotional synchrony may influence trust, conflict, and connection. From couples caught in escalating arguments to people who naturally draw a group's attention, Andrew looks at how our bodies can affect the rhythm of an interaction. He discusses how stress and low HRV may shape the way we read facial expressions and tone, and how calm, breathing, and regulation can help people feel safer and more connected. In this episode, you'll hear about: - How heart rate synchrony can begin before a conversation - The role of emotional contagion in both conflict and connection - How HRV relates to social stress, loneliness, and nervous system regulation - Why some people seem to set the rhythm of a group - The connections Andrew draws between breath, posture, the vagus nerve, and HRV - His use of HRV sensors and EEG headsets in his Chinese medicine practice in Chengdu Andrew also shares traditional Chinese medicine and Taoist perspectives on resonance and the heart's capacity to rest. He closes with ways to observe HRV over time and discusses the customized support offered through his practice. For more about Botanical Biohacking and Andrew's work, visit botanicalbiohacking.com and chorusforlife.com. Want to know if we will be a good fit to work together? Schedule a 15 minute call: Here: https://scheduling.chorusforlife.com/dashboard     References: Cardiac physiological synchrony as a component of social behavior. Autonomic Neuroscience & Disorders, 2025. Mimicry, emotion contagion and HRV synchrony; stronger in close partners; heart-rate synchrony as a trust marker. Physiology & Behavior, 2024. Bidirectional HRV coupling in conversation. PMC, 2026. Therapist regulation transferring to clients; synchrony above chance. Family Process, 2026. HRV synchrony during marital conflict and daytime inflammation. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2018. Loneliness and blunted HRV reactivity; loneliness induction and brain-heart interaction. Biological Psychology, 2024; Social Neuroscience, 2025. Resting HRV governed by the vagus. Biological Psychology, 2024. HRV in Spleen-qi deficiency as a differentiation biomarker. J Acupunct Meridian Stud, 2019; acupuncture vs. moxibustion on HRV in qi deficiency. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu, 2017. Breath-based HRV biofeedback for anxiety and depression, 2020-2025 evidence. European Psychiatry, 2026. Artwork: Sapho And Erinna by Simeon Solomon

Welcome to the Strength Connection!Don Moxley is the Founding creator and Chief Science Officer of Mode+Method, a company bringing HRV+ to market and leading the way on HRV research for health and longevity.In this episode, Don shares his extensive insights on heart rate variability (HRV), its evolution, and practical applications for athletes and individuals seeking peak performance. Discover how HRV can be a powerful tool for recovery, stress management, and optimizing training.Check out more from Don at:https://trainrecoverwin.com/Get the HRV book at:https://trainrecoverwin.com/thehrvbook/

Your wearable gives you a recovery score every morning, but how much should that number influence your training?Adam Pulford breaks down the information coaches actually use when evaluating readiness, including subjective feel, life stress, recent training load, sleep, resting heart rate, and HRV. He also explains why he pays far less attention to proprietary readiness scores and detailed wearable sleep metrics, and why trends are often more useful than one morning's score.HOSTAdam Pulford has been a CTS Coach for nearly two decades and holds a B.S. in Exercise Physiology. He's participated in and coached hundreds of athletes for endurance events all around the world.​​Free Cycling Training Assessment: https://trainright.com/cycling-training-assessment-welcome/Interested in working with a coach? Schedule a free consult: https://trainright.com/coaching/cycling/Self-coached athlete? Check out our TrainRight Membership: https://trainright.com/membership/Find more free resources here: https://trainright.com/blog/Resources:Miller, Sargent & Roach, 2022 — Validation of six wearable devicesDial et al., 2025 — Nocturnal RHR and HRV validationSchyvens et al., 2024 — Systematic review of wearable sleep accuracyManresa-Rocamora et al., 2021 — HRV-guided training meta-analysisSteve House/Uphill Athlete — Practical coaching interpretationJason Koop/CTS — Practical HRV recommendationshttps://trainright.com/practical-heart-rate-variability-recommendations-for-ultrarunners/?utm_source=chatgpt.comMarco Altini — Wearable HRV measurement critiquehttps://marcoaltini.substack.com/p/trusting-the-right-tool-for-the-job?utm_source=chatgpt.comTrainingPeaks — WHOOP integration documentationTrainingPeaks — Oura integration documentationTCC HRV Interview with Jason Koop:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-time-crunched-cyclist-podcast-by-cts/id1494799053?i=1000625446661Using Subjective Feedback to Drive Performance with Natàlia Balagué and Lluc Montull | Koopcast Episode 155https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/koopcast/id1489494447?i=1000587345880The Case For HRV with Marco Altini: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/koopcast/id1489494447?i=1000544394187

Hello everyone. Welcome to the latest episode of The Matchbox Podcast powered by Ignition Coach Co. I'm your host, Adam Saban, and on this week's episode we're talking to the founder and CEO of Tymewear, Arnar Larusson about all things training with ventilation metrics.   As always, if you like what you hear, share this with your friends and leave us a five star review and if you have any questions for the show drop us an email at matchboxpod@gmail.com or head over to ignitioncoachco.com and fill out The Matchbox Podcast listener question form.    Alight let's get into it!   For more social media content, follow along @ignitioncoachco @adamsaban6 @dizzle_dillman @dylanjawnson @kait.maddox       https://www.youtube.com/c/DylanJohnsonCycling https://www.ignitioncoachco.com  https://www.youtube.com/@DrewDillmanChannel   Intro/ Outro music by AlexGrohl - song "King Around Here" - https://pixabay.com/music/id-15045/    The following was generated using Riverside.fm AI technologies   Summary This episode features Arnar Larusson, founder and CEO of Tymewear, talking about why breathing may be the missing signal in endurance training. The discussion centers on how ventilation can give coaches and athletes a more reliable view of internal workload, training zones, fatigue, and perceived exertion than heart rate alone.We also hear from Adam and Dizzle as they pressure-test the practical side of the tech, from zone setup to high-intensity work to whether the strap holds up in winter layers. Key topics Arnar Larusson shares how an engineering background in prosthetics and exosuits led him to endurance physiology and eventually to building a breathing sensor for athletes. The core idea behind Timeware is that lab-grade insights about ventilation, thresholds, and metabolic output were not accessible in the field, so the company built a way to bring that signal outside the lab. Arnar explains why he sees heart rate as only one limited piece of the performance picture, especially when it is affected by heat, altitude, fatigue, and fueling. The episode breaks down why ventilation is a stronger reference point for training zones because it is more directly tied to what the muscles are doing. Arnar walks through the evidence behind poor zone estimation using population averages, including the problem of large error margins and high non-responder rates. Adam and Dizzle dig into the relationship between breathing rate, RPE, and how the strap could help athletes better calibrate effort in real time. The conversation covers why ventilation is especially useful for endurance work and threshold work, while power remains the better guide for short VO2 max intervals. Arnar explains how the strap's dedicated breathing sensor differs from estimating respiration through HRV, especially once exercise intensity rises. They discuss how fatigue, race load, altitude, and heat can distort heart rate and power, while ventilation often stays the steadier anchor. The episode also touches on practical use cases like winter clothing interference, dynamic zones, and how the product may help coaches understand athlete readiness and training response. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction to Arnar Larusson and the breathing sensor concept 00:34 - Arnar's engineering background and the path from prosthetics to exosuits 01:29 - Why lab-grade breathing data mattered in the field 02:49 - The gap between lab testing and real-world athlete feedback 04:43 - Why breathing became the missing performance metric 05:01 - Timeware's launch timeline and the Vital Pro Strap rollout 06:02 - Why heart rate alone is too limited to guide training 07:24 - The problem with population-based training zones 08:51 - Why true VT1 and VT2 zones matter more than estimated percentages 10:15 - Breathing as a cleaner signal than lactate or heart rate 11:41 - Why ventilation works as a foundation for interpreting other metrics 13:40 - The breathing rate and RPE connection 15:20 - How breathing rate can help objectively estimate perceived effort 16:22 - Using resting breathing data to set reserve and calibrate effort 17:38 - Why the strap complements heart rate instead of replacing it 18:35 - How ventilation helps distinguish fitness gains from fatigue effects 20:31 - Why power, heart rate, and ventilation can diverge during long efforts 22:39 - Why ventilation stays stable at altitude while power and heart rate shift 24:02 - How coaches think about custom heart rate zones versus ventilatory zones 26:22 - Ramp testing and how the app builds zones from multiple signals 27:52 - How heart rate responses vary by athlete, fitness, and season 28:58 - Jonas and the Visma example of a large VT1 shift in one month 30:19 - The psychology of getting attached to old training numbers 31:14 - Breathing as a grounding metric for effort perception 33:48 - Why ventilation is closer to a continuous lactate signal than heart rate is 35:48 - Why lactate is useful but delayed and influenced by fueling status 37:30 - The lactate cascade versus the near-instant response of ventilation 39:21 - Which ventilation averaging window works best for different workouts 40:05 - Does fatigue change ventilation, or just power and heart rate? 42:22 - Why stable ventilation can indicate fitness gains even when power rises 45:55 - Backyard ultra example showing breathing rate rising while ventilation stayed flat 48:16 - How coaches can use the data to adjust pacing and training interventions 49:02 - Why fresh legs can still show higher ventilation after racing 50:27 - Listener question on VO2 max workouts and how to use ventilation data 51:13 - Why power or pace is still best for guiding VO2 max intervals 52:39 - Why ventilation shines for endurance and threshold work 54:14 - Why standard VO2 max estimates can badly overstate actual capacity 55:06 - How the app's zone testing improves confidence in training targets 56:27 - Using breathing rate as an RPE-style guide during hard intervals 57:40 - Winter clothing, bib shorts, and sensor interference 60:22 - Dynamic zones and the neural net designed to handle external interference 62:06 - Can ventilation reveal illness or respiratory issues? 64:29 - Anecdotal signs of infection, allergies, or asthma in the signal 65:14 - Current and upcoming integrations with major head units and platforms 67:18 - Why the strap includes both heart rate and a dedicated breathing sensor 68:39 - Why HRV-based respiration estimates break down during exercise 69:39 - Where listeners and coaches can get involved with Timeware

“I've allowed my brain to anchor on the fact that I can run 2:04. It's physically possible — and that's as good as it gets as a signal. Now let's go find out what the trend looks like.”My guest for today's episode is Charles Hicks  and the last time we had him on was right after he ran 2:04:35 at the Boston Marathon. A lot has happened since then. His wife graduated law school. They got married. They went on a honeymoon. And then Charles moved out to Park City, Utah, to train at altitude for the first time in his career — no tent, no simulated environment, just real air at real elevation — for what will be his third marathon in less than a year.That third marathon is the Chicago Marathon, and Charles is going into it with a specific goal he's been comfortable saying out loud: he finished second American in New York, second American in Boston, and now he wants to be first American in Chicago. The American record conversation is happening around him — Clayton Young has called his shot publicly — but Charles's approach to it is characteristically his own. Beat the guy next to you. Let the record follow if it's going to.In this conversation, he takes us through how Chicago has been on the plan since a text thread in 2024 where he and Jerry mapped out New York, Boston, Chicago in sequence; we get into some of his training and what organic altitude training has taught him about pacing discipline that sea-level training couldn't and much more. He's one of the most philosophical marathoners you'll find.Discussed in this episode:– Organic altitude — why no tent in Park City– What altitude training actually teaches you– The timeline from Boston to Chicago– The goal for Chicago — first American, not the American record– “Anchor” versus “ceiling” — a key distinction– The mileage log for this block– Daisy-chaining — the philosophy behind the continuous training– The earache that set up the best workout of his career– What the taper feels like after 125-130 mile weeks– The Vinny Mauri subplot– The track work– Training alongside Cole Sprout and Kieran Tuntivate– The brain podcast on solo easy runs– Race day logistics+ More____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. ⁠⁠Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.⁠

Part one was how to look like yourself again. Part two was how to feel like yourself again. Part three is who you actually are, and it's the one that decides whether any of it sticks. I open with something heavy from this week: I can't talk about peptides on Instagram anymore. I had to archive about 20 posts, my TikTok was deleted, and I've been blocked from DMs for three days. So I talk about building on borrowed land, and where I can still speak freely. Then the three women I meet over and over. The one who knows exactly what to do and still hasn't started. The one who changes for a few weeks and then life creeps in. And the one who's waiting to feel ready. I go into why willpower runs out, why it's cyclical and tied to your hormones, and the five days I took completely off this month while my HRV sat in the 80s. Then what actually builds it: deciding who she is out loud instead of setting a goal, one decision a day that she would make, changing the inputs instead of the intentions, and refusing to do it alone. Plus the question I asked a client this week that stopped her cold: what does it cost you to feel like this for another year? This is for education, not medical advice. If you want to do this work with me, The Spark is open, and there are three spots left. One on one, 12 weeks, future self activations plus labs, nutrition, protocols and peptides. Join The LongHer Life Longevity Community for women-specific guidance on peptides, hormones, longevity and soul.   LISTEN TO THE FULL SERIES Part 1, how to look like yourself again: https://biohackingbrittany.com/blogs/podcast/how-to-look-like-yourself-again Part 2, how to feel like yourself again: https://biohackingbrittany.com/blogs/podcast/how-to-feel-like-yourself-again   TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Welcome back, and why I can't talk about peptides on Instagram 03:24 Building on borrowed land, and why email matters 05:59 Part 3 of 3: look, feel, and now be 06:56 The woman who knows exactly what to do 08:42 The woman who changes for a few weeks 09:57 Willpower is cyclical, and your hormones run it 11:11 The five days I took off, and what my HRV did 12:51 The woman who is waiting to feel ready 15:30 Decide who she is, out loud 17:06 One decision a day that she would make 22:30 Change the inputs, and stop doing it alone 25:12 The Spark, three spots left   Instagram and TikTok @biohackingbrittany Shop everything I use at biohackingbrittany.com This episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice.

Today is how to FEEL like yourself again, and better, because you can get the body and still not feel like you. I start with the sentence I hear on every call: "I just don't feel like myself." Then the three ways it actually shows up. Feeling flat with no spark, even when life looks good on paper. Tired but wired, snapping over nothing, awake at 3 AM. And numb, living in your head, disconnected from your own body. Then the solutions. Breath and long exhales, heart coherence at about six breaths a minute, and what your HRV and resting heart rate are really telling you. The labs I want you to look at, including a four point cortisol test and blood work through Function Health. And the deepest one, the future self activation I do every morning, plus the alignment questions that decide whether any of it sticks. If you want to do this work with me, The Spark is open. One on one, three months, activations plus labs, nutrition, protocols and peptides. There are 8 spots and application calls are 15 minutes.   I TALK ABOUT: 00:00 Welcome back, and what part 2 is 01:44 What women mean by "I don't feel like myself" 03:08 The Exhale replay, and The Spark 05:00 Feeling flat, with no spark 07:36 What flat looks like on your labs 09:04 Tired but wired, and the snapping 10:05 The cortisol curve and the 3 AM wake up 14:37 Numb and out of your body 19:15 Breath, long exhales and regulating daily 21:38 Heart coherence, and what your HRV is telling you 26:41 Labs, a 4 point cortisol test and Function Health 31:24 The future self activation, and the alignment questions   RESOURCES: The Spark, my one on one program, 8 spots Function Health, about $25 off with my link The LongHer Life Longevity Community Part 1: How to Look Like Yourself Again, and Better The Exhale, my free masterclass replay, up until Sunday night   Part three drops tomorrow: BE like yourself again. The LongHer Life, formerly Biohacking with Brittany, is the podcast for women who want to live longer and better, from hormones and peptides to meditation and energy.   This episode is for education only and isn't medical advice.

What if your body is warning you that you're under-recovered, under-fueled, or hormonally struggling—before your performance ever drops?Dr. Stacy Sims is back on Crackin' Backs, and this time we go beyond “women are not small men” to answer a more important question:How can women actually learn to read what their bodies are telling them?Stacy breaks down the early warning signs many active women overlook—from changes in sleep, menstrual cycles and HRV to iron deficiency, appetite, body temperature, fatigue and recovery.We also get into why a woman can still be training hard, hitting PRs and looking incredibly fit while her body may already be struggling underneath.In this conversation, we explore:• The early signs of under-recovery and overtraining in women• Why your menstrual cycle can act as a vital sign• What HRV may—and may not—be telling female athletes• The connection between iron deficiency and changes in HRV• Why waking up exhausted despite enough sleep matters• How under-fueling and low energy availability affect recovery• Why women may lose normal hunger and thirst signals during heavy training• When to push through a workout—and when to back off• Why your wearable's “recovery score” may not tell the whole story• How strength training supports women and girls across the lifespan• Why female athletes need a different approach to training, recovery and injury prevention• The growing problem of applying male-based research and algorithms to female physiology• How AI could amplify misinformation in women's healthStacy also shares a simple morning check-in women can use before blindly following a training plan or fitness watch: How did you wake up? What is your resting heart rate doing? Are you thirsty? How do your muscles feel? What happens after you fuel?The goal isn't to collect more data.It's to understand what your body is trying to tell you.If you're an active woman, female athlete, coach, parent, trainer or healthcare professional—or simply want to better understand women's health, hormones, exercise, nutrition and recovery—this conversation is for you.▶️ Watch to the end, and if conversations like this help you make better decisions about your health, subscribe to Crackin' Backs. We bring leading experts in physical, mental and nutritional health directly to you every week.Learn more about Dr. Stacy Sims:Dr. Stacy SimsLearn more about Collective X:Stacy's new women's health intelligence platform is working to close the female health data gap with vetted, women-specific research and evidence-backed insights.Collective X Health#StacySims #WomensHealth #FemaleAthlete #WomensFitness #Overtraining #Recovery #FemalePhysiology #StrengthTraining #Hormones #HRV #MenstrualCycle #SportsScience #CrackinBacksWe are two sports chiropractors, seeking knowledge from some of the best resources in the world of health. From our perspective, health is more than just “Crackin Backs” but a deep dive into physical, mental, and nutritional well-being philosophies. Join us as we talk to some of the greatest minds and discover some of the most incredible gems you can use to maintain a higher level of health. Crackin Backs Podcast

Mikael Eriksson and Jack Hutchens answer listener questions, starting with a long look at how to fit a marathon into a triathlon year: when to do it, how much running it takes, what happens to the swim and the bike, and how far the long run really should be. Then questions on racing a 70.3 inside a base phase, coming back from overtraining syndrome, and whether you have to dig a hole to get supercompensation.We do listener Q&As monthly, the last Thursday every month.HIGHLIGHTS AND KEY TOPICS:Where a marathon fits in a triathlon year, autumn against spring, and the one situation where the less obvious option is the right call.Setting run mileage when you are also swimming and biking. Why the starting point is your own running history rather than a plan chosen by goal time, and what is wrong with how most marathon plans are built.A pro triathlete with a 60-minute record of 400 W at 78 kg asks why a 2:30 marathon still feels far away. What VO2max and fractional utilisation leave as the only possible explanation, and what can and cannot be changed about it.Long run distance against total volume, and the main point of disagreement between Mikael and Jack for this episode. Plus how far the longest long run should go, banded by goal time from a first marathon through to sub-2:30.Quads as the limiter in the marathon, from a listener with a 1:17 half and a 3:01 Ironman marathon. Conditioning, cadence, shoe drop and fuelling, and which of those actually matters.Racing a 70.3 in the middle of a base phase. The question to answer before you decide, and where Mikael and Jack come down differently on treating a race as a training day.Returning to training after overtraining syndrome. What to monitor on the way back, why HRV gets less weight here than you might expect, and the case study of a world-class skier who came back from underperformance to the top.Whether supercompensation requires digging a hole. Thirty-three trained triathletes, a three-week overload block into a four-week taper, and what separated the group that gained the most from the group that spent the study getting sick.SHOWNOTES, LINKS, RESOURCES AND RELATED EPISODES:That Triathlon Show Community on ROUVYThat Triatlon Show Group Ride on ROUVY - 5 October, 18:00 CET (12pm ET, 9am PT), 25 km / 15.5 miles on the Kona bike course. Social ride, easy, everybody is welcome regardless of speed! Ask us questions via our contact form, and on our InstagramFollow Jack on his coach page and InstagramThe shownotes for today's episode can be found here.The full podcast episode archives (including category filters) can be found here.Related episodes:Rune Kjøsen Talsnes, PhD | EP#427Modern marathon training principles and preparation with running coach John DavisStudies discussed:Functional overreaching: the key to peak performance during the taper? - Aubry et al. 2014Functional overreaching in endurance athletes: a necessity or cause for concern? - Bellinger 2020The return from underperformance to sustainable world-class level: a case study of a male cross-country skier - Talsnes et al. 2023Warning signs, monitoring tools, and actions taken by world-class endurance coaches in cases of underperformance - Talsnes et al. 2024Sex differences in self-reported causes, symptoms, and recovery strategies associated with underperformance in endurance athletes - Agudo-Ortega et al. 2024 SPONSORS: Precision Fuel & Hydration produce our favourite gels, sports drinks, and electrolyte and carbohydrate products here at That Triathlon Show and Scientific Triathlon. Use the free Fuel & Hydration Planner to get a personalised plan for your carbohydrate, sodium and fluid intake in your next event, and get 15% off your first 2026 order by using the code TTS2026 at checkout. Rouvy is hands down the most complete indoor cycling platform for triathletes. Among their thousands of beautiful bike courses from all around the world, all filmed in stunning quality, they have over 75 IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 race courses plus 20+ Challenge Family courses, so you can pre-ride your race from home. Real gradients, real visuals, and real feel! Head to rouvy.com and use the code TTS to get your first month free on top of a 7-day free trial. Effortless Swimming produce the best swim goggles for triathletes and open water swimmers. Their NanoClear anti-fog lenses give you clear, fog-free vision that lasts and doesn't wear off. Don't let foggy or leaky goggles ruin another swim. Go to shop.effortlessswimming.com and use the code TTS15 to get 15% off your goggles, and get a free two-month Effortless Swimming course membership.LEARN MORE ABOUT SCIENTIFIC TRIATHLON: The Scientific Triathlon website is the home of That Triathlon Show and everything else that we doContact us through our contact form or email me directly (note - email/contact form messages get responded to much more quickly than Instagram DMs)Subscribe to our NewsletterFollow us on InstagramLearn more about our coaching, training plans, and training camps. We have something to offer for everybody from beginners to professionals.HOW CAN I SUPPORT THAT TRIATHLON SHOW (FOR FREE)? I really appreciate you reading this and considering helping the show! If you love the show and want to support it to help ensure it sticks around, there are a few very simple things you can do, at no cost other than a minute of your time. Subscribe to the podcast in your podcast app to automatically get all new episodes as they are released.Tell your friends, internet and social media friends, acquaintances and triathlon frenemies about the podcast. Word of mouth is the best way to grow the podcast by far!Rate and review the podcast (ideally five stars of course!) in your podcast app of choice (Spotify and Apple Podcasts are the biggest and most important ones).Share episodes online and on social media. Share your favourite episodes in your Instagram stories, start a discussion about interesting episodes on forums, reference them in your blog or Substack. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this Wellness Tech Series episode, Nurse Doza breaks down SONA — an AI-powered earpiece that delivers gentle vagus nerve stimulation at the cymba concha, the one spot in the outer ear where a branch of the vagus nerve reaches the surface. He explains how the paired app reads heart rate variability in real time, why HRV is a window into stress and recovery, and how short guided breath and audio sessions are designed to fit a schedule with no room for a long meditation. FEATURED PARTNER SONA is an AI-powered wearable vagus nerve stimulator. It sits on the ear and delivers low-level, non-invasive electrical stimulation at the cymba concha — the auricular branch of the vagus nerve — while the companion app tracks heart rate variability so users can watch their own trend across a session. Guided breath work and audio pairings are built in, the app has no monthly subscription, and the device ships with a 30-day money-back guarantee and a 1-year warranty. It's the tool Nurse Doza reaches for when the problem isn't knowing how to relax — it's having ten minutes and a way to tell whether anything actually happened.

Episode #236 of the PricePlow Podcast welcomes back Kris Gethin, the Welsh-born natural bodybuilder, former Bodybuilding.com Editor-in-Chief, and co-founder of Unmatched Supps and Nova Prime Labs. It’s Kris’s first full episode with us since Episode #012 back in 2018, well before Ben joined as co-host, though longtime listeners got an update on his current chapter when Unmatched co-founder Doug Miller stopped by Episode #219 earlier this year. This wide-ranging conversation covers how Kris and Doug built Unmatched around an all-natural, no-sucralose philosophy, why the line between biohacking and being natural keeps blurring, and how Kris’s own protocol includes stem cell therapy, peptides, EMF mitigation, and regular blood donation. Kris also gives PricePlow its deepest look yet at Unmatched’s upcoming Longevity Bar, 16 months in development, plus previews of a reformulated BH2K, an ElectraShred stick-pack launch, and the new Unmatched University education platform. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for Unmatched Supps alerts before diving in! https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/kris-gethin-biohacking-236 Video: Biohacking, Peptides, and the Longevity Bar with Kris Gethin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMiOysYRcwA Detailed Show Notes: Kris Gethin on Unmatched Supps, Longevity, and Biohacking (0:00) – Introductions (1:30) – How Unmatched Supps Came Together with Doug Miller (5:30) – Redefining “Natural” in the Age of Biohacking (9:00) – Trial, Error, and How Kris Found Biohacking (12:15) – Updating the Training Approach: From Low Reps to High Volume (14:30) – What Kris Would Tell His 30-Year-Old Self (17:00) – Stem Cells, Surgery-Free Recovery, and CPI (20:30) – Scaling Academies and Trainer Education in India (23:15) – Inside Kris’s Current Peptide Protocol (26:00) – Biological Age, HRV, and the Limits of Quantified Self (31:00) – Heavy Metals, the Gold Tooth Story, and an Overlooked Toxic Load (36:30) – Turning Off Wi-Fi at Night and the EMF Research Ahead (42:15) – Blood Donation, EBO2, and a Preview of the Ultimate Wellness Conference (47:00) – 16 Months in the Making: The Longevity Bar (54:15) – Why Unmatched Will Never Use Sucralose (1:00:00) – The EMF-Blocking Fanny Pack and Other Travel Must-Haves (1:03:00) – Minimum Viable Biohacking: Sauna, Light, and Grounding (1:09:15) – From Lifting to Iron Man: Building Durability for Endurance Sports (1:13:15) – Injuries, Volume, and Feeling Vindicated (1:20:00) – Swimming Technique and the VASA Trainer (1:25:15) – Navigating Social Media Bans in the Peptide Space (1:26:30) – What’s Next: BH2K, Dissident, and Unmatched University (1:29:30) – Closing Thoughts: The Business Leaders Kris Admires Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Kris Gethin and Unmatched Supps LinkedIn: Kris Gethin Instagram: @krisgethin …

In this episode of the Heart Rate Variability Podcast, Matt Bennett talks with Tony Crescenzo, founder and CEO of Peak Neuro and a former U.S. Marine, about heart rate variability, trauma, resilience, neuroscience, and human performance. Tony explores how prolonged exposure to high-stress environments can affect the autonomic nervous system and why resilience requires a highly individualized approach. He also explains why HRV should be understood in context rather than viewed simply as a score where higher is always better. Matt and Tony discuss the neurological challenges faced by veterans and active-duty service members, the difference between resilience and recovery, somatic approaches to trauma, neuromodulation, and Peak Neuro's approach to combining HRV with brain activity and other physiological measurements. Tony also shares experiences from his Marine Corps career and discusses how they have shaped his current work in neuroscience and human performance. The conversation concludes with a look at the growing role of AI, neuroscience, and cognitive-performance technology in military resilience and the future of human optimization. Learn more: Optimal HRV — https://www.optimalhrv.com Peak Neuro — https://peakneuro.com For educational purposes only. This podcast is not intended as medical advice.

“The best athlete has short-term memory. After good races you push it away, and after bad races you just forget and move on.”My guest for today's episode is Klaudia Kazimierska — the World Ultimate champion at 1500 meters and one of the biggest breakthrough stories in track and field this year. She is 25 years old, a Nike pro, and trains under coach Jerry Schumacher in Eugene, Oregon. Her past month is the type of season most athletes would dream of.Here is how September went for Klaudia. She broke the Polish national record early in the month at the Silesia Diamond League. Then she went to Brussels and won the Diamond League Final in 3:54.05 — a world lead, a meet record, and a Polish record again all in the same race. Then she came back a week later and won the World Ultimate Championship 1500 meter final. Then she capped her season in London with another victory over Hunter Bell.  In those last three races, she earned $275,000 in prize money.In this one, we go back to Poland,  where she started running once a week at eleven years old because her dad knew the coach, ran 4:07 at nineteen and thought the Tokyo Olympics were right around the corner, then went backward. In 2021, frustrated and looking for something new, she started the paperwork to transfer to Oregon — a process complicated enough that it took a year. She's made the Olympic and World Championship finals in the last two years, but 2026 was really the breakthrough. Brussels was the first time she put herself in a position to win. Then Budapest was the second.We discuss:– The season that still hasn't fully settled in highlighted by three wins in three weeks — Diamond League final (Brussels), World Ultimate Championships (Budapest), Athlos London. Total prize earnings: approximately $275,000.– Growing up in Poland– Representing Poland at sixteen — and who else was there– The road to the University of Oregon– The language barrier and the fear of not being herself– The training difference — Poland vs. Eugene– The four-year plateau at 4:07– The Paris Olympic final — and why she cried on a day she ran a PB– What nobody knew about the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Championships– The torn hip labrum that almost ended 2025 before it started– The Tokyo World Championships and the first real glimpse of her kick– Pre-Classic as the tactical lesson that made Brussels possible– Brussels Diamond League Final— the shadow on the home straight: 3:54, the world lead.– Budapest — the gear shift, the last 50 meters, and knowing everyone else was hurting too.– London — finding the inside rail+ What's next____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: Like sparkling apple juice and gummy apple rings blending into one, Olipop's Crisp Apple is so tantalizingly sweet and refreshing it makes every day feel like a celebration. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.KAIZEN: kaizen is a training app that starts with your running history to set the baseline and then updates around the training you do. kaizen looks at the bigger picture of your training to know your current fitness. The app translates your last few months of training into an accurate view of how your current fitness, taking a big picture view that quiets the noise of individual workouts. Download today in the App Store or Google Play and get two weeks free with code CITIUS within the app.

“I haven't really taken the time to appreciate it yet. I think if you had told me on the front end that was going to happen, I would have been floored. But now I'm just like, okay, I gotta refocus on marathon training.”My guest for today's episode is Emma Grace Hurley and since we last had her on in May, a lot has happened. She went to Copenhagen last weekend and finished fifth at the World Athletics Road Running Championships in a personal best of 1:06:23, an American record for an all-women's race. She also helped the United States women's team claim the silver medal — a result that, going into the day, wasn't even on anyone's radar. The team went 5th, 6th, and 7th with her, Weini Kelati, and Jess McClain all finishing within 30 seconds of each other, and the photo of the three of them at the finish is one of those American women's distance running moments that we want to blow up into a poster.In 19 days, she runs the Chicago Marathon for her debut at the distance. So there was no easing into the post-Copenhagen glow, no week off, no victory lap. She got home, got drug tested, and went back to training.Emma Grace is an ASICS athlete who trains under Andrew and Amy Begley at Heartland Track Club in Indianapolis. She came into this season as the American record holder at 8K, won the USATF 10-Mile title at Cherry Blossom, and finished second at the USATF 5K Championships in her own city. The Copenhagen team silver was the chapter that closed out the Atlanta misdirection story from March, where she was one of the three athletes who was sent off course in the closing mile of the US half marathon championships and ultimately earned her spot in Copenhagen through the special exception World Athletics granted.Discussed in this episode:– Copenhagen hasn't settled in yet– Why Chicago– The two-marathon plan before the Olympic Trials– Coach Andrew Begley's training philosophy– The Jenny Simpson's quote that she carries– The heat disruption in Indiana this Summer– What the Mini 10K taught her– What Falmouth taught her– The Copenhagen race plan — and where it went sideways– The photo at the finish line with Jess McClain– American women's distance depth– The Copenhagen post-race chaos– Andrew's assessment post-race– The women's-only record bonus– What she doesn't know she doesn't know– How to cheer for her in Chicago– Why she's a little sad marathon training is almost over____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra's lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra's Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don't just run. Vanish. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to ⁠⁠AltraRunning.com⁠⁠ and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase.⁠⁠⁠⁠SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Don't let wearable technology be the end all, be all.Wearables can give us a TON of useful information, but are we letting the numbers on our wrists make too many decisions for us?In this episode, we're talking about recovery scores, HRV, readiness, heart rate, training data, and why your watch should be a tool, not the one calling the shots. I'll break down how to use your data alongside RPE, how you actually feel, your recent training, and the bigger picture so you can make smarter decisions about your training.We'll also talk about Strong in Fall, what the 21-day challenge is all about, and why I want the focus to be less on perfect workouts and more on building strength, consistency, and a body you trust.Because fitness isn't just about collecting data or checking a workout off your list.It's about building the strength, endurance, and confidence to say YES to more life.Train with Confidence:COMMIT30 for 30% off Commit for life.FALL30 for 30% off each month for 3-months, then 10% per month for life.

From smartwatches to fitness trackers, more of us than ever are monitoring our health in real time. With just a glance at our wrist, we can check our step count, sleep quality, heart rate and, more recently, something called HRV. But what do these numbers actually mean? And more importantly, how can we use them to improve our lives? I'm joined by Dr Malcolm Finlay to break down the data behind the devices. He explains how to turn confusing metrics into meaningful action. helping you adjust your training, manage stress, and make smarter decisions for your health.

Medical Disclaimer: The information shared on This Week in HRV is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health routine. This week on This Week in Heart Rate Variability, we explore how deeply HRV is woven into the biology of mental health. Five studies examine this connection from very different perspectives: structural changes in the brain, biofeedback training for medical students, resting HRV and psychological distress, early prediction of post-stroke depression, and an AI model designed to anticipate depressive episodes in bipolar disorder. 1. Five weeks of daily HRV biofeedback changes the structural relationship between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex PUBLICATION: International Journal of PsychophysiologyAUTHORS: Kalekirstos Alemu, Hyun Joo Yoo, Kaoru Nashiro, Jungwon Min, Padideh Nasseri, Christine Cho, Paul Choi, Shelby L. Bachman, Shai Porat, Shubir Dutt, Julian F. Thayer, and Mara Mather KEY FINDING: Researchers analyzed brain scans from younger and older adults who completed five weeks of daily biofeedback practice. Participants were assigned either to increase heart rate oscillations through slow, resonant breathing or to keep their heart rate relatively steady. In the HRV-enhancing condition, changes in left amygdala volume showed an inverse relationship with changes in the right orbitofrontal cortex—a pattern absent in the comparison condition. Coordinated structural changes were also identified across several prefrontal, motor, sensory, and parietal regions. Both younger and older adults demonstrated similar patterns of structural covariance, although the study's smaller older-adult sample means the age-related findings should be considered exploratory. SIGNIFICANCE: Previous research has linked higher HRV to stronger functional communication between the amygdala and the prefrontal cortex. This study adds a structural layer to that evidence, suggesting HRV biofeedback may influence the coordinated physical architecture of brain regions responsible for emotional regulation. The findings support the neurovisceral integration model, in which the prefrontal cortex helps regulate amygdala-driven emotional and threat responses. They also provide a possible biological mechanism for the use of HRV biofeedback alongside established treatments for anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder. Read the full study 2. HRV biofeedback produces large reductions in stress, anxiety, and depression among medical students PUBLICATION: Physiological ReportsAUTHORS: Gabriela Panayotova and Margarita Velikova KEY FINDING: Forty-seven international medical students were followed for approximately three months. Students with elevated stress or affective symptoms entered an HRV biofeedback program consisting of two supervised 30-minute sessions per week, while a separate group received no intervention. Within the biofeedback group, perceived stress, anxiety, and depression declined significantly, with large effect sizes ranging from approximately 1.28 to 1.86. Clinically meaningful improvement—defined as a reduction of at least 20%—was reported by: 87.5% of the biofeedback group on the Beck Anxiety Inventory, compared with 34.8% of controls 79.2% on the depression inventory, compared with 34.8% of controls 70.8% on a separate anxiety scale, compared with 8.7% of controls 62.5% on perceived stress, compared with 39.1% of controls During individual sessions, heart rate decreased b...

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia recap the World Road Running Championships, the ATHLOS London experience and some news on the future cities hosting the World Championships. Plus: Some big personal news.Discussed in this episode:– CITIUS MAG baby: Chris and Kari announced their pregnancy the day before recording. Baby due February 2027.– Nairobi gets the 2029 World Championships — the first senior global outdoor championship on the African continent, in the country that has produced more all-time greats than arguably any other. They've invested heavily in renovating the Kasarani Stadium. The altitude is roughly 5,500-6,000 feet — slightly higher than Boulder.– Munich 2031: Strong choice. Europeans 2022 in Munich was widely regarded as one of the best championships many attendees had seen. Germany has hosted World Championships before (Berlin 2009).– Athlos London — Preet's first-time assessment: The vibe was much closer to what he'd hoped World Ultimates would feel like– Keely's all-black Nike speed suit was stunning up close — the aerodynamic studs were coloured in a rainbow and changed colour in the light. Keely spoke clearly about the work that went into it and confirmed: it is within the current rules.– Women's mile: Agathe Guillemot (France) wins in 4:22 over Frewenyi Hilou. Fearless racing, earned gold after finishing fourth at both World Indoors and Europeans this year.– Women's 5K: Likina Amebaw (Ethiopia) wins in 14:41. Third major win to close the season: second at DL final, won World Ultimates, won World Road.– Men's 5K — biggest upset of the weekend: Dawit Seare from Eritrea — who Jakob had already passed — rallies in the final fifty meters and catches him at the line. Seare wins in 12:56. Jakob second in 12:59.– Women's half marathon — Agnes Ngetich, world record 65:15: Goes with the lead before 3K and turns it into a race for silver and bronze. Wins by 50 seconds (the cross country title in Tallahassee was by f42).– US women team silver: Emma Grace Hurley, Weini Kelati, Jess McClain go 5-6-7 — first time three Americans have broken 67 minutes in the same race– Emma Grace Hurley, 66:23: PB by 72 seconds. Women's-only American record. Moves to number three on the US all-time list. She is in the 2028 Olympic marathon trials contender bracket — before she has run one. Chicago debut: 2:19-2:20 on the table?– Men's half marathon — Andreas Almgren, European record 58:06: First European to win the half marathon World Championships since 1996. He is very fit. New York marathon field just got significantly more complicated.____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra's lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra's Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don't just run. Vanish. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to ⁠⁠AltraRunning.com⁠⁠ and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase.⁠⁠⁠SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠.

Fascia, lymphatic drainage, and HRV training: four episodes' worth of lessons, distilled into one solo recap you can actually use.Freddie opens with Lauren Sambitaro's cadaver-workshop story: two women of similar age, wildly different fascia — one pliable and gel-like, one dried out and restrictive. The lesson isn't just about fascia itself, it's about hydration. Freddie breaks down a simple daily water target (body weight ÷ 2 = ounces), why filtered/reverse-osmosis water can leave you mineral-depleted even while "hydrated," and why a sedentary, shallow-breathing lifestyle stalls the lymphatic system that's supposed to clear cellular waste in the first place. He shares a free biofeedback hack — a belt or necktie wrapped around the belly to feel diaphragmatic breath — and talks through his own recovery from abdominal adhesions using long, breath-paired fascia holds.From there, he revisits Dr. Paul Savage's take on total plasma exchange (TPE): a real, medically-used detox therapy that's gained mainstream buzz, but — per Savage himself — isn't necessary for everyone, and runs $6,000–$13,000 per treatment in the US. Freddie's framing stays consistent with the show's editorial stance: TPE is promising, but it's not independently validated as a must-have, and the same detox pathway (the lymphatic system) can be supported for free through movement, breath, and sauna use. He references a commonly-cited figure — a 40% reduction in all-cause mortality from frequent sauna use — while flagging it as a bold, widely-repeated claim worth treating with appropriate skepticism rather than as settled science.The episode closes with Matt Bennett's HRV and resonance breathing work: an affordable, no-affiliate-code tracker ($150, lifetime access) that Freddie contrasts with thousand-dollar biofeedback and EEG sessions — the tool doesn't need to be expensive to be effective, it needs to be used consistently. Freddie shares his own nightly and morning routine (dark room, no late eating, morning sunlight, red-tinted glasses) as the "boring" foundation underneath all the higher-tech tools in his home, and tells the story of sharing that tech with a local high school football player — watching him regain mobility and turn in a standout game the same night.The through-line: expensive, cutting-edge therapeutics have real value, but they're not required. Movement, breath, hydration, and consistency are free, unglamorous, and still do most of the work.Episode Highlights 00:00 Introduction to Body Wisdom and Self-Listening00:30 Balancing External Guidance with Inner Signals01:27 Tools and Therapeutics Discussed02:26 Recap of Recent Episodes and Key Lessons02:56 Lauren Sambitaro's Cadaver Workshop Insights04:21 Hydration, Fascia, and Pain Management05:50 Lymphatic System and Movement Strategies07:15 Breathwork and Nervous System Awareness09:08 Therapeutic Techniques for Fascia and Adhesions11:26 Total Plasma Exchange and Detoxification13:48 Measuring Toxins and Personalizing Detox14:42 Sweating, Sauna, and Toxin Elimination16:00 Heart Rate Variability and Resonant Breathing17:00 Affordable Biofeedback and Self-Regulation18:53 Overwhelm and Simplifying Health Practices20:10 Sleep Hygiene and Daily Routines22:07 Sharing Wellness Practices with Others23:31 Success Stories and Community Impact24:59 Resources, Courses, and Next StepsUpgrade Your WellnessLightpath LED Red Light Therapy — Full-body and targeted red light therapy designed to support recovery, cellular energy, circulation, and everyday wellness. Use code BEAUTIFULLYBROKEN for a discount on all products.AuraWell PEMF + MagnaWave — Explore FDA-cleared AuraWell PEMF technology for at-home recovery, along with MagnaWave systems used by practitioners for performance and wellness applications. Learn what device is right for you and Book A Call.Silver Biotics Wound Healing Gel — A water-based silver hydrogel wound dressing designed for moist wound care and protection of minor cuts, abrasions, lacerations, skin irritations, and first- and second-degree burns. Use code BEAUTIFULLYBROKEN for 30% off.MaxGen Labs — At-home genetic testing that analyzes more than 200 genetic variations across areas including methylation, folate and B12 pathways, detoxification, hormone metabolism, sleep, energy, focus, and nutrition. This is the report I personally used to optimize my lifestyle and supplements for better health outcomes. CONNECT WITH FREDDIEThe Biological BlueprintWebsite and StoreInstagramYouTubeBook A Call Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A client DM about a fancy body-composition scale sends Krysta down a rabbit hole about why we're all so obsessed with gathering more data, more tools, and more frameworks — and why that obsession is quietly becoming our favorite form of procrastination. In this episode we dive into:• Why "I need more information" has become the most respectable-looking excuse for not taking action• How to tell the difference between genuinely useful data and anxiety dressed up as research• The real reason your consistency streaks don't add up the way you think they do• A simple 5-question filter to run before you buy the next tool, course, or coachThe Information Trap• A client asks about a fancy body-fat scale — and it turns out the real driver is anxiety, not data• We can now track nearly everything: sleep, HRV, macros, funnel conversions, open rates• Availability of information is starting to masquerade as necessity — being able to know something doesn't mean you need to• Watching everyone else's scans and rings online makes you wonder if that's the missing piece you're behind onWhy This Feels So Comforting• A "missing variable" is comforting because it means the past wasn't your fault — you just didn't have the right tool yet• Krysta's honest audit of her own nutrition tracking showed she wasn't nearly as consistent as she believed• Scrolling for the next framework or hack can quietly become procrastination that feels like progress• Pulling back from social media and asking "what am I here for?" led to more creativity, not lessBuilding Evidence You Can Actually Trust• Taking longer on something, like a client presentation, can prove you've leveled up — not that you're behind• Real self-trust means taking action before you feel certain, then using the results as evidence• Krysta's 45+ pound nutrition transformation came from raising her standards everywhere, not chasing a new supplement or metric• Relationships hold up a mirror — the standards she built for herself became the ones she wanted in a partnerFix Tip of the WeekBefore you add another tool, metric, or challenge, ask:• What exact problem am I expecting this to solve?• What decision will I make differently once I have this info?• Have I really followed through enough on what I know to say it isn't working?• Am I looking for information, or just reassurance?• If I follow through, then what happens next?No Such Thing of the WeekThere is no such thing as a piece of information that can replace the power of simply following through.Whether you're eyeing a new gadget for your fitness plateau or a new framework for your content, the answer usually isn't out there — it's in doing what you already know to do, long enough to find out what happens.Looking for more on this topic? Check out Episode 45 where we talk about the trap of over-optimizing everything.Follow Krysta:⁠@thekrystahuber⁠⁠⁠⁠@thefitnessfyx⁠⁠⁠@thespreadmktg ⁠

What happens when we stop guessing and actually start paying attention to what our body is telling us? This was one of those conversations where I could've kept talking for another three hours. Dr. Kristen Holmes is the Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist at Whoop, and she works with some of the best athletes and teams in the world, including Ferrari F1 and Paris Saint-Germain. We got into data, HRV, recovery, overtraining, women's health, perimenopause, sleep, fuelling, the menstrual cycle and why being absolutely farkin' exhausted shouldn't be considered normal. We also went deep on the psychology of performance, self-efficacy, trauma and the weird ways the things that once helped us survive can become the things that hold us back. And then I shared with Kristen the slightly uncomfortable realisation for me that a lot of what I thought was toughness in my boxing years may actually have been me being chronically under-recovered and under-fuelled. Kristen is ridiculously knowledgeable, but she's also incredibly open about her own story, including childhood trauma, elite sport, burnout and learning how to move from achievement and fear towards actually living with more joy and agency. Basically, there's a LOT in this one. Data nerds, athletes, women over 40, high performers and anyone who's ever worn exhaustion like a badge of honour, you're going to LOVE this one. SPONSORED BY TESTART FAMILY LAWYERS Website: www.testartfamilylawyers.com.au DR. KRISTEN HOLMES Website: drkristenholmes.com/ TIFFANEE COOK Linktree: linktr.ee/rollwiththepunches Website: tiffcook.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

THE GREG CARRASCO SHOW — September 19, 2026Greg has one question this morning and he gives it all three hours: what was your first car? His was a silver 1983 Dodge Reliant with red velour interior that hit 400 degrees in July and stuck to the back of your legs like a hug from a stranger. He was 21. He has never loved a car more.The argument underneath it is that the first car was never really the car. It was the first place on earth that was yours, and the exact second a kid turns into a person is the first time they back out of a driveway alone. Slacker Nation calls all morning to prove him right: a '67 Beetle, a rusted-out '76 Rabbit his mother called cute, a 1966 Triumph Herald no mechanic in northern Manitoba could touch, and Bob in Caledon, who bought a 1980 Camaro Z28 new and still has it at 86,000 kilometres.Hour two turns. Greg met Lorenzo Pellicciotta at a car show in Oakville the week before — a collision shop owner of forty-one years who had just ridden 25,000 kilometres to the Four Points of Canada for the CNIB, because his daughter Olivia was born with vision loss. He clogged his rad with Yukon mud, got caught in an ice storm in the Northwest Territories at minus one, and was waved into a stranger's pickup truck to warm up by an American who spent the whole time apologizing for his president. He could have written a cheque for less than the ride cost him. He explains why he didn't.The car calls: whether the Highlander is $15,000 better than the Santa Fe, whether Nissan's CVTs are still a problem, Kicks against Rogue against HR-V, Frank's $1,800 Mustang out of a Toronto auction and what "as is" really costs, and Debbie two years from retirement with 140,000 kilometres on her Rogue. Plus why the Beatles are terrible and Greg plays them anyway, Ian calling from Cuba who gives away $50,000 a year, and the 280ZX whose T-tops leaked onto Greg's left leg every time it rained.IN THIS EPISODE1:13 — Good morning, slackers7:11 — A silver 1983 Dodge Reliant with red velour interior8:45 — The exact second a kid turns into a person12:24 — Paul in Brampton: a '67 Beetle, and too much chicha15:04 — Why a $10,000 used car is the most expensive car you'll ever buy18:11 — "Google isn't there to tell you the truth, it's there to prove you right"19:01 — Jonathan: is the Highlander $15,000 better than the Santa Fe?22:41 — John in Innisfil: a 1975 Ford Granada Ghia27:08 — Alan: a 1966 Triumph Herald with an engine like a sewing machine28:20 — Bob in Caledon bought a 1980 Camaro Z28 new and still has it30:08 — Are CVTs still a problem? "My mother-in-law drives a 2024 Kicks."31:18 — Cam: a 2023 Subaru Ascent, and why where you service it matters34:34 — An engagement ring at a flea market, and the Porsches at Costco37:33 — Lubo calls in to fight about dealer servicing41:46 — "Most people don't want advice, they want a witness"42:44 — Meeting Lorenzo at the Oakville car show43:22 — 25,000 kilometres to the Four Points of Canada for the CNIB46:48 — Eight degrees to minus one in the Yukon49:58 — What his daughter's vision loss taught him1:02:04 — "I could have cut a cheque and been further ahead"1:11:58 — Rob from Ohio, and a 1970 Nova with a 3961:19:54 — "I didn't vote for Carney, but hoping he fails is goofy"1:23:21 — Ian from Cuba, and $50,000 a year given away1:29:00 — Frank: an $1,800 Mustang at auction, and "as is"1:33:52 — Alex, the sermon, and the Holy Shift1:37:17 — Debbie: 140,000 kilometres, two years from retirement1:41:00 — John in Milton: Kicks, Rogue, HR-V or the Kia1:47:00 — The 280ZX with the leaky T-tops1:48:45 — A kid he will never meetLive every Saturday morning on News Talk 1010 and the iHeartRadio app.Talk or text 416-872-1010.

Once I crossed the finish line it was more like relief. You always know you can do it, but once you finally do it you're like: okay. Now we've got that check mark. Now we're on to the next thing.”Kenny Bednarek is the first man in history to win both the 100 and 200 meters at a single World Ultimate Championships, which he did in Budapest last week. Two gold medals, roughly 30 seconds of combined running, and a $300,000 payday.Kenny has been one of the most decorated sprinters in the world for several years — two Olympic silver medals in the 200, a world championship silver, and a personal best of 19.52 that puts him among the fastest 200 runners in history. But individual gold at a global championship had not happened yet.This season had one overriding goal — set before World Ultimates existed on the calendar — and it was not about times. It was about executing when it counts. He opened his 200 season in 19.69, confirmed it was automatic, then pivoted. At the Silesia Diamond League in Poland he ran 9.87 and felt he had more. He carried that into Budapest. Two days before the 100 final, the block starts were clicking so cleanly that he turned to us at the press conference and said: watch the 100. He knew.In this conversation, we go deep on all of it — what the championship finally felt like after years of silver, what two years of training next to Christian Coleman did to his start, what he had to unlearn about those final twenty meters where the form used to break down, why he thinks Budapest was a 9.7 race in warmer conditions, the world record conversation he almost never has out loud, what he wants World Ultimates to keep, and why he thinks the sport grows when people see who these athletes actually are.____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra's lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra's Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don't just run. Vanish. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to ⁠⁠AltraRunning.com⁠⁠ and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase.⁠⁠SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠.

In this episode of the Health Optimization Medicine Podcast, Dr. Scott Sherr, Jodi Duval, and Dr. Allen Bookatz explore what happens inside the cell when the body perceives stress or danger. The discussion focuses on Dr. Robert Naviaux's Cell Danger Response and how mitochondria can alter energy production and signaling in response to perceived threats. The team examines why fatigue, brain fog, inflammation, and exercise intolerance can occur even when standard laboratory testing appears normal, and how the different phases of the cellular response are meant to move from defense through repair and recovery. Join us as we delve into: Stress at the Cellular Level: How mitochondria and cells respond when they perceive danger from infection, toxins, injury, environmental exposures, or psychological stress. Why Normal Labs May Not Explain Fatigue: Why standard testing may not capture changes in cellular signaling, mitochondrial output, or a cell's metabolic state. The Three Phases of the Cell Danger Response: How CDR1 involves inflammatory defense, CDR2 involves proliferation and rebuilding, and CDR3 involves differentiation and recovery. Stress, Mitochondria and Energy: Why cells may reduce energy output while continuing to interpret their environment as unsafe. Hormesis and Stress Dosing: Why exercise, temperature exposure, and other acute stressors may be useful when properly dosed, while excessive stress may add to the existing burden. Mitochondrial Nutrient Support: The role discussed for CoQ10, PQQ, magnesium, and NAD+ precursors in supporting the metabolic machinery during the transition through the CDR phases. Parasympathetic Safety Signaling: How extended-exhale breathing, HRV biofeedback, vagal tone work, and other approaches are discussed as ways to reduce chronic sympathetic input. The Limits of the Framework: Why deliberately adding stress to an already overloaded system may be counterproductive when the dose is not appropriate. Disease Management vs. Health Optimization: Why the HOMeHOPe approach looks not only at the trigger but also at the conditions the cell may need to complete its response. This episode is for you if: You experience fatigue, brain fog, or exercise intolerance despite relatively normal standard laboratory results. You want to understand the Cell Danger Response and its proposed role in cellular stress. You are interested in mitochondrial function, cellular energy, inflammation, and purinergic signaling. You want to understand why more exercise, stimulation, or stress is not always the right answer. You are interested in hormesis, autonomic regulation, gut health, circadian biology, and metabolomic testing. You want to understand how Health Optimization Medicine approaches cellular stress and recovery. You can also find this episode on… YouTube: https://youtu.be/0Vx79yABA9k  Find more from Health Optimization Medicine and Practice (HOMeHOPe): Website: https://homehope.org/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/homehopeorg/ HOMeHOPe Conference 2026: https://homehope.org/homehope-conference-2026 Use PODCAST10 to get 10% OFF your purchase of the Clinical Metabolomics Module at https://homehope.org/products/clinical-metabolomics Find more from Troscriptions: Website: https://troscriptions.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/troscriptions/ Use POD10 to get 10% OFF your Troscriptions purchase at https://troscriptions.com/collections/our-products

I'm excited to have Povilas Sabaliauskas, the CEO of Pulsetto, joining me for Part 2 of a two-part series. In Part 1, Povilas explained what the vagus nerve is and how it acts as a necessary mental toothbrush for us. In Part 2 today, he discusses the Pulsetto device itself, the different models, and how it helps to boost hormones, reduce stress, and improve sleep.  Stay tuned until the end, where he offers a discount code so you can try the Pulsetto out for yourself. How to Maximize the Benefits of the Pulsetto  Use it twice daily  Use it consistently, as the benefits increase over time Do a session before bed for better sleep  Monitor your HRV, stress, and sleep with a wearable device to track your progress Bio: Povilas Sabaliauskas Povilas Sabaliauskas is the co-founder and CEO of Pulsetto, one of the fastest-growing wellness tech companies in the world.  A leader in non-invasive neuromodulation, Pulsetto is redefining how we approach stress, sleep, and recovery — through wearable vagus nerve stimulation backed by science and loved by high-performers around the globe.  With a background in tech and performance coaching, Povilas has become a passionate advocate for making cutting-edge wellness tools accessible to everyone — not just elite athletes or clinical patients.  Under his leadership, Pulsetto has partnered with leading researchers, completed clinical trials, and grown to over 100,000 users across Europe and the U.S. Povilas brings a unique mix of business strategy, biohacking curiosity, and real-world stress recovery insights — making him a fresh voice in the growing world of neuromodulation and mental resilience. In this episode: How 30 days of consistent Pulsetto use can reduce cortisol levels by almost 50% First-time Pulsetto users often report deeper sleep and vivid dreams How athletes use the Pulsetto to reduce pre-event stress and support their recovery Early data suggest that the Pulsetto can reduce inflammation and lower blood pressure The importance of using the Pulsetto daily to achieve noticeable results The benefits of wearable devices for tracking the effects of the Pulsetto How vagal stimulation can help manage insulin spikes Links and Resources: Support the launch by purchasing your copy on September 29th! Available at ⁠⁠⁠YourLongevityBlueprint.com⁠⁠⁠, with local copies coming to the Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic in Eastern Iowa this October. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use Code FIBER to get 10% off GLP-1 Fiber⁠ Use code TURMERIC to get 10% off ⁠⁠⁠⁠TURMERIC⁠ Calocurb Clinical — Appetite & Craving SupportA practitioner-exclusive, plant-based supplement designed to enhance your body's natural fullness signals (GLP-1 and PYY), helping reduce cravings and calorie intake. Available only through clinics such as the Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic.Visit us or order here: ⁠https://ihhclinic.com/⁠ Guest Social Media Links: ⁠Povilas Sabaliauskas on LinkedIn⁠  ⁠Pulsetto Device on YouTube⁠  ⁠YouTube: Immediate Relief from Stress & Burnout with Pulsetto and CEO Povilas Sabaliauskas⁠ ⁠YouTube: How to Reduce Stress and Calm Your Nervous System in Just 4 Minutes using a New Device⁠ Relative Links for This Show: ⁠Use the code Dr. Stephanie Gray for 10% off⁠ Follow Your Longevity Blueprint  On ⁠Instagram⁠| ⁠Facebook⁠| ⁠Twitter⁠| ⁠YouTube⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Get your copy of the Your Longevity Blueprint book and claim your bonuses here⁠ ⁠Find Dr. Stephanie Gray and Your Longevity Blueprint online⁠   Follow Dr. Stephanie Gray  On ⁠Facebook⁠| ⁠Instagram⁠| ⁠Youtube⁠ | ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠LinkedIn⁠ ⁠Integrative Health and Hormone Clinic⁠ ⁠Podcast production by Team Podcast

Seven years ago Debbie Potts came on this podcast to talk about what happened when her body finally said enough. A five-time Kona qualifier, she had been doing 20-hour training weeks on one meal a day, working 12-hour days, running on high cortisol and calling it fitness. The diagnosis was HPA axis syndrome. The recovery took years. Seven years on, Debbie is a health practitioner, author and coach based in San Diego, and she has built an entire philosophy around what she learned. She calls it the holistic method - eight elements of health that go well beyond the training plan. This conversation picks up where we left off, and covers the bigger picture questions that most athletes never think to ask until something goes wrong. IN THIS EPISODE WE COVER: Why just exercising is not enough and what the other 85% of the health pie chart looks like The body as a communication system - what chronic stress is actually telling your body and why it stops trying to build and repair The go-go years, the slow-go years and the no-go years - how to visualise your future self and reverse engineer from there Debbie's eight elements of holistic health and why happiness, community and joy are as important as sleep and nutrition The blue zones - what people living well into their 90s actually have in common The vagus nerve, HRV and why they tell you far more than just whether you recovered from yesterday's session What Debbie's own daily routine looks like - and she genuinely walks the talk KILLER QUOTE "We should be striving to thrive as we age - not struggle. And so much of that comes down to the choices we make today, in middle age, before the labels start arriving."   CONNECT with Debbie Debbie Potts is a health practitioner, coach, author and podcast host based in San Diego, California. She specialises in helping masters athletes thrive as they age through functional testing and her holistic method. Website: https://debbiepotts.net/ Podcast: The Debbie Potts show Book: Life Is Not a Race, it's a journey by Debbie Potts The Holistic Method Workbook: [PLACEHOLDER] Previous Be Battle Ready episodes with Debbie Potts Episode 1 - Dealing with HPA Axis syndrome Episode 2 - Recovering from Chronic Fatigue   LINKS & RESOURCES Mentioned in the episode: Outlive by Peter Attia Blue Zones documentary FREE Download

Signs you’re an adult - from tracking your HRV to having a favourite scourer, we dive into the little things that suddenly make you realise you’ve grown up.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Modern technology is tricking your nervous system into fight-or-flight — and it's decently profitable to keep you there. Jon Hacker, CEO of NeurGear, explains how focused ultrasound vagus nerve stimulation can switch you back.In this episode of Health Longevity Secrets, Robert Lufkin MD sits down with Jon Hacker, biomedical engineer and CEO/co-founder of NeurGear, the company behind ZenBud — the first ultrasound-based vagus nerve stimulator. They cover how the vagus nerve governs your rest-and-digest state, why so many of us are stuck in survival mode, how ultrasound compares to electrical stimulators, what the clinical trial data shows, and where single-neuron interfaces could take medicine next.Chapters:00:00 — Introduction01:36 — From Anime Dream to Neurotech Startup: Jon Hacker's Story06:32 — How AI Supercharges a Small Hardware Team09:26 — Why Ultrasound Won: Two Pivots to the Vagus Nerve12:21 — Vagus Nerve 101: Rest-and-Digest vs Survival State14:59 — How Modern Technology Traps You in Fight-or-Flight16:02 — Measuring Vagal Tone: HRV, Resting Heart Rate & Reaction Time19:44 — How Focused Ultrasound Activates a Nerve21:07 — ZenBud vs Electrical Vagus Stimulators (Pulsetto, Truvaga)23:00 — Dosing ZenBud: 30-Minute Sessions, Sleep & Safety Limits26:05 — The Medical Industry's Incentive Problem30:16 — What to Track: Why Quality of Life Beats Biometrics32:34 — Side Effects & Overuse: Headache Warning Signs34:22 — Where VNS Fits: Sleep, Diet, Exercise & Breathwork36:57 — The Future: Single-Neuron Interfaces & Full-Dive VRKey takeaways:Your vagus nerve drives your "rest-and-digest" state — low vagal tone leaves you stuck in survival mode, and chronic survival-state activation feeds the chronic diseases we face todayZenBud uses low-intensity focused ultrasound (not electricity) to stimulate the auricular branch of the vagus nerve — no shocks, no gel pads, no app requiredIn a 4-week pilot trial, daily 5-minute sessions produced significant reductions in anxiety, depression, and PTSD symptom scoresReaction time, resting heart rate, and HRV can track nervous-system changes — but your quality of life is the gold standardStart with 5 minutes a day and scale up slowly; a mild reversible headache is the signal to dial backStudies & sources:Kohler I, Hacker J, Martin E — "Reduction of Anxiety-Related Symptoms Using Low-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Neuromodulation" (JMIR Neurotechnology, 2025) — https://neuro.jmir.org/2025/1/e69770Auricular Ultrasonic Vagus Nerve Stimulation (review, PMC) — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12468173/ZenBud device — https://zenbud.healthNeurGear — https://neurgear.com

Most recovery protocols are actively killing your strength gains because you haven't trained hard enough to earn them. Dr. Mike T. Nelson's path to elite performance didn't start in a weight room—it began in mechanical engineering laboratories, where he learned to view human physiology through stress mechanics rather than quick-fix soothing trends. Today, he translates twenty-five years of research into a battle-tested blueprint that proves real recovery isn't about recovering faster, but building a system so resilient that heavy load fails to disrupt your baseline. INSIDE THIS CONVERSATION Cold Water Immersion: Why ice baths and Wim Hof breathing act as massive sympathetic stressors that crash your HRV. The Parasympathetic Trap: How chasing high recovery scores can secretly mask severe parasympathetic overreaching and tank your lifts. Engineered Squats: What a dual background in biomechanics and physiology reveals about joint load that traditional strength coaches miss. The 2-Pop-Tart Test: An instant, low-tech diagnostic to determine if your body is actually metabolically flexible. CO2 Flushing: How manipulating respiratory rate shifts tissue oxygenation via the Bohr effect to expand work capacity. MEET THE GUEST Dr. Mike T. Nelson spent over two decades earning a PhD in Exercise Physiology and a Master's in Mechanical Engineering—a dual background that transforms complex human movement into precise, measurable science. As an Associate Professor at the Carrick Institute and creator of the Flex Diet Certification, his methods on metabolic flexibility and homeostatic stress regulation are trusted by elite military units, strength athletes, and organizations across the NFL, NHL, and NBA. FOLLOW DR. MIKE Website https://www.miketnelson.com/tabletalk Newsletter https://www.miketnelson.com/newsletter Instagram https://www.instagram.com/drmiketnelson/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/drmiketnelson/ X https://x.com/miketnelson LinkedIn http://linkedin.com/in/mikenelson4 Become an elitefts Channel Member Get early access to Dave Tate's Table Talk, exclusive content, and member-only perks. ➡️ @eliteftsofficial Support Dave Tate's Table Talk Full Crew Access https://elitefts.com/pages/join-the-crew Limited Edition Apparel https://www.elitefts.com/shop/apparel/limited-edition.html Programs & Exclusive Content https://www.elitefts.com/shop/dave-tate-s-table-talk-crew.html TYAO Coaching Application https://www.elitefts.com/dave-tate-s-tyao-application Best-Selling elitefts Products Pro Resistance Training Bands https://www.elitefts.com/shop/bands.html Specialty Barbells https://www.elitefts.com/shop/bars-weights/specialty-bars.html Wraps, Straps & Sleeves https://www.elitefts.com/shop/power-gear.html Official Sponsors & Discounts elitefts — Save 10% OFF with code TABLE TALK https://www.elitefts.com/ Marek Health — Save 10% OFF Labs with code TABLETALK https://marekhealth.com/tabletalk LMNT — Get a FREE 8-Count Sample Pack http://www.drinklmnt.com/tabletalk ChiliPad 2.0 — Save Up to $255 with code TABLETALK https://sleep.me/tabletalk Visionary Meals (Official Meal Prep Partner) — Save 10% OFF with code TABLETALK10 https://visionarymeals.com MASS Research Review — Save 20% OFF with code ELITEFTS20 https://massresearchreview.com/ RP Hypertrophy App — Save 10% OFF with code TABLE TALK https://rpstrength.com/pages/hypertrophy-app Support Massenomics https://www.massenomics.com/

HRV, vagal nerve training, and nervous system recovery are having a real moment — but most people using a wearable to track any of it don't actually know what the data means or how to act on it. Matt Bennett, founder of Optimal HRV and a former mental health therapist specializing in complex trauma, joins Freddie to explain what heart rate variability is really measuring, how resonance frequency breathing trains the vagal nerve directly, and why a validated baseline matters more than any single readiness score.They get into RMSSD vs. SDNN vs. high frequency HRV, the science behind resonance frequency breathing, and how vagal nerve training works like a strength practice — the more you do it, the more resilient your nervous system recovery becomes. Freddie and Matt also cover the everyday levers that move HRV most: alcohol, sleep consistency, fasting windows, walking, and nasal breathing. Matt closes out with how clinicians, coaches, and military performance teams use HRV data differently than the average wearable user, and why he built Optimal HRV to make vagal nerve training and nervous system recovery accessible at every price point.Podcast Highlights:0:00 – Welcome Matt Bennett & Freddie's Optimal HRV experience2:01 – Matt's path into wellness: mental health therapy & complex trauma4:04 – The missing piece: quantifying nervous system healing6:23 – Partnering with a Harvard HRV researcher on resonance frequency breathing6:46 – HRV 101: what heart rate variability actually measures9:53 – Why the autonomic nervous system runs the whole show10:03 – Is low HRV always bad? Population norms explained12:32 – Can HRV be too high? Pacemakers, beta blockers & outliers14:18 – Freddie's data: fasting windows, exosomes & recovery spikes15:17 – The real cost of alcohol on HRV18:36 – Sleep consistency, cold plunge timing & circadian cues21:03 – The four pillars: sleep, nutrition, movement, breathing23:25 – Nasal & diaphragmatic breathing vs. mouth/chest breathing24:33 – Sprint intervals, Carol Bike & low-tax cardio25:30 – Finding movement that fits your life28:12 – Why hiking is Matt's HRV sweet spot28:41 – Readiness scores: are Whoop, Oura & Garmin actually valid?31:23 – RMSSD, SDNN & high frequency HRV, explained simply36:48 – The one metric to track if you only track one37:11 – What makes Optimal HRV different from a wearable39:19 – Resonance frequency breathing & finding your number41:30 – The vagal break: training your nervous system like a muscle45:17 – What strengthening the vagal break actually changes49:13 – Pricing, compatible devices & getting started53:16 – How much daily practice actually moves the needle58:01 – Resonance breathing for sleep, performance & flow state1:04:29 – How clinicians, coaches & military teams use this data1:08:43 – Device compatibility & where to start1:11:09 – Closing thoughts & where to find Optimal HRVTry Optimal HRV: https://www.optimalhrv.com/Connect with Optimal HRV on socials: https://www.instagram.com/optimalhrv/Upgrade Your Wellness:LightPathLED Red Light Therapy: https://bit.ly/4gwYiUhCode: beautifullybrokenExplore Aurawell PEMF and Magnawave: https://calendly.com/freddiekimmel/let-s-conect-cloneSilver Biotics Wound Healing Gel: https://bit.ly/3JnxyDD30% off with Code: BEAUTIFULLYBROKENMaxGen Labs: https://maxgenlabs.com/BEAUTIFULLYBROKEN CONNECT WITH FREDDIEWork with Me: https://www.beautifullybroken.world/biological-blueprintWebsite and Store: (http://www.beautifullybroken.world) Instagram: (https://www.instagram.com/freddie.kimmelYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beautifullybrokenworld Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber recap the final day of World Ultimates, including an American sprint sweep, a 45.98 in the 400m hurdles, and Josh Kerr adding a 1500m title to his mile world record. The biggest headlines:- Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek each leave Budapest with $300,000 after sweeping the 100m and 200m titles. MJW ran 21.47 in the women's 200m — the fourth-fastest time in history, into a 0.6 m/s headwind — to beat 2024 Olympic gold medalist Gabby Thomas (21.77). Only Florence Griffith Joyner's 1988 world record (21.34) and two Shericka Jackson runs have been faster. MJW also swept both events at the 2025 World Championships in Tokyo.- Kenny Bednarek won the men's 200m in a personal-best 19.52 — becoming the seventh-fastest man in history — beating 2024 Olympic gold medalist Letsile Tebogo. It's the same time Noah Lyles ran to win the 2025 World title in Tokyo. Bednarek said afterward: "Performance-wise and execution-wise, I give myself an A-plus." Two 200m Olympic silvers deep into his career, and the biggest race wins of that career came in Budapest.- Alison Dos Santos ran 45.98 to win the men's 400m hurdles — the third-fastest time in history, and just 0.18 off his own newly-set world record from Zurich two weeks earlier. Rai Benjamin was second in 46.40 (also doubling from the 400m final on Saturday). Karsten Warholm was third in 46.78. Dos Santos, Benjamin, and Warholm now own the 37 fastest times in the event's history. It is the deepest three-way rivalry in the sport right now.- Josh Kerr won the men's 1500m in 3:29.35, holding off Australia's Cameron Myers in his first major championship since breaking the mile world record on July 18. Americans finished third (Hobbs Kessler), fourth (Cole Hocker, the 2024 Olympic champion), and fifth (Yared Nuguse) all within three hundredths of each other.- Djamel Sedjati of Algeria won the men's 800m in 1:41.91, overtaking Olympic gold medalist Emmanuel Wanyonyi and then Marco Arop in the final 100 meters. Jasmine Jones took the women's 400m hurdles in 52.45 for the biggest win of her career — Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone did not race this season after having her daughter Savannah in July.- Plus the field events: Gianmarco Tamberi cleared 2.37m to beat JuVaughn Harrison in the high jump — the same height Tamberi and Mutaz Barshim cleared to share Olympic gold in Tokyo. Sri Lanka's Rumesh Pathirage won the men's javelin for the biggest track and field title in Sri Lankan history. The US won the mixed 4x400m relay (Chris Bailey, Alexis Holmes, Jacory Patterson, Aaliyah Butler).____________Stay tuned for more live coverage from the World Ultimate Championships in the days to come and make sure you're subscribed to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG YouTube channel ⁠⁠⁠⁠so you don't miss any of our interviews. Follow along on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠⁠, and subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠ to receive our daily recaps. ____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠⁠.

In this episode Andrea Samadi explains the concept of sleep stress — a wearable-device measured how physiologically activated your body remains during sleep — and places it within a neuroscience-based movement and recovery framework. She reviews the autonomic nervous system (sympathetic vs. parasympathetic), how WHOOP estimates sleep stress from heart rate and HRV, and why trends over weeks matter more than single nights. Using her six-month data, Andrea shares how recovery habits and removing alcohol coincided with an 89% drop in nightly high sleep stress. The episode ends with practical steps and a seven-day experiment to help you observe and reduce nighttime physiological activation by changing daytime behaviors, sleep environment, and training timing so your body can better recover and adapt. When Sleep Isn't Rest—What “Sleep Stress” Reveals About Recovery: The Story Behind My 89% Drop in Sleep Stress Welcome back to the Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast, where we bridge neuroscience, social and emotional learning, and human performance so we can create measurable improvements in our well-being, achievement, leadership, productivity and results. I'm Andrea Samadi, and if you've been following along through Season 16, you'll know that we have been building what I call The Brain's Operating System for Human Performance—a neuroscience-based framework designed to help us understand how the different systems of the brain and body work together to influence how we learn, adapt, connect, lead and ultimately perform. We are currently in Phase 3: Movement, Learning and Cognition, where we have been following a central pathway: Movement → Adaptation → Performance Movement creates a stimulus. But movement alone does not make the brain or body stronger. We must be able to recover from that stimulus before adaptation can occur, to give us our desired outcome of improved performance. This is why our recent bonus episodes have moved beyond exercise itself and into the recovery signals that help us understand whether our bodies are successfully handling the demands we are placing upon them. In Bonus Episode 3[i], we explored the hidden story behind my resting heart rate. My data showed that it was not merely a measure of fitness—it was also reflecting the total load my body was carrying. During the higher-stress months of January and February, my resting heart rate remained elevated at approximately 56–58 beats per minute. As I placed greater emphasis on sleep, hydration, Zone 2 movement, sauna, meditation and recovery, it gradually fell to 54 and then 53 beats per minute. The lesson was that a lower resting heart rate signals that the body is working less during rest, and recovering more efficiently. The idea is to learn what your baseline is, and see how you can improve this number for a more efficient RHR. In Bonus Episode 4[ii], we explored restorative sleep and learned that sleep quality is not measured by duration alone. Deep sleep supports physical restoration and repair, while REM sleep plays an important role in memory, learning and emotional processing. Because longer REM periods tend to occur later in the night/morning time my regular 4:00 AM wake time may give me less opportunity for that REM-rich portion of sleep—which is the tradeoff I'm choosing--since waking early allows me to exercise. Two additional hours in bed would not guarantee two more hours of REM, but they could create a greater opportunity for more REM sleep. The lesson was not to choose sleep over movement or movement over sleep. It was to protect enough sleep while still making room for movement, so the brain and body have the opportunity to adapt. Throughout these bonus episodes, I'm sharing patterns from my WHOOP wearable device[iii] data—not because everyone's numbers should look like mine, but to demonstrate what can happen when we measure consistently, look for trends and test small changes. The goal is not comparison. It is to help each of us better understand our own baseline and use that information to improve our habits, recovery and results. While examining my own sleep data for these recent bonus episodes, another question came to my mind. It was while looking this sleep stress score. What if we are sleeping—but our physiology remains unusually activated throughout the night? How would we even know if this was happening? This is another measurement I can see with this wearable device. What if our eyes are closed and we are technically asleep, but the body is still working harder than usual? What if our sleep isn't giving us the rest and recovery that we need. This brings us to today's question: What is Sleep Stress? One of the most valuable metrics I have been tracking this year is not simply how long I sleep or how much deep and REM sleep I achieve. Those are all important to me, but something stood out with these sleep scores to me, this year. It is the amount of time my body spends in a state of elevated physiological stress while I am asleep. When I examined my most recent six-month trend, I noticed something that kind of stopped me in my tracks. My average time in WHOOP's high sleep-stress zone (monthly score from January 2026 till now) initially rose from 21 minutes to a peak of 35 minutes (around April/May) where I noticed my sleep scores were terrible with International travel, but I can't blame everything on just the travel and times zones. I knew I was off track with rest and recovery. How much I was off, I'm not sure because Whoop confirmed my scores with the times zones might have been inaccurate, but either way, even if my sleep stress peaked at let's say 25 minutes, it still showed me that I was doing something to keep my body stressed out while I was sleeping. As I paid attention to rest and recovery, the scores began to improve in May, June, July, August…until now. 35 minutes of high sleep stress went…to 18…to 14…to 5…and finally to just 4 minutes of sleep stress each night. That is an approximately 89% decrease from my six-month peak. The data cannot tell me that one specific behavior caused this change. But it does suggest that my body has become progressively less physiologically activated while I was asleep. And this helped me see recovery in a new way. Sleep duration tells us how long we slept. Sleep stages estimate the type of sleep we experienced throughout the night. Sleep stress gives us another window into how physiologically activated the body remained during that sleep. In today's BONUS EP 5 we will explore: What Sleep Stress measures The sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the nervous system Where Sleep Stress fits into the Movement Loop What I noticed in my six-month results What the results show—and what they cannot prove How you can monitor nighttime physiological stress And practical tips to help your body settle and recover Let's begin with the nervous system and what's working behind the scenes while we are asleep. The Autonomic Nervous System To understand Sleep Stress, we first need to understand the autonomic nervous system and how ACTIVATION and RECOVERY work together. We covered this topic on a very early EP 59[iv] with Suzanne Gundersen on “Putting the Polyvagal Theory into Practice” and then again with educational neuroscientist Dr. Lori Desautels and Michael McKnight[v]. You can review those episodes if you want a deeper dive here. The autonomic NS is the part of the nervous system that regulates many of the functions that happen automatically, without requiring conscious thought. It helps manage: Heart rate Blood pressure Breathing Digestion Temperature regulation Energy use And our physiological responses to changing demands in our life experiences Two of its primary branches are the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system helps mobilize the brain and body when we need energy, alertness or action. It is often called the fight-or-flight system. We need this sympathetic activation to wake up, exercise, concentrate, solve problems, respond to challenges and perform under pressure. When sympathetic activity rises, heart rate may increase, breathing may become faster and energy becomes more readily available for action. That is exactly what we want when climbing a mountain, completing an intense workout, delivering a presentation or responding to an immediate challenge. The problem is not activation itself. The problem may arise when the body has difficulty shifting out of that activated state after the challenge has passed. The parasympathetic nervous system supports the restorative side of this process. It is often described as the rest-and-digest system because it helps the body conserve energy, digest food and create conditions that support rest and recovery. When our parasympathetic NS is activated, heart rate generally slows and the body becomes less physiologically activated. But the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems are not simple on-and-off switches. They continually interact throughout the day and night. Healthy regulation depends on our ability to move flexibly between activation and recovery as our life circumstances change. I'm sure you've heard people talking about how they “regulate” themselves, or take themselves from a high stress state, to lower stress state usually through intentional breathing, (I've just started to add this technique), physical movement (my go-to way to get back to myself when I have time) and some people use sensory grounding to get themselves out of anxious loops. American neuroscientist Dr. Andrew Huberman suggests the physiological sigh as a breathing technique “to reduce stress and anxiety in real-time, while they are still engaging in life.”[vi] He does say that this pattern of breathing is something that we all engage in when we are in deep sleep (our dogs do it too), a double inhale, followed by an extended exhale. He says it works well to reduce stress because “it offloads a lot of carbon dioxide all at once.” Until I started to look at this sleep stress number, I didn't realize that even during healthy sleep, our autonomic activity fluctuates. Deep sleep is generally associated with greater parasympathetic influence, while REM sleep can include more variable heart rate, breathing and sympathetic activity. This means that brief periods of increased physiological stress during sleep are not automatically signs that something is wrong. The more useful question is: Can my body move flexibly between activation and recovery—or is it remaining unusually activated for extended periods? What Does WHOOP Mean by Sleep Stress? WHOOP estimates physiological stress using signals that include heart rate and heart-rate variability, or HRV, compared with your personal baseline. Its Sleep Stress view shows the proportion of the night spent in low, medium and high physiological stress zones. This is an important distinction: A wearable does not directly measure your thoughts or emotions. It cannot know whether you are worried, excited, digesting a late meal, fighting an infection or recovering from a difficult workout. It also does not directly measure the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the nervous system. Instead, it uses cardiovascular signals to estimate how physiologically activated your body appears relative to what is normal for you. Elevated nighttime stress can potentially be influenced by: Mental or emotional strain Alcohol Illness or an emerging infection A late or heavy meal Intense exercise close to bedtime Accumulated training strain Dehydration Heat or an uncomfortable sleep environment Travel and disrupted routines Hormonal changes Certain medications Or sleep-disordered breathing Sleep Stress should therefore be treated as a signal to investigate, not a diagnosis. One elevated night may not mean very much. The greatest value comes from observing your own patterns across several weeks and comparing those patterns with your behaviors, environment, training and health. Where Sleep Stress Fits in the Movement Loop Our original Phase 3 framework was: Movement → Adaptation → Performance But we can now expand this pathway: Movement → Physiological Load → Recovery → Adaptation → Performance Movement provides a challenge to the brain and body. That challenge creates physiological load. Recovery gives the body an opportunity to respond to the load, repair what was challenged and build additional capacity. That process is adaptation. And the capacity created through adaptation supports future performance. Sleep Stress sits within the recovery stage of this loop. It helps us investigate whether the body is successfully downshifting from the demands of the day or remaining more activated than usual during the recovery window. This does not mean that every increase in nighttime stress prevents adaptation. The body is dynamic. Exercise, digestion, illness, temperature and different stages of sleep can all affect nighttime physiology. But if elevated Sleep Stress becomes a repeated pattern, it may indicate that the body is carrying more load than it is currently absorbing. This is why Sleep Stress belongs in Phase 3: Movement supplies the challenge. Recovery determines how effectively we absorb it. Adaptation builds capacity. And capacity supports performance. What My Six-Month Results Show When I examined my 6-month Sleep Stress results from March 17 through September 12 when I was writing this episode, I first looked at six consecutive monthly windows: March 17–April 15: 21 minutes of average high Sleep Stress April 16–May 15: 35 minutes May 16–June 14: 18 minutes June 15–July 14: 14 minutes July 15–August 13: 5 minutes August 14–September 12: 4 minutes The pattern was not a straight decline. My average high Sleep Stress initially increased from 21 to 35 minutes. That April-to-May period (with International Travel) was the highest point in the six-month window—a 67% increase from the preceding month. The nightly graphs also show more frequent and more substantial periods in WHOOP's high-stress zone during that time. The data cannot tell me exactly what caused the increase. It may have reflected accumulated emotional stress, training load, disrupted routines, sleep timing, travel, temperature, or several factors interacting at once. But after that 35-minute peak, the direction changed: 35 → 18 → 14 → 5 → 4 minutes That is an approximately 89% reduction from the peak. This was not the result of one isolated night or a single unusually good week. It was a progressive decline across four consecutive monthly windows. When I switched to WHOOP's full six-month view, however, I initially noticed what appeared to be a contradiction. My six-month average was 16 minutes in the high-stress zone—60% higher than my preceding six-month average of 10 minutes. How could my current Sleep Stress be improving so dramatically while the six-month comparison still showed an increase? The answer is that a six-month average is a lagging measure. You can see my 6 month data in the show notes. This graph includes the elevated spring period, particularly the April-to-May peak of 35 minutes. Those earlier nights continue to pull the six-month average upward, even though my more recent results are much lower. The percentage of each night spent in WHOOP's different stress zones makes the recent change especially clear. During the April-to-May peak: 6% of my sleep was in the high-stress zone 27% was in the medium-stress zone 67% was in the low-stress zone By August 14 through September 12: High-stress sleep had fallen to 1% Medium-stress sleep had fallen to 10% Low-stress sleep had risen to 89% This may be the most meaningful finding in the entire six-month trend. I did not simply spend less time in WHOOP's high-stress zone. A much larger proportion of my night shifted into the low-stress zone. From spring into early summer, my high Sleep Stress had already begun to decline as I was focused on my health routine it kept dropping—from 35 minutes to 18 and then 14 minutes. I was living my life as usual. Three observations help explain what I think this pattern means. Observation One The Spring Peak Was Worth Investigating The 35-minute average represented a 67% increase from the preceding monthly window. The nightly graphs also show more frequent and more substantial periods in WHOOP's high-stress zone during that time. Something was placing a greater physiological demand on my system, but the screenshots cannot tell me precisely what it was. The increase could have reflected emotional stress, training load, disrupted routines, sleep timing, travel, illness, temperature or several factors interacting at once. This is why wearable data becomes more useful when it is paired with context. The number shows us what changed. A behavior log helps us investigate why it may have changed. Observation Two The Improvement Began Before August My Sleep Stress did not suddenly improve in one week. After the April-to-May peak, it declined across four consecutive monthly windows: 35 minutes fell to 18, then 14, then 5 and finally 4 minutes. That suggests an ongoing recovery shift rather than one isolated good night. By the latest monthly window, 89% of my sleep appeared in WHOOP's low-stress zone, compared with 67% during the spring peak. My body appeared to be spending progressively more of the night in a lower state of physiological activation relative to my baseline. Observation Three One Change May Have Strengthened the Trend Then, on August 7, I changed one thing. My movement, training, sauna, hydration and sleep practices remained relatively consistent. The clearest variable I intentionally changed was this: I stopped drinking alcohol. The timing matters. My July 15-August 13 average, which contained only the first week of the alcohol-free experiment, was already down to 5 minutes. Because most of that monthly window occurred before August 7, alcohol removal cannot explain the entire decline. But after I removed alcohol, my Sleep Stress remained at its lowest level and fell again to 4 minutes. During the same period, my HRV increased, my resting heart rate decreased and my overall recovery improved. These measures are related rather than completely independent-WHOOP's Stress Monitor itself uses patterns in heart rate and HRV. Still, when several parts of my recovery picture begin telling a consistent story after one clearly defined change, the pattern becomes more compelling. The data does not prove that removing alcohol caused every improvement. The most responsible conclusion is that my recovery had already begun improving and alcohol removal may have helped reinforce and sustain that progress. My Biggest Aha Moment My biggest realization was this: I was not improving my sleep only by changing what I did at night-such as cooling the room, using a sleep mask or limiting phone use before bed. I was improving my nights by changing my days. This is exactly what Dr. Kristen Holmes suggested we do on EP 4054. Everything we do during the day contributes to the total load our bodies must process: The emotional stress we carry The timing and intensity of exercise The food we eat The time we eat it Alcohol Hydration Light exposure Travel Work demands And whether we create moments of recovery between those demands The night can become a physiological reflection of everything that came before it. For years, many of us have assumed that being exhausted guarantees a good night's sleep. But exhaustion and regulation are not the same thing. We can be deeply tired and still physiologically activated. The goal is not to exhaust the body until it shuts down. The goal is to help the body transition from meeting the demands of the day into the conditions required for recovery. How Can YOU Measure Nighttime Stress? WHOOP provides a specific Sleep Stress view, but you do not need WHOOP to begin observing your recovery patterns. Depending on the wearable or device you use, you may be able to track: Sleeping heart rate Resting heart rate Overnight HRV Respiratory rate Skin-temperature deviation Sleep disruptions Restlessness Blood-oxygen trends And recovery or readiness scores The most important consideration is your personal baseline. Your HRV, resting heart rate and respiratory rate should not be judged against someone else's ideal number. Begin by learning what is normal for you. Then look for: Sudden deviations Repeated elevations Changes lasting several nights Connections with specific behaviors (I noticed that sleep stress was ALWAYS there after no more than 1-2 glasses of wine) And whether multiple measures change together (I noticed that after a long hike, if I chose to have a drink that night, even one glass of wine, sleep stress would be there the next day). There was no escaping what elevated it for me. Even without a wearable, you can begin tracking subjective signs of recovery. Each morning, ask: How many times did I awaken? Did I feel restored when I woke up? Was my mind calm or racing before bed? Did I wake with tension, a racing heart or unusual warmth? How was my energy, mood and focus the following day? You can then compare those observations with factors such as: Alcohol Meal timing Exercise timing Emotional stress Illness Travel And changes in your sleep environment The purpose is not to become anxious about every fluctuation. The purpose is to find patterns that help you make better decisions. It did help me to have a wearable to notice just how consistent my sleep stress was with certain behaviors. Can you measure Sleep Stress without a wearable? Not in the same way. Without overnight heart-rate and HRV data, we cannot calculate WHOOP's Sleep Stress score—and we may not consciously feel that our physiology remained activated. That was true for me. I did not feel stressed while I was sleeping. I needed the data to show me that my body was experiencing something my conscious mind could not detect. Without a wearable, we can still watch for indirect clues: repeated awakenings, morning fatigue, an elevated morning pulse, daytime sleepiness or a bed partner noticing snoring, gasping or restlessness. A sleep diary can help connect those clues with our daytime behaviors. The wearable did not create the stress. It made an invisible physiological pattern visible. How Can We Lower Sleep Stress? There is no single method guaranteed to lower nighttime stress because the underlying cause may differ from one person to another. The following ideas are best approached as individual experiments. Examine Alcohol Alcohol can make us feel sleepy, but sedation is not the same as restorative sleep. Try reducing or removing alcohol for several weeks and observe what happens to your Sleep Stress, HRV, resting heart rate, awakenings and morning energy. Look for a trend rather than expecting every night to improve. This isn't the first time I've removed alcohol while creating certain conditions for my body to perform at its best over the past 7 years of this podcast, and prior. I remember first hearing Dr. Daniel Amen talking about how alcohol isn't a health food, and that he suggests no amount to be healthy for the brain. When I first heard him say this, I did think, “Oh come on, Dr. Amen, say it's not so” because I don't eat junk food (we'll cover this topic next) so I would almost look to find some research that would allow even just small amounts. You can hear what Dr. Huberman[vii] suggests on his riveting episode on this topic, and I'm sharing that my reduction with sleep stress was significant enough for me to decide that cutting it out of my diet would be a permanent decision. This is a personal decision though and what might be significant for me with my results, might not be what you notice. Finish Eating Earlier A large or heavy meal close to bedtime may keep the body active through digestion. Experiment with finishing dinner earlier and leaving a consistent interval before sleep. Then observe whether your nighttime heart rate, Sleep Stress or restlessness changes. I've always had dinner around 5pm and don't eat anything after 6:30pm (except the occasional hot chocolate). Create an Evening Wind Down The brain and body need a transition between daytime demands and sleep. Your off-ramp might include: Dimming the lights Reducing stimulating content Reading Meditation Slow breathing NSDR Gentle stretching A warm shower or bath Writing down tomorrow's priorities Or following a consistent bedtime routine The purpose is to give the nervous system repeated cues that the demands of the day are ending. I like an Epsom salt bath when I'm home to transition from a work day, to night time. Balance Training With Recovery Exercise generally supports sleep and long-term health, but timing and intensity can affect individuals differently. If you repeatedly notice elevated nighttime stress after late, intense workouts, experiment with completing those sessions earlier. You might replace a late high-intensity session with walking, gentle mobility or recovery work and then compare the results. I did notice that on days I go to the gym after work, I do have higher stress that next morning. It's not always easy to fit everything in early mornings. Practice Regulation During the Day Do not wait until bedtime to address accumulated activation. Small recovery periods throughout the day can include: Brief movement breaks Time outdoors Slow breathing Space between meetings Short periods without digital stimulation Meditation Recovery does not begin when your head hits the pillow. It is built into the rhythm of the entire day. Optimize the Sleep Environment Examine the physical conditions surrounding your sleep: Is the room comfortably cool? Is it dark? Is it quiet? Are notifications turned off? Are pets or other interruptions waking you? Does your bedding help regulate temperature? Has travel disrupted your routine? Sometimes the source of elevated nighttime activation is due to your environment. Pay Attention to Possible Health Signals A sudden increase in nighttime stress—especially when accompanied by changes in resting heart rate, respiratory rate or skin temperature—may occur when the body is fighting an illness. Persistent changes deserve attention, particularly if they are accompanied by loud snoring, gasping during sleep, chest symptoms, unusual shortness of breath or significant daytime sleepiness. A wearable cannot diagnose sleep apnea, an infection or another medical condition. Its role is to help us notice when something has changed and decide whether further evaluation may be appropriate. A Seven-Day Sleep Stress Experiment This week, select only one or two variables to change. Your experiment does not have to involve alcohol like mine did. I honestly just stopped enjoying it, so it was an easy variable for me to pick. Don't ask me to give up coffee though. I won't be participating in any caffeine reduction experiments. Choose one variable that may be influencing your nighttime physiology, keep everything else as consistent as possible, and watch the trend—not one isolated score. You might: Avoid alcohol Finish dinner earlier Move intense exercise away from bedtime Create a 20-minute evening wind down routine Practice five minutes of slow breathing Or make the bedroom cooler and darker Each morning, record: Time in high Sleep Stress, if available HRV Resting heart rate Respiratory rate Number of awakenings And how restored you feel on a scale from 1 to 10 At the end of the week, ask: What changed? What remained consistent? Which behaviors appeared to help my body settle? Which behaviors were followed by greater nighttime activation? Do not try to produce a perfect score. The goal is to identify a pattern you can repeat. Review and Conclusion To close out this BONUS EP4, where we explored Sleep Stress—not as another score to chase, but as a window into what the body may be experiencing while we sleep. We learned that Sleep Stress estimates how physiologically activated the body remains during the night. It is different from sleep duration, which tells us how long we slept, and sleep stages, which estimate the kinds of sleep we experienced. To understand this metric, we looked at the two primary branches of the autonomic nervous system. The sympathetic nervous system mobilizes energy so we can move, focus, respond and perform. The parasympathetic nervous system supports conservation, digestion, restoration and recovery. Neither branch is inherently good or bad. We need activation to meet life's demands, and we need the ability to downshift when those demands have passed. Healthy regulation is not the absence of stress. It is the flexibility to move between activation and recovery. We also learned that WHOOP does not directly measure either branch of the autonomic nervous system. It uses patterns in heart rate and heart-rate variability, compared with our personal baseline, to estimate physiological stress. That makes Sleep Stress a useful signal—but not a diagnosis and not proof of what caused a particular change. This metric fits within the recovery stage of our expanded Movement Loop: Movement → Physiological Load → Recovery → Adaptation → Performance Movement creates the challenge. But the challenge alone does not build greater capacity. The body must be able to absorb the load, recover from it and adapt. When I examined my own six-month results, I saw my average high Sleep Stress rise from 21 minutes to a spring peak of 35 minutes. It then declined across four consecutive monthly windows: 35 → 18 → 14 → 5 → 4 minutes That represented approximately 89% reduction from the highest month The proportion of my sleep in WHOOP's low-stress zone also increased from 67% during the spring peak to 89% in my most recent monthly window. My recovery had already begun improving before I had cut out alcohol on August 7, so alcohol removal cannot explain the entire decline. But when I kept the rest of my routine relatively consistent and removed alcohol, my Sleep Stress remained at its lowest level. At the same time, my HRV increased, my resting heart rate decreased and my overall recovery improved. This does not prove that one behavior caused every change. But it gives me good reason to believe that removing alcohol helped reinforce an already improving recovery pattern. And that brings me to the most important lesson from this experiment: I did not improve my recovery by asking my body to do more. I improved it by creating better conditions for my body to recover from everything it was already doing. So tonight, instead of asking only: “How many hours will I sleep?” Think about-- “What am I doing today that will help—or prevent—my body from settling tonight?” Because the night does not begin when we close our eyes. It carries the accumulated effects of how we moved, trained, ate, worked, regulated and recovered throughout the day. Movement creates the stimulus. Recovery allows us to absorb it. Adaptation builds our capacity. And greater capacity prepares the brain and body to perform tomorrow. I'll see you next time for Episode 407, where we will revisit Jason Wittrock's work through a current and carefully defined lens. We'll examine his experience with nutrition and fasting as the perspective of an applied practitioner and personal case study, while comparing those ideas with current evidence surrounding nutrition, blood-sugar stability, metabolic flexibility, recovery and performance. Because if recovery determines how well we adapt to a challenge, metabolism determines whether the brain and body have the energy required to power that adaptation. And the brain and body cannot sustain performance without the energy required to power the system. I'll see you next time. REFERENCES: [i]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast BONUS EP 3 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/the-hidden-story-behind-your-resting-heart-rate/   [ii]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast BONUS EP 4 https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/is-your-4-am-hike-costing-you-rem-the-movement-vs-sleep-trade%e2%80%91off/   [iii] whoop.com   [iv]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast EP 59  https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/suzanne-gundersen-on-the-polyvagal-theory-in-practice/   [v]Neuroscience Meets Social and Emotional Learning Podcast “The Future of Educational Neuroscience”  https://andreasamadi.podbean.com/e/lori-desautels-and-michael-mcknight-on-the-future-of-educational-neuroscience-in-our-schools-and-communities/   [vi] Dr. Andrew Huberman Breathing Techniques to Reduce Stress and Anxiety. The Physiological Sigh https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSZKIupBUuc   [vii] Dr. Andrew Huberman https://www.hubermanlab.com/subtopics/effects-of-alcohol-on-the-brain-and-body  

She more than doubled her HRV in under a decade, and the behaviour that moved it most was not training, supplements or sleep duration, but going to bed and waking at the same time. This week I sat down with Global Head of Human Performance at WHOOP and author of Aligned, Dr Kristen Holmes, to unpack why sleep-wake consistency is the foundation of a resilient nervous system in midlife. WHAT YOU WILL LEARN - Why is sleep-wake consistency a stronger predictor of mortality and disease than how long you sleep? - How does the contrast between your day and your night affect the severity of menopause symptoms? - What is the physiological sigh, and why did it outperform other anxiety-reducing techniques in the research? - Can you really raise your HRV, and how much of it is genetic rather than modifiable? - Why does eating late at night suppress both sleep quality and overnight recovery? - Why do unresolved trauma and an outcome-driven identity keep your nervous system stuck in fight or flight? TIMESTAMPS 00:00 The One Behaviour That Steadies a Midlife Nervous System 09:12 Why Day and Night Contrast Predicts Milder Menopause Symptoms 17:21 The Physiological Sigh, Winter Light and Why Late Meals Wreck Recovery 26:44 Data or Intuition: Using Your Numbers Without Becoming Obsessed 34:54 The Five Habits Behind a Doubled HRV 44:11 Falling Asleep at the Wheel: The Crash That Rebuilt Her Life 52:30 Unresolved Trauma, Fear and an Identity Wrapped Around Outcomes 01:00:53 Living by Your Values When Willpower Runs Out VALUABLE RESOURCES Aligned: The Data-driven Guide to Performance, Recovery, and Human Potential by Dr Kristen Holmes: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/468591/aligned-by-holmes-kristen/9781529146981 Explore Dr Kristen's work: https://drkristenholmes.com/ Track your recovery with WHOOP: https://www.whoop.com/ A BIG thank you to our sponsor who makes the show possible: • MitoQ - Support your cells at the source with MitoQ NAD+ Dual Action, designed to boost NAD levels and help your cells actually use them for steady energy and sharper focus

Chris Chavez and Kyle Merber recap a wild day 2 of the 2026 World Athletics Ultimate Championship, including sprint finals, sub-44 history in the men's 400m, an American sweep of the 100m titles, and one of the deepest single days of racing the sport has seen in some timeThe biggest headlines:- Melissa Jefferson-Wooden and Kenny Bednarek gave the United States a sweep of the 100m titles. Jefferson-Wooden ran 10.62 — one hundredth off her personal best from winning the 2025 World title — to beat Julien Alfred (10.74) and Sha'Carri Richardson (10.76). She now has just one 100m defeat since taking bronze in Paris, and stands as the fourth-fastest woman in history. Bednarek ran 9.85 to win the biggest individual race of his career, beating 2025 World champion Oblique Seville by five hundredths. Noah Lyles was out injured. Bednarek did the job the American men needed.- Collen Kebinatshipi of Botswana ran 43.39 in the men's 400m to win by 76 hundredths — the joint-fifth-fastest 400m in history. He has now broken 44 seconds on six occasions in 2026, the most for any athlete in a single year in the event's history. Rai Benjamin took silver in a race that was also the setup for his 400m hurdles semifinal roughly two hours later — one of the most demanding double-events attempts we've seen this year.- Audrey Werro capped an undefeated 2026 season with the women's 800m title in 1:55.88, winning by 38 hundredths over Keely Hodgkinson. Femke Broeders-Bol was there. Werro was the 33rd-fastest woman in history in June. She has spent the summer running the third, fourth, and fifth-fastest times in history behind Jarmila Kratochvílová's 1:53.28 from 1983. Now she's a champion of the biggest meet of the year, undefeated, and 22 years old.- Marileidy Paulino extended her own undefeated 2026 season with the women's 400m title in 49.07. She was in last place at 200 meters before running down the field. Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone, the 2025 World champion in 47.78, did not race this season — she had daughter Savannah in July.- Sandi Morris earned the biggest outdoor pole vault title of her decade-plus career at 34 years old, clearing 4.90m to top Hana Moll on countback. Morris previously had silver medals at the 2016 Olympics and at the 2017, 2019, 2022, and 2025 World Championships. Five career silvers before this weekend. Now the first gold.____________Stay tuned for more live coverage from the World Ultimate Championships in the days to come and make sure you're subscribed to the ⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG YouTube channel ⁠⁠⁠so you don't miss any of our interviews. Follow along on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠X⁠⁠⁠, and subscribe to the ⁠⁠⁠CITIUS MAG Newsletter⁠⁠⁠ to receive our daily recaps. ____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠⁠.

Sea Squirt Plasmalogens Show Brain And Aging Benefits In Old Mice Aged mice given purified plasmalogen supplements showed better memory performance, healthier synaptic structure, lower neuroinflammation, and increased signaling tied to neurite growth and synapse development, with treated mice even growing thicker, darker, glossier hair. Plasmalogens are specialized lipids concentrated in cell membranes and the brain that tend to decline with age and neurodegenerative disease, making them an intriguing target for cognitive longevity. Host Dave Asprey breaks down why membrane composition matters for brain signaling, mitochondrial function, and inflammation, while stressing that this remains mouse research from 2022 and does not mean eating sea squirts or taking an unproven plasmalogen supplement will reproduce the same effects in humans. Sources: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260902234518.htm https://doi.org/10.3389/fmolb.2022.815320 ~~ Apple Watch Series 12 Adds More HRV Data, Readiness Scoring, And Health Age Apple Watch Series 12 pushes deeper into health tracking with heart rate measurements every five seconds, substantially more frequent HRV sampling, a new daily Readiness score, and a Longevity section in the Health app featuring Health Age. Apple is also expanding its health ecosystem with daytime vitals, movement assessments, menopause tracking, and Quest Diagnostics lab ordering for more than fifty biomarkers. Host Dave Asprey explains why higher-frequency wearable data can become useful for spotting changes in stress, recovery, sleep, and illness, but warns against letting algorithmic scores override your own baseline, symptoms, and real-world performance. Source: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2026/09/introducing-apple-watch-series-12-with-the-all-new-health-sensing-system/ ~~ FDA Moves To Accelerate Botanical Drug Development The FDA has opened a formal request for input on how to accelerate botanical drug development, including better clinical trial designs, stronger quality standards, improved standardization of complex plant mixtures, and expanded use of real-world evidence. The agency is also working with the European Medicines Agency on regulatory considerations for herbal and botanical medicines, potentially creating a clearer path for standardized plant-derived therapies to move beyond vague supplement claims and into more rigorous clinical testing. Host Dave Asprey breaks down why this could strengthen the evidence behind compounds like berberine, saffron, medicinal mushrooms, and flavanols, while also warning that more pharmaceutical-style regulation could increase costs and reduce access. Source: https://www.healthmanagement.com/insights/weekly-roundup-v2/september-9-2026/ ~~ Persistent Adolescent Cannabis Use Linked To Long-Term IQ And Cognitive Decline A long-running New Zealand birth cohort found that people with persistent cannabis dependence beginning in adolescence showed significant cognitive decline by age thirty-eight, including losses in IQ, memory, processing speed, attention, and executive function. The most persistent users showed an average decline of roughly eight IQ points, while adult-onset users did not show the same pattern, pointing toward adolescence as a potentially important developmental vulnerability window. Host Dave Asprey explains why this 2012 observational study cannot prove cannabis caused every cognitive change, but argues that dose, frequency, age of exposure, and brain development all matter when evaluating cannabis for performance, health, or therapeutic use. Source: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3479587/ ~~ Pterostilbene Helps Mouse Muscle Cells Burn More Fat Through PPAR-Delta Researchers testing pterostilbene, a polyphenol found in blueberries and grapes, found that it reduced intracellular fat accumulation and increased fatty acid oxidation in cultured mouse muscle cells. Rather than directly activating PPAR-delta, pterostilbene appeared to slow its breakdown, leaving more of the protein available to regulate genes involved in fat metabolism and potentially offering a new mechanistic target for myosteatosis and metabolic dysfunction. Host Dave Asprey explains why the PPAR-delta mechanism is interesting for metabolic health, but draws a clear line between promising cell research and human outcomes, emphasizing that resistance training, walking, muscle mass, and mitochondrial health still have far stronger evidence than taking blueberry extracts to reduce muscle fat. Sources: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/09/260903064219.htm https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fbio.2026.109519 https://www.reddit.com/r/Biohackers/comments/1w8flq4/compound_in_blueberries_may_help_muscle_cells/ ~~ This episode is designed for biohackers, longevity enthusiasts, and high-performance listeners who want emerging research on brain aging, wearables, botanical medicine, cannabis, metabolic health, and supplements translated into what matters for human biology. Host Dave Asprey separates promising mechanisms from premature hype and explains how to evaluate new health research through the lens of evidence quality, dose, biological context, and measurable outcomes. New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. Keywords: plasmalogens aging, plasmalogens brain health, sea squirt plasmalogens, cognitive longevity, neuroinflammation, synaptic health, Apple Watch Series 12, Apple Watch HRV, Apple Watch Readiness score, Apple Health Age, biological age tracking, wearable health data, Quest Diagnostics Apple Health, FDA botanical drugs, botanical medicine regulation, standardized botanical extracts, berberine research, medicinal mushrooms, cannabis IQ decline, adolescent cannabis brain development, cannabis cognitive decline, marijuana memory, pterostilbene fat metabolism, pterostilbene PPAR delta, blueberries metabolism, intramuscular fat, myosteatosis, metabolic flexibility, longevity news 2026, biohacking news 2026 Thank you to our sponsors! - Butcher Box | Go to ButcherBox.com/HUMANUPGRADE to get $20 off your first box, plus your choice of free ground beef for life, or free chicken thigh - Kenetik | Instead of pushing your system harder, Kenetik feeds your brain the ketones it craves to fuel calm clarity and steady focus. Go to drinkkenetik.com/DAVE and use code DAVE for a discount. - iRestore | Unlock your best hair & skin with @iRestorelaser and HUGE savings on iRESTORE with code DAVE at irestore.com/DAVE Resources: • Get My 2026 Clean Nicotine Roadmap | Enroll for free at https://daveasprey.com/2026-clean-nicotine-roadmap/ • Get My 2026 Biohacking Trends Report: https://daveasprey.com/2026-biohacking-trends-report/ • Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today. • Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15 • My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off) • Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off) • Dave Asprey's BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com • Dave Asprey's New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated • Join My Substack (Live Access To Podcast Recordings): https://substack.daveasprey.com/ • Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com Timestamps: 00:00 – Intro 00:24 – Sea Squirt Anti-Aging Lipids 01:39 – Apple Watch Series 12 03:38 – FDA Botanical Drug Push 05:25 – Cannabis & Brain Health 06:47 – Blueberry Fat Metabolism 08:33 – Takeaway See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Salim and I spend this Lonesome Conversation on that specific ache of standing in a crowded room and feeling a total dissonance with everything around you. He describes how that used to tip him into depression as a teenager, and how he's since come to read it as a signal rather than a verdict — a cue to go inward and actually feel what the moment is asking to be felt. An honest reframe of isolation as information from the body, not a life sentence.About SalimSalim Najjar brings the lens of an engineer to the human nervous system, guiding CEOs, founders, and elite performers to nervous system sovereignty, teaching them to alchemize stress into their greatest ally with HRV as the compass. After transforming his HRV from 32 to 100+, he created the A.R.T. of the Heart framework, a path towards nervous system sovereignty.From launching his own beverage company to traveling the globe and learning from spiritual masters, Salim stands at the intersection of entrepreneurship, biohacking, and consciousness. Today, he bridges these worlds to build a movement and community that returns empowerment to each individual, reminding us that your body's wisdom is the only guru you will ever need.Lonesome Conversations Limited SeriesLonesome Conversations is a special series from The Life Stylist, built around my new book, A Horse Named Lonesome (out November 17, 2026). Loneliness is something almost everyone goes through, and almost nobody talks about honestly. So I sat down with psychologists, philosophers, trauma therapists, teachers, and friends to find the truth about loneliness, and how we heal from it. Each episode is its own conversation, but together they walk the same ground the book maps out. (Pre-order your copy at ahorsenamedlonesome.com) You'll find new episodes alongside our regular show over the coming months.

Let the grand experiment begin!The inaugural World Athletics Ultimate Championships, first announced in 2024, are finally upon us and the streets of Budapest are full of track and field fans looking forward to three jam-packed days of action.Small, high-quality fields have been selected using a combination of world rankings and wild card selections, and the straight-final format (with no rabbits!) promises intriguing results. All year, rivalries have been created, reignited, or grown in intensity during a roller-coaster summer season, and for many, if not most, big stars, the WUC will be the final chapter in the 2026 storybook.We'll have boots on the ground in Hungary delivering live coverage, athlete interviews, and analysis in daily post-meet live shows. Make sure you're subscribed and tuned in to the CITIUS YouTube channel as well as following us on Twitter, Instagram, and Bluesky for updates.____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra's lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra's Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don't just run. Vanish. ⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to ⁠⁠AltraRunning.com⁠⁠ and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase.⁠SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. ⁠If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2⁠.

We talk about aging like it happens to a whole person at once. It doesn't. It happens organ by organ, at different speeds, and most people never find out which part of them is running ahead until something breaks.Dr. Will Cole has spent sixteen years running one of the first functional medicine telehealth centers in the world, and he came to this conversation with a case that is both clinical and personal. In 2023 his father lost consciousness at the wheel and died in the crash. The autopsy pointed to cardiometabolic changes, and his heart cells had been aging faster than the rest of him. That same year, Stanford researchers found that one in five adults over fifty has at least one organ aging faster than the others, and that when it's the heart, the risk of a cardiac event more than triples.His new book with Dr. Josh Axe, Heal Your Cells, makes an argument that reframes most of what gets called normal aging. Exhaustion, brain fog, the weight that will not move, the hormone shifts nobody can explain. These are not the calendar. They are cells that have stopped reading their own instructions clearly, and that is a state you can change.We get into what actually makes a cell feel unsafe, why your gut lining is one cell thick and therefore the first thing to break, and the point almost nobody makes about elimination diets: the reintroduction matters as much as the elimination, and a protocol you never came off of is a cast you left on until the muscle atrophied.We also get into light. Not just morning sun, but the darkness half, which matters more for women than most people realize. Melatonin is not only a sleep hormone, it's one of the more important antioxidants for ovarian aging, and light levels most people would call almost nothing can cut its production substantially.Track your sleep, recovery, strain, and HRV with WHOOP. Get one month free at https://join.whoop.com/kaylabarnesOptimize your sleep with the Eight Sleep Pod. Get up to $350 off at https://www.eightsleep.com/Kayla with code “KAYLA”Join the most comprehensive *female-specific community for health and longevity optimization.* After over a decade dedicated to human performance and women's health, I created this space to share everything you need to know to optimize health and lifespan. Inside, you'll get access to exclusive protocols, live Q&As, the latest female longevity science, and a private, supportive community of like-minded women.https://kayla-barnes-lentz.circle.so/female-longevity-communityConnect with Kayla:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kaylabarnes/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@femalelongevityTwitter:https://x.com/femalelongevityWebsite:https://www.kaylabarnes.com/Spotify:https://open.spotify.com/show/4OLWWn22RGB0argbRPvAaQ?si=8e91b3c9e0ce4054Apple:https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/longevity-optimization-with-kayla-barnes-lentz/id1591130227Follow Her Female Protocol: https://www.protocol.kaylabarnes.comConnect with Dr. Will:Website: http://drwillcole.com/Book: https://drwillcole.com/books-home-page/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drwillcoleLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drwillcole/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DrWillCole#cellularhealth #longevity #femalelongevity #guthealth #healthspan #leakygut#womenshealth #functionalmedicine #circadianhealth #autophagy #mitochondria #healthoptimization

AFib, Aging Athletes & Heart Health: The Root Causes Most People Miss | With Angie Can you be incredibly fit—and still develop atrial fibrillation (AFib)? In this episode of The Coach Debbie Potts Show, I sit down with Angie, Heart Wellness Coach, to explore why endurance athletes and active adults over 40 are not immune to AFib and other heart rhythm challenges. We go beyond the heart itself to look at the interconnected factors that may influence cardiovascular health as we age—including the nervous system, inflammation, oxidative stress, sleep, gut health, mineral balance, hydration, recovery, nutrition, and metabolic health. In this episode, we discuss: • Why AFib can show up in aging endurance athletes • The connection between the autonomic nervous system, vagus nerve, HRV, and heart rhythm • Sleep apnea, chronic stress, and inadequate recovery • Gut health, inflammation, and cardiovascular health • Magnesium, electrolytes, hydration, and mineral balance • Protein, muscle health, and metabolic resilience • Why being "fit" doesn't always mean your body is resilient • Practical ways to support your heart and whole-body health as you age This conversation fits into a much bigger message I continue to share: Your body isn't broken—it's adapting to the signals it receives. Foundations → Signals → Adaptation → Resilience → FutureYou™

Chris Chavez and Preet Majithia are back to break down all the highlights from the Diamond League final in Brussels last weekend. Discussed in this episode:– Men's 1500m: Cam Myers wins in 3:30 as the first Australian to win a Diamond League distance title. The race has been somewhat overshadowed by everything that followed it. Myers was boxed in behind Jakob and Phanuel Koech with 100 meters to go, found a gap when Koech drifted to lane two, and had the fastest final 100 of the field (12.8). – The controversy: In the mixed zone, Jakob Ingebrigtsen called the field — including himself — losers. He was specifically critical of Cole for bringing in a faster pacer (Christian Jackson) with a promise of 3:27 pace, and then nobody getting on it.– What happened next: Jakob later posted a partial apology and called his field of cowards comment wrong, but stood by his criticism of Cole and his team. This entire controversy is exactly why there should be no pacemakers at the Diamond League final.– Josh Kerr's response: He waited a day, then posted himself running a 48.41 400m on Instagram with no context. His 3:42 world record and 1:44 800m shape from earlier this year makes him the clear favorite in Budapest.– Collen Kebinatshipi: Ran 43.40 to win the men's 400m for his third Diamond League record of the season. Six Diamond Leagues, six wins, and five sub-44s for the most ever in a single season.– Emmanuel Wanyonyi won the men's 800m for his fourth consecutive Diamond League title and ninth career sub-1:42.– Women's steeple: Faith Cherotich ran 8:51 for her third Diamond League title. Doris Lemngole ran 8:52 for her third PB in four races and no. 6 all-time, beating Peruth Chemutai and Winfred Yavi.– 110m hurdles: Ja'Kobe Tharp won in 13.03. Cordell Tinch went down hard after clipping a hurdle. He posted afterward confirming no injury and cleared for Budapest.– Men's 100m: Oblique Seville won in 9.90. He's the World Ultimates favorite now that Noah Lyles has ended his season due to his injury from USAs.– Women's 800m: Audrey Werro wins in 1:54.75, Femke Bol second in 1:54.81. Werro's undefeated season survives by six hundredths. Werro went out in 25.9, slightly paid for it in the close (29.8), but still held off Femke's improving kick. – Women's 1500m: Klaudia Kazmierska ran 3:54.05 for the world lead and her first Diamond League title. She took the lead at 200 to go and closed in 29.5. A year ago her PB was 3:59.– Men's 5K: Berhanu Balew wins in 12:45 for a two second personal best. Graham Blanks placed fifth in a PB of 12:47. Nico Young took sixth in a season's best 12:48.+ More results from Brussels.____________SUPPORT OUR SPONSORSOLIPOP: OLIPOP's Citrus Rush packs apple, lemon, lime, and orange juices with 60mg of green tea caffeine for a bold, refreshing blast of flavor ready to fuel your next adventure. If you haven't had tried Olipop yet, grab a can and see what the hype is all about!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Head to DrinkOlipop.com and use code CITIUS25 at checkout to get 25% off your orders.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ALTRA: The new Vanish Carbon 3 was built for race day. A patent-pending split-toe carbon plate delivers the rigidity you need for speed while letting the big toe engage in a more powerful way. Underneath it, a supercritical two-piece full PEBA foam — Altra's lightest and most responsive ever. And Altra's Racing FootShape leaves room for your toes to splay and generate power. Don't just run. Vanish. ⁠⁠⁠Head to ⁠⁠AltraRunning.com⁠⁠ and use code CITIUS10 for 10% off your first purchase.SUUNTO: The Suunto Run 2 is their new flagship watch built specifically for road running and the marathon. You get around 10 days of battery with daily use and 24 hours in performance mode with dual frequency GPS. The watch also tracks your sleep, HRV, and training balance, so you know when to push and when to back off in your workouts. If you're in the market for a new watch, check out the Suunto Run 2.