Accelerate Learning & Increase Cognitive Capacity | Dr. Tommy Wood
7/20/20262 hr 41 min
Dr. Tommy Wood, BM, BCh, PhD, is a professor of neuroscience at the University of Washington and an expert on brain health, neuroplasticity, and cognitive performance. Dr. Wood explains how to use specific forms of exercise, dietary strategies, and compounds to enhance the rate and stability of mental and/or physical skill development. We also discuss science-based tools to preserve cognitive function, reduce dementia risk, and offset loss of memory after a concussion or other brain injury. This episode provides practical, science-based tools for learning new information and skills and for improving your overall ability to learn.
Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.
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Timestamps
(00:00:00) Tommy Wood
(00:04:05) Neuroplasticity; Neurogenesis; Synaptic Pruning
(00:11:11) Aging & Neuroplasticity; Familiar vs Novel Tasks
(00:14:33) Protocols Book; Sponsor: David
(00:16:49) Aging, Training & Processing Speed
(00:21:56) Enhancing Neuroplasticity with Age, Tool: Motor & Cognitive Challenge
(00:26:56) Learning New Skills, Dance, Sports, Arts; Psychological Benefits of Challenge
(00:36:50) Flow, Clutch States; Virtuosity
(00:46:59) Power of Practice
(00:50:55) Sponsor: AG1
(00:52:14) Tools for Focused Work & Learning; Distractions
(01:00:17) Nutrition for Brain Health, Dementia; Critical Nutrients
(01:06:56) Nutrient Timing, Supplementation; Omega-3s, Tool: Blood Tests
(01:16:41) Sponsor: Function
(01:18:19) Enhancing Brain Health, Nutrition & Supplements
(01:23:10) GLP-1s, Peptides, Supplements & Evaluating Efficacy
(01:32:56) Stimulants: Feeling vs Performance
(01:37:18) Exercise & Enhancing Cognitive Function, Tool: Optimize Exercise Volume
(01:43:18) Long-Term Cognitive Health & Exercise, HIIT
(01:47:17) Sponsor: Rorra
(01:48:31) Cortisol Benefits, Acute vs Chronic Stress
(01:54:24) Resistance & Aerobic Exercise, Brain Gray & White Matter, Cognitive Health
(02:03:37) Cognitive Decline, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Modifiable Risk Factors
(02:09:47) Shingles Vaccine & Dementia Risk; Tool: Avoid Illness for Cognitive Health
(02:18:28) Concussion, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Creatine
(02:24:04) Treating TBI, Supplements, Physical Therapy
(02:32:16) Strongman Competition
(02:38:51) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsTommy Wood· Guest0:00
There's a much more recent study that took, again, older adults and randomized them across three different groups. One was like a low intensity group. Another group basically did kind of zone two type work on a treadmill three times a week. And the third group did, um, a high intensity interval training intervention, which was the Norwegian 4x4 protocol. So four minutes, uh, 85 to 95% of maximum heart rate. They had a three-minute rest in their protocol. They did that four times over.
Andrew Huberman· Host0:25
That was three times a week.
Tommy Wood· Guest0:26
Three times a week for six months. That's, that's pretty intense. But what they showed was that that high intensity interval training group, they improved their fitness just as well as the zone two group, interestingly, but they had much better improvements in hippocampal function and maintenance of hippocampal structure on an MRI scan. And they maintained that benefit for five years after the six-month intervention. So they worked really hard for six months, but that, that benefit was maintained for, for a really long period of time.
Andrew Huberman· Host0:55
[instrumental music] Welcome to the Huberman Lab Podcast, where we discuss science and science-based tools for everyday life. I'm Andrew Huberman, and I'm a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. My guest today is Dr. Tommy Wood. Dr. Tommy Wood is a medical doctor and neuroscience researcher at the University of Washington in Seattle. He is also the chief science officer of Better Brain, a company that provides free brain health coaching. Tommy is an expert in neuroplasticity and human performance, and how science-based protocols