Hvmn Enhancement: Biohacking, Health, And Cognition

The Tour de France is a tense, three-week long cycling race between a total of 176 riders covering more than 2,000 miles. It truly is one of the greatest athletic tests in all of sports. There’s a great deal of history here, with this year being the 105th race. With any world-class competition that spans decades, you end up seeing continued innovation to not only keep up with the times, but also to push the limits of competitors. The Tour de France is a textbook example of this. In this episode of the HVMN podcast, Dr. Brianna Stubbs will be giving you all a glimpse of the physical, software, and nutritional innovations that transformed the race into what it is today. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Take a short survey that will help us improve the podcast and be entered in a HVMN Ketone giveaway: https://go.hvmn.com/podcastsurvey We also want to hear from our listeners/viewers! Contact podcast@hvmn.com with any feedback, questions, and guest suggestions! Write

Can psychedelic therapy transform the way we approach mental health issues? The discussion around psychedelic therapy has started to move from the niche and hippy into the mainstream in recent months with people like writer Michael Pollan opening up the conversation around the potential of psychedelics through the lens of scientific potential. One interesting psychedelic is ayahuasca, a South American tea that contains the chemical DMT. This week, we have on Jesse Gould and Yuriy Blokhin, the leaders behind Heroic Hearts Project, a foundation for veterans to help them learn about and access psychedelic therapy. Jesse is a former Army Airborne Ranger and Yuriy was the first employee of the popular messenger app Kik. These two gentleman, as you can tell, come from very different backgrounds, but were brought together with their own experiences with ayahuasca and the mission of changing the culture and dialogue around the value of psychedelics. In this discussion, you’ll discover: - The research around psychothe

How does a doctor approach intermittent fasting for the first time? Dr. Molly Maloof is the Head of Medical Science at Sano Intelligence, a continuous glucose monitoring startup. But she also runs a private practice serving the Silicon Valley. We last spoke with Dr. Maloof about a year ago and since, she has started experimenting with intermittent fasting. In this discussion, you’ll discover: Dr. Maloof’s experience with fasting and how she tracks her progress, and how it’s different for men and women Its effect on the gut microbiome and larger health implications Empowerment over food after the body adapts to fasting You can follow Dr. Maloof's work on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmolly.co/?hl=en ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take a short survey that will help improve the podcast and be entered in a HVMN Ketone giveaway: https://go.hvmn.com/podcastsurvey We also want to hear from our listeners/viewers! Contact podcast@hvmn.com with any feedback, que

You’ve heard of Spartan Races, Tough Mudder, and the popular TV series Ninja Warrior. They all fall under the umbrella of obstacle course racing, which originates from military training. The sport gained such a following that, in 2014, the World Obstacle Course Racing Federation was formed as the international governing body. The goal? Supervise, sanction and hopefully bring obstacle course training to the Olympics. In this episode, we speak to the President of the World OCR Federation, Ian Adamson. He’s a world record-breaking adventure racer with two decades experience navigating unmarked wilderness courses for weeks-long races. In this discussion, you’ll discover: The history of obstacle training, its roots in the military and why it’s growing so explosively Ian’s most interesting stories as an adventure and obstacle course racer Ian’s nutrition recovery and training strategies You can check out World OCR here: https://worldocr.org/ -----------------------------------------------------------------------

Football is part of the fabric of American culture. We know the game; we know the athletes; but do we know about the hours of training that went into a victorious touchdown? Undeniable is the training NFL athletes dedicate to making themselves elite performers. It’s not all physical; the mental aspect is equally important. NFL players are some of the best athletes on the planet, but they’re also some of the smartest humans around. Connor Barwin, an outside linebacker (who has played for the Texans, Eagles and Rams), joins the HVMN podcast to discuss what it’s like to be a professional football player. Between quarterback sacks, Conner also helps build better communities through his non-profit organization Make The World Better. In this episode, we explore: The environment of an NFL locker room moments before stepping on the field How sports science has evolved and what it’s like to play for different coaches Why it’s important to get involved in the community as a professional athlete Insight into the contro

Imagine yourself breathing through a straw as you run a marathon. Would you be able to finish? That’s an experience Russell Winwood, an athlete who has been diagnosed with COPD (an obstructive chronic lung disease), has dealt with for years. Instead of being at the mercy of his condition, Russell used his diagnosis to turn his life around and continue pushing himself to the next level. Russell incorporates many strategies, such as following a ketogenic diet, supplementing with ketone esters, and fostering a healthy mental state to help him retain an active lifestyle...even with his lungs operating at 25% capacity.   In this discussion, you'll discover: Russell’s experience with the ketogenic diet and ketone esters to help his lung function. His mindset during the tough times his lungs are straining during a race. What COPD is, and what the future holds for COPD research and medicine.   Check out Russell here: https://copdathlete.com/   We want to hear from you. Contact podcast@hvmn.com with any feedback, qu

You've heard us talk about heart rate variability before. What exactly can we learn from it and how can we utilize the information to improve physical training, recovery, and overall health? Jason Moore, CEO of EliteHRV, joins us today to discuss the basics and nuances of HRV.  Elite HRV is a free app used by hundreds of thousands of health and performance seekers to get dedicated HRV insight - Olympians, pro athletes, doctors, first responders, biohackers, and more. Get 10% off EliteHRV's CorSense Heart Rate Variability Sensor and their special training courses! Enter code "hvmn" at checkout.  In this discussion, you'll discover: Why HRV is important and how it is inherently tied to many important biological processes Reasons we should utilize tech in conjunction with natural intuition...no reason to be dogmatic about one or the other! How to determine "good" and "bad" HRV   We want to hear from you. Contact podcast@hvmn.com with any feedback, questions, and guest suggestions! Write a review for us on iTun

It is easier than ever to measure your biometrics. Ketone levels, heart rate variability, step count, quality of sleep...but how do we translate raw numbers into meaning? Gyroscope, a quantified-self app that presents your data in a cohesive dashboard, aims to not only give users an easy way to know their biometrics, but craft a narrative from it. What do the frequent locations you visit tell you about yourself? If you're not getting quality sleep, what measurable factors could be causing it that you can isolate and correct?  Founder Anand Sharma joins us this week to share how his company is transforming human data into more than just numbers.  In this discussion, you'll discover: How can data be visualized beautifully to users? The pros and cons of being a digital nomad and having a team that works remotely around the world. Best practices for tracking certain biometrics. Get one free month of Gyroscope Pro! (https://gyrosco.pe/redeem/) Enter the code "freemonthpodcast". You can also download the free ver

In 2018, the Major League Baseball Organization employed a record number of mental coaches.  A former MLB player himself, John Baker has been involved with mental training in professional sports for the last few years, guiding the minds of the Chicago Cubs as they championed the 2016 World Series. John joins us this week to discuss how invaluable mental skills, healthiness, and happiness are for elite athletes to stay on top of their game. Being away from home for months, living in an environment that requires constant focus, and facing the publicity that comes with fame, professional athletes struggle with a unique set of challenges and circumstances. How does John help these players keep their mental game as sharp as their physical performance?  In this discussion, you'll discover: The evolution of mental training in baseball...why is there more interest now? Mindfulness techniques that help players develop a healthy mindset that combats common problems in professional sports: Staying focused, dealing with

A day before the Hawaii Ironman World Championship, Tim Don was hit by a vehicle, breaking his C2 vertebrae...an injury known as the hangman's fracture. His only option for continuing his athletic career was to wear a halo, something he compares to a "medieval torture device". One look at it and you'd agree. 5 titanium screws were forced into his skull, severely limiting his movement so his neck could heal.  Six months later, he completed the 2018 Boston Marathon in under 2:50. After such a traumatic injury, how did Tim manage to get back on his feet so quickly? We dive into the determined, strong-willed, and astute mindset of one of the world's greatest triathletes.  In this discussion, you'll discover: The physical and nutritional interventions Tim followed in order to heal faster so he could get back to racing The science component of triathlon training - How should athletes think about the growing set of data available to them? As "amateur" sports gain in popularity with the culture shift of people wanti

Before there was HVMN Ketone, there was the "Metabolic Dominance" program.  This program, initiated by DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), was spear-headed by Joe Bielitzki.  The goal? To enable superior physical and physiological warfighter performance by controlling energy metabolism on demand. The result? 15+ years of research that led to the creation of the world's first ketone ester. Joe, who was also NASA's Chief Veterinary Officer, joins us this week to share a special, behind-the-scenes view of the ketone ester's deep history. In this discussion, you'll discover:  Why the other compounds Joe tested was not reaching the bar, and how he ended up with going with the ketone ester How DARPA executes on programs to improve soldier performance Ponder over how primal humans utilized ketosis, and why modern humans can benefit from this "ancient" fuel   We want to hear from you. Contact podcast@hvmn.com with any feedback, questions, and guest suggestions! Write a review for us on iTunes, let us

Welcome to a Dr. Scott Sherr's Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber Lab, a cutting-edge technology that uses high-pressure oxygen to help treat a variety of health conditions and diseases. Join Geoffrey Woo as he undergoes a treatment in the chamber.  Each cell in the body needs oxygen to preserve, repair, and enhance cellular function. Breathing 100% oxygen at pressures greater than sea level can help various medical conditions, along with preliminary data showing positive effects on cognitive and physical performance. This was recorded offsite, so audio quality may be a bit poorer than usual. Please send any feedback to podcast@hvmn.com! Check out Dr. Sherr's hyperbaric oxygen facilities here: https://www.hyperbaricmedicalsolutions.com/

If you had one hour to teach a friend all about ketosis, press the play button and sit back. In previous conversations, host Geoffrey Woo has touched on many aspects of ketosis: The research that has been done, the metabolic pathways that are activated, how burning fat for energy affects physical performance, and the different interventions used to reach a state of ketosis. This episode acts as the source of truth. Geoff and Dr. Brianna Stubbs sit down to lay down the fundamentals, look back at the history, and ponder over what the future will bring.  In this discussion, you will discover: The difference between being in a state of "ketosis" and being "ketogenic" How to properly implement a ketogenic diet and the common mistakes many make The specific metabolic processes your body undergoes to use ketones for the body and mind     We want to hear from you. Contact podcast@hvmn.com with any feedback, questions, and guest suggestions! Write a review for us on iTunes, let us know via email, and we'll send you

We all have a passion for self-improvement. For Andy Hnilo, a former athlete and actor, it nearly meant life or death. After a car accident that left Andy unconscious with 7 broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken jaw, and multiple gashes across the body, his life changed. His ER doctor told him, You have the worst facial injury I have ever seen." For a year, Andy became obsessed with accelerating his recovery. Through self-research, Andy made radical changes to his nutrition, exercise routine (he would do hill sprints while his jaw was wired shut), and, most notably, created his own skincare concoctions to heal his scarring. 7 weeks after the accident, he was back at work acting.  That was the genesis of Alitura Naturals. Andy firmly believes that we should treat our skin (our largest organ) as a second mouth. What gets applied on our skin gets absorbed in less than 30 seconds, so Andy only puts natural ingredients that he would eat into his products. In this discussion, you'll discover:  How Andy's experim

Focus, relaxation, sleep...what if we can scientifically use music to achieve these mental states in 15 minutes? This is the ambition of Brain.fm, a service that uses A.I. music to get your brain in a cognitive state that you want at any given time. Different from binaural beats, Brain.fm's music utilizes the technology of neural phase-locking, which keeps your brain waves synchronized for long periods of time. We discuss the technology and potential of enhancing performance through the auditory system with Brain.fm CEO Daniel Clark. In this discussion, you'll discover... How music with certain frequencies can potentially enhance brain states - neural phase locking The research trials and scientific data that support Brain.fm's technology The differing philosophies and goals of the music coming from the mainstream music industry vs. Brain.fm Do you want to try Brain.fm? Many employees of HVMN regularly tune in when working, and there's a free trial waiting for everyone. Visit https://www.brain.fm/hvmn for m

Dr. Jason McKeown, CEO of Modius, joins us this week to discuss an interesting area of neurology: How the hypothalamus influences metabolism. He believes that the hypothalamus plays a crucial role in how lean you are, your ability to train harder, your hunger levels, and, ultimately, weight loss. This is why he created the Modius, a headset that sends a low-level electrical pulse to the vestibular nerve, tricking your brain into believing your body is moving. He lost 19 pounds and gained 5 pounds of muscle utilizing the device. Dr. McKeown provides a transparent view of how the cutting-edge technology works within the brain and body, citing specific studies and trials (with NASA-associated data that goes back 50 years), making for an engaging and thoughtful conversation. Here are three discussion points from the conversation: How the vestibular nerve connects with the brain, what it controls, and the methods of stimulating it. How does mimicking movement and tricking the brain result in genuine weight loss?

Change your life, fast. In our last episode, we had Dr. Jason Fung dive into the deep science of the effect intermittent fasting has on metabolism and its potential to reverse diabetes. This week, Sumaya Kazi joins us to provide another perspective. With her recent appearance on the Today Show with Megyn Kelly and her Medium article reaching over 600,000 views, Sumaya is the face of the everyday person who has fallen in love with intermittent fasting. After losing 55 pounds in 7 months, all without setting a foot in the gym, people around the world looked up to Sumaya as a resource to successfully turn intermittent fasting into a lifestyle. Here are three discussion topics from Geoff and Sumaya’s conversation: How to get through the challenges of a fast…it’s a mind over stomach battle! The story of Sumaya’s initial weight loss journey through intermittent fasting, and how it soon became much more than a simple tool for just weight loss. Tips on viably incorporating fasting into the life of the everyday perso

Intermittent fasting activates many biological pathways in the human body, namely autophagy, ketosis, and cellular repair. These effects could be just what many patients need to reverse diabetes and overcome obesity, and forward-thinking doctors have taken note. One such doctor is Dr. Jason Fung, who is a pioneer of intermittent fasting in the clinical setting. He returns to the program after first appearing 2 years ago, and we both agree that we have seen the practice soar to popularity, in both culture and medicine, during that time.  We discuss the similarities of the end goals of intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet, the hacks one can use during a fast and when they should use them, and how fasting can be the cure for the underlying root cause of Type 2 diabetes. Want to try Dr. Fung's new fasting tea, launching this summer? Follow this link. Also check out Dr. Fung's IDM Program Website.  We want to hear from you. Contact podcast@hvmn.com with any feedback, questions, and guest suggestions! Write

An author of a New York Times bestseller, a Top 100 "Most Influential People In Health And Fitness" member, an experienced Ironman Triathlete, and a stem cell penis enhancement advocate. It's Ben Greenfield. Ben's science-based approach to discovering a potent balance between health and performance has revolutionized the way thousands of people around the world live, train, and eat. Two worlds collide in this episode as HVMN CEO Geoffrey Woo and Ben Greenfield discuss the broad spectrum of human performance.  Talking Points: - The procedures and outcomes of Ben's experiment with injecting his penis with stem cells - How did Ben Greenfield become Ben Greenfield? - Ketosis for endurance running and race performance - “That was my initial foray into experimenting with ketosis. I found it to be increasingly effective, the longer I stayed on the diet, the more I felt good because I was getting fat-adapted.” - The optimal lifestyle for human longevity - Actionable tidbits for healthy exercise You can check out Ben'

It's time to switch things around! In this special episode, HVMN Research Lead Dr. Brianna Stubbs is put on the hot seat as Peter Bowes interviews her about biohacking, ketone supplementation, and moving to another country to work at a growing start-up. Original episode description below: Brianna Stubbs has been a competitive athlete all her life. At the age of 12, in 2004, she became the youngest person to row across the English Channel. She went on to win a gold medal with the GB Rowing Team at the 2016 World Rowing Championships and twice rowed for Oxford in the Women’s Boat Race against Cambridge. Alongside her athletic endeavors, Brianna pursued an academic career, completing her PhD in metabolic biochemistry at Oxford. She is particularly interested in the effects of exogenous ketones on human performance. In this in-depth interview Brianna breaks down the theory and shares her understanding of ketone supplementation to promote physical performance. She also describes a day in the life of a semi-retired