Three of the best podcasts to jumpstart your learning in the health and performance space.
Overview:
The world of health and human performance is evolving rapidly, with fascinating people, research, and technology emerging at a breakneck pace. With the wealth of new information coming to the surface, it can be overwhelming to figure out where to start learning and exploring. Below are three of my favorite podcasts to help you get started, along with a recommended episode for each of them.
Why Podcasts?
More than any other resource, the information shared through podcasts has enabled my deep dive into the world of health and performance. The emergence of podcasts as a medium has empowered experts with a platform to easily share their knowledge with the world in a way like never before. People like me can now listen directly to scientists and doctors conducting research, athletes at the top of their field, and business leaders creating the future of health tech. Rather than waiting years for new research and technology to materialize, listeners now have a window into what these amazing individuals are thinking about and working on. Plus, the informal and conversational nature of podcasts makes them more digestible than a press release or research paper, and much of the knowledge and insight being offered (for free!) isn’t available anywhere else. For that reason, I highly recommend taking a listen to some of the episodes featured below.
Podcast: Huberman Lab
Host: Dr. Andrew Huberman
Dr. Huberman is an accomplished scientist and tenured professor of Neurobiology and Ophthalmology at Stanford University School of Medicine. His lab researches everything from neural regeneration, neuroplasticity, and brain states such as stress, focus, fear, and optimal performance. The podcast covers a range of topics related to health and performance, presenting the science in a way that is thorough, yet digestible for those of us without a formal science background. It has become my go-to source for learning about the human body’s underlying systems. Its lecture-style delivery is easy to follow, and the accompanying "prescription" makes what you learned actionable.
Recommended Episode: Optimize Your Workspace For Productivity, Focus, & Creativity
For those of us with a 9-5 job, there is likely no single place where we spend more time during the day than sitting behind our desk. In this episode, Dr. Huberman discusses some of the critical components to pay attention to in order to optimize your workspace for productivity, focus, and creativity. This includes the different types of light you should be getting throughout the day, your body position, movement, and different sounds that can enhance memory and recall. All of these factors can lead to significant improvements in your health, performance, and wellbeing. Given the sheer amount of time we spend at our desks each year (sad, I know), even a small improvement can have a big impact.
Podcast: The Drive
Host: Dr. Peter Attia
Dr. Peter Attia is a world-renowned MD focused on the applied science of longevity. He runs a medical practice that is focused on nutritional interventions, exercise physiology, sleep physiology, emotional and mental health, and pharmacology to increase lifespan (by delaying the onset of chronic disease) while simultaneously improving healthspan (quality of life). His podcast, The Drive, has deep-dive interviews with leading experts across all subjects pertaining to lifespan and healthspan. He also invites other high-performing individuals on the podcast, like legendary Oil and Gas Trader John Arnold or Olympic marathon record holder Ryan Hall. While many of the episodes can be a bit science-heavy, there is incredible knowledge and insight available if you are patient enough to sift through it.
Recommended Episode: Eye Health - Everything you need to know
Eye health is a topic that most people will have to deal with at some point in their lives, given that an estimated 60% of adults need some form of vision correction (i). In this episode, Dr. Steven Dell, a leading ophthalmologist specializing in refractive eye surgery, explains the anatomy and mechanics of the eye and how they impact different types of vision. He discusses changes in vision that occur with aging and the fundamentals of different types of vision loss. He also provides an in-depth look into the various treatments and procedures available for corrective eye surgery. Additionally, Dr. Dell explains how to protect the eyes and potentially prevent vision loss in order to improve long-term eye health.
Podcast: Fitt Insider
Host: Joe Venare
Hosted by Joe Venare, Fitt Insider is your one-stop-shop for learning about all the innovative companies in the health and performance space. It features digestible 30- to 40-minute interviews with founders, CEOs, and innovators from across the industry. It is a great place to learn about emerging tech, potential business opportunities in the space, and what the future of wellness might hold. Fitt Insider also puts out a newsletter, which is the best source for wellness industry news and analysis (sign up here).
Recommended Episode: Matteo Franceschetti - CEO of Eight Sleep
Eight Sleep is a company working to improve your sleep performance through a combination of hardware and software unlike anything else on the market. Just like you might use an activity tracker for your workouts, Eight Sleep uses sensors and a temperature-controlled mattress pad to optimize your environment throughout the night. By using biometric data, the mattress intelligently adjusts its temperature based on the stage of your sleep cycle and your ambient environment. Matteo is an emphatic leader who sees Eight Sleep as a "Sleep Fitness" company and does a convincing job explaining why it might be time to upgrade from a "dumb foam" mattress, as he calls it.
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