The Optimal Morning Routine - Andrew Huberman

Summary

In this special episode of After Skool, Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neurobiology and ophthalmology professor at Stanford, shares practical tools for optimizing morning routines. He emphasizes the importance of sleep and aligning circadian rhythms with natural light exposure upon waking. Dr. Huberman explains how light impacts cortisol levels, mood, and focus, and suggests delaying caffeine intake and incorporating exercise to regulate adenosine levels and prevent afternoon crashes. He also discusses the benefits of cold showers for dopamine and epinephrine release, and the overall impact of these practices on mental health, physical health, and performance.

Takeaways

• 🌞 Importance of Morning Light Exposure: Exposure to natural light shortly after waking up helps to regulate circadian rhythms and is crucial for setting the body's 24-hour cycle.
• 💡 Light and Cortisol: Morning light is essential for triggering the cortisol pulse, which sets the rhythm for alertness, focus, and mood throughout the day.
• 🕶️ Avoiding the Circadian Dead Zone: Delaying outdoor light exposure until noon or later can lead to a misalignment of the cortisol pulse and may contribute to depression, anxiety, and sleep difficulties.
• 🚫 Caution with Electronic Devices: While electronic devices emit bright light, they are not a sufficient substitute for natural sunlight, especially for entrainment of circadian rhythms.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Exercise and Adenosine: Engaging in physical activity in the morning helps to clear out adenosine, a neuromodulator linked to sleepiness, and can improve alertness and focus.
• ☕️ Caffeine and Adenosine Interaction: Delaying caffeine intake for 60 to 90 minutes after waking allows adenosine to be naturally cleared, potentially reducing the risk of an afternoon energy crash.
• 🌡️ Body Temperature and Sleep: The body's core temperature follows a natural rhythm, increasing to promote wakefulness and decreasing to induce sleep, which is influenced by factors like light exposure and exercise.
• 🧊 Cold Showers and Dopamine: Cold showers or ice baths can stimulate the release of dopamine and epinephrine, contributing to a mood-enhancing effect and potentially aiding in overcoming addiction.
• 🌡️ Manipulating Body Temperature: Increasing body temperature through exercise, light exposure, and avoiding caffeine immediately after waking can create an internal summer-like state, beneficial for mood and metabolism.
• 🌤️ Seasonal Light Exposure: In regions with limited sunlight during winter, using light boxes can be a cost-effective alternative to natural light for maintaining circadian rhythm and mood.
• 🏠 Creating Internal Seasons: Irrespective of external weather conditions, individuals can influence their internal state by managing light exposure, exercise, and body temperature, which can impact mood and health.

Q & A

Who is Andrew Huberman and what is his profession?

Andrew Huberman is a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford School of Medicine. He is also the host of the Huberman Lab podcast, which focuses on science and science-based tools for everyday life.

What is the main topic of the special episode of 'After Skool' presented by Andrew Huberman?

The main topic of the special episode is about practical tools for optimizing your morning routine with a focus on foundational behaviors that can improve overall performance and well-being.

According to Andrew Huberman, what are the two fundamental elements that set the stage for better performance in various aspects of life?

The two fundamental elements that set the stage for better performance are sleep and what he refers to as non-sleep deep rest.

What is the significance of getting natural light in your eyes within an hour of waking up, as suggested by Andrew Huberman?

Getting natural light in your eyes within an hour of waking up helps to modulate the timing of the cortisol pulse, which is crucial for setting your alertness, focus, mood, and temperature rhythm in motion.

How does exposure to sunlight affect the circadian rhythm and overall health?

Exposure to sunlight helps align the circadian rhythms of every cell in the body, which is regulated by genes. Proper alignment prevents issues like getting sick easily or feeling off mentally when traveling overseas or experiencing a shift in time zones.

What is the term used to describe the time when light arriving at the eyes can affect certain processes but not the timing of the cortisol pulse?

The term used to describe this time is the 'circadian dead zone'.

Why is it important to avoid staring directly at the sun or any light that is too bright according to the transcript?

It is important to avoid staring directly at the sun or any light that is too bright to prevent damage to the eyes.

What role does dopamine play in the brain and body, as explained by Andrew Huberman?

Dopamine's main role in the brain and body is to drive motivation, craving, and pursuit. It is not the molecule of pleasure but rather the molecule of drive, often referred to as the 'life force'.

How does light exposure to the skin impact hormone levels, according to the study mentioned in the transcript?

Light exposure to the skin, particularly UVB ultraviolet blue light, triggers a pathway that releases dopamine in the brain and body. This can lead to significant increases in testosterone and estrogen levels, contributing to a feeling of increased passion and vitality.

What is adenosine and how does caffeine interact with it in the context of sleep and alertness?

Adenosine is a substance that builds up in the brain and body as we are awake, contributing to feelings of sleepiness. Caffeine effectively blocks the effects of adenosine, leading to increased alertness, but its consumption can lead to an afternoon crash when the adenosine binds to receptors with greater affinity after the caffeine wears off.

What is the recommended practice to avoid the afternoon crash associated with caffeine consumption?

The recommended practice is to delay the intake of caffeine by 60 to 90 minutes after waking, allowing the adenosine to be cleared out naturally.

How does the body's core temperature relate to sleep and wakefulness, and what practices can help regulate it?

The body's core temperature increases to promote wakefulness and decreases to promote sleepiness. Practices such as exercising, taking cold showers, and exposure to natural light can help regulate the body's core temperature and improve sleep-wake cycles.

What is the significance of the shock experienced when getting into cold water, and how does it affect the brain and body?

The shock experienced when getting into cold water triggers the release of adrenaline (epinephrine), which suppresses the activity of the forebrain and ramps up other areas, leading to a wake-up effect in the brain and body. This can result in a long arc release of dopamine and epinephrine, contributing to mood enhancement.

What is the role of the hypothalamus in the body's response to cold water, and how does it relate to the release of epinephrine?

The hypothalamus plays a crucial role in the body's response to cold water by signaling the release of epinephrine, which helps to wake up the brain and body, creating a state of alertness and readiness.

How does Andrew Huberman suggest using the body's internal environment to create a 'summer month' effect, regardless of the external weather?

Andrew Huberman suggests using practices that increase core body temperature, such as exposure to natural light, exercise, and cold showers, to create a 'summer month' effect inside the body, which can improve mood, metabolism, and overall well-being.

Outlines

00:00

🌞 Optimizing Morning Routines with Light Exposure

Andrew Huberman, a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford University, introduces practical tools for enhancing morning routines. He emphasizes the importance of sleep and non-sleep deep rest, explaining that consistent sleep is crucial for optimal functioning, including metabolism and immune system health. Huberman suggests that exposure to natural light shortly after waking is vital for aligning circadian rhythms and triggering the cortisol pulse, which sets the day's alertness, focus, and mood. He also mentions the benefits of sunlight for mood and the release of dopamine, a neuromodulator associated with motivation and drive.

05:04

🌡️ The Impact of Light and Temperature on Circadian Rhythms

This paragraph delves into the specifics of how light exposure impacts circadian rhythms and the body's internal clock. Huberman explains that light exposure in the morning helps anchor the cortisol pulse, which is crucial for setting the body's temperature rhythm and preventing issues like depression and anxiety. He also discusses the role of dopamine in motivation and how light can stimulate its production, affecting not only mood but also physiological processes like melanin production and gonadal growth. Additionally, he advises delaying caffeine intake to allow for the clearance of adenosine, a neuromodulator linked to sleepiness, and suggests exercise as an alternative to caffeine for boosting alertness.

10:07

🏋️‍♂️ Manipulating Body Temperature for Alertness and Sleep

In this section, Huberman explores the relationship between body temperature and alertness, discussing how exercising and exposure to cold water can influence core body temperature and, consequently, one's level of wakefulness. He explains that the body's thermostat in the medial pre-optic area responds to external temperatures, and immersing oneself in cold water can paradoxically increase core body temperature. Huberman cites a study showing that cold water immersion leads to a significant release of dopamine and epinephrine, which can have mood-enhancing effects. He also touches on the benefits of creating an 'internal summer' through these practices, which can counteract the effects of seasonal affective disorder even in colder climates.

15:08

📚 Conclusion and Additional Resources

Huberman concludes the episode by summarizing the importance of morning light exposure and temperature management for optimizing daily routines. He invites viewers to explore the Huberman Lab Podcast for more tools on mental and physical health, as well as performance enhancement. He also directs viewers to the podcast's social media channels and the hubermanlab.com website for further information and resources.

Keywords

💡Circadian Rhythm

Circadian rhythm refers to the natural, internal process that regulates the sleep-wake cycle and repeats roughly every 24 hours. In the video, it is discussed as a critical factor in aligning the body's internal clocks to a single time, affecting sleep, wakefulness, and overall health. The script emphasizes the importance of natural light exposure upon waking to synchronize these rhythms effectively.

💡Cortisol Pulse

The cortisol pulse is a physiological event where the body experiences a significant increase in cortisol levels, typically in the morning. The video explains that this pulse is crucial for setting the alertness, focus, and mood for the day. It is naturally entrained to occur once every 24 hours, but light exposure can anchor this pulse to a specific time, ensuring optimal functioning.

💡Melanopsin Ganglion Cells

Melanopsin ganglion cells are specialized neurons in the retina that are sensitive to light. As mentioned in the script, these cells play a role in the body's response to light, sending signals to the hypothalamus which in turn influences the release of hormones like melatonin and the regulation of sleep-wake cycles.

💡Dopamine

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter associated with reward, motivation, and pleasure. The video clarifies that dopamine's primary role is to drive motivation, craving, and pursuit, rather than being solely a 'feel-good' molecule. It also highlights the connection between light exposure and dopamine release, which can influence mood and behavior.

💡Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

While not explicitly mentioned by name, the concept of Seasonal Affective Disorder is alluded to in the discussion about the effects of light on mood and behavior. SAD is a type of depression that is related to changes in seasons, and the video suggests that inadequate light exposure can lead to symptoms similar to SAD, such as depression, anxiety, and disrupted sleep patterns.

💡Adenosine

Adenosine is a neuromodulator that builds up in the brain and body during wakefulness and contributes to the feeling of sleepiness. The video script discusses how caffeine can block adenosine's effects, leading to increased alertness, but also how delaying caffeine intake can allow adenosine to clear, potentially preventing an afternoon crash.

💡Parasympathetic Nervous System

The parasympathetic nervous system is part of the autonomic nervous system responsible for the 'rest and digest' response, which promotes relaxation and energy conservation. The video describes how adenosine activates this system, leading to sleep, and how its balance with the sympathetic nervous system is crucial for maintaining alertness and energy throughout the day.

💡Core Body Temperature

Core body temperature is the temperature of the body's internal core, which is regulated by the hypothalamus. The video emphasizes the importance of managing core body temperature for optimal wakefulness and sleep. It explains that increasing body temperature through exercise, light exposure, and cold showers can help maintain alertness, while a decrease in temperature can facilitate sleep.

💡Epinephrine

Epinephrine, also known as adrenaline, is a hormone and neurotransmitter that prepares the body for action by increasing heart rate, blood flow, and energy levels. The script mentions that cold water exposure can trigger the release of epinephrine, which contributes to the invigorating effects of cold showers or ice baths.

💡Hypothalamus

The hypothalamus is a small region at the base of the brain that links the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland. In the video, it is described as playing a central role in regulating body temperature, releasing hormones like melatonin, and responding to light signals to help synchronize the body's internal clocks.

💡Shift Work

Shift work refers to employment that requires working outside of the traditional daytime hours, often involving night or rotating shifts. The video acknowledges the challenges shift workers face in maintaining good sleep hygiene due to the disruption of their circadian rhythms and suggests that they may require special considerations for optimizing their sleep and wakefulness.

Highlights

Morning routine optimization can significantly improve focus, memory, and overall performance.

Sleep and non-sleep deep rest are fundamental for setting the stage for better performance in all activities.

Consistent quality sleep is crucial for metabolic and immune system regulation.

The circadian rhythm, regulated by genes, impacts overall health and well-being.

Exposure to natural light within an hour of waking up is essential for aligning circadian rhythms.

Sunlight helps modulate cortisol levels, affecting alertness, focus, and mood.

Late exposure to sunlight can lead to a delayed cortisol pulse and potential issues with sleep and mood.

Melanopsin ganglion cells in the eyes are triggered by sunlight, affecting the brain and body's wake-up signals.

Dopamine, associated with motivation and drive, is released in response to sunlight and skin exposure.

Light exposure on the skin can increase testosterone and estrogen levels, enhancing mood and vitality.

Caffeine intake should be delayed after waking to allow clearance of adenosine, preventing an afternoon crash.

Exercise in the morning helps clear adenosine, improving alertness and potentially benefiting those with afternoon energy drops.

Core body temperature fluctuations are linked to sleep-wake cycles and can be influenced by light exposure and exercise.

Cold showers or baths can trigger a release of dopamine and epinephrine, with mood-enhancing effects.

Creating an internal summer-like state through light, exercise, and temperature manipulation can improve mood and energy levels.

Staying indoors and avoiding sunlight can lead to a winter-like internal state, potentially causing mood and energy issues.

Transcripts

hello and welcome to a special episode of  after skool i'm andrew huberman professor of  

neurobiology and ophthalmology at stanford school  of medicine i'm also the host of the hubermann  

lab podcast a weekly podcast focused on science  and science-based tools for everyday life today  

you're going to learn about practical tools for  optimizing your morning routine so without further  

ado practical tools for optimizing your morning  routine there are certain foundational behaviors  

do's and don'ts that set the stage for you to  be better at everything so a lot of times people  

say how can i lift more focus better remember  things better it's like well let's think about  

the foundation of that and that's always  going to come back to two elements and  

that's sleep and what i call non-sleep  deep rest so sleep is the fundamental  

practice or part of our 24-hour cycle where  if you don't get it on a consistent basis you  

are down regulating your ability to do everything  right metabolism is screwed up immune system is  

screwed up etc etc however it is not the case  if you get a one night's bad sleep or that if  

you're not sleeping perfectly that you can't  perform well but let's talk about sleep and just  

because i think it's important the goal for most  people unless you're pulling vampire shifts on  

on deployment or you're a shift worker and thank  you shift workers we'll talk about shift work  

you should try and get really good sleep eighty  percent of the time eight percent of the nights  

of your life the other twenty percent i hope  you're not getting good sleep for good reasons  

that you enjoy but the point is that there are  a couple things that you can do first of all  

every cell in your body has a circadian rhythm  meaning every cell has a 24-hour circadian clock  

that's regulated by genes think of these your body  is a bunch of millions of clock to need to align  

those clocks to a single time this is why when  you travel overseas your gut goes off or it's  

more easy you more easily you get sick or uh your  thinking isn't quite right the clocks aren't in  

alignment they're not entrained as we say number  one practice for everything sleep especially is  

try and get some natural light in your eyes within  an hour of waking up if you wake up before the sun  

turn on a bunch of bright lights and then  get sunlight in your eyes once it comes out  

if there's dense cloud cover there  are still more photons light energy  

coming through that cloud cover than there are  coming from artificial lights so try and get  

five to ten minutes without sunglasses  outside in the morning once the sun is out  

most days if not all days this has an outsized  effect on a number of things first of all it  

modulates the timing of what's called the cortisol  pulse once every 24 hours you're going to get a  

boost in cortisol big spike in cortisol it's a  healthy boost it sets your temperature rhythm  

in motion sets your level of alertness your  level of focus and your mood you want that  

cortisol pulse to happen as early in the day  as once what's triggering the cortisol pulse  

the cortisol pulse is naturally entrained by these  genetic programs to happen once every 24 hours but  

light will anchor it to the period where you see  bright light got it a late-shifted cortisol pulse  

so imagine the kid that wakes up and spends the  morning in bed or you spend the morning bedding  

you're texting or you're indoors and you're  typing on the computer that's not enough light to  

accomplish what i'm talking about and then you go  outside around noon or one you're in what's called  

the circadian dead zone which is the time in which  light arriving at the eyes can do certain things  

but it can't time this pulse that means that  cortisol pulse is going to come in the afternoon  

which means that your temperature rhythm is going  to be shifted late and that's actually a signature  

of depression and anxiety and difficulty falling  asleep many people are waking up and they're just  

spending time indoors and they're putting on  sunglasses getting in their car and driving or  

there's cloud cover and they think there's no sun  out i don't mean that you actually have to stare  

at the sun never stare at any light so bright  it's going to damage you please don't and blink as  

necessary but the indirect rays from the from sun  trigger these cells in the eyes called melanopsin  

ganglion cells these ganglion cells these are our  neurons they send a signal to your hypothalamus  

then the hypothalamus releases this peptide which  is a wake-up signal for your whole brain and body  

and sets a timer for the onset of melatonin  release 16 hours later melatonin being the  

hormone that makes you sleepy and makes you want  to go to sleep so you can imagine what happens if  

you don't get that light until a few hours later  everything shifted and then you want to go to st  

you don't know why you're wide awake at 11 30 or  12 and everything's messed up the other thing is  

that you can get bright light from electronic  devices early in the day but it's not enough  

you need photons from sunlight now if you live in  scandinavia in the depths of winter if you're up  

in like you know trondheim or ohus or something  like okay fine don't buy an expensive daytime  

simulator get one of these led light boxes for  drawing they're very inexpensive in comparison you  

find them on amazon i don't have a relationship  to any of these brands but they're easy to find  

20 30 bucks put that on your desk and just look  at that thing for a few minutes in the morning  

not as good but better than being in the  darkness then when the sun's out get outside  

now this is a huge huge effect for the following  reason the signal that arrives from the eyes to  

the hypothalamus also triggers the release of the  neuromodulator dopamine we hear about dopamine as  

a feel-good molecule dopamine dopamine dopamine  dopamine hits but dopamine's main role in the  

brain and body is to drive motivation craving  and pursuit it is not the molecule of pleasure  

it is the molecule of drive it is life force  dopamine is actually the molecule from which  

adrenaline epinephrine is manufactured and you may  notice you said we crave sun it also does make you  

feel good here's why if you think about seasonally  breeding animals let's think about the arctic fox  

well the arctic fox in winter is white but in the  summertime has darker pellets it actually there's  

a pathway going from sunlight to dopamine  to melanin production in the skin in fur so  

animals that transition from light color to dark  color that's all mediated by dopamine guess what  

else happens the gonads grow there are animals  that i've worked on in the laboratory and that  

also in humans it's now been shown in  a beautiful study that people who get  

20 to 30 minutes of light on their skin this was  a study done in israel so they wear an appropriate  

amount of clothing but they're sleeveless no  hat no sunglasses they were told to go outside  

20 or 30 minutes three times a week just in  the sunshine ideally they were shorts also  

they measure testosterone and estrogen in men  and women significant increases in both and  

all the associated things of increased passion  blah blah blah that is what they measured in the  

study why well it turns out that light to the  eyes but also light to the skin the skin is an  

endocrine organ it's not just something to tattoo  and hang earrings from and put clothing on and  

actually there's a pathway involving a molecule  called p53 and the keratinocytes are these skin  

cells that when sunlight when uvb ultraviolet  blue light penetrates the skin because it can  

penetrate the skin superficially triggers these  keratinocytes to stimulate a pathway that releases  

dopamine in the brain and body so you feel better  when you're getting light in your eyes and on  

your skin and you're increasing testosterone  and epinephrine and dopamine increase that's  

why you feel good in the summer months people in  scandinavia know this this kind of spring fever  

in the winter months you want to go through every  bit of effort to double or triple the amount of  

time that you're spending outside in the morning  so instead of 10 minutes make it 30 minutes  

we all are familiar with getting sleepy and  falling asleep that's the parasympathetic  

nervous system taking over the longer we are  awake the longer the buildup of something called  

adenosine in the brain and body and adenosine  turns on the parasympathetic nervous system  

suppresses the sympathetic nervous system when  we sleep adenosine is pushed back down what  

is caffeine caffeine effectively through  some chemical steps blocks the effects of  

adenosine so if you wait so here's a little trick  if you that's i don't like the word hacks because  

hacks imply using something for a purpose it  wasn't designed for here we're talking about  

hardwired biology but if you wake up in the  morning and you didn't sleep quite as much  

as you would have liked that means and you're  sleepy that means you still have a buildup of  

adenosine in your system let's say you immediately  reach for caffeine great you suppress the action  

of that adenosine and you will be more alert  and guess what happens then the caffeine wears  

off and the adenosine binds to the receptors with  greater affinity and you have your afternoon crash  

so a practice that's very useful to people is  to delay the intake of caffeine by 60 to 90  

minutes after waking allow the adenosine to be  cleared out because it's not just cleared out  

in sleep it's also cleared out in those kind  of sleepy states of early morning so allow it  

to be cleared out the other thing that clears it  out exercise exercise so when you get up in the  

morning you're kind of sleepy i don't want to do  this i don't want to do this but you hydrate and  

train you clear out the adenosine now i like to  drink caffeine before i train her during training  

i'm weak like that but for people that have an  afternoon crash this can have tremendous benefits  

of and maybe start by pushing it out 15 minutes  per day most everyone that does this says oh my  

goodness i didn't understand why in the afternoon  i'm crashing so hard this will really really help

so let me ask you this i have a sense for you what  time do you wake up typically generally between  

well between 4 15 and 4 30. okay so for  most people it's gonna be a little bit later  

probably but for you that means so you're waking  up if it's because of an alarm it's because of an  

alarm but you're if that's your natural wake-up  time now without an alarm that means that your  

temperature is starting to rise at that time  that's why you wake up that temperature increase  

triggers that cortisol release now and that's why  some people wake up right before their alarm clock  

it's this cortisol pulse okay and two hours before  that so for you approximately 2 30 in the morning  

is what we call your temperature minimum it's when  your temperature is lowest that it's ever going to  

be in the 24 hour cycle so the way it works is  you wake up because of an increase in core body  

temperature that increase in core body temperature  triggers that increase in cortisol and by viewing  

light at that time you entrain you you ensure  that it happens at the same time the next day the  

clocks of your body are matched to this cortisol  pulse so viewing bright light in the morning  

anchors it when we say entrained it it tel through  a circuit that involves cells in the eye and cells  

in the hypothalamus which then talk to the rest of  the cells of the body through a signal a peptide  

that's released make sure that the temperature  starts rising goes up up up up up and sometime  

around two or three in the afternoon you're going  to hit your temperature maximum you might feel a  

little sleepy at that time but that's actually  the time in which your gut your all your systems  

are kind of revving at the maximum capacity  and then it's going to start to drop and start  

to drop drop drop now that drop in temperature  eventually will be a full one to 3 degrees below  

what your temperature maximum and that's when  you're going to get sleepy and fall asleep  

this is why it's important to keep  the room cool at night to fall asleep

the goal here is to increase body temperature in  order to be awake and to decrease body temperature  

in order to be asleep if we stay with those  themes a lot of this will just fall into bins  

exercising will increase body temperature somewhat  paradoxically getting into a cold shower or cold  

water everyone says what must make you cold  right well if you stay in there a long time  

to become hypothermic right but let's remember  the thermostat example you have a little area in  

your brain called the medial pre-optic area and if  you make the surface of your body cold guess what  

happens core body temperature goes up so getting  into so if you're going to do ice baths or cold  

showers you can do i would say do them sometime  better than not at all there's a beautiful paper  

published in the european journal physiology  in the year 2000 which took people and had them  

sit they actually had them on lawn chairs in  water a pool it's a great way to run an experiment  

i always say people ask about cold showers  they're not a lot of experiments on cold  

showers because think about it's very hard to  control is everyone under the shower the same  

way et cetera you put someone up in water up  to their neck it is you know what you're doing  

so there's it's experimental rigor that drives  that but they had people get into reasonably  

cool water 60 degrees fahrenheit so it's not  that cool but they had them stand for an hour  

or they've had people get into very cold water  something like 40 degrees for just 20 seconds  

now here's what's really interesting that shock  that you referred to is a adrenaline also called  

epinephrine and it is released from the adrenals  obviously but also from a site in the brain called  

locus ceruleus a little area of the brainstem  that then sprinklers the rest of the brain with  

epinephrine and wakes up the rest of the brain so  that shock occurs in the brain and the body and  

actually the stuff in the body doesn't cross the  blood-brain barrier so you're a two-part system  

when those two systems are aligned it's beautiful  when those two systems are out of alignment that's  

not good so you get into cold water that's the  shock for the first 30 seconds for most people who  

are untrained your forebrain which is controlling  decision making is basically suppressed in its  

activity and other areas are ramped up so just  know that exact panic just understand that passes  

then what happens is when you get out of the cold  whether or not it's a longer period at 60 degrees  

or a short period i would hate to hear that people  are only doing 20 seconds but maybe a minute to  

three minutes at 45 degrees or something there's  a long arc release of dopamine and epinephrine  

that's what was shown in the study in humans  because people always go well it's just in mice no  

in humans and that long arc of dopamine leads to a  near doubling or more of dopamine and epinephrine  

in my colleague anna lembke's book called  dopamine nation she works on addiction runs  

our dual diagnosis addiction clinic at stanford  she talked about a patient of hers that basically  

helped himself get over cocaine addiction by doing  cold baths because it was the only thing that  

would give him the kind of dopamine release that  even slightly mimicked his cocaine addiction and  

allowed himself to wean himself off with a  healthier behavior now i'm not saying it's the  

equivalent of a drug like cocaine but i am saying  that it's a better decision than than a drug like  

cocaine for obvious reasons so that mood-enhancing  effect that you feel afterwards it's real  

it's based on a real neurochemical effect  and that dopamine and epinephrine will  

combine with the temperature increase from  cortisol plus light plus exercise all things  

that increase core body temperature now you've  got increased core body temperature you created  

a dopamine release epinephrine you've created a  summer month inside your body in the in i don't  

care if you live in minneapolis in the depths of  winter or someplace even as cold as new hampshire  

you are you are creating summer in your body by  doing that now if you live in san diego or los  

angeles or arizona and it's the summer and you're  staying indoors and you're on your phone and  

you're not doing any movement until the afternoon  which is fine exercise in the afternoon i realize  

there's some important benefits of that and you're  laying in bed or you're just walking around the  

kitchen and putting on sunglasses and driving  to work guess what you're creating a colorado  

winter inside of your body despite the fact that  the sun is out so if you're wondering why you're  

slightly depressed your metabolism is lower your  testosterone output is slightly lower than maybe  

you'd like it to be there could be other reasons  too of course but again we're talking about  

modulators i'm not saying getting sun in your eyes  in the morning is going to make your testosterone  

perfect what i'm saying is you're you're setting  an internal milieu through things that increase  

core body temperature dopamine epinephrine etc and  that should be done relatively early in the day  

thank you for joining for this special  episode of after skool if you'd like to  

learn more tools for mental health physical  health and performance check out the huberman  

lab podcast which is available on all platforms  youtube apple spotify anywhere podcasts are found  

also check out huberman lab on both instagram and  twitter there i cover science and science-based  

tools some of which overlaps with the content  of the huberman lab podcast but much of which  

is distinct from the content of the huberman lab  podcast we are also hubermanlab.com that's our  

website and there you can find links to all of  our social media and all of our podcast episodes

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