Chronobiology: High-Performance Through Strategic Timing

  |   EP6   |   78 mins.

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MBP Greg Potter

The body has an elaborate system of internal clocks. Different vital bodily processes run at specific times.

From intermittent fasting, to light exposure, to athletic excellence, to the link between sleep and performance. Timing is everything. In this episode, we explore top strategies to optimize these bioclocks for health and performance.

Episode highlights

Alcohol relaxes muscles in the throat which can lead to snoring, sleep apnea, and intermittent hypoxia in people that otherwise wouldn't experience it Share on XThe body's master clock is slightly longer than 24 hours. Every day we must resynchronize the clocks via certain cues Share on XThe stronger your daytime light exposure, the less nighttime light will influence your sleep Share on XStrength & power output peak in the late afternoon (5 PM – 6 PM) because body temperature increases. For morning exercisers, warm up thoroughly or even use a sauna to raise core temperature Share on XMost important to dim your overhead lights at night. Cells sensitive to light concentrate in the lower part of the retina Share on XTake a hot shower 60-90 minutes before bed and wear socks. This increases the temperature of your extremities which helps radiate heat out from core. Which reduces the temperature of the brain, allowing for deep recovery Share on X

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About Greg

Greg Potter helps a range of individuals improve their health and performance, from elite athletes to CEOs. Since he did his PhD on sleep, circadian rhythms, nutrition, and metabolism, Greg spends much of his time helping individuals sleep and eat better. Greg is also co-founder and Chief Science Officer of Resilient Nutrition, a nutrition and supplement company that makes performing better simple and delicious. 

Highlights of Greg’s career include coaching a sprinter to four gold medals at the European Championships; having his research featured in dozens of international news outlets, including the BBC, Reuters, and The Washington Post; working with the US Naval Special Warfare Command; helping to prepare two men to break the Atlantic rowing World Record; and being the sleep expert in a Channel 4 documentary on sleep and weight loss.

Top things you’ll learn from Greg Potter

  • The biological rhythms that occur throughout the body
  • Learnings from his PhD on the link between circadian rhythm and different facets of performance (exercise, nutrition, sleep, etc)
  • Sleep quantity and quality optimization tips
  • Chronotypes and cirdcadian rhythms explained simply
  • Why & how every human should reset their circadian rhythm daily
  • The power of light for mood, cardiometabolic health, and more
  • How to stop relying on alarm clocks
  • Tips to hack jet lag and adjust faster
  • The highest-quality meal is only as good as when it’s consumed
  • Optimize when you workout for greater gains
  • Tips to perfect your nutrition timing
  • How Greg reduces insomnia and has become a world-class sleeper
  • Resilient Nutrition for long-range endurance products

Resources mentioned

Books, Videos, & Information

  • The Beginning of Infinity by David Deutsch [Amazon]
  • Behave by Robert Sapolsky [Amazon]
  • Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari [Amazon]
  • HumanOS
  • Resilient Nutrition

Tools & Gear

  • Luminousred Model 2 Pro red light therapy panel (see my review here)
  • Jet Lag Rooster

Connect with Greg & Resilient Nutrition

This podcast is brought to you by

Nick Urban is a Biohacker, Data Scientist, Athlete, Founder of Outliyr, and the Host of the Mind Body Peak Performance Podcast. He is a Certified CHEK Practitioner, a Personal Trainer, and a Performance Health Coach. Nick is driven by curiosity which has led him to study ancient medical systems (Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hermetic Principles, German New Medicine, etc), and modern science.

Adolfo Gomez Sanchez 1

Music by Luke Hall

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