Science of Muscle Growth, Increasing Strength & Muscular Recovery

In this episode I describe how our brain and nervous system control muscle tissue and how to leverage that for muscle maintenance, growth (hypertrophy) and recovery. I explain muscle metabolism and muscle fiber recruitment. I detail protocols for increasing muscular growth and for neuro-muscular recovery. I explain the effects of deliberate cold, anti-inflammatory agents, and anti-histamines on training progress. I describe science-supported protocols using certain weight load ranges, total sets per week, training intensity, frequency, and in-between set activities if one's goal is to increase muscle growth, strength or endurance. I review three foundational compounds and nutrients and three optimization compounds and nutrients that have been shown to improve neuro-muscular performance. Finally, I explain how to leverage exercise and weight training to enhance cognitive function.

#HubermanLab #MuscleGrowth #Exercise

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Timestamps:
00:00:00 Introduction
00:12:45 Muscle Is A Slave To the Nervous System
00:16:22 Why We Have A Brain
00:17:38 Flexors, Extensors, & Mutual Inhibition
00:20:00 How Muscles Move, Making & Using Muscle Energy: Making ATP
00:23:29 The “Burn” Is Not Lactic Acid. Lactate: A Buffer (Prevents Acidity), Fuel, & Hormone
00:26:11 Feeling the Burn For 10% of Workouts Is Good For Brain, Heart, Liver
00:27:30 Leveraging Lactate To Enhance Brain Function
00:29:40 Breathing Properly Through “The Burn”— For Sake of Performance & Brain Function
00:30:47 Neurogenesis (New Neurons) & Exercise: Not Much, In Humans… Which Is Good.
00:33:39 How To Contract Muscles, Make Them Bigger and/or Stronger: Henneman’s Principle
00:36:58 A Large Range of Weight (30-80% of One Repetition Maximum) Can Be Used
00:38:58 What Makes Muscles To Grow? Stress, Tension, & Damage; Myosin Balloons
00:45:22 Figuring Out Which of Your Muscles Will Grow & Get Stronger Easily (Or Not)
00:48:11 Getting Stronger Versus Muscle Growth: Distributed Versus Local Effort
00:50:47 How Much Resistance Should (Most) People Use? (30-80% Range) & Specific Goal
00:54:25 How Many Sets Per Week To Maintain Or To Grow Muscle & Get Stronger
00:56:43 10% Of Resistance Training Should Be To “Failure”, the Rest Should End “Near” Failure
00:58:23 Number of Sets: Inversely Related To the Ability to Generate High Force Contractions
01:00:09 How Long Should Weight Training Sessions Last
01:01:35 Training Duration & Volume
01:03:51 Range of Motion & Speed of Movement; The Key Role of (Upper Motor) Neurons
01:08:10 Customizing Training; 1-6 Month Experiments; Key Elements Summarized
01:09:28 Focal Contractions Between Sets To Enhance Hypertrophy, Not Performance
01:11:26 The Optimal Resistance Training Protocol To Optimize Testosterone Release
01:16:00 How Quickly To Complete Repetitions; Interset Rest Times & Activities; Pre-Exhaustion
01:20:43 Tools To Determine If You Have Recovered From Previous Training: Local & Systemic
01:26:33 Carbon Dioxide Tolerance Test For Assessing Recovery
01:32:43 The Way To End Every Training Session. How To Breath Between Sets For Performance
01:34:46 How & When To Use Cold Exposure To Enhance Recovery; When To Avoid Cold
01:36:37 Antihistamines & Anti-Inflammatory Drugs: Can Be Problematic/Prevent Progress
01:38:42 Foundational Supplements For Recovery: EPA, Vitamin D3, Magnesium Malate
01:41:08 Ensuring Proper Nerve-Muscle Firing: Sodium, Potassium, Magnesium
01:45:00 Creatine: Good? How Much? Cognitive Effects. Hormonal Considerations: DHT
01:50:12 Beta-Alanine, Beet Juice; Note About Arginine & Citrulline & Cold Sores
01:52:00 Nutrition: Protein Density: Leucine Thresholds; Meal Frequency
01:55:54 Why Hard Workouts Can Make It Hard To Think/Do Mental Work
01:57:25 Leveraging Weight Training & Rest Days To Optimize Cognitive Work
01:58:58 What Time Of Day Is Best To Resistance Train?
01:59:40 More Information Resources, Subscribing (Zero-Cost) To Support

[RenegadeRanga]

This is the positive side of YouTube which dominates. A full fledged Stanford professor is educating us 2 hours at a time for free, absolute legend.

[aldamis]

The amount of info here is insane. The fact this is free is astounding.

[michaelcaron]

Please don’t stop being educational! I’m sure some of your audience is pressuring you to just “get to the point” I hear you saying things like “I’ll get to the protocols soon” etc… but I love knowing the “why” and you break it down incredibly well. I’d rather have too much info and tune some out or skip some if I feel I need to. Thank you!

[MrZkoki]

This guy is a neuroscientist, but he is excellent as a speaker who clarifies, simplifies and communicates core principles of sports science. Even though this topic is especially complex and demanding to grasp, he does a great job. The technical jargon is kept to a bare minimum, which allows even the most ignorant among us, including myself, to get started. This man is performing a service to mankind. He is a beacon of bright light, an agent of illumination and remover of the misty clouds of obscurity and nefarious as well as deceptive half-knowledge. Thank you kind sir.

[jjuniper]

I love these podcasts! This is how the internet should be used -- education and greater well-being.

[pathersonrodas]

Been training for over 10 years and I am a certified trainer. The amount of information in this two hours podcast is extremely valuable for anyone regardless of experience. Very grateful it is free cos I wish I had watched a video like this when I was a newbie!!!

[hmanfilms]

The amount of valuable information this man is giving the world for free is astonishing. You can tell he is living in his purpose. To spread critical information for improving physical/mental health across humanity. Andrew Huberman, you are truly making the world a better place and empowering people all over to want to become healthier in all facets. God bless you sir!

[scrivs]

Incredible how much information you pack into a single episode, and minimal to zero repetition. Much appreciated, can't imagine how long it takes to gather and prepare

[fredrikbadalian]

Blown away...been training over 20 years and this is the most intelligent and evidence based muscle scientist I have ever heard. Thank you!

[Romania]

Some notes

**In between set contractions/flexing:**

- not good for performance on sets -> diminish the amount of weight you can move
- but it will enhance muscle growth, mind-muscle connection, muscle isolation
- leg extensions before squats will result in better isolation

**Recovery between sets:**

- 2 minutes for testosterone protocol
- 2-6 for anything else

**Testosterone protocol**: 

- 6 sets of 10 repetitions for each muscle group. Compound exercises also will do
- 1 rep can last anything from 0.5 - 6 seconds. If you want explosiveness, you can consider doing them as fast as you can without relying on inertia
- 120 secs rest time 

**Questions:**

- how good are you at isolating a given muscle?
- how many sets you want to do?
- how often do you want to train? 

- therefore, how many sets can you do per training session?

- are you aiming for performance - distributing the work across the nervous system and musculature?

**Test recovery (cardio or resistance):**

- if a muscle is fatigued, this does not mean that other muscles can be trained
- Assess system recovery - the ability of your nervous system of distributing force:

- grip strength in the morning-> grippers, floor scale
- carbon dioxide tolerance - CO2 discard rate. Protocol:

- after you wake up, stay off phone
- inhale nose + exhale all the way through the mouth -> repeat 4 times
- inhale all the way expanding the belly
- start the timer
- release the air through the mouth as slowly as you can 
- stop the timer after you can no longer exhale 
- If you discard rate 

- is less than 25-30 secs, you are not recovered
- is between 30-60 secs, you are in green
- is between 65-120, you have recovered your nervous system

- Keep track of the rate

- cold as a recovery tool

- using cold within 4h of the workout will reduce inflammation, but will probably hinder your muscle growth
- short circuits resistance training results

**Reducing inflammation, calming down after training:**

- revery app
- non-sleep deep-rest
- suficient omega3, 1000mg EPA per day
- vitamin D3
- Magnesium malate

**You want inflammation during training!!!**

**Muscle fibers:**

- high twitch -> strength
- slow twitch -> endurance 

**Proper nerve-muscle connection/firing and improve hypertrophy :**

- salt🧂
- creatine

- 5g per day for someone who is 180 pounds / 81kg 
- 3-5g if you are lighter

- beta alanin
- Nutrition

- 700mg lucene? (amino acid) but from whole foods (not supplements)

- geared towards strength 

- you don't need to eat frequently - 2-3 meals a day should be good

**Make a training routine - same time of the day and stay consistent**

**Further reading:**

- **Brad Schoenfelds**

[amitkumbhar]

Dr. Huberman, I am from India. I am Nutrition Science Practitioner. Your videos are helping us a lot. Thanks is a very small word for what you are doing for this world. I am very much grateful for your knowledge and experience. Tons of blessings.

[Errghx]

This man gives me faith. The way he tries to bring light to all sorts of topics is amazing. I wish him enough energy to keep on educating people like me who don’t have access to this kind of information.

[jdakamcmikey]

I love how he always corrects himself if he slightly misspeaks. Shows it really matters how clear u come across

[VizzyTargaryen]

This is the only time I’ve been the first person to arrive at a lecture in my life

[ploithoma]

1. IIsolate muscle movement. Focus on the part while workout. Dont use momentum. Hypertrophy
2. 10% of burn out in workouts. Get Lactate
3. Give resistance & stress & damage on muscle.
4. Muscle dosent grow. But the balloons 🎈 myocin around it does.
5. 30-70% body weight. Weights lift until we can't perform. Each muscle catogry. Low weight x more reps. Weekly sets 5-15(min) upto 35
6. It's all nerve-muscle communication.
7. Control deliberately the contractions of the muscle. Sending the upper to lower motors neurons units. Heinemann principle
8. Workouts 45-60min less. Resistance training. Increase testosterone.
9. Flex inbetween sets.
10. 6sets × 10reps. 120sec rest. Single session. Testosterone increases.
11. Fatigue motor units before you want to isolate the muscle. Like leg push ups before squats. Not for endurance but hypertrophy
12. Hrv (heart rate variable)is good.
13. Morning Recovery check. Grip strength when wake up / Floor scale weight check. If force is fine. If 10% less. Recovery still happening. 3rd. Recovery test Carbon dioxide discard test. 4 inhale exhale. 5 inhale mouth & measure the blow out time. 2min good. 25-50sec. Recovery still needs.
14. End of training. Parasympathetic system to help recovery. 5min respiratory exercises.
15. Within 4hr workout inflammation. Cold therapy. Cold shower/ ice bath.
16. Have Omega 3, magnesium, vit-d to reduce inflammation.
17. Salt allows the neurons to communicate. V. Important. Electrolytes etc.
18. Creatine 220pounds. 15g need. Performance enhanced 20%+ & Reduces fatigue.
19. Beta-alanine for longer duration for cardio.
20. Palmer cooling method.
21. Essential Amino acid leucine 700-3000mg per meal to support 🎈 mysons.
22. Use important cognitive work before the workout. Biological clocks.
23. Timings don't matter. Morning/eve.

[ellieantar]

Mr Huberman what an absolute gift you are to humanity -the amount of time and knowledge for free is astounding.I am not joking when I say you should be nominated for a major prize, you are changing ordinary people lives big thank you from the UK

[mariaguzman]

I am 70 years old, and I am trying to gain muscle strength. Thank you for explaining in simple terms . I feel inspired to get started.

[garethculshaw]

We need to get this guy up to 1 million subscribers by year end....who's with us? Let's do it!

[harshaltrawadi]

I wrote down 6 Workbook Size Pages Of Information In Merely 15mins Into This PODCAST....The Amount Of Knowledge & Wisdom In Depth Is Insane....Thank You So Much 🙌

[SinisterSkip]

There's no wonder these videos have millions of views. Andrew is one of the best ergogenic truth seekers on the web and he's super balanced: He talks with the right speed, the right intensity, solid, collected, objective, super knowledgable, yet not boring, slow or full of fluff, irrelevant information. It's 2 hours, but 2 hours of relevance. Sometimes there's repetition, but that's often to accentuate important points and/or to summarize. This is just super profession content. Together with armwrestling, of all things, Andrew was my big discovery since corona. Keep up the awesome work!