AMA #8: Balancing Caffeine, Decision Fatigue & Social Isolation

Welcome to a preview of the eighth Ask Me Anything (AMA) episode, part of the Huberman Lab Premium subscription.

The Huberman Lab Premium subscription was launched for two main reasons. First, it was launched in order to raise support for the standard Huberman Lab podcast channel — which will continue to come out every Monday at zero-cost. Second, it was launched as a means to raise funds for important scientific research. A significant portion of proceeds from the Huberman Lab Premium subscription will fund human research (not animal models) selected by Dr. Huberman, with a dollar-for-dollar match from the Tiny Foundation.

#HubermanLab #Science #AMA

Timestamps
00:00:00 Introduction
00:01:46 Pros & Cons of Daily Caffeine Consumption
00:23:01 Huberman Lab Premium

In the full AMA episode, we discuss:
- Can Caffeine Have a Detrimental Effect on the Gut Microbiome?
- What Are Some Ways of Recovering or Resetting From Decision Fatigue?
- Effects of Social Isolation

Social & Website

The Huberman Lab podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

[apaniet]

Dr. Huberman, I just want you to know, your lectures have transformed SO MANY lives for the better.

[HareKrishnaPerth]

How weird does it feel watching a 25 minute Huberman video. Haha

[HareKrishnaPerth]

I need about 10hrs of sleep per night personally (9pm -7am).
Ive had to cut caffeine out entirely to feel good and well slept.
Caffeine was a hard drug to quit. Its everywhere.

[janicewalker]

Dr. Huberman, please consider doing a deep dive for us on fascia, how it functions, how/if it can be manipulated? It would be “fascianating”.

[kyrasaturn]

Would you ever do an episode(s) on parenting? So much information and controversy, especially online, about attachment, communication with kids, methods of discipline on a child's wellbeing, corporal punishment, etc. I myself am not yet a parent, but would love to hear about supporting a child's healthy development from a neuroscience or psychological perspective as well as the ways in which parents can regulate and support themselves.

[minacayy]

Thank you for making science cool and fascinating

[JesseBFournier]

I stopped taking a daily coffee in September 2022. The first two days were horrible, they really were! But after a some weeks I settled for a little dose of green tea early in the day during the week and on the weekends coffee is my little treat and I take WAY less than I used to and it's VERY effective. So now I enjoy my coffee even more than I used to and I feel absolutely no downsides.

[Ethel]

I saw this title and as a stay at home mom these are some of my main struggles. Can’t wait to listen!

[ferravenclaw]

Could you do an episode on kidney function, disease, prevention...? The information out there is so confusing and overwhelming, specially when it comes to diet... 🙏 and thank you for your life-changing lessons!! 💕

[Alex-egrl]

I really love how you just walked us through how to understand that data based on how the study was performed and for what it is rather than the conclusion itself.

[darryls]

Love you Andrew. Love to see you and listen everyday.

[SahajTalwar]

I've done a fair bit of research on this myself, so here's my two cents.

In order to experience the cognitive benefits of caffeine, you need to NOT become caffeine adapted, as Dr Huberman said.
But the "how to do that" is something thats a little more complicated than that.

There's no straight-forward protocol to not building tolerance to caffeine.
But from years of experimentation, and trial and error, what I've found that even 1 cup a time, 3 times a week, starts to build up a tolerance within a few weeks.

Whats worked for me, is not consuming any form of caffeine, any more than twice a week.
That balance gives me the best of both worlds.
On the days I don't consume caffeine, I still feel completely, 100% normal, still capable of being as productive as I want to be.
And on those 2 days, I get done 2x-3x what I usually would.

So I'm happy that sums up to give me a good increase over baseline, but again, there is no alternative!
Whenever I get a little too greedy for my magic elixir, or if I'm a little extra driven for a few weeks, and I increase the dose to 3x a week.. I stop getting even 2x the benefits on the days I'm drinking it, and I'm below baseline on the days I'm not.

If you're someone whose been drinking caffeine every day for weeks, months, maybe years.. think back to the focus, the motivation, the ecstasy you used to feel from your cup of coffee. Its been years since you've felt that, hasn't it.
What I've laid out above is exactly how you get it back!

[alicesteinbruck]

Its a great thing that you explain about the premium channel, and thanks to the donner that double the funds, Thank you for the research and life drive.

[sebytro]

A few years ago I started feeling pain when pressing on my liver and my doctor asked if I drink alcohol. He said that based on the blood tests, it didn't look good but it can recover if I stopped drinking alcohol. One of the factors that prevented my liver from being much worse was that I was drinking very big amounts of coffee daily.

Now I barely drink alcohol and coffee maybe two or three times per week and I feel much better. I can keep my focus for longer periods of time, I am surprisingly more energetic and I can learn better.

[axelwester]

You should have Cal Newport on your podcast. It would be really interesting to go deeper on neuroplasticity and protocols for learning in a college setting.

[lee]

We need a big episode about the harms of Pornography and how to overcome Pornography addiction!

[HarpaAI]

00:00 🤓 The speaker introduces the AMA episode discussing science-based tools for everyday life.
01:56 ☕ Daily caffeine consumption for most adults is generally not a problem if it doesn't cause anxiety, panic attacks, or disrupt nighttime sleep.
04:50 🧠 Caffeine is a cognitive and mood enhancer but mainly improves performance in individuals who are not regular caffeine users or have abstained for a while.
10:00 🧒🚫 For children under 14, it's best to avoid caffeine, and for teenagers, limiting caffeine intake is advisable due to ongoing brain development.
19:00 ☕ Reduce caffeine overuse by halving caffeine intake for a few days and taking occasional breaks to minimize withdrawal symptoms while still benefiting from the effects.
20:25 ☕ To manage caffeine intake, establish a baseline amount of caffeine, and occasionally double it for a boost in energy, but return to the baseline to avoid dependence and crashes.
21:54 💪 Manage caffeine withdrawal by engaging in activities like exercise and getting sunlight to counteract feelings of malaise after a spike in caffeine intake.
22:51 🚀 Enjoy caffeine's benefits by understanding its performance-enhancing effect comes from intake above baseline, but be mindful of potential anxiety and short withdrawal periods.
23:18 🎙 The premium channel supports the standard Huberman Lab podcast and funds research on mental health, physical health, and performance, with a dollar-for-dollar match from the Tiny Foundation.

Recap by HARPA AI 🧬

[mikeysnoofun]

As soon as you hear "I'm Andrew Huberman and I am a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Standford School of medicine" you know you're in for something good ❤

[javiers]

Social Isolation got me instantly. Thank you Andrew for your information it is so valuable. Have a great day!

[susanjones]

Thank you. I hope Premium is a great success.