- Andrew Huberman wakes up between 5:00-6:00 AM without an alarm.
- He drinks 2 glasses of water and consumes supplements after waking.
- The first thing he does are sunlight exposure and Yoga Nidra.
- He delays caffeine intake by 2 hours and does cold exposure for 1-5 minutes.
- Based on the day, he works out different parts of his body.
- He eats his first meal in the afternoon and his last meal 3h before bedtime.
- 60 min before sleeping, he avoids blue light exposure and uses more supplements.
Wake-up
He doesn’t use an alarm and wakes up between 5:00-6:00 AM
It helps you feel more energized and focused throughout the day. Additionally, early mornings are beneficial for regulating circadian rhythms, which can help to improve sleep quality.”
Morning Hydration
Andrew Huberman has a simple protocol focused on replenishing electrolytes and other vitamins after waking.
Huberman about Athletic Greens
I’ve been using AG1 since 2012 because it’s the simplest, most straightforward way for me to get my basis of important vitamins, minerals, and probiotics.
I should mention the Athletic Greens is delicious. I love the way it tastes. I mix mine with some water and a little bit of lemon or lime juice.
Whenever somebody has asked me what's the one supplement they should take, I always answer AG1 by Athletic Greens.
Huberman about electrolytes
Your nervous system and your neurons particularly depend on electrolytes because you need the electrolytes, sodium, magnesium, and potassium, in the proper ratios, in order for those nerve cells to fire what are called action potentials
Huberman on LMNT in particular
Typically, what I do in the morning is I hydrate, I do take an electrolyte drink, which is a salt-heavy electrolyte drink called LMNT. LMNT is an electrolyte drink that has everything you need in order to get your brain and body to function at its best, but none of the things you don't, in particular, sugar
Yoga Nidra
Dr. Huberman prefers the term Non Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR). NSDR or Yoga Nidra can lead to a sleep-like state. It's positive hormonal impact (higher dopamine, lower cortisol) may also reduce total sleep need.
Yoga Nidra is a practice of guided meditation and visualization. It helps your mind and body reach a state of deep relaxation, similar to the space between wakefulness and sleep.
There's interesting research suggesting that Yoga Nidra can actually increase the levels of neurotransmitters like dopamine in your brain.
There's this long-standing belief in the Yoga Nidra community that 30 minutes of practice is equivalent to 4 hours of sleep. Dr. Huberman doesn't think there's solid evidence for that specific claim. Yet, he personally feels "incredibly refreshed" after a 30-minute Yoga Nidra session.
The science says:
- Meditation improve focus
- Breathwork reduces stress
- Non Sleep Deep Rest (NSDR) restores energy
- Self directed hypnosis can solve specific problems
Most of the tested protocols are only 5-10min per day & lead to persistent effects.
Light Exposure
10-15 minutes of sunlight exposure to start the circadian rhythm (if the sun didn’t rise yet, use artificial sunlight lamps)
Dr. Andrew Huberman strongly emphasizes the benefits of getting exposure to morning sunlight or bright light within the first hour of waking up. Here are five key advantages of morning sunlight:
- Synchronizes circadian rhythm The circadian clock regulates processes like the sleep-wake cycles. Sunlight exposure in the morning synchronizes that with your hormone production and metabolism.
- Boosts alertness and focus Morning sunlight exposure triggers the release of cortisol, a hormone that helps increase alertness and focus. This can improve cognitive performance and productivity throughout the day.
- Improves mood and energy levels Sunlight exposure in the morning can increase the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with mood regulation and feelings of well-being. It can also boost energy levels by suppressing melatonin production.
- Supports sleep-wake cycles Getting sunlight in the morning and avoiding bright light exposure in the evening helps maintain healthy sleep-wake cycles by regulating melatonin production, which is important for promoting restful sleep at night.
- Enhances vitamin D production Sunlight exposure is essential for the body's production of vitamin D, a nutrient crucial for bone health, immune function, and various other physiological processes.
Huberman on Circadian Rhythm
The single best thing you can do for your sleep your energy your mood your wakefulness your metabolism is to get natural light in your eyes early in the day. This is grounded in the core of our physiology. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of quality peer-reviewed papers showing that light viewing early in the day is the most powerful stimulus for wakefulness throughout the day and it has a powerful, positive impact on your ability to fall and stay asleep at night. So this is really the foundational power tool for ensuring a great night's sleep and for feeling more awake during the day.” >
Cold Exposure
Dr. Andrew Huberman is a big proponent of cold exposure and its potential benefits.
- How: Ice baths are more effective but cold showers can work
- Temperature: 35-45F or 2-7°C
- Duration:
- For resilience: 1-3 min, once a week
- For metabolism: 5 min, twice a week
- For recovery: 3-6m after training
Summary: He views cold exposure as a powerful tool for optimizing physical and mental well-being. He encourages incorporating it into daily routines through cold showers, breathing techniques, and post-exercise recovery practices, while also emphasizing the importance of gradual adaptation and listening to one's body.
Benefits of cold exposure
He suggests gradually increasing the duration of cold exposure. Start with 30 seconds and work your way up to 3 minutes.
- Increased alertness and focus by activating the sympathetic nervous system
- Better mood and reduced symptoms of depression and anxiety
- Promote brown fat activation, helping with weight management and metabolic health
- Enhanced immune function and reduced inflammation
- Improved sleep quality by lowering core body temperature before bedtime.
Breathing Techniques with Cold Exposure
Huberman often combines cold exposure with specific breathing techniques, such as box breathing or nasal breathing. This combination can amplify the physiological effects and provide additional benefits, such as:
- Activating the parasympathetic nervous system, promoting relaxation and stress relief.
- Improving respiratory function and oxygen utilization.
- Enhancing focus and concentration.
Cold Exposure and Exercise Recovery
Huberman suggests incorporating cold exposure, such as ice baths or cryotherapy, after intense exercise sessions. This can:
- Reduce muscle soreness and inflammation.
- Facilitate recovery and improve performance in subsequent workouts.
- Boost the production of brown fat, which can aid in weight management.
Gradual Adaptation
Huberman emphasizes the importance of gradually adapting to cold exposure, starting with shorter durations and gradually increasing over time. This allows the body to acclimatize and experience the full range of benefits without shock or discomfort.
The effects of deliberate cold exposure are significant & long lasting (hours) & can be achieved with:
Brief (1-3min) exposure at very cold temperatures (35-45F / 2-7°C)
Long (30-60min) exposure at more moderate (60F / 15°C) temps.
Workout
Fit the workout routine to your own needs. Keep the spacing between workout types and muscle groups. The goals are carefully considered, so leaving out exercise types is not recommended.
Monday: Legs
Legs are your largest muscle group. Prioritizing them is important due to the positive metabolic and hormonal effects.
A 10 minute warmup is followed by 50 minutes of workout. With 2 exercises per muscle group (quads, hamstrings, calves).
Exercise include: Hack squat, leg extensions, seated calf raises, glute hamstring raise, leg curls. He doesn't deadlift.
Tuesday: Heat/cold switching
Ideally, cycling 5 times between:
- 20 min: Hot sauna
- 5 min: Ice bath
There is no dedicated workout on Tuesdays.
Wednesday: Upper body push/pull
This includes: Overhead shoulder presses, Ring dips, Chin-ups and various for his Abs.
He includes neck training for improved posture and strength.
Thursday: Zone 3 cardio (Aerobic zone)
5 minute warm up followed by 30-40 minutes of Zone 3 training. This can be done by running, cycling, stair climbing at 70-80% of your max heart rate.
Friday: HIIT (High-intensity interval training)
The goal of HIIT is to rapidly increase your heart rate and often to make it fluctuate. As a rule of thumb for your maximum heart rate (MHR): 220 - your age
8-12 rounds of:
- 30 sec: Sprints on a bike or row
- 10 sec: Rest
Saturday: Arms, Neck, Calves
Triceps: Dip, triceps kickbacks, overhead extension
Biceps: Chin-ups, incline curls, dumbbell curls
Neck, Calves: he repeats exercises done earlier in the week.
Sunday: Endurance
1-1.5 hours of Zone 2 Cardio, typically jogging. Alternatively, 2-3 hour hike. Instead of prolonging, you can wear a weighted vest.
Morning Caffeine
Dr. Huberman begins caffeine intake only 2 hours after waking. This delay helps with adenosine regulation On his resistance training days (Mon, Wed, Sat) he prefers yerba mate over coffee.
Dr. Andrew Huberman about the Benefits of Delaying Morning Caffeine
I highly recommend that everybody delay their caffeine intake for 90 to 120 minutes after waking. However painful it may be to eventually arrive at that 90 to 120 minutes after waking, you want, and I encourage you, to clear out whatever residual adenosine is circulating in your system in that first 90 to 120 minutes of the day. Get that sunlight exposure, get some movement to wake up, and then, and only then, start to ingest caffeine because what you'll do if you delay caffeine intake until 90 to 120 minutes after waking is you will avoid the so-called afternoon crash
And if you drink caffeine at any point throughout the day, really try and avoid any caffeine, certainly avoid drinking more than a hundred milligrams of caffeine after 4:00 p.m and probably even better to limit your last caffeine intake to 3:00 pm or even 2:00 pm.
Dr. Andrew Huberman about Morning Caffeine
If I'm going to do a resistance training workout, which is what I do three times a week, I will drink Yerba mate
Afternoon meal (first)
He fasts for 12-16 hours. And has his first meal early afternoon: A low-carb meal with meat and vegetables. If this meal follows intensive excercise he adds carbs (eg oatmeal, rice)
Benefits of intermittent fasting
- Circadian Alignment: He recommends starting food intake in the early afternoon. And stopping 3-4 hours before bedtime. The body can enter a fasted state during the overnight hours optimizing various biological processes.
- Metabolic Benefits: Improved insulin sensitivity, increased fat burning, and enhanced autophagy (the body's process of breaking down and recycling damaged cells). They contribute to weight management, cognitive function, and overall health.
- Gut Health: The gut has a chance to rest and repair, which can improve digestion, reduce inflammation, and support a healthy gut microbiome.
- Cognitive Function: Increasing the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein that supports the growth and maintenance of neurons. This leads to improved focus, memory, and mental clarity.
- Individualization: Huberman suggests experimenting with different fasting protocols (e.g., 16:8, 20:4, or extended fasts) and listening to one's body for the personally best approach.
Yoga Nidra
An optional round of Yoga Nidra on days where Huberman feels unrested.
Evening Cardio
For his cardio workouts, Dr. Huberman prefers the evening. He encourages us to do what feels most comfortable. Generally he avoids intense exercise in the evenings. They can increase body temperature and delay the circadian clock
Evening meal (second)
This meal is 3-4 hours before his bedtime. He won’t take in any more food after this. This is also to improve sleep quality. Digestion can otherwise interrupt it.
He doesn’t completely restrict carbohydrates, but limites them. High-carb meals cause blood sugar spikes and crashes. That can disrupt sleep.
- Avoid large, heavy meals: He advises against consuming large, heavy meals in the evening as they can be challenging to digest and may interfere with sleep quality. Instead, he recommends having a lighter, easily digestible meal.
- Incorporate protein and healthy fats: Huberman suggests including a source of protein and healthy fats in the evening meal. These macronutrients can help promote feelings of satiety and support stable blood sugar levels throughout the night.
Dim Lighting
Quality sleep is key for health and well-being. Dim lights at night, and create a good environment for rest.
Avoid Bright Light Exposure Before Bedtime
A simple step to improve your sleep quality is to minimize exposure to bright lights, especially overhead lights, between 10 pm and 4 am.
The impact of blue light on sleep
Exposure to blue light wavelengths in the evening can disrupt your body's natural circadian rhythms and sleep cycle. Blue light suppresses melatonin production. The hormone that regulates your sleep-wake cycle. When melatonin release is delayed, it becomes more difficult to fall and stay asleep.
Research shows blue light exposure in the evening hours can lead to:
- Delayed melatonin release, making it harder to fall asleep
- Reduction in quality deep sleep needed for restoration
- Disrupted circadian rhythms and sleep-wake cycle
Create an ideal sleep environment
- Reduce screen time (phones, tablets, computers) a few hours before bed
- Operating systems also allow screen filters, that tint your screen orange
- Blue light blocking glasses can also help
Keep evening lighting dim and avoid bright overhead lights. Candlelight or low lamps are ideal. This allows your body's melatonin levels to rise naturally. It cues your brain that it's time to wind down for sleep.
Sleep
If you wake up not fully rested, Yoga Nidra can help you achieve a sleep-like state and replenishes dopamine, reduces cortisol, reduces total sleep need.
Dr. Andrew Huberman often emphasizes that sleep acts as a powerful natural "nootropic". It enhancies cognitive function, focus, and memory.
Getting sufficient restful sleep:
- reduces stress levels
- helps with processing emotional experiences
- boosts your immune system's ability to fight off illness
- keeps your hormones in a healthy balance.
The key to better sleep is to set yourself up for success by creating a calming environment and avoiding stimulating activities before bed.