1 hr 5 min
Brain Coach to Elite Athletes and Execs Shares Top Tips to Improve Cognitive Performance and Memory with Louisa Nicola High Intensity Health with Mike Mutzel, MS
-
- Nutrition
Louisa Nicola is a neurophysiologist and brain coach for many professional athletes and Wall Street execs. She discusses science-based tools and strategies to boost brain health and mental performance.
Support your Workout Sessions and Healthy Hydration with this Creatine Electrolyte Combo by MYOXCIENCE
Save 15% with code podcast at checkout
Link to the Video Interview: https://bit.ly/3R7noel
Connect with Louisa: https://www.neuroathletics.com.au
Show Notes:
03:10 Louisa was elite triathlete when she realized the impact the brain had on all aspects of performance. She and her fellow athletes were not taught about sleep or nutrition.
04:20 The nervous system must be optimized to optimize performance throughout the body and as a person.
05:35 We used to sleep about 12 hours a day in prehistoric times. Sleep regenerates our brains.
06:20 There are 4 stages of sleep. Stage one is as you are falling asleep. Stage 2 is light sleep. Stage 3 is deep sleep/slow wave sleep/non-REM sleep. Stage 4 is REM sleep. Stages 3 and 4 are the most important stages for our brains.
06:52 During deep sleep, hormones are secreted: testosterone, estrogen, growth hormone. The glymphatic system is your brains sewage system. It cleans toxins, including amyloid beta. A buildup of these toxins can lead to neurodegenerative diseases.
07:50 Your brain is comprised of neurons and others. Glial cells bind neurons together. During deep sleep, glial cells shrink, making way for the cerebral spinal fluid in your brain to wash out the trash.
08:55 A groggy wakeup may be an indication that you are not getting into deep sleep. 30% of your total sleep time should be deep sleep. 20% of total sleep time should be REM sleep.
09:30 REM sleep is where memory consolidation and learning take place.
10:30 The biggest disruptor of sleep is anxiety and stress. This activation of the sympathetic nervous system may prevent you from falling asleep or wake you in the night.
10:55 Alcohol is the biggest inhibitor of REM sleep. Blue light blocking glasses are helpful, but do not block out all light.
12:00 Eating less than 2 hours before bed keeps us awake through digestion and the increase in our core body temperature. Core body temperature must drop at least 2 degrees for us to go to sleep and stay asleep.
15:00 Alcohol inhibits the action of GABA, our calming neurotransmitter. Cortisol peaks with alcohol. Alcohol and marijuana sedate you. It does not elicit sleep stages.
16:15 You are preparing for sleep the minute you wake up. Consistency is key.
17:20 Try to get as much sleep as possible before you get on a plane. It is called Sleep Banking.
18:10 Your prefrontal cortex is the ruler of your brain. It is where cognition happens: attention, reaction time, processing speed. 6 hours of sleep is a sleep deprived state, in the scientific literature.
10:20 As we age, we have a lower efficacy of our frontal lobe. There is a thinning of our cerebral cortex. Thinning in the prefrontal cortex causes a lower decision rate and worsening of our processing speed, inhibition and impulse control.
21:20 We can slow brain ageing through lifestyle interventions, such as sleep, good nutrition and exercise.
21:40 There is an atrophy of our brain white matter, where our myelinated neurons live, as we get older. Our processing speed declines. This can be seen using an EEG.
25:50 Mild cognitive impairment is a predementia state.
27:30 You should be working on your brain. It is the control center of your entire body.
27:50 You can stave off predementia states and the slowing of cognition through exercise.
29:45 Head trauma can cause an accumulation of talc proteins tolC proteins and amyloid beta, which is somewhat comparable to Alzheimer’s disease.
30:30 A hard hit may require a month’s recovery. Within 24 hours post trauma, decreasing the temperature of the brain, eating a high fat diet, or having exogenous ketones can help heal the brain.
33:40 Ingesting exogenous k
Louisa Nicola is a neurophysiologist and brain coach for many professional athletes and Wall Street execs. She discusses science-based tools and strategies to boost brain health and mental performance.
Support your Workout Sessions and Healthy Hydration with this Creatine Electrolyte Combo by MYOXCIENCE
Save 15% with code podcast at checkout
Link to the Video Interview: https://bit.ly/3R7noel
Connect with Louisa: https://www.neuroathletics.com.au
Show Notes:
03:10 Louisa was elite triathlete when she realized the impact the brain had on all aspects of performance. She and her fellow athletes were not taught about sleep or nutrition.
04:20 The nervous system must be optimized to optimize performance throughout the body and as a person.
05:35 We used to sleep about 12 hours a day in prehistoric times. Sleep regenerates our brains.
06:20 There are 4 stages of sleep. Stage one is as you are falling asleep. Stage 2 is light sleep. Stage 3 is deep sleep/slow wave sleep/non-REM sleep. Stage 4 is REM sleep. Stages 3 and 4 are the most important stages for our brains.
06:52 During deep sleep, hormones are secreted: testosterone, estrogen, growth hormone. The glymphatic system is your brains sewage system. It cleans toxins, including amyloid beta. A buildup of these toxins can lead to neurodegenerative diseases.
07:50 Your brain is comprised of neurons and others. Glial cells bind neurons together. During deep sleep, glial cells shrink, making way for the cerebral spinal fluid in your brain to wash out the trash.
08:55 A groggy wakeup may be an indication that you are not getting into deep sleep. 30% of your total sleep time should be deep sleep. 20% of total sleep time should be REM sleep.
09:30 REM sleep is where memory consolidation and learning take place.
10:30 The biggest disruptor of sleep is anxiety and stress. This activation of the sympathetic nervous system may prevent you from falling asleep or wake you in the night.
10:55 Alcohol is the biggest inhibitor of REM sleep. Blue light blocking glasses are helpful, but do not block out all light.
12:00 Eating less than 2 hours before bed keeps us awake through digestion and the increase in our core body temperature. Core body temperature must drop at least 2 degrees for us to go to sleep and stay asleep.
15:00 Alcohol inhibits the action of GABA, our calming neurotransmitter. Cortisol peaks with alcohol. Alcohol and marijuana sedate you. It does not elicit sleep stages.
16:15 You are preparing for sleep the minute you wake up. Consistency is key.
17:20 Try to get as much sleep as possible before you get on a plane. It is called Sleep Banking.
18:10 Your prefrontal cortex is the ruler of your brain. It is where cognition happens: attention, reaction time, processing speed. 6 hours of sleep is a sleep deprived state, in the scientific literature.
10:20 As we age, we have a lower efficacy of our frontal lobe. There is a thinning of our cerebral cortex. Thinning in the prefrontal cortex causes a lower decision rate and worsening of our processing speed, inhibition and impulse control.
21:20 We can slow brain ageing through lifestyle interventions, such as sleep, good nutrition and exercise.
21:40 There is an atrophy of our brain white matter, where our myelinated neurons live, as we get older. Our processing speed declines. This can be seen using an EEG.
25:50 Mild cognitive impairment is a predementia state.
27:30 You should be working on your brain. It is the control center of your entire body.
27:50 You can stave off predementia states and the slowing of cognition through exercise.
29:45 Head trauma can cause an accumulation of talc proteins tolC proteins and amyloid beta, which is somewhat comparable to Alzheimer’s disease.
30:30 A hard hit may require a month’s recovery. Within 24 hours post trauma, decreasing the temperature of the brain, eating a high fat diet, or having exogenous ketones can help heal the brain.
33:40 Ingesting exogenous k
1 hr 5 min