Whether you’re a competitive athlete, a weekend warrior, or someone striving for peak fitness, understanding the interplay between prescribed and OTC medications and physical performance is crucial.
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Today’s episode is not for those few, lucky souls who fall asleep the moment their head hits the pillow, cruise through the night, and bounce out of bed in the morning ready to take on the world. Good for you—but seriously, get out of here. This one’s for the rest of us.
For the normal wise athlete who works hard to be fit and healthy—through exercise, through diet—only to be undone by poor sleep. The kind of sleep that slows your recovery, ramps up your risk of illness, and leaves you reaching for caffeine just to survive the day, and then something else entirely just to shut down at night and squeeze 7-9 hours into the 6-hour window we allow for.
You and I? We’ve heard it all before. The endless sleep hygiene tips. The smug sleep score flexers. We’ve tried the chemicals, the vagus nerve toys, the off-label hacks—none of which have ever worked well enough for me.
So today, I’m talking with Dr. Merijn van de Laar—a man who says we’ve been sold a bunch of BS about sleep. This isn’t about chasing perfection. This is about letting go of the pressure and learning what’s actually real. It’s about how to ease into realistically healthy sleep—the kind your ancestors would recognize—without needing to track every blink and breath.
So unplug, lie back, and listen up—because it’s time to learn how to Sleep Like a Caveman.
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Bill Harris, PhD tells us older athlets what we need to know to benefit from EPA & DHA which are not “essential fatty acids” …but if you are interested in any of the many known benefits of a high omega index score, eat more fish….or take fish oil or algae oil. Just don’t let your body be short of these vital nutrients.
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Creatine is at the top of my supplement list, but I’ve been taking it incorrectly for 30 years. Have you? Check out Mark Faulkner, Founder & CEO of the only US manufacturer of creatine.
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Metabolic Efficiency Training for Older Male Athletes (Bob Seebohar):
Specific Strategies: Seebohar highlights strategies to improve fat burning and reduce insulin resistance in older male athletes, including consistent Zone 2 training (60-70% max heart rate), fuel timing, overnight fasting, prioritizing protein quality and timing (1.6-2.0g/kg bodyweight), strength training (2-3 weekly sessions), and natural testosterone support through adequate dietary fat (especially monounsaturated sources), zinc-rich foods, quality sleep, and stress management
Additional Recommendations: Limiting processed foods and added sugars, emphasizing anti-inflammatory foods (omega-3s, colorful vegetables, turmeric), front-loading carbohydrates earlier in the day, and carefully monitoring recovery.
Patience is Key: Older athletes need to be more patient, as metabolic adaptations may take longer but can still be effective.
Dr Ellie agreed to help Wise Athletes by explaining the basics of how the human mouth repairs damage to keep teeth and gums strong and healthy over a long lifetime, while also not allowing oral bacteria to infect the body which leads to heart disease, dementia, and diabetes. Dr Ellie also explains how people undermine those natural functions with entirely avoidable errors….leading to tooth decay, gun disease, and poor nitric oxide production. For the older athlete, oral health is low hanging fruit for higher performance. The upside is a better smile, a healthy mouth, and a long, healthy life.
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Ironically When we try to focus and concentrate all the time, we lose the ability to concentrate intently. What’s more, by over relying on our logical and problem solving functions , we lose the ability to see the big picture , think creatively, and relax. The key is to stop fighting ourselves ….our various parts of who we are…and instead live as one organism…in balance. … in harmony.
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Falling Testosterone, thinning hair, growing prostate…the Triple Whammy for the older man. Are these related? What can be done. Are there any solutions that kill 2 or 3 birds with one stone? Dr Gillett is an expert in hormone health, and he walks me through the science and provides clarity on what can be done and whether now is better than someday.
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Reclaim peak performance and reduce your biological age by rebuilding your ability to adapt to extreme physiological conditions. Whether you’re an athlete or someone striving to feel younger and stronger, listen in as Dr Mike provides a framework for adaptive range expansion to unlock peak athletic performance.
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Nic Verhoeven PhD is the host of Physionic, an educational platform on YouTube dedicated to making medical research understandable to empower individuals to make informed health decisions. Dr. Verhoeven’s specialty is translating hard data from complex scientific studies into understandable and actionable information for the lay public. Nic and I boil the ocean on many topics that I wanted answers to from the best science communicator in the business. Enjoy!
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Wise Athletes is a production of a couple old guys who are determined to keep it going. Join us as we figure out how to be high performing athletes for a long time.
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