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Smarter Not Harder

Greg Potter: The Influence of Chronobiology on Human Health

Aug 9, 2023
In this chat, Greg Potter, a health and wellness coach with a PhD in sleep and circadian rhythms, dives deep into chronobiology’s impact on health. He explains how biological rhythms influence sleep, mood, and well-being. Discover the benefits of a regular eating window, adjusting light exposure for better sleep, and even the intriguing connection between psychedelics and dream states. Potter shares strategies for optimizing sleep quality, using wearable technology, and the remarkable effects of timing in nutrition and exercise for enhanced health.
02:07:55

Episode guests

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • Chronobiology studies the influence of biological rhythms on health, emphasizing the importance of synchronizing bodily functions with environmental cycles.
  • Understanding circadian, ultradian, and infradian rhythms is crucial for optimizing sleep quality, hormonal balance, and overall well-being.

Deep dives

Understanding Chronobiology

Chronobiology is defined as the study of time in living organisms, focusing on biological rhythms shaped by evolutionary processes. It plays a crucial role in optimizing bodily functions according to predictable environmental cycles, with the light-dark cycle being the most significant. Organisms use biological clocks to anticipate changes, scheduling metabolic processes to avoid energy costs from performing them simultaneously. Research shows that better-synchronized biological rhythms correlate with improved reproductive success in species such as mice, demonstrating the evolutionary advantage of these rhythmic adaptations.

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