How to Optimize Testosterone & Estrogen

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Apr 12, 2021

Discover the fascinating interplay between testosterone and estrogen, and how they shape your brain, body, and behavior. Learn how exercise and environmental factors like light and cold can elevate hormone levels. Explore the profound impact of lifestyle changes, nutritional supplements, and even breathing techniques on hormonal balance. Unpack the implications of hormonal optimization, competitive behaviors, and ethical discussions around supplementation in sports. It's a deep dive into the science of hormones and health!

01:58:38

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INSIGHT

Sex Steroids in Everyone

Estrogen and testosterone, called sex steroids, are present in everyone.
Their ratios determine their effects, influencing well-being, mood, reproduction, and sexual behavior.

insights

INSIGHT

Hormone Sources and Conversion

The primary sources of estrogen and testosterone are the ovaries and testes, respectively.
Adrenals also produce testosterone, and aromatase converts testosterone to estrogen.

insights

INSIGHT

Competition and Hormones

Competition significantly influences sex steroid hormones.
Higher testosterone levels correlate with increased competition and access to females in many species.

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Understanding Salutogenesis and Hormone Optimization

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Hormones, Behavior, and Health

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Cold Exposure and Exercise: Unlocking Hormonal Benefits

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Optimizing Hormone Health

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Exploring Hormonal Regulation and Supplementation

01:50:43 • 10min

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Jaws

Peter Benchley

Published in 1974, 'Jaws' tells the story of a great white shark that preys upon the fictional town of Amity, a small seaside resort on Long Island. The novel follows the efforts of Police Chief Martin Brody, marine biologist Matt Hooper, and shark hunter Quint as they try to stop the shark. The book explores themes of public safety versus economic survival, marital strife, and the primal fear of nature's brutality. Despite mixed critical reviews, the novel was a huge commercial success and led to a iconic film adaptation by Steven Spielberg[1][3][5].

Breath

The New Science of a Lost Art

James Nestor

In 'Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art,' James Nestor delves into the history and science of breathing, revealing how modern humans have lost the ability to breathe correctly. The book takes readers on a global journey to ancient burial sites, secret Soviet facilities, and other unusual locations to uncover the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices like Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo. Nestor collaborates with pulmonary experts to test long-held beliefs about breathing and presents evidence that slight adjustments in breathing can significantly improve athletic performance, rejuvenate internal organs, and alleviate various health issues such as snoring, asthma, and autoimmune diseases.

In this episode, I discuss testosterone and estrogen hormones and how they impact the brain, body, and behavior after puberty. I also discuss how various behaviors such as exercise (resistance and endurance training) and sex or observing sex impact these hormones and their levels. I ask: "what specifically is it about such activities that impact testosterone and estrogen?"; the resounding theme is that when our nervous system is activated in particular ways, it drives our endocrine system and vascular system to activate or repress certain hormone networks in predictable ways. I also discuss peer-reviewed studies and protocols addressing (at a mechanistic level) how light, cold and heat, and respiration (breathing) can positively or negatively impact testosterone and estrogen. We discuss specific supplements and compounds that peer-reviewed studies illustrate can adjust testosterone and estrogen levels by changing their binding to other proteins, raising them directly, or changing other hormones released from the brain and pituitary. I discuss optimization in the normal reference ranges for these hormones, and I discuss pheromones, apnea, menstrual cycles, menopause and andropause.

Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com.

Thank you to our sponsors

AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman

LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab

Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman

Timestamps

00:00:00 Introduction

00:00:26 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up

00:05:50 Hormone Optimization

00:07:00 Salutogenesis: A Powerful Way to Conceptualize Health

00:10:03 Estrogen and Testosterone: Sources, Levels and Ratios

00:15:46 The Power of Competition, Plus: Anxiety, Persistence and Dopamine

00:20:58 Testosterone and Libido Pre-Ovulation

00:21:48 Estrogen and Sexual Receptivity; Libido In Males

00:23:10 How Sex Behavior Impacts Testosterone: Observing vs. Actual vs. Abstinence

00:26:46 Testosterone and Prolactin: Sex Seeking vs. Pair Bonding

00:27:30 DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone): Effects on Levels/Ratios

00:28:45 Behaviors That Decrease Testosterone (and Cortisol): Parenting and Prolactin

00:31:24 How Illness Impacts Testosterone and Estrogen: Cytokines, e.g., IL-6

00:33:20 How Exactly Do Behaviors Change Hormones?

00:34:18 Pheromones: Miscarriage, Menstrual Cycles, Puberty Onset, and Mate Recognition

00:43:33 Apnea: A Powerful Bi-Directional Influence On Estrogen and Testosterone

00:47:44 Mouth vs. Nose Breathing and Hormone Levels: Effects Via Sleep and Direct Effects

00:51:11 How Sleep Adjusts Cortisol/Testosterone and Cortisol/Estrogen Ratios

00:53:49 O2:CO2 Ratios, Nasal Breathing During Exercise

00:56:30 Light Viewing Patterns and Hormones: Dopamine, GnRH

00:57:44 Spring Fever: Tyrosinase, Hair Color, Mating Frequency

01:04:39 Specificity of Hormone Effects

01:06:03 Temperature: Cold and Hot Gonads

01:14:10 How To Exercise: Types, Effort Level, Sequencing

01:21:42 Cardio/Endurance vs. Resistance Training (First or Last?) Yes, It Matters

01:24:41 Estrogen and Menopause: Compounds That May Ameliorate/Reverse Symptoms

01:33:18 Nutrients That Optimize The Foundation For Hormones

01:36:00 Opioids as Severe Hormone Disruptors

01:37:23 Testes, Antlers and Ovaries

01:38:50 Creatine and Increasing DHT (Dihydrotestosterone)

01:40:14 Free and Bound Testosterone: SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin), Tongat Ali

01:43:23 Nettles, Prostate, Boron, and Blood Brain Barrier

01:45:27 Hormone Related Cancers: Sometimes Reducing Estrogen and Testosterone Is Optimal

01:47:43 Ecdysteroids: Mimic Mammalian Hormones

01:51:50 Optimizing Brain Hormones: Chorionic Gonadotropin, Fadogia Agrestis

01:57:18 Additional Compounds, Liver Toxicity, Overall Milieu

01:59:17 Summary: And Note About Additional Related Topic Coverage Coming

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