High Performance Health
Neuroscience: Upgrade and Protect Your Brain with Dr Tommy Wood
Episode guests
Podcast summary created with Snipd AI
Quick takeaways
- Structuring tasks based on cognitive gears and energy rhythms optimizes productivity.
- Multitasking hinders cognitive performance; focusing on one task at a time is more effective.
- Engaging in low cognitive gear activities recharges the brain and aids in relaxation before bedtime.
Deep dives
Stimulating the Brain through Cognitive Demands
To maintain optimal brain function, it is crucial to stimulate the brain by engaging in tasks that challenge cognitive capabilities. Just like training muscles to grow stronger, actively using the brain through complex activities enhances its abilities. This stimulation should involve tasks that push the brain's limits, prompting it to form new connections and pathways.
Supporting Cognitive Function with Adequate Sleep
Quality sleep plays a vital role in supporting cognitive function. During sleep, the brain consolidates memories, fosters new growth, and solidifies new neural connections. Adequate sleep ensures that the brain has the necessary time and environment to optimize its functioning and retain information effectively.
Providing Essential Nutrients for Brain Health
The brain requires essential nutrients and oxygen to function optimally and maintain cognitive health. Supplying the brain with the necessary nutrients, such as through a balanced diet and proper hydration, ensures that it has the resources to continuously create new cells, membranes, and neural connections.
Shifting Cognitive Gears and Avoiding Multitasking
Effective brain function involves recognizing and shifting between different cognitive gears. Engaging in deep, focused work for a limited period, followed by breaks or low-demand tasks, optimizes cognitive performance and prevents cognitive fatigue. Avoiding multitasking and dedicating focused blocks of time to specific tasks can enhance productivity and cognitive function.
Cognitive Function and Brain Health: Importance of Stimulating and Challenging the Brain
Challenging the brain through new skills and demanding tasks can improve cognitive function across various domains, even in older individuals. Cognitive decline is often attributed to the lack of stimulating brain activities, akin to going to the gym and performing the same routine without variation. Utilizing the brain with challenging activities throughout life can slow down cognitive decline and enhance overall function. Factors like nutrient intake, cardiovascular health, and quality sleep also play crucial roles in maintaining long-term brain function.
Modifiability of Dementia Risk Factors: Lifestyle Influence and Genetic Considerations
Various lifestyle factors such as education, smoking, physical fitness, diet quality, and stress management significantly impact dementia risk. While genetics contribute minimally to the overall risk, lifestyle choices play a larger modifiable role in preventing dementia. Studies indicate that a substantial portion of dementia cases are preventable through lifestyle modifications, emphasizing the importance of healthy habits in reducing the risk of cognitive decline. Lifestyle changes, including cognitive stimulation, nutrition, and sleep management, can positively impact brain health and potentially mitigate genetic predispositions to dementia.
Angela is joined by neuroscience expert, Dr. Tommy Wood, who shares insights on building a better brain and optimising cognitive function across the lifespan.
He discusses the importance of exercise on brain health, the impact of different types of exercise on cognitive function, and the benefits of separating tasks to maximise productivity. They also look into the concept of cognitive gears, the effects of multitasking, and the significance of incorporating low cognitive gear activities to unwind before bedtime.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- We need to emphasise the importance of structuring the workday to optimise productivity by chunking tasks based on cognitive gears and personal energy rhythms.
- Multitasking, especially when it involves complex tasks, can be detrimental to cognitive performance and learning. Focusing on one task at a time is more effective for deep work and skill acquisition.
- Engaging in low cognitive gear activities, such as repetitive tasks or household chores, can provide a cognitive break and recharge the brain.
- Prioritising deep work in the morning when energy levels are high and saving less demanding tasks for later in the day can enhance overall productivity.
- Maintaining a balance between focused work, breaks, and low cognitive gear activities throughout the day can help optimise cognitive function and prevent burnout.
BEST MOMENTS
"I think there's a few different ways to think about this”
“One measure that I really like is the cognitive gears, which is something that a former colleague of mine, James Hewitt, has kind of popularised. He puts us into three main brain states or cognitive gears and actually relates them to exercise."
"I can imagine at that point, right, you're unplugging, you're going to spend time with your partner. If you then go back to work, that's going to create a whole new buzz of energy."
"The kind of multitasking that humans are very good at is parallel processing multiple complex related skills at the same time."
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ABOUT THE GUEST
Tommy Wood BM BCh, PhD is a neuroscientist, elite-level professional nerd, and performance consultant to world class athletes in a dozen sports. He received an undergraduate degree in biochemistry from the University of Cambridge, a medical degree from the University of Oxford, and a PhD in physiology and neuroscience from the University of Oslo. Tommy is an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neuroscience at the University of Washington and Visiting Scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition. His research focuses on brain health and brain injury treatment across the lifespan, as well as developing easily-accessible methods with which to track health, performance, and longevity in both professional athletes and the general population. Tommy serves as deputy editor of the Wiley Journal Lifestyle Medicine, is a Director of the British Society for Lifestyle Medicine, and consults for a number of digital health companies and charities that focus on how lifestyle and the environment can affect long-term health and chronic disease.
ABOUT THE HOST
Angela Foster is an award winning Nutritionist, Health & Performance Coach, Speaker and Host of the High Performance Health podcast. A former Corporate lawyer turned industry leader in biohacking and health optimisation for women, Angela has been featured in various media including Huff Post, Runners world, The Health Optimisation Summit, BrainTap, The Women’s Biohacking Conference, Livestrong & Natural Health Magazine.
Angela is the creator of BioSyncing®️ a blueprint for ambitious entrepreneurial women to biohack their health so they can 10X how they show up in their business and their family without burning out. Angela’s BioSyncing®️ Blueprint is currently closed. Click here to get on the waitlist.
The High Performance Health Podcast is a top rated global podcast. Each week, Angela brings you a new insight, biohack or high performance habit to help you unlock optimal health, longevity and higher performance. Hit the follow button to make sure you get notified each time Angela releases a new episode.
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