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wise athletes podcast
athletic longevity and peak performance as we age
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Feb 8, 2025 • 1h 1min
#156 | Re-integrating the Patchwork Man | Gage Banks, VooDoo Magic Healer
Professional Grade Supplements for WiseAthletes
About the guest:
Gage Banks's expertise encompasses the complex relationships between airway function, hearing, vision, dental occlusion (how teeth align), and tongue positioning—all of which play crucial roles in regulating body tension and balance. By integrating this specialized knowledge with his foundation in orthopedic care, breathwork, and neurovisceral techniques, Gage helps patients understand how these systems influence their movement patterns and daily function. His comprehensive approach addresses various conditions, including TMJ dysfunction, sleep apnea, breathing disorders, and dental-related pain, working collaboratively with local dentists to provide coordinated care for optimal results.
"Just mobilizing joints, giving patients stretching and strengthening exercises, or having a patient participate in 'core stabilization' is not sufficient to address the complex interrelationship between the available mobility of the human system and the integration of automatic and volitional motor strategies.”
Gage's Credentials:
Gage Banks website - kinectphysicaltherapy.com
Master of Science in Physical Therapy (MSPT)
Manual Therapy Certification (MTC)
Certified Functional Manual Therapy (CFMT)
Fellow of Functional Manual Therapy (FFMT)
Fellow of the American Academy of Orthopedic Manual Therapy (FAAOMPT)
Episode summary:
Gage Banks came recommended to me as a voodoo healer, a bringer of solutions for inscrutable problems. I found Gage to be an intelligent problem solver who opened my eyes to the problems we create for ourselves by living a modern, habitually unbalanced life.
Our physiology is a magnificent thing. Billions of years of trial and error have led to a self repairing and adapting mechanism that is us. Our modern world has changed the game faster than our instinctive mechanisms can change so it is up to our conscious selves to know what can go wrong to take corrective action.
Bullet point summary:
It’s when we get so out of balance that we cannot find balance when we need it
Reintegrate ourself in the world so we can flow in the world
Stand on one leg with your eyes closed to see if you are overly focused on central vision
Tongue extension: deviation and impression of teeth
Grabbing the pen with your eyes closed
Watching your feet when you walk to be careful
Looking at the stairs when you walk on them.
Being too careful means you are locked up.
Walk with a forward head. Not swinging arms when you walk.
How to put yourself in the world?
(1) Look at your heels (or the underside of the chair) the entire time while you stand up or sit down (avoid the "plop")
(2) Walk and notice what you do: look at the ground near your feet? just notice what you do.
(3) Walk and pick a place to look off in the distance while noticing the peripheral vision (without looking at the things in the periphery)
(4) Walk and swing your arms forward and backward while rotating shoulders....see your arms with your peripheral vision
(5) Then look for tension where you don't need it....let it go. Emphasize rhythm and flow.
Related episodes:
Episode 151 | Pain is NOT all in your head | Rick Olderman, MSPT
Episode 121 | Recovery for Performance Longevity | Brian MacKenzie
Episode 14 | Solving Athlete Pain | Charlie Merrill, PT
Help the show:
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Leave a review (or share this episode)
Check out our Fullscript site to save HUGELY on high quality supplements. Thank you!
Email us your questions at info@wiseathletes.com.
*This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.
Pro Level Supplements

Jan 25, 2025 • 1h 6min
# 155 | Hormonal Triple Whammy | Kyle Gillett, MD
Professional Grade Supplements for WiseAthletes
About the guest:
Dr. Gillett enjoys providing holistic individualized care to his patients. His practice includes preventative medicine, aesthetics, sports medicine, hormone optimization, obstetrics and infertility, integrative medicine, precision medicine including genomics, and aesthetics. He believes that each human is a unique creation that requires attention to their body, mind, and soul. He uses shared decision-making and an evidence-based approach. He firmly believes “food is medicine” and “exercise is medicine”. Dr. Gillett describes the “7 pillars of health”: exercise, diet, sleep, stress, social, sunlight, and spirit. These are more powerful than any medication or supplement. He enjoys spending time outdoors on the farm with his wife, two sons, daughter, and wolfhound.
Kyle's website: kylegillettmd.com/
Gillett Health website: gilletthealth.com/
Kyle's YouTube Channel
Kyle's Credentials:
Dr. Kyle Gillett is a dual board-certified physician specializing in family medicine and obesity medicine.
He earned his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and completed his residency at Cox Family Medicine Residency
Episode summary:
Kyle walks me through the details behind: hair loss, BPH (benign prostate hyperplasia), and low T, what we can do to keep it from happening or stop it, and his perspective on choosing between finasteride and dutasteride....two of the major players in solving the big 3.
Key Points:
General recommendations for older m
once a week 1mg dutasteride is a good preventative program (hair and prostate) with limited side effects (sunflower lethicin )
Low dose tadalafil EOD or daily
TRT if needed and risks (cancer) are low
Hair loss regiment ( 3 layers)
anti androgen (dutasteride)
growth agonist (minoxidil)
micro needling
Big 3: hair loss, prostate growth (and cancer), and low T. Related?
People with insulin resistance, higher IGF-1, more pronounced metabolic syndrome (pre-diabetes, type 2 diabetes) are more prone to issues
Metabolic syndrome and sleep apnea are the two leading causes of low total testosterone (but not necessarily causing low free testosterone)
Free T and DHT matters more for athletic performance and body composition
Total T matters more for how you feel, and for delivery of androgens to the prostate (growth)
Several different types of 5 alpha reductase enzyme; finasteride and dutasteride have different effects on each which is why they can have different effects.
It mostly about the ratio of testosterone plus dht vs estrogen. If the ratio changes you are more likely to have symptoms of high estrogen
Free T = calculated with total T and SHBG (tightly binding) and albumin (loosely binding)
Free T should be 2-3x lower than estrogen (in normal, not same units). If 4-5 lower estrogen too high.
free t of 15 ng/dl; estrogen pg/mil of 45 (45/15=3)
Free T usually listed as ng/dl (0-50). Can be pg/mil.
Estrogen usually in pg/mil
When on dutasteride or finasteride, have to watch the ratio more closely because the lower dht makes you more sensitive to higher estrogen.
1-2/x week dose of dutasteride will decrease DHT but increase testosterone and estrogen.
SHBG. Why does it reduce free t? SHBG is a good thing unless you have a low free T
As long as free t is 12-15 ng/dl, then the higher the SHBG the better. Helps with stability, metabolism, and delivery to tissues…correlation with longevity.
More SHBG: happens when T is low, when estrogen is high, when insulin is low.
long time endurance athletes: years with low insulin levels due to long exercise…the bodies of such people gets stuck in the high SHBG mode.
Mostly it is better to improve free T by increasing total T rather than reducing SHBG
However, a few things makes sense to do: take boron if deficient. Dates. Raisins.
Try pre or inter workout carbs if you are normally a low carber. It will stop you from having very low insulin but won’t cause high insulin due to the exercise. Insulin peaks can lead to insulin resistance but dips in insulin lead to high SHBG.
SHBG is a sort of buffer system. It keeps the testosterone in check without losing it but available when needed.
The ratios are what matters most but the absolute levels can have an effect. Very high estrogen will lead to high platelets (blood clots). Taking a lot of T will lead to high estrogen which can cause a problem despite the ratio being good.
If body fat is normal: male: 10-22% ; female: 17-33% - less likely to have high conversion of t to estrogen and dht when taking replacement doses of T.
2/3rds of Americans have metabolic illness (maybe 90%, really). “Overweight and obesity epidemic”. Fasting glucose over 100 or fasting insulin of 7 or over.
CRP highly correlated with risk of heart attack and stroke.
Oral testosterone replacement therapy is coming and helps with visceral fat.
TRT replacement can be useful even temporarily even if just above the low end of normal.
TRT replacement therapy is not necessarily forever. Can be used to get out of a doom loop
Rule of thumb: 99% likelihood of getting back to baseline T if no damage. Testicles need to be the same size. If there has been shrinkage, can get back. If starting at 300, can get back. If starting at 300 10 years ago, then get back to 250 without T medication.
A person with moderate total T but very low free T due to obesity would be helped by losing the extra body fat. But that letting feels so bad (low mood, low energy, hates working out) that TRT can help get that person over the hump of feeling better to make progress on the fat loss and enjoying workouts more. Then plan to stop the T once the fat is down and the muscle is up. Natural total T will be about the same, maybe a little less, but free T will be much higher.
ED is the canary in the coal mine. Plaque in arteries mean plaque in blood vessels leading to penis (and brain, etc).
PDE5 is the enzyme that degrades NO. It increases significantly in older people. So NO does last as long. Viagra and Cialis stop the PDE5 action to make NO last longer so the erection lasts longer and blood vessels in the body are relaxed longer. But more NO is not better unless low. The body adapts to these drugs so they don’t work as well if taken all the time.
Best to slightly inhibit SDE 5. Take cialis 2.5mg EOD or 3 days per week.
Cialis also helps with BPH by relaxing the vessels that allow more pee flow. Reduce nighttime peeing.
Gold standard for improving ability to pee with BPH: Alpha blockers (flowmax et al). Can have significant sexual disfunction issues. Alphazosin has less side effects. Also helps with kidney stones.
5 alpha reductase inhibitors— stop DHT causing growth in prostate. Lock the growth in prostate growth and even reduce the size. Good for hair, skin, heart. Maybe a higher cancer risk.
Prostate Surgeries are getting better for preserving sexual function.
Medical management vs surgery is a hard question. Individual due to varying side effects sensitivity.
Should interrupt the natural growth of the prostate. Lifestyle and medical interventions can help.
5a reductase for prevention is tricky. If been on finasteride for a long time with little prostate growth and a low PSA, don’t change. If starting later in life, and PSA is not low, then there is a risk of high grade cancer. Similar to risk of TRT of birth control — not extreme but scary.
No post dutasteride syndrome. Most common side effect is feeling like having low T even when T is not low. But avoids issues with specific to nervous system or pubic skin. 1-2 capsules per week for hair rarely causes side effects. More might be needed for prostate.
Post finasteride syndrome is 90-95% in 20-30 year olds due to disruption of ongoing maturation in neurological and sexual systems
Hair loss regiment ( 3 layers)
anti androgen (dutasteride)
growth agonist (minoxidil)
micro needling
General recommendations for older male athletes
once a week 1mg dutasteride is a good preventative program (hair and prostate) with limited side effects (sunflower lethicin )
Low dose tadalafil EOD or daily
TRT if needed and risks (cancer) are low
Related episodes:
Episode 67 | Hormone Health for the Older Athlete | Kyle Gillett MD
Episode 134 | Testosterone Envy | Rick Cohen MD
Help the show:
3 ways to support our show:
Leave a review (or share this episode)
Check out our Fullscript site to save HUGELY on high quality supplements. Thank you!
Email us your questions at info@wiseathletes.com.
*This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.
Pro Level Supplements

Jan 11, 2025 • 48min
#154 | Adaptive Range Expansion for Peak Performance | Mike T Nelson PhD
Professional Grade Supplements for WiseAthletes
About the guest:
Dr. Mike T Nelson is a research-fueled Fitness and Nutrition educator. Dr. Mike has spent 18 years of his life learning how the human body works, specifically focusing on how to properly condition it to burn fat and become stronger, more flexible, and healthier. Better health as a foundation for better athletic performance is his specialty. He is the legendary creator of the Metabolic Flexibility and Physiological Flexibility programs.
Dr Mike T Nelson Website
Dr Mike's Credentials:
PhD in Exercise Physiology from University of Minnesota
BA in Natural Science from St. Scholastica
MS in Biomechanics from Michigan Technological University
Adjunct Professor in Human Performance for Carrick Institute for Functional Neurology
Adjunct Professor & Member of American College of Sports Medicine
Instructor at Broadview University
Professional Nutritional Member at the American Society for Nutrition
Professional Sports Nutrition Member at the International Society for Sports Nutrition
Professional NSCA Member at the National Strength and Conditioning Association
Episode summary:
Dr Mike is famous for his ability to develop training protocols that bridge the gap between scientific research and actual results for his athletes.
Dr Mike joins me to provide a framework for the crazy stuff we've all heard about and done....that might even make a big difference in reducing biological age and unlocking peak athletic performance. Some of this these therapies you may already be doing, such as sauna or cold therapy, or Wim Hof breathing or breathholds. But listen in to understand why these interventions work and how to organize them intelligently to enhance your resilience, longevity, and physical potential.
Whether you’re an athlete or someone striving to feel younger and stronger, this episode is packed with insights to help you thrive.
-----
Rebuild your Physiological Flexibility -- the 4 regulators to train: pH, temperature, CO2 tolerance, and expanded fuels.
TEMPERATURE --Cold and heat exposure – embrace the temperature extremes. Turn your body into a machine that thrives under temperature duress.
Hot -get hot outside or sauna
Cold - cold water immersion, get cold outside, cold showers (see protocol below)
pH -- ACIDIC vs. BASIC -- teach your body to handle high intensity exercise ("the burn") as well low-CO2 from hyperventilating
Acidic: HIIT -high intensity exercise (Maximum Effort for a short time)
Basic: Fast Breathing (supra ventilation) techniques like Wim Hoff and others, lower intensity exercise (Sustainable Effort for a long time)
O2 & CO2 REGULATION -- expand your tolerance of higher CO2 with restricted and nasal breathing
High CO2 Tolerance: light exercise with nasal breathing, slow/restricted breathing techniques and breath holds
Low O2: high altitude training if you have access, shallow breathing for 10 minutes to bring SpO2 down and hold under 90%
EXPANDED FUELS -- train your body to burn everything (fat / ketones vs. carbohydrates / lactate), and switch between fuels easily. Intermittent fasting and keto cycling aren’t diets—they’re survival strategies.
Low glucose usage - fat burning; longer periods of fasting, longer time in zone 2 (fatmax) training, ketone supplements
High(er) glucose usage -- increased time doing HIIT to create more lactate
Note: Joe's Cold Shower Protocol (that actually works to make it possible to do this impossible feeling act)
Turn on water....not hot but a warm temp
Get under water, then turn the temp to cool (starts to feel bad)
Do your washing and then rinse off soap
Step away from water, and drop temp ½ way to coldest
Put in arms in first
Then step back and put in legs
Then one shoulder, and then the other
The chest
Turn around and let the water spray onto your lower back, then move the water up to your neck
Lastly, put your head under the water spray
Step away from water, and drop temp to coldest
Repeat process ignoring arms and legs.
Then start counting (start at 10 seconds and work up to 3 minutes), and repeat the core (ignore arms and legs)
Don’t force it. Work up to 100% cold water if necessary.
Repeated exposure will lead to pleasurable anticipation
Don't break the habit or you'll have to start from scratch (believe me, I know)
It is a marker of aging. Your declining ability to deal with extreme stresses eventually compresses your ability to deal with normal stresses. Push back at the extremes to remain functional and recover lost function. Use it or lose it.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4868097/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5730851/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6240408/
Related episodes:
Episode 153 | The Physionical Man | Nic Verhoeven PhD of Physionic
Episode 143 | Nasal Breathing for Health and to Avoid Injury| George Dallom PhD
Episode 142 | Fasting Mimicking Diet | Joseph Antoun PhD
Episode 32 | Helping Older Athletes Feel Young Again || Dr Mike T Nelson
Help the show:
3 ways to support our show:
Leave a review (or share this episode)
Check out our Fullscript site to save big on high quality supplements. Thank you!
Email us your questions at info@wiseathletes.com.
*This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.
Pro Level Supplements

Jan 1, 2025 • 1h 24min
#153 | The Physionical Man | Nic Verhoeven PhD
Professional Grade Supplements for WiseAthletes
About the guest:
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. In this mission, Nic is entirely successful.
Youtube.com/physionic
NIc's Credentials:
Ph.D. in Molecular Medicine / Cell & Molecular Physiology
Cell & Molecular Biology Researcher [10 years]
M.S. Exercise Physiology
Professor of Physiology, Nutrition
Episode summary:
Nic and I boil the ocean on many topics that needed answers from the best source of scientific research findings. Nic is the best science communicator in the business. Our chat ran a bit long but it will be worth your time. Enjoy!
Below are my notes that Nic referred to during our conversation....Nic agreed with some of my thoughts but not all...listen to Nic, not me.
Layer #1 – the base layer…stuff to avoid… interventions with the fewest side effects are the stupid things you stop doing….any thoughts on the stuff to avoid?
Avoid narrow diets for long periods of time…eat a variety of foods
Avoid pollution / toxins….no smoking or any smoke in lungs, avoid heavy metals, plastics, nnEMFs, other?
Stop screwing up your circadian rhythm…don’t need stimulants to wake up and drugs to feel sleepy…nighttime lighting, eating late, etc…”coffee is good for you” yeah, but don’t need it
Stop drinking poisons…using alcohol (in drinks, in mouthwash) that kills NO production from diet.
Stop sitting all the time … Move throughout the day not just during workouts. And don’t wear shoes all the time…your feet will thank you
Stop being inside all the time …losing out on NIR/UV…too much blue spectrum from “white” LEDs. Get sunlight …open a window, go outside, use a full spectrum lamp if you cannot get out enough
Layer #2 – the stuff where the max or min is better (no U shaped curve)…so much of biology is about the sweetspot…not too high or too low…but some things DO fall into the bucket of extremes are best …. any thoughts on these?
apoB low as possible?
Polyphenols… high as possible? 30 plants every week
Fiber …for SCFA, for bowel transit…keep chronic inflammation low
Advanced glycation end products (keep blood glucose in normal range & minimize burned foods)
Fat isn’t bad…Visceral fat is bad … keeping / building muscle while losing / avoid adding visceral fat
Alcohol doesn’t help much…reduces glutathione, impairs sleep, …learn how to relax without drugs
Smoke in lungs – smoking, fires, etc
Mouth breathing… Minimize mouth breathing….filtering, moisturizing, NO from nasal passages
Viral load – exposome?
Stimulants – caffeine, nicotine – double edge sword…don’t need it
Max Mitochondria / ATP production – energy to power the cells to live and function properly…see layer #3
Layer #3 –a vigorous life for a dynamic physiology…the older athlete does not have the resilience of the young….we have to be more mindful…more purposeful in providing the right stimulus to the body to encourage the adaptations we want. A steady state is only for dead people…. So, what can we do to create the upward spiral of improvement using cycles…progressive overload (hormesis) then recovery, and then again and again.
Hot/cold – don’t be comfortable all the time. Sweat a lot. Shiver sometimes.
Hard exertions / recovery – performance improvement comes at the edges…you cannot rest your way into a stronger, healthier body and mind (need HIIT (to clear out old mito), and long, low intensity (to build new mito))
Metabolic flexibility – carbs for athletic fuel …burn fat when not eating…
Calorie balance – eat excess for growth and in deficit for body comp/autophagy
Protein: high vs. low cycling for growth then autophagy
Supplemental nutrients…cycle everything: teach the body to have resilience…avoid building tolerance
Related episodes:
Episode 143 | Nasal Breathing for Health and to Avoid Injury| George Dallom PhD
Episode 142 | Fasting Mimicking Diet | Joseph Antoun PhD
Episode 135 | Healthy Fat % | Vyvyane Loh MD
Help the show:
3 ways to support our show:
Leave a review (or share this episode)
Check out our Fullscript site to save big on high quality supplements. Thank you!
Email us your questions at info@wiseathletes.com.
*This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.
Pro Level Supplements

Dec 23, 2024 • 1h 10min
#152 | Skin: A Window into Healthspan | Cory S. Goldberg MD, MASc, FRCS(C), FACS, MBA
Professional Grade Supplements for WiseAthletes
About the guest:
Dr. Cory S. Goldberg BSc, MD, MASc, FRCS(C), FACS, MBA is a Plastic Surgeon with a fellowship in the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada.
He is a diplomat of the American Board of Plastic Surgeons and is also a Fellow of the American College of Surgeons. He earned his MD degree from Queen’s University, Canada and completed his Plastic Surgery residency training at the University of Toronto, including a Master’s of Applied Science in Biomedical Engineering. He subsequently did sub-specialty fellowship training in Craniofacial Plastic Surgery at University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California.
https://www.corygoldbergmd.com/
https://www.beautyspan.com
Episode summary:
Dr Goldberg explains his journey from plastic surgeon to longevity medicine, and explains how skin is a two-way window into our health status today and our trajectory for healthspan in the future. The short version is take care of your skin, and be careful of popular beauty products that only fake the look of health while actually injuring your skin.
How are you doing in your health trajectory? You are doing well if you:
have healthy looking skin (not: thin, crepey, spotty)
are strong enough in all muscles
have endurance for movement
have little pain in your body
have regular (daily at least) bowel movements
are able to sleep and wake on a natural circadian rhythm without drugs
can go without eating for a day without a problem
GliSODin
Study undertaken to examine the effects of an orally effective antioxidant supplement consisting of vegetable origin SOD chemically combined with wheat gliadin, GliSODin, on parameters of muscle damage, inflammation, and work performance in elite rowers during intensive physical activity. https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/10/1437
Link to a website for a research community dedicated to the understanding and advancement of GliSODin SOD / gliadin complex
Related episodes:
Episode 123 | Inspiring Stories of Older Athletes | Lauren Hurst
Help the show:
3 ways to support our show:
Leave a review (or share this episode)
Check out our Fullscript site to save big on high quality supplements. Thank you!
Email us your questions at info@wiseathletes.com.
*This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.
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Dec 7, 2024 • 59min
# 151 | Pain is NOT "All in Your Head" | Rick Olderman MSPT
Professional Grade Supplements for WiseAthletes
About the guest:
Rick Olderman, a licensed physical therapist with over 25 years of experience, is a best-selling author and respected speaker in chronic musculoskeletal pain. Rick transformed countless lives at his Denver clinic with his innovative approach to treatment. Rick is also the creator of a online programs revolutionizing treatment for chronic back, knee, head, shoulder, hip, foot, and migraines.
Rick's latest book, Pain Patterns: Why You Are in Pain and How to Stop It, is a groundbreaking guide for overcoming chronic back pain, sciatic pain, and SI joint pain. Rick shares the insights and techniques that have helped thousands of patients solve pain problems without giving up what they love to do.
rickolderman.com
Episode summary:
Rick walks me through his journey to solving pain problems remotely....without hands-on treatment....and his confirmation of the importance of first identifying the root cause of pain before launching into a series of generic solutions to find something that helps the symptoms. There are no one-size-fits-all solutions for pain.
During the chat Rick walks me through a low back test and solution, and an upper back test and solution...both of which have been helpful to me. Do you have low back pain or upper back or neck pain? You will get immediate help from this episode.
Click the book to read more on the Amazon website.
Related episodes:
Episode 73 | An Easy End to Pain | Rick Olderman
Help the show:
3 ways to support our show:
Leave a review (or share this episode)
Check out our Fullscript site to save big on high quality supplements. Thank you!
Email us your questions at info@wiseathletes.com.
*This content is never meant to serve as medical advice.
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Nov 24, 2024 • 53min
#150 | NIR & Deep Red Light to Preserve Eye Health | Glen Jeffrey PhD
WiseAthletes on FullScript
Hey Everyone, welcome to WiseAthletes, your source for discovering how to flourish as an older athlete, and find your path to longevity in sport. I'm your host Joe Lavelle.
Today on Episode 150 I am presenting Part 2 in my series on Near Infrared (NIR) light, an important environmental factor that our bodies expect to have and need for our health. But in a narrowly focused effort to improve energy efficiency, our society has shifted our indoor lighting to LEDs which are the least power hungry way to illuminate our homes and offices....but in focusing on visible light, we have lost something very important to our health. This loss is compounded by the increase in time spent indoors (estimated at 90%). Part Two of the series is with Professor Glen Jeffrey PhD, an research biologist, who has been focused on using Deep Red/NIR light to preserve and improve eye health. His lab has also discovered that a short exposure to deep red (670nm) light measurably reduces blood sugar. Deep Red (670 nm)/NIR (700-2,500nm) light acts to increase ATP production and while blue light reduces ATP production. Low ATP production leads to, in the short term, lower visual acuity, while in the long-term, to photo receptor death (macular degeneration).
"Retina has an enormous metabolic rate...things that burn a lot of energy age fast...by the time you are 70 years old, you've lost 25%-30% of the central photo receptors in your eye....even if you are healthy"
"Retina is a sports car....goes like crazy, burns vasts amounts of energy, but also has a frailty in it. It needs a lot of looking after." You cannot recover lost photo receptors but you can slow the rate of decline by preserving the function of mitochondria in the retina. And you can improve eye function within 3 hours with as little as 1 minute of exposure to deep red and NIR light (targeted LEDs and the effect lasts for days. Incandescent lights also work (if your government hasn't banned them), and natural light is the best solution (if you live far enough South, or it's the right time of year).
The morning is the best time of day for red light to improve mitochondria energy production (it doesn't work after norming!)
Overall metabolic health PLUS deep red light ---> helps the mitochondria in the retina to produce a youthful level of energy to continue to function well enough to survive and allow us to see.
The scary bit is you and I have already lost a lot of our photo receptors (vision)...we just cannot tell yet. Now is the time to stop it.
Meet Glen Jeffrey
Professor of Neuroscience, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL Profile)
Professor Jeffery researches the intricate relationship between light, mitochondria, and health. Mitochondria (the “powerhouses of the cell”) are responsible for producing nearly all of the energy produced in the body. Sufficient exposure to red light / NIR lightwave frequencies can significantly boost mitochondrial function, leading to a range of health benefits, including:
Improved cellular energy production
Reduced inflammation
Accelerated tissue repair
Enhanced cognitive function
Anti-ageing effects
Social Media (Glen and others mentioned)
Glen Jeffery (@glen_jeffe5111) — biologist specializing in NIR light effect on the body
Bob Fosbury (@BobFosbury) — astrophysicist expert in light (electromagnetic waves in frequencies from UV to IR) and penetration into the human body
Scott Zimmerman (@SZimmZoo)— optical engineer specializing in building light sources which minimize the health detriments of indoor lighting
Help the show: 3 ways...
Leave a review (or share this episode)
Check out our Fullscript site to save huge money on high quality supplements. Thank you!
Email us your questions to info at wiseathletes.com.
Website & MedCram videos
https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/7465
https://niralighting.com/
https://youtu.be/6Win49aeh8A?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/16UHK1gPUO8?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/isz2IQs_EPg?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/wadKIiGsDTw?feature=shared
Related info and episodes:
Episode 149 -- NIR Light is the Missing Puzzle Piece w/Scott Zimmerman
Episode 108 -- Red-NIR Light Therapy w/Dr Zulia Frost
Episode 105 -- UV Light Sweetspot w/Prof Prue Hart/
Relevant Scientific Articles:
Light stimulation of mitochondria reduces blood glucose levels
A Pilot Study Evaluating the Effects of 670 nm Photobiomodulation in Healthy Ageing and Age-Related Macular Degeneration
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32252424/
Does photobiomodulation influence ageing?
Morning exposure to deep red light improves declining eyesight
A day in the life of mitochondria reveals shifting workloads
Dallaghan, Paul. “Mitochondria (Cellular Energy Batteries) Enhancement with Red Light and Near-Infrared (NIR) Light Therapy.” Samahita Retreat, www.samahitaretreat.com/mitochondria-cellular-energy-batteries-enhancement-with-red-light-and-near-infrared-nir-light-therapy/. Accessed Jan. 26, 2021.
Infrared and skin: Friend or foe (Science)
The health benefits of the great outdoors (Environ): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6562165/
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Nov 17, 2024 • 1h 6min
#149 | Near Infrared Light (NIR) is the Missing Puzzle Piece | Scott Zimmerman
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Hey Everyone, welcome to WiseAthletes, your source for discovering how to flourish as an older athlete, and find your path to longevity in sport. I'm your host Joe Lavelle.
Today on episode 149 I am starting a 2-part series on Near Infrared (NIR) light, an important environmental factor that our bodies expect to have and need for our health. But in a narrowly focused effort to improve energy efficiency, our society has shifted our indoor lighting to LEDs which are the least power hungry way to illuminate our homes and offices....but in focusing on visible light, we have lost something very important to our health. This loss is compounded by the increase in time spent indoors (estimated at 90%). Part One of the series is with Scott Zimmerman, an optical engineer, who has been focused on quantifying the health effects of natural sunlight and designing indoor lighting that reintroduces near-infrared into our homes and offices (that does not run afoul of the Department of Energy). NIR light acts to increase ATP production and while blue light reduces ATP production. But blocking blue is a half-measure The real problem is the missing NIR light that you can get in the sun (or better yet, shade) if you would only spent a lot more time outside. Or, you can fix your indoor lighting.
Meet Scott Zimmerman
Founder of Silas, Inc., maker of NIRA lighting (https://niralighting.com/). Scott has more than 35 years of experience in the fields of lighting and displays. His innovations and inventions have been used successfully in a wide range of military and commercial products that include night vision displays, liquid crystal display backlighting designs, and lighting fixtures.
Scott Zimmerman (@SZimmZoo)— optical engineer specializing in building light sources which minimize the health detriments of indoor lighting
Glen Jeffery (@glen_jeffe5111) — biologist specializing in NIR light effect on the body
Bob Fosbury (@BobFosbury) — astrophysicist expert in light (electromagnetic waves in frequencies from UV to IR) and penetration into the human body
Website & MedCram videos
https://niralighting.com/
https://youtu.be/6Win49aeh8A?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/16UHK1gPUO8?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/isz2IQs_EPg?feature=shared
https://youtu.be/wadKIiGsDTw?feature=shared
Related info and episodes:
Episode 108 Red-NIR Light Therapy w/Dr Zulia Frost
Episode 105 -- UV Light Sweetspot w/Prof Prue Hart/
Relevant Scientific Articles:
Dallaghan, Paul. “Mitochondria (Cellular Energy Batteries) Enhancement with Red Light and Near-Infrared (NIR) Light Therapy.” Samahita Retreat, www.samahitaretreat.com/mitochondria-cellular-energy-batteries-enhancement-with-red-light-and-near-infrared-nir-light-therapy/. Accessed Jan. 26, 2021.
Reiter, Russel J. and Zimmerman, Scott. “Melatonin and the Optics of the Human Body.” Melatonin Research, February 21, 2019, www.melatonin-research.net/index.php/MR/article/download/19/208?inline=1.
Grabher-Meyer, Arno. “Interview with Scott Zimmerman -- Reactive Oxygen Species.” LED professional, July/August 2020, www.led-professional.com/downloads/lpr80_full_834991.
Zimmerman, Scott. “The Role of Reactive Oxygen Species in Infectious Diseases.” Journal of Infectious Diseases and Epidemiology, June 19, 2020, www.clinmedjournals.org/articles/jide/journal-of-infectious-diseases-and-epidemiology-jide-6-134.php?jid=jide.
Infrared and skin: Friend or foe (Science)
Effects of artificial dawn on subjective ratings of sleep inertia and dim light melatonin onset (Chronobiology Int)
Effects of Artificial Dawn and Morning Blue Light… (Chronobiology Int)
Circadian rhythms in the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (MCE):https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21782883/
Evening use of light-emitting eReaders negatively affects sleep (PNAS): https://www.pnas.org/content/pnas/112/4/1232.full.pdf
Ocular input for human melatonin regulation (NEL): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12163843/
Melatonin and the Optics of the Human Body (Melatonin): https://www.melatonin-research.net/index.php/MR/article/view/19/213
Melatonin in Mitochondria (APS): https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/physiol.00034.2019
The health benefits of the great outdoors (Environ): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6562165/
Interplay between up-regulation of cytochrome-c-oxidase (Nature):https://www.nature.com/articles/srep30540
Red/Near Infrared Light Stimulates Release of an Endothelium Dependent Vasodilator (FRBM):https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5699925/
Effect of daylighting on student health (CMSE): http://www.wseas.us/e-library/conferences/2013/Malaysia/MACMESE/MACMESE-20.pdf Shining the Light on Sunshine (Clinical Endo):https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cen.12567
Associations of Outdoor Temperature (JCEM):https://academic.oup.com/jcem/article/104/7/2903/5315432?login=true
Relationship between sun exposure and melanoma risk (EJC): https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3046902/
Sun exposure and mortality from melanoma (Multicenter): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15687362/
Avoidance of sun exposure as a risk factor for major causes of death (JIM):https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26992108/
Interdependence… sun exposure and vitamin D to MRI measures in MS (JNNP):https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23385850/
Severe Glutathione Deficiency, Oxidative Stress and Oxidant Damage in Adults Hospitalized with COVID-19 (MDPI): https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3921/11/1/50
Sunlight (Healthful Living): https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/388.1702#1702
Photobiomodulation Therapy (PBMT): What is It? (Shepherd University):https://youtu.be/0MMewRIP51M
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Nov 9, 2024 • 55min
#148 | Adventure for Life | Brian Keane
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Hey Everyone, welcome to WiseAthletes, your source for discovering how to flourish as an older athlete, and finding your path to longevity in sport. I'm your host Joe Lavelle.
Socrates warned us to beware the barrenness of a busy life. I understand that all too well these days. If you are like me, you are so busy doing the many things you HAVE to do plus your athletic longevity efforts to live long strong, including getting good sleep, eating a good diet with enough of this and not too much of that, and getting enough high and low intensity exercise … that the days just flash by. Time is flying by. Which is the exact opposite of what I am after.
The missing ingredient, I think, is marking time with powerful memories: and for me powerful memories come of adventures that provide experiences that had such powerful emotions that my brain stored the memories very securely. These experiences mark time and give my life a sense of fullness.
This idea is why invited Brian Keane to the show for episode 148. You probably know Brian. He is famous for his epic adventures in the Sahara desert and the arctic and more.
In our chat we discuss how to pick adventures and how to up your game to prepare for them while accomplishing your health and fitness goals for life.
I have to say that Brian is amazing and my conversation with Brian has had a big impact on my thinking. My mind is now focused on returning to my roots as an adventurer. I hope Brian has a powerful effect on you too
Who said “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”?
Why do Adventures?
Powerful memories to mark time for a full life
Feel proud of overcoming fears
Motivation to up your fitness game, both mentally and physically
Find your people; make life friends
Bio: Brian Keane
Brian has also completed some of the worlds most gruelling endurance challenges, such as six back to back marathons through the Sahara desert, a 230km through the Arctic and multiple ultra-marathons, including a 100 mile ultra-marathon in the desert in Nevada.
Brian is the host of one of Ireland and the UK’s top health podcasts, which is regularly featured #1 on the iTunes Health Charts.
Brian is a three time best-selling author with The Fitness Mindset, Rewire Your Mindset and The Keane Edge: Mastering the Mindset for Real Lasting Fat Loss.
Over the past ten years, Brian has become one of the most recognised faces in the Irish health and fitness industry. He has spoken at major wellness events such as Wellfest Ireland and Mefit Dubai, was a Keynote speaker at Google HQ and has done corporate wellness talks for Allianz Partners, SAP and Acorn Insurance.
briankeanefitness.com
@brian_keane_fitness - Instagram
Links:
Joe & Pete's Matterhorn & Mont Blanc trip report
5 14ers on my 40th Birthday with Brian trip report
The 2 Joes Bolivia Peak Bagger trip report
Teton Adventure with Brian trip report
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Oct 24, 2024 • 1h 22min
#147 | Solving Inflammaging | Dwayne Jackson PhD
Professional Grade Supplements for WiseAthletes
Hey Everyone, welcome to WiseAthletes, your source for discovering how to flourish as an older athlete, and finding your path to longevity in sport. I'm your host Joe Lavelle.
Chronic low grade inflammation underlies all states of sickness and disease associated with aging. Everything that is "healthy" is probably good for chronic inflammation but eating blueberries or taking magnesium or focusing on nasal breathing are just too specific... not fundamental enough. What I want to know is what is the #1 best way to target inflammaging that will make a difference....I can worry about the marginal gains later.
Having said that.....what would you ask if you got a chance to talk to a PhD who is a retired academic researcher in multiple areas of human physiology, was a professional athlete in two sports, has been a lifelong bodybuilder, and who is now coaching top level athletes and older high performing older around the world? What would you ask him? Right....so would I. On episode 147 I took a deep dive into inflammaging with Dr. Dwayne Jackson to understand his approach to stop chronic inflammation from reducing our ability to perform and recover, and improve our health along the way. He did not disappoint.
Dr Jackson even shared his secret breakfast feast that I have been eating every morning ever since. Be ready to take some notes.
This episode will definitely help if you find that you are....
Recovering from exercise more slowly?
Cutting calories but still cannot lose that last bit of visceral fat?
Eliminating healthy foods because you can't digest them well...feel bloated...get constipated?
All right, let's talk to Dr Dwayne Jackson about resolving chronic inflammation.
Bristol Stool Chart
Monash FODMAP Info & App
Bio: Dwayne Jackson, PhD
Dr. Dwayne N. Jackson is a dad, athlete, health specialist, medical educator, scientist, and entrepreneur. He has over 12 years of university education in exercise/human physiology, medicine, and nutritional biochemistry. Dr. Jackson holds a PhD in neurovascular physiology and has been educated at some of the top academic institutions in North America including University of Ottawa, the University of Western Ontario, and Yale University School of Medicine.
drdwaynejackson.com
dwayne@yourvitalscience.com
@drdnjackson - Instagram
@drdnjackson - Twitter / X
Notes:
Lower inflammation
gut health : healthy poops
How to get a healthy gut?
Don’t major in the minors. Focus on what matters. Highly processed food isn’t ideal but it won’t make a big difference if it is occasional. Mostly eat a whole food mostly plant based diet.
Seed the biome with diversity and fertilize / feed the biome a diverse diet to provide food for the different elements of good bugs.
Blood tests (hsCRP, ESR, ferritin, fibrinogen ) to see if you have an inflammatory problem.
Get fiber up to 40-60g/d. Start with low FODMAP high fiber “overnight oats” plus berries and whey
You will start pooping regularly
Make Overnight Oats the day before
0.5-1 cup of large flaked , old fashioned oats
1-2 tblsp milled flax
1-2 tblsp chia
14 grams of nut of choice
Dried fruit — whatever you want
1+ cup of milk of choice
Sit overnight
Make 5 serving at once
Eat Overnight Oats in the morning
Scoop into bowl
1 scoop of whey protein isolate
½-1 cup of berries
17-35 grams fiber. Low fodmap
Also take probiotic during last part of the day
Visbiome. Full strength 450 billion colony forming units per satchet. Last part of day.
Add: Fiber supplements soluble fiber
Add: 5g glutamine
Do this for 4 weeks …solve your gut problem.
Related info and episodes:
Episode 145-food-for-thought (food as medicine) w/william-li-md/
Episode 142-fasting mimicking diet (inflammation killer) w/joseph-antoun-md-phd/
Episode 140-solving-low-vitamin-d w/grant-e-fraser-md/
More Dwayne Jackson info:
https://drdwaynejackson.com/
https://twitter.com/drdnjackson?lang=en
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCug0feRRsISitPwUJysSzdw
dwayne@yourvitalscience.com
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