To optimize learning, first be calm and focused during skill acquisition, then spike adrenaline immediately after learning (e.g., with cold or breathing), followed by 20 minutes of non-sleep deep rest (NSDR or shallow nap), and finally optimize sleep later that night and the subsequent night.
Utilize the glabrous skin regions (palms of hands, bottoms of feet, face) for efficient cooling of your core body and brain, as these areas have specialized vasculature (AVAs) for rapid heat exchange and vastly improve physical performance and recovery.
During exercise, cool the palms of your hands (or bottoms of feet/face) with a cold object that is cool but not so cold it causes vasoconstriction, allowing cool to pass into the core to increase work output, reps, and endurance.
For optimal recovery after a workout, focus on cooling the face, palms of the hands, or bottoms of the feet to bring core body temperature back to resting baseline as quickly as possible, which accelerates muscle and tendon recovery.
Spike adrenaline after a learning episode, not during, to optimize the learning process, as doing it beforehand (e.g., with excessive coffee or stimulants) is counterproductive and gets the process backwards.
Avoid full-body cold immersion (e.g., ice baths, cold showers) during or immediately after exercise for quick cooling or performance enhancement, as it’s less effective than targeted glabrous skin cooling and can cause vasoconstriction, hindering heat dumping.
Avoid taking pre-workout drinks, excessive caffeine, or other thermogenic compounds that significantly raise body temperature before exercise, as this limits your work capacity and performance.
After an exercise set, immerse hands in cool (not ice-cold) water for 10-30 seconds, extending to 30 seconds to a minute for subsequent sets, to cool the core and improve performance.
If caffeine-adapted, use moderate amounts before workouts to promote vasodilation and heat dumping; if not, avoid caffeine near exercise as it can cause vasoconstriction and increase body heat retention.
Actively manage body temperature to avoid overheating during exercise, as excessive heat diminishes muscle contraction ability, reduces willpower, and forces you to stop.
Ensure foundational elements like good sleep, proper hydration, and adequate nutrition are in place, as these allow you to perform at your current ability and their disruption diminishes performance.
Supplement with Vitamin D3 and K2, as D3 is essential for brain/body health (many are deficient even with sunshine) and K2 regulates cardiovascular function and calcium.
Drink one packet of Element electrolytes (sodium, magnesium, potassium) dissolved in 16-32 ounces of water first thing in the morning and during physical exercise for proper hydration and electrolyte balance.
Use a meditation app like Waking Up for meditation, mindfulness, yoga nidra, or NSDR protocols to explore different states and levels of understanding, especially when you have varying amounts of time available.
When running or doing endurance work and feeling fatigued or hot, cool your hands, bottoms of your feet, or face to dump heat and generate more output.
Use ice baths, cold showers, or cold plunges when your specific goals are to increase brown fat thermogenesis or to deliberately work on mental resilience, rather than for general performance or recovery.
To warm a hypothermic individual, focus on warming the palms of their hands, the bottoms of their feet, and their face, as these areas are most effective for transferring heat to the core.
Be cautious about using non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like Tylenol or Advil before training to lower body temperature for performance, due to potential liver and kidney effects and impact on water/salt balance.
Moderate alcohol consumption (e.g., a beer or two) after exercise could aid in body heat dumping due to its vasodilating effects, but only if you have no issues with alcohol intake and are of legal drinking age.
Take an all-in-one vitamin, mineral, probiotic drink like Athletic Greens once or twice a day to cover basic nutritional needs, make up for deficiencies, and support microbiome health.
Do not worry about eating before training due to its minor eating-induced thermogenic effect, as this temperature increase is generally insignificant for performance.