Show Notes
Ross Edgley is a British ultra-endurance athlete and author known for completing extraordinary athletic feats by tapping into diverse sources of motivation and resilience. We discuss the psychological and biological forces that allow people to persevere through extreme challenges. Then we cover how to dynamically update your sense of purpose, emotions, philosophy, and personal narratives to expand your ability to overcome adversity of all kinds. We also discuss the brain circuits and science of fatigue and stress adaptation. Ultimately, a new framework emerges that you can use to access persistent motivation.
Read the show notes at hubermanlab.com.
Thank you to our sponsors
AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman
David: https://davidprotein.com/huberman
Lingo: https://hellolingo.com/huberman
LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman
Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman
Timestamps
(00:00:00) Ross Edgley
(00:03:19) Childhood, Motivation Sources; Competition, Pain & Purpose
(00:11:51) Anterior Midcingulate Cortex, Wheel of Motivation & Tenacity
(00:16:05) Honoring Your Commitment, Ultra-Endurance Swimming, Self-Respect
(00:17:46) Sponsors: David & Lingo
(00:20:02) Fear of Shame, Iceland; Team Events, Injuries & Sea Swims
(00:25:50) Spiritual Experiences, Loch Ness, Iceland, Mythology & Motivation
(00:31:37) Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex, Persistence & Winning, Strategy
(00:36:27) Energy Management; Leadership & Team
(00:40:56) Addiction, Evaluating Challenges & Purpose, Support & Yukon
(00:47:23) Fear & Animals, Great White Sharks, Bears
(00:53:09) Sponsor: AG1
(00:54:22) Proving Others Wrong, Anger, Great Britain Swim
(00:57:55) Anger at Self; Doing It For the Sake of Others, Son, Father
(01:08:58) Next Endeavor, Money, Helping Others
(01:15:29) Dark vs Light Energy, Self-Discipline; Yaminawa Tribe
(01:22:51) Sponsor: LMNT
(01:24:11) Challenge Stakes, Ultra-Endurance Swims; Negative Thoughts
(01:33:29) Tongue; Iceland Swim, Berserker, Third-Person Perspective
(01:38:28) Pain Tolerance, Stress Inoculation, Deliberate Cold Exposure
(01:45:48) Strength Training
(01:48:10) Sponsor: Eight Sleep
(01:49:38) Process vs Outcomes, Psychological Adaptability
(01:55:07) Cyclops & Tunnel Vision, Yukon Swim; Cuttlefish
(02:02:02) Caffeine, Nicotine, Alpha GPC, Creatine, Supplement Use
(02:11:59) Strength Training & Workouts, Strength Reserve, Endurance
(02:20:26) Girlfriend, Worry; Doing What Others Cannot, Gratitude
(02:29:13) Absurd Hero, Pleasure in Struggle
(02:31:14) Smile, Motivated through Anger; Spirit Animals
(02:41:37) Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow, Reviews & Feedback, Sponsors, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter
Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More from Huberman Lab
In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explain how to develop a rational supplementation protocol tailored to your specific needs, nutrition and budget. I discuss foundational supplements and single-ingredient supplements for sleep, hormone support and cognitive enhancement and focus, including how to test individual ingredients, choose appropriate dosages and cycle certain compounds. I also explain why behavioral tools and nutrition remain the foundation for mental health, physical health and performance.
Dr. Jared Diamond, PhD, is a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, physiologist, evolutionary biologist and Professor at UCLA. We discuss the surprising and often chance events that shaped human history and leadership in politics, religion, business and athletics. As one of the most influential public-facing scholars of the last 100 years, Dr. Diamond also shares his advice on how to pursue a career and life that reflects your unique interests and that makes a positive contribution to the world. He also shares the tools he uses to keep his mind and body vigorous.
In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. Matthew MacDougall, a neurosurgeon at Neuralink. We discuss how brain-machine interfaces could help people with paralysis control computers using their intended movements, and how robotic surgery enables the placement of tiny electrodes in the brain. We also explore advances in brain tumor surgery, implant safety, how the brain and software learn to work together, and the role of animal research. Dr. MacDougall shares his vision for future applications, including restoring movement, addressing mental health conditions and expanding human cognition and communication.
Dr. Scott Kanoski, PhD, is a Professor of Human and Evolutionary Biology and Neurobiology at the University of Southern California. We discuss how different foods impact memory and cognitive function as well as cravings. We also discuss how GLP-1 drugs work to control hunger in the brain and body, the role of the gut microbiome, and the effects of artificial and low calorie sweeteners on hunger and satiety. This episode highlights how nutrition impacts much brain health and learning capacity and how our memory impacts food choices too.
In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, my guest is Dr. Elissa Epel, PhD, a Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). We discuss how acute and chronic stress affect the body and brain, including their links to cellular aging and mitochondrial health. We also explain tools to reduce rumination, reframe stress as a challenge and build resilience, as well as how radical acceptance and a sense of purpose can help us navigate stressors we cannot change.