Episode
Dr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
1:30:38
Published: Mon Nov 08 2021
Description
In this episode, I talk to Dr. Duncan French, Ph.D., the Vice President of Performance at the UFC Performance Institute and a world-class performance specialist. We discuss specific resistance (weight) training regimens for increasing testosterone in men and women and how to vary mechanical loads and rest between sets and workouts to optimize hormone output and training results. We also discuss how stress-induced "catecholamines" can increase testosterone or decrease it, depending on duration and mindset. And we discuss specific cold- and heat- therapies for increasing resilience, reducing inflammation, heat shock proteins and more. We discuss nutrition for training and how to match nutrition to training goals and metabolic flexibility. We discuss mental focus and how long to train for skill development. Finally, we discuss how mixed martial arts and the UFC Performance Institute are a template for exploring human performance more generally. This episode is intended for anyone interested in athletic and mental performance: athletes, students, and recreational exercisers and includes both science and many practical tools people can apply in their own training. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Thesis: https://takethesis.com/huberman Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Dr. Duncan French (00:02:44) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Thesis, Momentous (00:05:44) Duncan’s Background in Exercise Science (00:11:45) How Certain Exercises Increase Testosterone (00:16:22) What Kind of Training Increases Testosterone & Growth Hormone? (00:20:19) Intensity: Mechanical Load; Volume: Metabolic Load; Inter-set Rest Periods (00:25:25) Training Frequency & Combining Workout Goals  (00:29:35) How Stress Can Increase or Decrease Testosterone (00:36:55) Using Cold Exposure for Mindset, Anti-Inflammation, Muscle-Growth (00:46:55) Skill Development (00:50:05) Why Hard Exercise Creates Brain Fog: Role of Nutrition (00:53:55) Low-Carbohydrate Versus All-Macronutrient Diets on Performance (00:56:15) Ketones & Brain Energy, Offsetting Brain Injury; Spiking Glucose During Ketosis (00:59:13) Metabolic Efficiency, Matching Nutrition to Training, “Needs Based Eating” (01:05:00) Duncan’s Work with Olympic Athletes, NCAA, UFC (Ultimate Fighting Championship) (01:08:00) Why UFC & MMA (Mixed-Martial Arts) Are So Valuable for Advancing Performance (01:12:40) Voluntarily Switching Between Different States of Arousal (01:14:30) Heat, Getting Better at Sweating, Heat Shock Proteins, Sauna (01:20:12) Using Rotating 12-Week Training Programs; Logging Objective & Subjective Data (01:24:07) Surprising & Unknown Aspects of The UFC and UFC Performance Institute (01:27:45) Conclusions, Zero-Cost Support, Sponsors, Supplements, Instagram Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer
Chapters
In this podcast, Dr. Christopher French talks about specific training protocols that can maximize testosterone output and reduce stress hormone output to optimize the benefits of training in the short and long term.
00:00 - 02:37 (02:36)
Summary
In this podcast, Dr. Christopher French talks about specific training protocols that can maximize testosterone output and reduce stress hormone output to optimize the benefits of training in the short and long term. He also discusses how neurotransmitters can impact hormones and vice versa.
EpisodeDr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
PodcastHuberman Lab
The podcast discusses the benefits of using nootropics, InsideTracker, and Athletic Greens for a generally healthier lifestyle.
02:37 - 09:27 (06:50)
Summary
The podcast discusses the benefits of using nootropics, InsideTracker, and Athletic Greens for a generally healthier lifestyle.
EpisodeDr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
PodcastHuberman Lab
Resistance training acts as a stressor to increase the internal anabolic environment in females, leading to muscle tissue growth and adaptations in tendons, ligaments, and bones.
09:27 - 20:10 (10:43)
Summary
Resistance training acts as a stressor to increase the internal anabolic environment in females, leading to muscle tissue growth and adaptations in tendons, ligaments, and bones. Testosterone has the potential to influence different tissues in the body and remove osteopenic characteristics.
EpisodeDr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
PodcastHuberman Lab
A team of researchers created an exercise protocol to target the release of testosterone and drive up anabolic environments to study the endocrine consequences.
20:10 - 26:56 (06:45)
Summary
A team of researchers created an exercise protocol to target the release of testosterone and drive up anabolic environments to study the endocrine consequences. The duration of rest periods influences the metabolic stimulus and allows for the removal of waste products.
EpisodeDr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
PodcastHuberman Lab
The link between epigenetics, epinephrine and norepinephrine release, arousal and performance has been shown for the first time.
26:56 - 38:00 (11:04)
Summary
The link between epigenetics, epinephrine and norepinephrine release, arousal and performance has been shown for the first time. In terms of workout advice, different stimulus should be tried in order to achieve more end points of success.
EpisodeDr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
PodcastHuberman Lab
The use of cold as a stressor has gained popularity in recent times but understanding why it is used should precede the conversation on cold exposure.
38:00 - 47:53 (09:53)
Summary
The use of cold as a stressor has gained popularity in recent times but understanding why it is used should precede the conversation on cold exposure. While cold exposure can trigger the physiological stress response like epinephrine, the literature still lacks comprehensive evidence about its effect on muscle tissue.
EpisodeDr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
PodcastHuberman Lab
Shorter training sessions that are high in quality and engage the athlete's mind are more effective for skill acquisition than long, exhaustive sessions.
47:53 - 55:23 (07:29)
Summary
Shorter training sessions that are high in quality and engage the athlete's mind are more effective for skill acquisition than long, exhaustive sessions. True skill development is achieved through rehearsal of accurate movement mechanics.
EpisodeDr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
PodcastHuberman Lab
The cycling of ketosis through a ketogenic diet can lead to better metabolic management and metabolic efficiency, promoting fat use at low intensities and carbohydrate use at high intensities, resulting in a healthier diet contributing to the body's preference for fat use.
55:23 - 1:03:57 (08:34)
Summary
The cycling of ketosis through a ketogenic diet can lead to better metabolic management and metabolic efficiency, promoting fat use at low intensities and carbohydrate use at high intensities, resulting in a healthier diet contributing to the body's preference for fat use.
EpisodeDr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
PodcastHuberman Lab
The speaker explains the diversity of Mixed Martial Arts including its various weight classes and the different martial arts styles that are incorporated.
1:03:57 - 1:10:55 (06:57)
Summary
The speaker explains the diversity of Mixed Martial Arts including its various weight classes and the different martial arts styles that are incorporated. They also discuss the surprise in discovering the different aspects including the ground game as opposed to just stand-up boxing.
EpisodeDr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
PodcastHuberman Lab
This podcast explores the impact of high performance on the human body, particularly on fighters and elite military, through nutritional interventions, sleep education, training program management, and psychological interventions.
1:10:55 - 1:15:58 (05:03)
Summary
This podcast explores the impact of high performance on the human body, particularly on fighters and elite military, through nutritional interventions, sleep education, training program management, and psychological interventions.
EpisodeDr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
PodcastHuberman Lab
In this podcast, the host and guest discuss how the body is adaptable and can be trained to tolerate heat stress, such as through exposure to a sauna.
1:15:58 - 1:20:59 (05:00)
Summary
In this podcast, the host and guest discuss how the body is adaptable and can be trained to tolerate heat stress, such as through exposure to a sauna. It is important to understand the timing and specifics of changing the stressor to cause adaptation.
EpisodeDr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
PodcastHuberman Lab
The Performance Institute is using cutting-edge technology and research to influence the global community on optimizing human performance.
1:20:59 - 1:28:42 (07:43)
Summary
The Performance Institute is using cutting-edge technology and research to influence the global community on optimizing human performance. They are exploring opportunities to learn more, share data, and interpret the body's response to training, nutrition and more.
EpisodeDr. Duncan French: How to Exercise for Strength Gains & Hormone Optimization
PodcastHuberman Lab
This episode offers science-based protocols for training and supplements for better performance, which are separate from what is covered on the Huberman Lab podcast.
1:28:42 - 1:30:27 (01:44)
Summary
This episode offers science-based protocols for training and supplements for better performance, which are separate from what is covered on the Huberman Lab podcast. Viewers can check out the supplements and protocols on the Live Momentous YouTube channel.