Andrew Huberman
Neuroscientist · Huberman Lab
Stanford neuroscientist and host of the Huberman Lab podcast, where he translates peer-reviewed research into step-by-step "protocols" for sleep, focus and stress. His toolkits have made things like morning sunlight and deliberate cold exposure mainstream. He is also open about the supplements he personally takes and where the evidence is thin.
- Entries
- 40
- Does
- 31
- Recommends
- 8
- Discusses
- 1
Supplements
15 supplements in this stack
- SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Creatine monohydrate
Five grams a day sits in his foundational protocol, and he points to creatine as one of the few supplements with evidence for both physical and cognitive effects.
Source: Huberman Lab: Foundational Fitness ProtocolView item: Creatine monohydrateOn record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 10 do it, 2 recommend it - SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Electrolyte supplementation
Salted water goes down in the morning and around training; he argues most people underconsume sodium relative to how much they sweat.
Source: Huberman Lab: Hydration and electrolytesView item: Electrolyte supplementationOn record from 12 of 62 tracked people: 12 do it - SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Magnesium (threonate or glycinate)
Takes magnesium threonate in the evening, one of three ingredients in his sleep stack, and notes that a minority of people find it does the opposite.
Source: Huberman Lab: Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When AwakeView item: Magnesium (threonate or glycinate)On record from 11 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 1 recommends it, 2 have discussed it - SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)
Treats omega-3s as foundational, and points to more than a gram of EPA a day for cardiovascular health, cognition and mood.
Source: Huberman Lab: supplementation topic pageView item: Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)On record from 9 of 62 tracked people: 8 do it, 1 recommends it - SupplementDoes it$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.Sponsor, disclosed
AG1 (Athletic Greens)
Nutritional insurance on top of food, taken daily. AG1 is a longstanding sponsor of the Huberman Lab podcast and is listed on his own sponsors page.
Source: Huberman Lab: sponsors pageVisit drinkag1.com (opens in a new tab)On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Ashwagandha
Uses it only during unusually stressful stretches rather than continuously, and he stresses cycling it off because of the effects on cortisol and the rare liver reports.
Source: Huberman Lab: Tools for Managing Stress & AnxietyView item: AshwagandhaOn record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it, 1 recommends it - SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Glycine
Two grams of glycine goes into the evening list on three or four nights a week rather than every night.
Source: Huberman Lab: Toolkit for SleepView item: GlycineOn record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
L-theanine
Third in the stack, and he leaves it out on nights when it gives him unusually vivid dreams.
Source: Huberman Lab: Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When AwakeView item: L-theanineOn record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Alpha-GPC
Alpha-GPC at 300mg before workouts and demanding cognitive work, for acetylcholine support.
Source: Huberman Lab: Foundational Fitness ProtocolView item: Alpha-GPCOn record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Apigenin
Second in that stack, at around fifty milligrams before bed for easier sleep onset.
Source: Huberman Lab: Toolkit for SleepView item: ApigeninOn record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Fadogia agrestis
Describes cycling it for testosterone support, while being explicit that the human evidence is essentially absent and animal toxicity data exists.
Source: Huberman Lab: Hormone optimization episodeView item: Fadogia agrestisOn record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Myo-inositol
Myo-inositol at 900mg targets getting back to sleep after waking in the night rather than falling asleep in the first place.
Source: Huberman Lab: Your Top Questions on Sleep, AnsweredView item: Myo-inositolOn record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - SupplementDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Tongkat ali
Daily for free testosterone and libido, though he warns it can interfere with sleep if taken too late in the day.
Source: Huberman Lab: Hormone optimization episodeView item: Tongkat aliOn record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - SupplementRecommends$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Rhodiola rosea
Frames rhodiola before training as a way to blunt the perception of effort and buffer cortisol, particularly on tired days.
Source: Huberman Lab: Science-Supported Tools to Accelerate Your Fitness GoalsView item: Rhodiola roseaOn record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - SupplementDiscusses$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Melatonin
Actively advises against melatonin as a routine sleep aid, pointing to the hormonal nature of the compound and the wildly supraphysiological doses sold over the counter.
Source: Huberman Lab: Sleep ToolkitView item: MelatoninOn record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it, 3 have discussed it
Gear
10 pieces of gear in this stack
- GearDoes it$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.Sponsor, disclosed
Continuous glucose monitor
Wears the Lingo monitor from Abbott. He says it has helped him work out which foods to eat and when, and that a short walk after a meal keeps his glucose steadier. Lingo sponsors the show, and the account comes from a sponsor read.
Source: Huberman Lab: Female Hormone Health, PCOS, Endometriosis, Fertility & Breast Cancer, Dr. Thais AliabadiView item: Continuous glucose monitorOn record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 2 have discussed it - GearDoes it$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.Sponsor, disclosed
Red light therapy device
Uses a Joovv whole body panel three or four times a week, five to ten minutes a session, and takes the handheld unit with him when he travels. Joovv is a podcast sponsor and this came from a sponsor read.
Source: Huberman Lab: Using Red Light to Improve Metabolism & the Harmful Effects of LEDs, Dr. Glen JefferyView item: Red light therapy deviceOn record from 6 of 62 tracked people: 4 do it, 2 have discussed it - GearDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.Sponsor, disclosed
Blue-light blocking glasses
Opening an AMA recorded at night under bright studio lights, he says he is wearing his ROKA red lens glasses, which cut blue and green light. His reasoning: bright light late in the day suppresses melatonin and raises cortisol, and the lenses offset part of that. ROKA sponsors the podcast, though this mention sits in his monologue rather than an ad break.
Source: Huberman Lab: AMA #19, Collagen vs. Whey Protein, Creatine, Smelling Salts, Stimulants & MoreView item: Blue-light blocking glassesOn record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 has discussed it - GearDoes it$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Standing desk
Works at a standing desk, and says he props the computer up as well so the screen sits at least at eye level. Both details come from the episode where he walks through his own working day.
Source: Huberman Lab: Maximizing Productivity, Physical & Mental Health with Daily ToolsView item: Standing deskOn record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it, 1 recommends it - GearDoes it$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.Sponsor, disclosed
Eight Sleep
Cools the bed for sleep onset and warms it before waking, using a temperature-controlled mattress cover. The company is a longstanding sponsor of his podcast.
Source: Huberman Lab: sponsors pageVisit eightsleep.com (opens in a new tab)On record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 3 do it - GearDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Light therapy lamp
A 900 lux light pad, designed for drawing, has sat on his desk for years. He also said he had started experimenting with the 10,000 lux panels made to sit on a desk, and presented that as a recent experiment rather than a settled part of his routine.
Source: Huberman Lab: AMA #14, 2023 Philanthropy, Evening Routine, Light Therapy, Health Metrics & MoreView item: Light therapy lampOn record from 3 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 1 recommends it - GearDoes it$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.Sponsor, disclosed
Countertop water filter
Has run a Rorra countertop system in his kitchen for almost a year, by his own account. The claim comes from a sponsor read on his show, and Rorra is a Huberman Lab sponsor.
Source: Huberman Lab: Using Red Light to Improve Metabolism & the Harmful Effects of LEDs, Dr. Glen JefferyView item: Countertop water filterOn record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - GearDoes it$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.Sponsor, disclosed
Our Place cookware
Cooks eggs in a Titanium Always Pan Pro most mornings, and burgers and steaks in the same pan. He says he uses it constantly. Our Place sponsors the podcast, and this was said in a sponsor read.
Source: Huberman Lab: Female Hormone Health, PCOS, Endometriosis, Fertility & Breast Cancer, Dr. Thais AliabadiVisit fromourplace.com (opens in a new tab)On record from 2 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it - GearDoes it$$$Expensive: Several hundred dollars and up.Sponsor, disclosed
Helix Sleep mattress
Says he has slept on a Helix Dusk mattress for more than three years and that it improved his sleep a lot. The statement comes from a sponsor read on his own podcast, and Helix is a longstanding Huberman Lab sponsor.
Source: Huberman Lab: Dr. Cal Newport, How to Enhance Focus and Improve ProductivityVisit helixsleep.com (opens in a new tab)On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it - GearDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Red light bulbs
Dimmable red bulbs go in his bedroom lamps for reading before sleep. He named Bon Charge as the brand he buys, spelled it out on air, and added that he has no financial relationship with the company.
Source: Huberman Lab: AMA #14, 2023 Philanthropy, Evening Routine, Light Therapy, Health Metrics & MoreView item: Red light bulbsOn record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 does it
Apps
2 apps in this stack
- AppDoes it$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Website and app blocker
Names Freedom as the program he runs during work bouts, describing it as shutting him out of the internet completely. He sets a 90 minute timer alongside it and tries to get one strong stretch of work done.
Source: Huberman Lab: Maximizing Productivity, Physical & Mental Health with Daily ToolsView item: Website and app blockerOn record from 4 of 62 tracked people: 2 do it, 2 recommend it - AppRecommends$$$Cheap: Roughly under $50, or under $15/month.
Reveri
Hosted its researcher David Spiegel, and recommends clinical self-hypnosis in short sessions for sleep, stress and pain.
Source: Huberman Lab: episode with Dr David SpiegelVisit reveri.com (opens in a new tab)On record from 1 of 62 tracked people: 1 recommends it
Protocols
11 entriesStructured routines and practices with a defined method.
Alternates resistance training with endurance work weekly, and treats strength as non-negotiable.
Source: Huberman Lab: Fitness ToolkitPopularized the roughly eleven minutes of total weekly cold guideline, and takes deliberate cold several times a week. He is careful to keep it away from strength sessions.
Source: Huberman Lab: Using Deliberate Cold Exposure for Health and PerformanceCompresses the eating window, typically skipping breakfast and finishing food several hours before bed.
Source: Huberman Lab: Fasting and meal timingAnchors the whole day on getting outside within the first hour of waking, a few minutes on bright mornings and longer when it is overcast.
Source: Huberman Lab: Toolkit for SleepHolds his first caffeine until roughly ninety to a hundred and twenty minutes after waking, reasoning that it avoids the mid-morning crash.
Source: Huberman Lab: Using Caffeine to Optimize Mental & Physical PerformanceRuns ten to twenty minute sessions to recover from short nights and to reset between work blocks, having popularized the NSDR label.
Source: Lex Fridman Podcast #435 transcriptColleagues of his at Stanford published on cyclic sighing, and he uses the double-inhale-long-exhale pattern as an in-the-moment way to drop stress within seconds.
Source: Huberman Lab: Tools for Managing Stress & AnxietyRanks a fixed wake time ahead of any supplement or device, near the front of his sleep toolkit, and tells people to go to sleep when sleepiness first arrives.
Source: Huberman Lab: Toolkit for SleepSets the general health dose at roughly an hour a week across three sessions, reading the cardiovascular and mortality data as support for regular heat exposure.
Source: Huberman Lab: The Science & Health Benefits of Deliberate Heat ExposureAdvises a cool, dark bedroom with blankets you can throw off, because core body temperature has to fall by one to three degrees for sleep to start and hold.
Source: Huberman Lab: Toolkit for Sleep- CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia)Recommends$$$Mid: Roughly $50 to $500, or up to $50/month.
Points people with ongoing insomnia towards cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia, not towards supplements or sleep aids.
Source: Huberman Lab: Your Top Questions on Sleep, Answered
Habits
2 entriesRecurring behaviors recorded in public statements.
Argues for dim, warm, low-placed lighting in the evening, and against bright overhead light between 10pm and 4am.
Source: Huberman Lab: Toolkit for SleepPuts the caffeine cutoff at roughly eight to ten hours before bed, pointing out that people fall asleep fine and still lose deep sleep to a late coffee.
Source: Huberman Lab: Toolkit for Sleep
In their own words
Checked word for word against the linked source
“If I don’t feel I slept enough, I do this non-sleep deep rest yoga nidra thing that I talked about a bunch. … It puts me back into a state that feels like sleep and I feel very rested.”
Lex Fridman Podcast #435 transcript (opens in a new tab) · 28 Jun 2024 “This is always what I’m telling people to get sunlight in their eyes in the morning and in the evening. People say, “There’s no light, no sunlight this time here.” I’m like, “Go outside on a really overcast day. It’s far brighter than it is at night.””
Lex Fridman Podcast #435 transcript (opens in a new tab) · 28 Jun 2024 “The first tool I'd like to talk about is one that I've mentioned before on this podcast several times. … And that is to delay your caffeine intake to 90 to 120 minutes after waking up on most days.”
Huberman Lab: Using Caffeine to Optimize Mental & Physical Performance (opens in a new tab) · 5 Dec 2022 “So the most common question I get about deliberate cold exposure is how cold should the water be? And we've answered that with uncomfortably cold to the point where you want to get out, but you can safely stay in.”
Huberman Lab: Using Deliberate Cold Exposure for Health and Performance (opens in a new tab) · 4 Apr 2022 “So personally, I can only talk about what I personally do. I personally take 3 or 400 milligrams of magnesium threonate about 30 to 60 minutes before sleep, and it helps me fall asleep.”
Huberman Lab: Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake (opens in a new tab) · 11 Jan 2021 “The other thing is theanine, T-H-E-A-N-I-N-E, theanine, 100 to 200 milligrams of theanine for me also helps me turn off my mind and fall asleep.”
Huberman Lab: Master Your Sleep & Be More Alert When Awake (opens in a new tab) · 11 Jan 2021 On L-theanine
“It stands to reason that for those of you interested in the general health effects of sauna, about an hour per week broken up into three sessions makes the most sense based on my read of the data.”
Huberman Lab: The Science & Health Benefits of Deliberate Heat Exposure (opens in a new tab) · 25 Apr 2022 On Sauna
Episodes from the feed
Show archive, Huberman Lab (opens in a new tab)Last fetched . A title without a link is an episode the feed publishes no page of its own for.
- How Mitochondria Control Your Metabolism | Dr. Jared Rutter (opens in a new tab) · 2h 4m
- Essentials: Use Sleep to Enhance Learning, Memory & Emotional State | Dr. Gina Poe (opens in a new tab) · 34m
- How to Accelerate Learning & Improve Education | Joe Liemandt (opens in a new tab) · 2h 34m
- Essentials: Diet & Nutrition for Mental Health | Dr. Chris Palmer (opens in a new tab) · 39m
- How to Improve Motivation & Overcome Procrastination | Dr. Masud Husain (opens in a new tab) · 2h 21m
Stack notes are paraphrased. Anything in quotation marks is a short excerpt copied from the transcript it links to. Not medical advice. Not affiliated with, endorsed by, or reviewed by anyone listed. How this works.