Behaviors3 mentions

Exercise Before Learning

Organize bouts of learning, especially cognitive learning, to occur in the 1–2 hours after exercise, and possibly up to 2–3 or even 4 hours after, provided the exercise leaves you energized rather than exhausted. Do not take the exercise to exhaustion, because that leaves you depleted and increases parasympathetic activity rather than supporting alertness and focus.

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“It's the form of exercise that gives you a boost in alertness. Sure, BDNF and there are other things too, IGF-1. I mean, I could make a list of 50 chemicals that exercise increases that facilitate neuroplasticity. But the most potent effects are by virtue of the fact that exercise increases arousal, which then allows you to focus better in the following one to six hours.”

Andrew Huberman · Your Top Health Questions Answered · Jul 27, 2026 · 40:14 · YouTube ↗

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