All protocols

Treat technically or cognitively demanding drill sessions as requiring fueling and refueling, even if they are not physically intense. Lower-intensity sessions can still create substantial cognitive demand and recovery needs.

Use diet manipulation and some exercise manipulation to teach the body to preferentially use fat at lower intensities and carbohydrate at high intensities. Longer cardio bouts and somewhat lower carbohydrate intake were discussed as ways to improve fat utilization and metabolic efficiency.

Match food intake to current exercise demands; consciously adjust diet based on training status.

For recreational self-experimentation with training, diet, heat, or cold, use about 12 weeks/3 months to assess whether an intervention is helping or hurting.

Mentioned as a food source of phosphatidylserine and also as a vegetable source of glutamine.

Anthocyanin-rich supplement for cognition. One study used 428–598 mg anthocyanins daily for 12 weeks and found improvements in verbal learning and memory in older adults. Broader discussion suggests blueberry extract doses of about 5.5–11 g, with 10–11 g potentially more beneficial.

If consumed, have it away from meals, especially away from foods that raise blood glucose.

Used as a strategy to learn to prefer healthy foods by pairing them with foods that raise blood glucose; kale was given as the example.

He warns that repeatedly eating progressively sweeter and highly palatable foods shifts the dopamine system and narrows what feels rewarding; instead, consuming less sweet or less savory, non-super-palatable foods can help reset what feels attractive and rewarding.

Socks impede heat loss from the feet; minimizing foot insulation can improve cooling when maximum heat loss is the goal.

Pad with circulating cool water used as a crude cooling method, such as placing the feet on it; convection improves heat transfer.

Warm liquids can be used as part of rewarming a hypothermic person.

Warm pads, ideally circulating-water pads available in hospitals, placed on the feet to help rewarm hypothermic individuals.

Using a knit cap at the start of a run in cold weather can reduce heat loss from the head and help you warm up more quickly; remove layers later as needed.

Helmet with enough space and ventilation holes to allow air circulation so the scalp is not thermally insulated.

Do not use screens within a couple of hours of bedtime because their blue-light-rich output delays circadian sleep signals.

If too warm under covers, expose the hands and/or legs to help regulate body temperature during sleep.

Socks may help sleep by insulating the toes, which are highly temperature-sensitive; useful for comfort when feet feel cold, but not if the environment is already too warm.

Perhaps lower iron intake to below typical intake during periods of infection; framed cautiously and as a possibility rather than firm advice, with mention of potential glymphatic-system effects.

Think about a future, ideally a positive future, to activate dopamine/reward pathways that may accelerate healing and recovery.

If using decongestant-type medications, hydrate well with both fluids and electrolytes because they can cause dehydration.

Use morning coffee time as an opportunity to extend outdoor light exposure, especially on dim mornings.

Avoid spending too much time indoors without sunlight, as this can delay sleep-wake timing and create circadian disruption.

To determine whether you are truly an early or late type, get morning sunlight consistently and see whether it makes you feel better.

Use tea lights or candlelight at night as a very dim lighting option that minimally affects the circadian system; he said he uses about 50 tea lights in winter and found they did not affect his circadian system.

At night, lower blue content while keeping light white and full-spectrum rather than eliminating blue entirely.

A dim night light can be preferable to complete darkness, especially if total darkness causes anxiety; this was mentioned particularly for kids.

Avoid using an iPad at night because it is harder to dim sufficiently and emits a large amount of light; also avoid reading on an iPad during nighttime awakenings.

Personal eating pattern: very large breakfast by 7 a.m. at the latest, including coffee; a simple snack around 10 a.m.; regular lunch between noon and 1 p.m.; another snack at 3 p.m.

If schedule allows, eat during the time of day when you feel most alert.