All protocols
4,984 protocols across every category, most recommended first.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsWarm Up After Cold Exposure
After deliberate cold exposure, get warm afterward rather than staying cold. Do not allow yourself to remain really cold for more than 10–15 minutes or maybe half an hour; bundle up, put on clothes, take a hot shower, or if conditions allow, get into hot sun to warm back up.
- ▶ 1DietDrink Hot Tea or Other Hot Fluids After Cold Exposure When Run Down
If you feel a little rundown but still choose to do deliberate cold exposure, warm up well afterward and consider drinking hot tea or another hot fluid afterward.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsAvoid Stressful Challenges When Run Down
When feeling rundown or really unwell, avoid anything stressful or challenging, including cold challenges, heat challenges, or exercise challenges. This includes avoiding overly stressful heat exposure such as very hot saunas intended to induce adaptation while ill.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsWalking When Sick
If not severely ill or bedridden, a little movement such as walks is probably good to circulate blood while sick.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsUse Caffeine Only If It Does Not Cause Anxiety or Disrupt Sleep
For most adults, daily caffeine use is acceptable only if it does not induce anxiety, panic attacks, or disrupt nighttime sleep. People who become jittery, anxious, sweaty, or get heart palpitations even from small amounts should avoid caffeine altogether.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsAvoid or Delay Caffeine Use in Young People
Children age 14 and younger should avoid caffeine if possible. For adolescents roughly 15–18 or 20, limit caffeine as much as possible because brain wiring is still occurring. Energy drinks and added neuroactive ingredients such as theanine and L-tyrosine are best left until about age 18 or older. Young people should delay starting caffeine use for years if possible.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsPrefer Clean Caffeine Sources and Scrutinize Energy Drinks
If using caffeine, prefer clean sources such as plain coffee or tea rather than complex energy drinks. If consuming an energy drink, know exactly what is in it, what each ingredient does, and the implications of chronic use.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsTaper Off Caffeine Instead of Quitting Abruptly
To come off caffeine, taper over 4–7 days rather than stopping abruptly. Reduce intake by about 10–15% per day by volume or concentration, or use a simpler reset: cut intake by 50% for 2–4 days, then take 1–2 full days off caffeine to reduce withdrawal severity.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsResume at 50% of Previous Caffeine Dose and Use Higher Doses Only Occasionally
After a brief caffeine break or reset, return to caffeine at about 50% of your former daily dose and use that as the new baseline. Only occasionally return to the original higher dose when you want stronger performance-enhancing effects, and do not maintain the elevated level the next day or set a new higher baseline.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsUse Sunlight and Movement to Manage a Caffeine Crash
On the day after a caffeine spike, get outside, get more sunlight, and add some movement to help offset malaise. Then return to your original goal level of caffeine rather than escalating intake.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsBattle Through 24–48 Hours of Caffeine Withdrawal
Expect a slight withdrawal effect lasting about 24–48 hours after going above baseline or adjusting intake, and push through that short period rather than escalating caffeine intake.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsSeparate Cardiovascular Training Sessions
Include 2 to 4 cardiovascular training sessions per week that are separate from zone 2 cardio.
- ▶ 1ToolsFitness Tracker
Can be used to monitor whether you are in zone 2 cardio very precisely.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsSugarcane Protocol
Use this high-intensity cardiovascular protocol only occasionally, about once every 2 to 4 weeks as a replacement for other HIIT. Warm up for 3 to 5 minutes with jogging, jumping jacks, or skipping rope, then do three rounds: 2 minutes to cover the maximum distance possible, rest 2 minutes, repeat the same distance as fast as possible, rest 2 minutes, then go all out again for the same duration and aim to match or exceed the first round; finish by walking slowly until breathing recovers.
- ▶ 1DietWhey Protein Shake
Used as a vehicle for creatine; he can mix 10-15 g creatine into a whey protein shake without gastric distress. Also uses a couple scoops of whey protein in a small pre-workout meal when hungry.
- ▶ 1DietLemon Juice
Add a little lemon juice to water with creatine to make it taste less chalky.
- ▶ 1DietProtein- and Fiber-Focused Early Meals
Meals earlier in the day should lean toward protein and fibrous carbohydrates/vegetables; examples given include meat, chicken, or fish with salad, and maybe a little bit of starch.
- ▶ 1DietSmall Pre-Workout Meal When Hungry
If you wake up very hungry before training, eat a small meal rather than forcing fasted training; he typically chooses protein and fat, with examples including Brazil nuts, a couple scoops of whey protein, and maybe a little oatmeal.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsThermal Stress Training
Include a day of thermal stress training in the weekly routine, using deliberate cold exposure and deliberate heat exposure.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsUse ADHD Medication Only Under Qualified Psychiatric Care
ADHD medication selection, dosing, timing, tapering, and possible drug holidays should be done with the careful consult of a very qualified or board-certified psychiatrist.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsGet an Accurate ADHD Diagnosis
Before treatment, obtain a careful diagnostic evaluation by a well-qualified psychiatrist because treatment recommendations depend on true ADHD diagnosis.
- ▶ 1SupplementsUse Supplementation for ADHD
Supplementation is described as part of a comprehensive ADHD treatment approach alongside prescription drugs, behavioral treatments, and nutritional guidelines, and should be updated across development by knowledgeable clinicians.
- ▶ 1DietUse Nutritional Guidelines for ADHD
Include nutritional guidelines as part of ADHD treatment; the best psychiatrists should incorporate nutrition alongside drugs and behavioral treatments.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsDiscuss Tapering ADHD Medication Before or Around Age 25
People who have been on ADHD meds at any point prior to age 25 should talk to their psychiatrist about tapering off to assess whether they still need them; do not stop abruptly, because abrupt cessation can cause withdrawal-like effects including lethargy, depressed mood, feeling unwell, and focus problems.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsAvoid Benzodiazepines Unless Prescribed
Avoid benzodiazepines and similar substances unless prescribed by your physician, especially in the context of ADHD stimulant use.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsTake ADHD Medication Early in the Day and Protect Sleep
Because late-day stimulant effects can impair sleep and elevate cortisol late in the day, timing should generally favor earlier dosing when possible and as worked out with a psychiatrist; choose drug type and timing with sleep preservation in mind, and for some people short-acting options may be preferable.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsConsider ADHD Medication Drug Holidays With Psychiatrist Guidance
Discuss with a psychiatrist whether planned breaks are appropriate; original clinical literature suggested many childhood ADHD sympathomimetics were designed to be taken during the school week with weekends off and with summer breaks, rather than self-directing breaks.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsReduce Stress While Ill
When sick, reduce stress on the system rather than adding stressors such as cold exposure or overly intense heat exposure.
- ▶ 1ToolsfMRI Machine
Used to assess resting-state functional connectivity and changes in brain-network activation before, during, and after MDMA exposure.
- ▶ 1BehaviorsAvoid Gray-Market MDMA
Avoid street or gray-market MDMA and confine any MDMA use to legal clinical settings so the compound is pure and not contaminated; he specifically warns that recreational drugs, including MDMA, are often contaminated with fentanyl, which can be lethal.