How to Optimize Testosterone & Estrogen

In this episode, I discuss testosterone and estrogen hormones and
how they impact the brain, body, and behavior after puberty. I also
discuss how various behaviors such as exercise (resistance and
endurance training) and sex or observing sex impact these hormones
and their levels. I ask: "what specifically is it about such
activities that impact testosterone and estrogen?"; the resounding
theme is that when our nervous system is activated in particular
ways, it drives our endocrine system and vascular system to
activate or repress certain hormone networks in predictable ways. I
also discuss peer-reviewed studies and protocols addressing (at a
mechanistic level) how light, cold and heat, and respiration
(breathing) can positively or negatively impact testosterone and
estrogen. We discuss specific supplements and compounds that
peer-reviewed studies illustrate can adjust testosterone and
estrogen levels by changing their binding to other proteins,
raising them directly, or changing other hormones released from the
brain and pituitary. I discuss optimization in the normal reference
ranges for these hormones, and I discuss pheromones, apnea,
menstrual cycles, menopause and andropause. Read the full show
notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our
sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT:
https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up:
https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00
Introduction   00:00:26 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking
Up   00:05:50 Hormone Optimization   00:07:00
Salutogenesis: A Powerful Way to Conceptualize Health  
00:10:03 Estrogen and Testosterone: Sources, Levels and
Ratios   00:15:46 The Power of Competition, Plus:
Anxiety, Persistence and Dopamine   00:20:58 Testosterone
and Libido Pre-Ovulation   00:21:48 Estrogen and Sexual
Receptivity; Libido In Males   00:23:10 How Sex Behavior
Impacts Testosterone: Observing vs. Actual vs.
Abstinence   00:26:46 Testosterone and Prolactin: Sex
Seeking vs. Pair Bonding   00:27:30 DHEA
(dehydroepiandrosterone): Effects on Levels/Ratios  
00:28:45 Behaviors That Decrease Testosterone (and Cortisol):
Parenting and Prolactin   00:31:24 How Illness Impacts
Testosterone and Estrogen: Cytokines, e.g., IL-6  
00:33:20 How Exactly Do Behaviors Change Hormones?  
00:34:18 Pheromones: Miscarriage, Menstrual Cycles, Puberty Onset,
and Mate Recognition   00:43:33 Apnea: A Powerful
Bi-Directional Influence On Estrogen and Testosterone  
00:47:44 Mouth vs. Nose Breathing and Hormone Levels: Effects Via
Sleep and Direct Effects   00:51:11 How Sleep Adjusts
Cortisol/Testosterone and Cortisol/Estrogen Ratios  
00:53:49 O2:CO2 Ratios, Nasal Breathing During Exercise  
00:56:30 Light Viewing Patterns and Hormones: Dopamine,
GnRH   00:57:44 Spring Fever: Tyrosinase, Hair Color,
Mating Frequency   01:04:39 Specificity of Hormone
Effects   01:06:03 Temperature: Cold and Hot
Gonads   01:14:10 How To Exercise: Types, Effort Level,
Sequencing   01:21:42 Cardio/Endurance vs. Resistance
Training (First or Last?) Yes, It Matters   01:24:41
Estrogen and Menopause: Compounds That May Ameliorate/Reverse
Symptoms   01:33:18 Nutrients That Optimize The
Foundation For Hormones   01:36:00 Opioids as Severe
Hormone Disruptors   01:37:23 Testes, Antlers and
Ovaries   01:38:50 Creatine and Increasing DHT
(Dihydrotestosterone)   01:40:14 Free and Bound
Testosterone: SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin), Tongat
Ali   01:43:23 Nettles, Prostate, Boron, and Blood Brain
Barrier   01:45:27 Hormone Related Cancers: Sometimes
Reducing Estrogen and Testosterone Is Optimal   01:47:43
Ecdysteroids: Mimic Mammalian Hormones   01:51:50
Optimizing Brain Hormones: Chorionic Gonadotropin, Fadogia
Agrestis   01:57:18 Additional Compounds, Liver Toxicity,
Overall Milieu   01:59:17 Summary: And Note About
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