This is Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.
I'm Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor and director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University.
With this podcast, my goal is to help you better understand and maximize your own physical and mental performance, leveraging my two decades of experience with elite performers, including Olympians and world champions across numerous sports. The goal is to cover a range of tools, technologies, and strategies designed to help everyone—from beginners to record-breaks, and everyone in between.
I’ll use a format that I call the "3 I's.” For every topic, we'll explore how to 1) Investigate (measure it), 2) Interpret (determine what’s bad, ok, good, or even elite!), and 3) Intervene (implement changes). This framework will guide our discussions on both the science and actionable insights—the do’s and don’ts.
In the upcoming episodes of Season 2, we'll dive into topics such as how metabolism and metabolic rate truly work, how to maximize brain function and health, what sports nutrition looks like in the world’s best athletes, how to improve bone health and accelerate healing, the science of strength training for kids, and much more.
While not all of us are elite athletes—myself included—there are countless lessons and tools we can learn from those performing at the highest levels. And remember, as legendary coach Bill Bowerman stated, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." If you're not already, I hope you'll consider starting to train and recover like one.
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This is Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.
I'm Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor and director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University.
With this podcast, my goal is to help you better understand and maximize your own physical and mental performance, leveraging my two decades of experience with elite performers, including Olympians and world champions across numerous sports. The goal is to cover a range of tools, technologies, and strategies designed to help everyone—from beginners to record-breaks, and everyone in between.
I’ll use a format that I call the "3 I's.” For every topic, we'll explore how to 1) Investigate (measure it), 2) Interpret (determine what’s bad, ok, good, or even elite!), and 3) Intervene (implement changes). This framework will guide our discussions on both the science and actionable insights—the do’s and don’ts.
In the upcoming episodes of Season 2, we'll dive into topics such as how metabolism and metabolic rate truly work, how to maximize brain function and health, what sports nutrition looks like in the world’s best athletes, how to improve bone health and accelerate healing, the science of strength training for kids, and much more.
While not all of us are elite athletes—myself included—there are countless lessons and tools we can learn from those performing at the highest levels. And remember, as legendary coach Bill Bowerman stated, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." If you're not already, I hope you'll consider starting to train and recover like one.
Dr. Tommy Wood: Enhancing Brain Performance & Preventing Dementia
Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin
3 hours 3 minutes
6 months ago
Dr. Tommy Wood: Enhancing Brain Performance & Preventing Dementia
In this episode, my guest is Dr. Thomas Wood, a UK-trained M.D. with a Ph.D. in physiology and neuroscience. He is a professor of pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Washington. We discuss how both physical and mental challenges can enhance cognitive function in the short and long term. We also examine the crucial roles of nutrition, sleep, and other lifestyle factors in supporting overall brain health.
Additionally, we explore the potential benefits of supplementation with creatine, caffeine, and certain vitamins and their impact on mental performance or recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI). We explain the mechanisms by which different types of exercise—resistance, aerobic, and high-intensity training—positively affect brain health and longevity.
We also discuss various behavioral approaches to combat brain fog and prevent age-related cognitive decline and neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s. This conversation explores many practical steps anyone can take to improve brain health, regardless of age or background.
Read the full episode show notes at performpodcast.com.
Thank you to our sponsors
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Timestamps
00:00:00 Tommy Wood
00:02:31 Cognitive Performance & Brain Health, Structure & Function
00:08:12 Brain Function & Stimulus, Brain Volume
00:12:13 Improve Cognitive Function, Skill Development
00:15:22 Sponsor: AG1
00:17:03 Skills, Near- vs Far-Transfer
00:20:13 Assess Short-Term Cognitive Health, Tool: Blood Test; Nutritional Status
00:27:19 Long-Term Brain Health; Tool: Cognitively-Demanding Tasks, Dance, Novelty
00:35:00 Task-Switching, Kids vs Adults
00:41:20 Sponsor: LMNT
00:42:42 Brain Training?, Virtual Reality
00:47:22 Nutrition, Processed Foods; Supplementation, Creatine, Caffeine, Alpha-GPC
00:55:02 Supplements & Trade-Offs, Subjective Effects, Sleep
01:00:55 Brain Fog, Subjective Cognitive Decline
01:04:34 Three ‘S’ Model & Cognitive Health, Brain Fog
01:10:47 Recap: Improve Cognitive Function & Reduce Brain Fog; Hydration
01:13:33 Sponsor: Renaissance Periodization
01:14:38 Vision Assessment, Tool: Vision Training
01:21:54 Vitamin A, Antioxidants, Supplement Use
01:24:39 Creatine, Caffeine & Sleep Deficits; Methylation, Homocysteine, B Vitamins
01:35:30 Cognitive Function & Creatine Benefits; What is Methylation?, Epigenetics
01:39:50 Creatine & Short-Term Energy, Lactate
01:45:45 Sponsor: Momentous
01:47:12 What is a Concussion?, Egg Analogy
01:51:26 Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Lactate & Ketones
01:54:43 TBI, Inflammation, Metabolic Changes, Mitochondria
02:00:40 Acute Treatment & TBIs; Testing for TBI, Cognitive Tests, EEG Technology
02:08:58 Calcium Supplementation?, Vitamin D, Magnesium
02:13:18 Dementia & Late-Onset Alzheimer’s, Prevention? Reversal?, Tool: Modifiable Risk Factors
02:19:08 Education & Peak Cognitive Function, Dementia, Stimulating Job
02:25:59 Sensory Inputs & Dementia, Tool: Being in Nature
02:28:44 Exercise & Dementia, Tool: Resistance & High Intensity Training
02:35:50 Tool: Designing Exercise Protocol for Brain Health
02:39:15 Muscle Strength, Cognitive Function & Overall Brain Health, Mechanism
02:44:49 White Matter, Exercise, Energetic Processes
02:49:39 Alzheimer’s Disease, Tau, Amyloids, Markers of Brain Aging
02:55:40 Recap; Tommy’s Projects & Links
03:01:50 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Subscribe & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Social Media, Perform Newsletter
Disclaimer & Disclosures
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Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin
This is Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.
I'm Dr. Andy Galpin, a professor and director of the Human Performance Center at Parker University.
With this podcast, my goal is to help you better understand and maximize your own physical and mental performance, leveraging my two decades of experience with elite performers, including Olympians and world champions across numerous sports. The goal is to cover a range of tools, technologies, and strategies designed to help everyone—from beginners to record-breaks, and everyone in between.
I’ll use a format that I call the "3 I's.” For every topic, we'll explore how to 1) Investigate (measure it), 2) Interpret (determine what’s bad, ok, good, or even elite!), and 3) Intervene (implement changes). This framework will guide our discussions on both the science and actionable insights—the do’s and don’ts.
In the upcoming episodes of Season 2, we'll dive into topics such as how metabolism and metabolic rate truly work, how to maximize brain function and health, what sports nutrition looks like in the world’s best athletes, how to improve bone health and accelerate healing, the science of strength training for kids, and much more.
While not all of us are elite athletes—myself included—there are countless lessons and tools we can learn from those performing at the highest levels. And remember, as legendary coach Bill Bowerman stated, "If you have a body, you are an athlete." If you're not already, I hope you'll consider starting to train and recover like one.
