Andrew Huberman’s Daily Routine: Enhances Mood, Focus, Longevity, and Energy

Andrew Huberman is a leading neuroscientist known for his groundbreaking research in vision, perception, and neural plasticity. He’s renowned for his ability to translate complex scientific concepts into practical insights for improving mental and physical well-being. Huberman’s work focuses on understanding how the brain shapes our experiences and offers valuable knowledge for optimizing brain function and overall wellness. Huberman is a curious soul. Always keen to take up new approaches that improve wellbeing. Here’s a breakdown of Andrew Huberman’s Daily Routine

The Huberman Daily Routine

Huberman’s daily routine seeks to optimize energy, testosterone, dopamine and performance.

6 am: Wake Up and Hydrate

Hydrates: Water with Element (sea salt) i.e. LMNT (Get It Here)

The Value of Electrolytes

“Your nervous system and your neurons particularly depend on electrolytes because you need the electrolytes, sodium, magnesium, and potassium, in the proper ratios, in order for those nerve cells to fire what are called action potentials”

“Typically, what I do in the morning is I hydrate, I do take an electrolyte drink, which is a salt-heavy electrolyte drink called LMNT. LMNT is an electrolyte drink that has everything you need in order to get your brain and body to function at its best, but none of the things you don’t, in particular, sugar”

7 am: Morning Sun Exposure: 2 to 10 minutes of sunlight exposure

Huberman on the value of Natural Light: “The best thing you can do for your sleep, your energy, your mood and metabolism is to get natural light in your eyes early in the day. Don’t wear sunglasses. Do it for about 10 minutes or so.  As much as you can, get bright natural and if not natural artificial light in your eyes early in the day”

On Alternative Lighting
“If you wake up before the sun rises, flip on as many lights as you can in your space if you want to be awake in your artificial light environment. And then, once the sun is out, go outside.”

7:30 am: Morning Workout

• Sunday: Endurance – at least 30 minutes of cardio, ideally 60-75 minutes of zone 2 cardio such as jogging or hiking. Tip: use a weight vest for an extra challenge on shorter workouts.
• Monday: Legs – Quads, Hamstrings, Calves. Why legs on Mondays? Training the largest muscle group when your fresher sets off metabolic processes that elevate metabolism & amplify hormonal events. Get the hardest workout out of the way and move on.
• Tuesday: Heat/cold cycling – ideally, hot sauna (20 minutes) + ice bath (5 minutes) x 5 rounds. Check out the notes for best practices and the benefits of heat or cold.
• Wednesday: Torso – Push/Pull. Working push/pull enhances strength and joint integrity, and amplifies hormonal effects. Sample exercises: shoulder press, chin-ups. Important tip: don’t forget to train your neck safely to reduce shoulder risk of injury and discomfort
• Thursday: Brief Cardio at 75-80% Effort – 35 minutes of running / rowing / cycling / stairs / jump rope, deeper than zone 2 but not all-out effort.
• Friday: High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) – goal is to get heart rate way up and tap into strength & hypertrophy training for legs without weights.
  Sample exercise: intervals on bike 20-30 second all-out sprint + 10 seconds rest x 8-12 rounds. For most people, max heart rate = 220-age. Only do all-out movements with perfect form.
• Saturday: Arms, Calves, Neck – Indirect training for torso. Sample exercise: triceps dip, chin up, dumbbell curls, incline curls, triceps kickback. Tweak the routine and shift to personalize but keep the broad goals – the specific days of each workout aren’t critical but the exact spacing is. Huberman does a hack squat, leg extensions, seated calf raises, leg curls, glute hamstring raise, etc. Huberman does not do squats or deadlifts.

10 am: Morning Caffeine

• Delays caffeine or tea Intake by 2 hours after waking for adenosine regulation.
• Prefers Yerba Mate over coffee. Buy It Here
• Prioritizes deep thinking tasks early in morning.

Huberman on why you should delay your caffeine intake

“I highly recommend that everybody delay their caffeine intake for 90 to 120 minutes after waking. However painful it may be to eventually arrive at that 90^th  to 120^thminute after waking, you want, and I encourage you, to clear out whatever residual adenosine is circulating in your system in that first 90 to 120 minutes of the day. Get that sunlight exposure, get some movement to wake up, and then, and only then, start to ingest caffeine because what you’ll do if you delay caffeine intake until 90 to 120 minutes after waking is you will avoid the so-called afternoon crash”

• Engages in Intermittent Fasting, typically fasting for 12-16 hours and consuming his initial meal in the early afternoon.
• Prefers low-carb meals comprising meat and vegetables but occasionally incorporates carbohydrates such as rice or oatmeal post intense workouts.

Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting offers several potential benefits, including improved metabolic health, weight loss, increased insulin sensitivity, cellular repair processes, and potential longevity benefits. Additionally, some research suggests it may enhance brain health, promote autophagy (cellular cleaning), and aid in reducing inflammation. However, individual responses to intermittent fasting can vary, and it’s essential to consider personal health goals and consult a healthcare professional before starting any fasting regimen.

6:30 Evening Cardio

Dr. Huberman suggests that performing cardio workouts in the evening might offer more benefits compared to weight training. Nevertheless, he stresses the importance of prioritizing what feels right for individuals. He also notes potential advantages to morning workouts, with the option of saving cardio for the evening.

7pm: Evening Meal

• Eats 3-4 hours before bedtime
• Eats carbs for replenishing glycogen levels and helps with sleep
• Avoids eating too much meat before bed to avoid long gastric clearance.

Rationale

Andrew prioritizes starch for his evening meal, finding it conducive to better sleep. Starchy carbohydrates such as pasta, rice, and potatoes can expedite sleep onset and elevate serotonin and tryptophan levels. These compounds support mood stability and enhance sleep quality. In addition to vegetables and occasionally lean proteins like tuna or salmon, Andrew adjusts his carbohydrate intake based on activity levels. He cautions against excessive meat consumption before bedtime due to its prolonged gastric clearance time, which can disrupt sleep quality.

9:30pm: Pre-Sleep Routine

1. Dim Lighting

“Avoid viewing bright lights—especially bright overhead lights between 10 pm and 4 am.
Here is a simple rule: only use as much artificial lighting as is necessary for you to remain and move about safely at night. Blue blockers can help a bit at night but still dim the lights. Viewing bright lights of all colors are a problem for your circadian system. Candlelight and moonlight are fine.”

• Reading

Andrew Huberman’s Reading List.

• Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity by Peter Attia MD and – (Get It Here)
• Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker  (Get It Here)
• Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones by James Clear (Get It Here)

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10: 30 pm Sleep

Dr. Huberman emphasizes that sleep serves as the ultimate nootropic, stress reliever, trauma alleviator, immune enhancer, hormonal regulator, and emotional stabilizer. Given these crucial functions, it’s unsurprising that his entire regimen revolves around optimizing sleep.

If you enjoyed reading Andrew Huberman’s daily routine, make sure to check out his top 10 book recommendations here.