EPI 226: Stanford Professor Shares Simple Strength Training "Hack" That Gets Better Results Than Steroids! Use It To Get Past Your Plateau. Plus Circadian Rhythm & Sleep Tips Revealed. With H. Craig Heller
Release Date: 11/18/2025
Peak Performance Life Podcast
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Show notes: (0:00) Intro (1:19) Tim Spector and the Twins Study (3:11) Discovering the gut microbiome’s role in health (8:56) The study showing huge differences in food responses (17:37) Practical steps to improve gut health (19:12) Why eating 30 different plants a week matters (21:43) The power of fermented foods (22:41) Protein vs fiber and what most people miss (30:33) Beans, legumes, and gut health explained (34:41) Why there is no single “superfood” (45:08) How the ZOE gut health test and app work (49:55) Outro Who is Tim Spector? Tim Spector is a British epidemiologist, medical...
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Show notes: (0:00) Intro (0:49) Meet Dr. Jeffrey Gladden (2:25) Hitting a health wall in his 50s (6:08) Discovering thyroid and genetic issues (16:01) Hormone therapy fears and facts (20:23) Why aging is exponential (32:23) “Wake up 27 every day” mindset (38:34) Boosting cellular energy and mitochondria (44:23) How to work with Gladden Longevity (47:48) Outro Who is Dr. Jeffrey Gladden? Dr. Gladden the visionary founder of Gladden Longevity and Advanced Performance Center, initially practiced as an interventional cardiologist before pivoting his focus from late-stage interventions...
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(0:00) Intro
(0:43) The accidental discovery that launched it all
(2:18) Why the palm, not the arm, is key to heat transfer
(5:00) Pull-up performance nearly triples using hand cooling
(7:56) How the CoolMitt works and why it matters
(15:39) Why cold plunges aren’t the same as cooling during workouts
(21:31) Circadian rhythms and peak performance timing
(25:21) Tips to reduce jet lag and adjust your internal clock
(29:42) The link between sleep, memory, and weight gain
(31:29) Natural fixes for sleep apnea and insomnia
(39:02) Why eating earlier helps your metabolism
(43:08) Why ice water is too cold and what temp actually works
(45:15) Outro
Who is H. Craig Heller?
Dr. H. Craig Heller is the Lorry I. Lokey/Business Wire Professor of Biology at Stanford University. He earned his Ph.D. in Biology from Yale University in 1970 and has spent his career studying sleep, circadian rhythms, and human temperature regulation. His work explores how body temperature impacts performance, fatigue, and recovery, as well as how sleep and circadian biology influence learning, memory, and developmental conditions like Down syndrome.
Dr. Heller has held leadership roles across various departments and programs at Stanford and is widely recognized for both his research and teaching. His discoveries have led to real-world innovations, including technologies that help athletes train more effectively by managing heat stress.
Connect with Dr. Heller:
Website: https://coolmitt.myshopify.com/
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