
32 segments available
Alzheimer’s expert LOUISA NICOLA explains early Alzheimer’s risk, why creatine fuels brain energy and memory, deep sleep hacks, and why sitting is a silent killer! Louisa Nicola is a leading neurophysiologist and human performance coach who studies the brain and nervous system. She is the founder of Neuro Athletics, a consulting firm that provides scientific strategies for cognitive performance, and is also currently finishing her PhD at the University of Washington. She explains: ▪️Why 70% of Alzheimer's patients are women ▪️The "leaky brain" warning signs you are ignoring ▪️Why menopause triggers a 30% drop in brain energy ▪️How 20 minutes of Zone 5 training reverses heart aging ▪️Why your "willpower muscle" shrinks without hard challenges *(0:00) Intro* *(2:31) Why I’m on a Mission to Prevent Alzheimer’s for Millions* *(2:58) Alzheimer’s Might Be More Preventable Than You Think* *(4:34) How Lifestyle Habits Quietly Lead to Dementia* *(8:43) Why Some Older Adults Stay Mentally Sharper Than the Young* *(12:35) What Short-Form Content Is Doing to Your Brain* *(13:47) The Hidden Cognitive Power of Exercise* *(16:31) Why Strong Legs Might Be a Key to Brain Health* *(17:23) How Resistance Training Rewires Your Brain* *(21:08) Can Exercise Actually Help Suppress Cancer?* *(22:58) The One Exercise That Shields Your Brain Over Time* *(25:42) Can Aerobic Training Help Prevent Alzheimer’s?* *(28:47) What Cardiovascular Health Really Means for Your Brain* *(32:15) Why VO2 Max Could Predict How Long You’ll Live* *(34:45) The Best Exercises for Long-Term Brain and Mental Health* *(41:45) What to Do Right After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis* *(45:05) Why the Ketogenic Diet Could Benefit Perimenopausal Women* *(50:12) What You Should Know About Hormone Replacement Therapy* *(52:31) How to Find the Best HRT for Your Body and Brain* *(1:00:24) Ads* *(1:01:56) The Overlooked Link Between Sleep Loss and Alzheimer’s* *(1:03:42) Why You Need to Rethink Your Sleep Habits Now* *(1:07:01) Can Ashwagandha and Rhodiola Really Reduce Stress?* *(1:10:02) The Most Potent Brain Supplement You’ve Never Tried* *(1:14:04) How Vitamin D Supports Longevity and Brain Health* *(1:15:03) The Most Affordable Way to Boost Brain and Body Function* *(1:34:34) Ads* *(1:36:27) Why Doing Hard Things Literally Grows Your Brain* *(1:43:28) Are Chatbots Causing Brain Rot? Here’s What We Know* *(1:49:03) The Truth Women Deserve to Hear About Their Health* *(1:57:39) What Happens When You’re Obsessed With Your Mission* Enjoyed the episode? Share this link and earn points for every referral - redeem them for exclusive prizes: https://doac-perks.com Independent Research: https://stevenbartlett.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DOAC-Louisa-Nicola-Independent-Research-further-reading.pdf Follow Louisa: Instagram - https://linkly.link/2ZgsR YouTube - https://linkly.link/2ZgsW X - https://linkly.link/2Zgsa Neuroathletics - https://linkly.link/2Zgsf Podcast - https://linkly.link/2ZmIF You can learn more about ‘BRAIN CODE’, here: https://linkly.link/2ZmIC The Diary Of A CEO: ◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/ ◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook ◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt ◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb ◼️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt ◼️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb Sponsors: *Apple Card* - https://apple.co/get-daily-cash Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch. Offer may not be available everywhere. Terms and limitations apply. *Ketone -* https://ketone.com/STEVEN for 30% off your subscription order Wispr - Get 14 days of Wispr Flow for free at https://wisprflow.ai/DOAC
This segment highlights the alarming increase of Alzheimer's disease and the importance of addressing preventable factors to protect brain health.
"And we have this white powder in front of me. You got a big smile on your face. >> I do because I don't care who you are, you should definitely be having this. Let's talk about creatine. Phenomenal re..."
This segment emphasizes that 95% of Alzheimer's cases could be prevented through lifestyle choices rather than genetic factors.
"disease are not part of the natural brain aging process. For women, and they differ from men, and we can separate the sexes and talk about it, for women, it is purely because being a woman is a risk f..."
This segment discusses the concept of cognitive reserve and how neural connections contribute to brain health and resilience as we age.
"that the ventricles are smaller. We go over here and we see thinning of the cortex. You can see these big spaces between the gy. These are thick because the gray matter has atrophied. It's shrunk. You..."
This segment explores the critical role of exercise in preserving cognitive function and preventing Alzheimer's disease, while addressing misconceptions about online activity.
"cognitive capacity at 75 years old were handwriting and reading. So, handwriting and reading preserves cognitive functions. Exercise is one of the most potent stimulus for brain health and Alzheimer's..."
This segment highlights the crucial relationship between leg strength, resistance training, and brain health in Alzheimer's prevention.
"counterpart. So one copy of the gene of ApoE4 gene for a female raises your risk by about sixfold whereas two copies raises your risk by 15fold. >> And how would one go and get checked? >> You can get..."
This segment explores how exercise transforms interleukin 6 into an anti-inflammatory cytokine, aiding in brain health and cancer prevention.
"take isle 6. Interlucan 6 that comes from the interlucan family. >> What is that? Sorry. >> The interlucan family is a a class of pro-inflammatory cytoines. So these get released when we are under str..."
This segment emphasizes the importance of integrating brief exercise breaks, like air squats, into a sedentary lifestyle to mitigate health risks.
"That wasn't that's annoying to read because I feel like that's me. >> Yeah. And being sedentry is a disease. You can change the trajectory of your life by doing 10 air squats every hour on the hour. A..."
This segment discusses how high-intensity exercise can reverse age-related heart changes, supported by a landmark study.
"is great. If you're going to go out and go for a long run, you're doing many things. You are secretreting a lot of BDNF, which we need. It's a growth factor for the brain. You're getting a massive uh ..."
This segment explores the importance of VO2 max in heart health and cognitive performance, detailing an effective exercise protocol to enhance it.
">> So he got them to do like let's say for example one of the um one of the protocols was exercising at 90% of your maximum heart rate. So when we do this, we're generally looking at increasing our V2..."
This segment explores how elevated blood pressure can damage brain capillaries and compromise the blood-brain barrier, emphasizing the importance of monitoring blood pressure for cognitive health.
"When we have elevated blood pressure, we are starting to kill off those tiny little capillaries of the brain. Those capillaries are feeding different neurons in the brain and also feeding the bloodb b..."
Exploring the devastating effects and misconceptions surrounding Alzheimer's disease and discussing proactive measures.
"women in the UK. The number one >> really. It's the number one cause of death in Australia for both men and women. >> How does it kill you? Because we all think about memory loss and stuff like that b..."
Exploring the impact of menopause on brain glucose metabolism and the potential benefits of a ketogenic diet for women.
"pmenopause, right? when we see a decline in estrogen, right? We see a decline in estrogen, what happens is a 30% reduction in brain glucose metabolism. So, when these receptors start to die because we..."
Exploring the role of hormone replacement therapy in managing menopause symptoms and its potential benefits for Alzheimer's disease risk.
"So, it signals, I'm super hot. So, it'll raise your temperature right up, and that's a hot flash. And then it'll bring it right down. And as a result, this is keeping women up at night. And we know th..."
Exploring how deep sleep facilitates the cleansing of amyloid beta in the brain, crucial for understanding Alzheimer's.
">> Uh I will probably do the the the patch. >> Why? because it's the the easiest. That's the one that um I've researched the most. Uh I'm not afraid of hormone replacement therapy in the slightest. Yo..."
This segment explores how adequate sleep and hormonal balance affect Alzheimer's risk through mechanisms involving tau protein and microtubule stability.
"because you're waking up due to hot flashes and night sweats. So that is what's do that is what's causing the buildup of amaloid. Now stick with me. We've got another protein that is a hallmark of Alz..."
Explore how Whisper Flow revolutionizes communication by using AI to transform thoughts into written words effortlessly.
"and Apple Watch at Apple. Through this special referral offer, when you get a new Apple Card, you can earn bonus daily cash. To qualify, you must apply at apple.co/gety daily cash. Apple card issued b..."
Explore effective strategies and supplements to enhance sleep quality and regulate circadian rhythms.
"meaning that uh I'm waking up due to heat. I'm waking up because uh I'm stressed and I'm having bad dreams. There's all different reasons as to why you wake up. So for the person who is having trouble..."
Exploring the importance of omega-3 supplements for cognitive function and tips for choosing the right ones.
"when this happens, we also get the natural release of I love that you're taking that, by the way. You must be stressed right now. You get the natural release of melatonin. So melatonin is that sleepy ..."
Explore the benefits of creatine for brain health and debunk common fears surrounding its use.
"effects. In fact, I think that these have the safety profile of an FDA approved drug and there's only benefits from it. There's no side effects from it. Uh not just that 60% of our brain is made of fa..."
Exploring the profound benefits of creatine on brain energy, cognitive function, and protection against injury.
"have 5 g of creatine, you're saturating the muscles. Okay, remember the muscles are so hungry, so they get first dibs and they take up all of that creatine. So then there's none left for the brain. We..."
Exploring how dietary creatine intake correlates with reduced cancer risk and supports cellular health.
"serves clear, they uh they dosed it at uh they dosed it at 0.36 g per kilogram of body weight. So if you are a 70 kilo person, if my mathematics is correct, you're looking at around 25 g of creatine p..."
Exploring the positive effects of creatine supplementation on mood and cognitive function in menopausal women.
"single day. I think every single person, no matter what age you are, everybody should be supplementing with creatine. Now, there was this uh recent study that came out on menopausal women and it was a..."
This segment focuses on using tennis ball exercises to improve cognitive functions such as reaction time and hand-eye coordination.
"the card, not the word. >> Okay. Let me just program my brain. Say the color, not the word. Okay. Are you ready? >> Green, orange, yellow green orange, green, orange yellow pink orange green. >> Now, ..."
This segment explores how challenging tasks enhance cognitive functions and promote brain resilience.
"work under load and under stress. So, when you do this, >> I'm interrupting you. >> No, it's okay. >> You got it. You got it. You got it. Good. Good. Good. And then to even make it even harder. Okay. ..."
This segment explores the significance of pushing through challenges to enhance the anterior midcingulate cortex, a key area for resilience and cognitive capacity.
"a lot of uh cognitive capacity and it's really profound in people who can diet well. It gets bigger when we do hard things. So, when we do really hard things, this area in the brain gets bigger. And b..."
Exploring how overcoming difficulties not only strengthens the body but also rewires the brain for growth and resilience.
"where like the horses would literally die standing still because it was so horrific. He did that to two years to like deal with the grief. But when he came back to New York City after this two years i..."
A passionate discussion on how societal norms prevent women from advocating for their health, leading to alarming disease statistics.
"their goals. I'm just fascinated from an evolutionary perspective as to why we needed one and like why it wasn't just always big >> in the pursuit uh you know evolutionarily uh in the pursuit of hunti..."
A passionate call for better healthcare and recognition of women's health issues, inspired by personal family experiences.
"inclined to look after the family and look after the household. And when the time came that she was given her diagnosis, I was sitting there with her. It was um it was at home and the doctor came. She..."
This segment explores the personal sacrifices made in the pursuit of a career dedicated to understanding brain health and disease management.
"you know, your government and your administration to look up to, to guide you when you have Secretary Kennedy in 2014 go on national television and say, "Vaccines are totally safe. I had all my kids v..."
This segment explores the personal definitions of success, highlighting the importance of making cherished memories.
">> so what is success to you then at the deepest possible level? What is success? We meet again in 10 years time. You say my life has been a success or I feel successful. I'm a Louisa says I am a succ..."
This segment explores the emotional toll of Alzheimer's on individuals and their families, emphasizing the heartbreaking loss of identity and connection.
">> and imagine losing those. Imagine a life full of like >> you know creating these experiences and these memories to have them being taken away from you. >> Yeah. >> To not being able to recognize yo..."
A discussion on the intersection of neurosurgery, unexpected recoveries, and the role of faith in patient outcomes.
"whatever it is that they can get through. Something that science and medicine cannot offer and believing in something that is not there or something that hasn't occurred yet is having faith. I work in..."