Biohacker’s Live Show features top experts in optimal human performance as if they were in your living room. Your host is Teemu Arina, the co-author of the Biohacker’s Handbook and curator of the Biohacker Summit. Catch each episode by subscribing to our podcast on iTunes here.
What are the top sleep hacks? How to influence circadian rythms and chronobiology? Why shoud you sleep with your socks on? What are the top sleep promoting supplements and herbs? How eating at night influences blood sugar levels? What is the role of fasting in promoting a good night sleep? All this and more in this episode of Biohacker’s LIVE Show.
Greg Potter recently handed in his PhD at the University of Leeds where his research focused on sleep, diet, and metabolism. His work has been featured in Reuters, TIME magazine, The Washington Post, Fox News, USA Today, and many other major media outlets. In addition to his PhD, Greg also holds BSc and MSc degrees in exercise physiology from Loughborough University. Currently Greg serves as Content Director at Humanos.me which is an online platform designed to help people improve their health and performance. These are also values Greg lives by as his goal in life is to help as many people as possible to improve their health using non-pharmacological interventions. He is keen on educating the general public about important health topics through various media.
Watch the interview with Greg Potter:
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Watch also Siim Land’s special report featuring food and fasting:
Research of the week
In the United States, almost 15% of the workforce undertakes shift work. Epidemiological studies indicate that shift work is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes. Shift workers frequently undergo circadian misalignment such as light/dark, wake/sleep, activity/inactivity, and feeding/fasting cycles.
Methods
- A randomized, crossover study with two 3-day laboratory visits. One protocol included a simulated day shift and the other a simulated night shift.
- 9 healthy chronic shift workers who had five or more night shifts per month Their diet was equalized consisting 45% carbs, 35% fat, and 20% protein.
Measures
Glucose and insulin responses to identical meals given at 8:00 am and 8:00 pm in both protocols were measured
Results
- Blood glucose after a meal was 6.5% higher at 8:00 pm than 8:00 am
- Glucose tolerance was lower at dinner time than at breakfast time
- Late-phase postprandial insulin was 18% higher at dinner time than breakfast time suggesting decreased insulin sensitivity at dinner time
Internal circadian time affects glucose tolerance in shift workers. Separately, circadian misalignment reduces glucose tolerance in shift workers, providing a mechanism to help explain the increased diabetes 2 risk in shift workers.
App of the week
ZERO by the tech entrepreneur Kevin Rose. See also his other app, the meditation app Oak.