Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin

Female Training, Hormones & Nutrition: Fact vs. Fiction | Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Lauren Colenso-Semple to examine what the science says about female-specific training and nutrition. We discuss why so little research has historically focused on women, what makes menstrual cycle research so difficult and expensive to run, and what her own dissertation found when she measured muscle protein synthesis across cycle phases. Dr. Colenso-Semple explains the real hormone fluctuations of the menstrual cycle, why testosterone matters far less for women's muscle than people assume, and why men and women gain strength and size at the same relative rate at any age, including through menopause. We also cover low energy availability, scientific literacy, and how to figure out what works for you. This episode is for anyone, coach or lifter, trying to separate evidence from misinformation in women's fitness. Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform David: https://davidprotein.com/perform TrueMed: https://truemed.com/perform Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Lauren Colenso-Semple (00:01:51) The Lit Review That Never Was (00:07:01) Why Women Got Bad Training Advice (00:11:23) Individualization & Where Sex Actually Ranks (00:21:09) Estrogen, Rodent Models & the Anabolic Myth (00:34:52) Hormones Across the Menstrual Cycle (00:45:18) The Myth of the Textbook 28-Day Cycle (00:51:41) Why Female Research Is So Hard (00:57:55) Inside Lauren's Dissertation: Tracers & Biopsies (01:06:10) Strength, Power & Hypertrophy: No Phase Effect (01:14:13) The Real Role of Testosterone & Menopause (01:23:36) Becoming a Better Consumer of Science (01:50:10) Low Energy Availability & RED-S (01:57:30) Advice for the Average Woman Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to Think Clearly in an Age of Distraction | Sam Harris

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Sam Harris to discuss how attention, mindfulness, and clear thinking shape performance. We start by separating intelligence from wisdom, then look at how modern technology is rewiring our attentional capacity — including which tools enhance cognition and which compete with it. Sam walks through three approaches to working with the mind: training concentration, practicing mindfulness, and using cognitive reframing. We also get into how to receive criticism without ego, why institutions and the Scientific Process still matter in an era of independent media, and what AI means  for our future. This episode is for anyone who wants to think more clearly, feel less hijacked by their own thoughts, and build a more durable relationship to attention. Show notes: https://performpodcast.com/episodes/sam-harris-how-to-think-clearly-in-age-of-distraction Waking Up x Absolute Rest challenge: https://wakingup.com/andy Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform David: https://davidprotein.com/perform LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Introduction & Sam Harris (00:02:30) Intelligence, Smartness & Wisdom (00:16:13) Outsourcing Cognition: AI as Tool vs. Competitor (00:21:19) The Death of Boredom & the Inner Voice (00:30:07) Mindfulness & Three Paths to Mental Freedom (00:42:20) Overcoming Resistance to Meditation (01:01:25) Psychedelics vs. Meditation (01:09:01) Emotion, Reason & Handling Criticism (01:28:06) Process, Expertise & the Scientific Crisis (01:50:44) Restoring Trust in Institutions (02:02:29) Consciousness, AI & the Hard Problem (02:16:18) Uploading, Teleportation & the Revenge of the Humanities (02:25:14) Closing Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Intense Exercise & Potential Heart Damage (aka Athlete's Heart)

In this episode, I cover "athlete's heart" — the paradox where the same cardiovascular adaptations that make endurance athletes exceptional can also mimic, and sometimes mask, real risk. I trace the history of what’s now known as exercise-induced cardiovascular remodeling (EICR), and walk through what's actually happening structurally, functionally, and electrically in a trained heart. I separate adaptive changes like left ventricular dilation and increased stroke volume from genuinely concerning issues such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, atrial fibrillation, coronary calcification, and myocardial fibrosis. I also answer the question, "is too much exercise bad for the heart?" This episode is for endurance athletes, lifters, coaches, along with anyone who might have a family history of heart disease. Show notes: https://www.performpodcast.com/episodes/athletes-heart-intense-exercise-heart-damage Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform TrueMed: https://truemed.com/perform Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Introduction & the Athlete's Heart Paradox (00:07:11) History of Athlete's Heart (00:09:24) Heart Anatomy & Physiology Primer (00:28:03) What Goes Wrong: Heart Attacks & Arrhythmias (00:32:54) Genetic Causes: WPW, LDS & Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (00:39:59) Exercise-Induced Cardiovascular Remodeling (EICR) (00:53:12) Endurance vs. Strength Training Adaptations (01:08:00) When Exercise Goes Too Far: AFib, Calcification & Fibrosis (01:27:06) Screening, Testing & Interventions (01:37:37) Summary Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hardship, Resilience & Competing at the Highest Level | Ken Rideout

In this episode, I sit down with Ken Rideout — author, elite masters marathoner, and one of the most compelling people I've ever had on the show — to discuss his journey from a difficult childhood and decade-long opioid addiction to becoming the Masters (50+) Marathon World Champion and winning the Gobi March, a 155-mile self-supported stage race across the Gobi Desert in Mongolia. Ken shares how running became his path to sobriety and why he finds peace in suffering rather than comfort. We cover his "clean vs. dirty fuel" framework for motivation, the mental tactics he uses mid-race to avoid quitting, his approach to pacing and fueling for marathons, and how his training philosophy evolved once he brought in a coach. We also discuss raising competitive kids, the value of discipline as freedom, and what he'd tell anyone who doesn't know where to start. This episode is for anyone who has ever felt like they've wasted time or lost their way and needs proof that it's not too late. Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform TrueMed: https://truemed.com/perform LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Ken Rideout (00:02:15) Book Tease and Tears (00:03:27) Gobi March Race (00:38:23) Relief After Winning (00:40:29) Why Choose Suffering (00:47:30) Drugs Versus Discipline (01:01:10) Quitting And Redemption (01:05:00) Malibu Half Turnaround (01:09:29) Racing Tactics Mindset (01:16:03) Train Fear Compete Fire (01:17:58) Clean Versus Dirty Fuel (01:24:00) Health First Baby Steps (01:27:09) Morning Routine And Discipline (01:32:48) From Sports To Running (01:35:31) Triathlon Lessons And Kona (01:38:16) The Mental Grind Of Suffering (01:40:31) Try Harder Mindset (01:49:06) Comfort With Discomfort (01:52:48) Parenting Toughness And Losing (01:56:41) Setbacks Into Strength (01:58:20) Money Doesn't Fix You (02:00:09) Family Pride And Purpose (02:00:47) Coaching With Edge (02:06:57) Ask For Help (02:09:52) Romanticizing The Suffering (02:15:55) Grit Beats Talent (02:19:38) No Roadmap Just Effort (02:23:54) Marathon Progress And Coaching (02:28:01) First Marathon Fueling Plan (02:31:28) Service First Content (02:32:25) Wrap Up Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Build Mental Toughness & Perform Under Pressure | Dr. Lenny Wiersma

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Lenny Wiersma — one of the most respected and quietly influential figures in sports psychology — for a conversation on what it actually takes to perform when the stakes are highest. A professor for over 25 years and a highly published scientist, We discuss Alex Honnold's recent skyscraper climb and unpack what's really happening psychologically at the absolute edge of human performance, including why the "he just doesn't feel fear" narrative is both academically wrong and deeply unfair to what Honnold has actually built. From there, we draw on Lenny's work with major league baseball players, UFC fighters, big wave surfers, and extreme athletes of all kinds to go deep on confidence versus belief, why the positive/negative self-talk distinction is the wrong frame entirely, how psychological distancing changes your internal dialogue, and what visualization actually requires to transfer under pressure. Lenny also walks through his 3-2-1 reflection tool, the critical difference between emotional control and emotional regulation, what the best coaches do in high-stakes moments, and how biofeedback gives athletes a real physiological window into their own regulation. This episode is for athletes, coaches, and anyone navigating high-pressure moments in daily life — you don't have to be jumping out of helicopters or riding hundred-foot waves for this to apply to you. Sponsors Momentous: https://livemomentous.com/perform Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/perform David: https://davidprotein.com/perform LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/perform Chapters (00:00:00) Show Intro (00:00:48) Alex Honnold Mindset (00:02:18) Risk And Confidence (00:06:45) Extreme Athletes Trainability (00:11:12) Wipeout Planning (00:13:54) Visualization Basics (00:15:53) Phelps Coping Visualization (00:19:46) Visualization Best Practices (00:24:09) Visualization Beyond Sport (00:26:35) Sleep Stories Unhooking (00:32:47) Balancing Failure Imagery (00:37:33) Self Talk Framework (00:40:37) Coach Yourself With You (00:41:04) Borrow a Trusted Voice (00:42:46) Nicknames and Second Person (00:45:34) Research and Best Timing (00:48:41) Rethinking Discomfort (00:53:19) Confidence Versus Belief (00:57:14) Build Robust Confidence (01:01:14) Tools to Grow Belief (01:08:34) Overconfidence and Honesty (01:10:52) Resilience Mental Toughness (01:13:47) Emotional Regulation Skills (01:16:11) Label Emotions and Purpose (01:17:12) Labeling Emotions Fast (01:18:06) Next Play Mindset (01:18:28) Co Regulation Explained (01:20:03) Reading the Locker Room (01:21:12) Flag Disaster Scenario (01:25:23) Downregulate and Refocus (01:26:34) Reset Anchors and Cues (01:31:58) Corner Coaching in UFC (01:36:21) Simple Phrases That Land (01:39:29) Coaches Need Coaching Too (01:45:00) Earning Trust With Staff (01:47:09) Mental Performance vs Therapy (01:48:44) Embedded Team Support (01:50:23) Biofeedback Meets Performance (01:51:14) HRV Breathing Demo (01:55:57) Coherence Breathing Protocol (01:58:13) Color Screen Training (02:01:24) At Home Biofeedback Options (02:02:39) NeuroTracker Focus Training (02:07:51) Mental Fatigue Insights (02:10:49) Restore Attention Fast (02:12:06) Better Film Sessions (02:14:08) Careers And Credentials (02:17:17) Closing Thoughts Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices