The Adversity Advantage with Doug Bopst

Bill Gifford is a veteran magazine writer and editor who writes about extraordinary athletes and cutting-edge health science. He is coauthor of the #1 New York Times bestseller, Outlive, which has sold more than two million copies, as well as the New York Times bestseller Spring Chicken: Stay Young Forever (Or Die Trying). He is a longtime contributing editor at Outside, and his work has appeared in Wired, Bloomberg Businessweek, Men’s Health, Bicycling, The Washington Post, and others, as well as in Best American Sportswriting.

Today on the show we discuss why sauna may improve cardiovascular health and longevity, the surprising connection between heat exposure and cognitive decline, how heat can reduce stress and improve mental well-being, the biggest mistakes people make with sauna temperature and hydration, why cold plunging after strength training may hurt your gains, and the ideal sauna protocol for maximizing benefits without overdoing it and much more.
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Dr. Andy Galpin is a professor and human performance scientist with a PhD in Human Bioenergetics and more than 100 peer-reviewed publications and presentations. For over 20 years, he has worked with elite athletes across the NFL, NBA, MLB, UFC, Olympics, boxing, military special forces, and more, and he also hosts Perform with Dr. Andy Galpin.

Today on the show we discuss why over-optimizing your health can actually backfire, which wearable metrics matter and why deep sleep scores can mislead you, how to improve your VO2 max without obsessing over one “perfect” protocol, the strength and symmetry markers that matter for long-term performance, how much weekly training volume you really need to build muscle, and the recovery tools Andy actually uses versus the expensive hacks you probably don’t need and much more.

Thank you to today's sponsors:

⁠Momentous⁠

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Waking Up ⁠

Join me on my meditation journey and get your free 14-day trial here:

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Chris Duffy is a comedian, writer, and podcast host who explores the role humor plays in resilience, connection, and everyday life. He has worked in comedy for more than a decade, taught improv, and hosts a podcast on the TED Audio Collective. His work focuses on how laughter can help people navigate stress, adversity, relationships, and difficult life experiences without minimizing what they’re going through.

Today on the show, we discuss: why humor is a powerful tool for getting through adversity, how to tell when humor creates connection versus avoids the truth, why toxic positivity can make hard times even harder, simple ways to become funnier and more observant, how to laugh at yourself without tearing yourself down, and why embracing imperfection can build stronger relationships and greater resilience and much more.

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Cate Hall is a Yale-trained Supreme Court lawyer turned #1-ranked female poker player, turned recovering addict, turned biotech founder and CEO.

Today on the show we discuss why your identity can keep you trapped in a life you no longer want, why willpower is overrated for lasting change, how the crisis manager mindset can help you take action when life feels overwhelming, why being willing to look foolish can accelerate growth and reinvention, how addiction and failure can force you to redefine success, and why building agency starts with getting honest about the life you are living and much more.

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Dr. David Perlmutter is a Board-Certified Neurologist and six-time New York Times bestselling author whose work focuses on the intersection of neurology, nutrition, and brain health. A Fellow of the American College of Nutrition, he serves on its Board of Directors and on the Editorial Board of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. His books, including the #1 bestseller Grain Brain, have been published in 32 languages and sold over a million copies. Dr. Perlmutter lectures globally at leading institutions and has been featured on major media outlets including 20/20, CNN, The Today Show, and Oprah. His contributions have earned him numerous national and international awards for clinical innovation and leadership.

Today on the show, we discuss why Alzheimer’s may be driven more by lifestyle than genetics, how insulin resistance and blood sugar can quietly damage the brain, the foods and eating habits that may protect cognitive health, why sleep, exercise, and social connection are critical for preventing decline, what caffeine, nicotine, marijuana, and alcohol actually do to the brain, and the simple changes you can start making today to protect your memory for decades to come.

Thank you to today's sponsor: Momentous

Try Momentous Signature Spec Creatine:

https://www.livemomentous.com

Use code ADVERSITY for up to 35% off your entire first order
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices