The B.rad Podcast

I’m so excited to bring you this wonderful interview with Mr. Chu Zhu. He is the founder of a company called Somnus Lab, and they make an amazing mattress cooling sleep system to help you regulate your body temperature during sleep.
Chu is a scientifically sophisticated guest who explains some fascinating aspects of circadian rhythm and the hormonal processes governing sleep, including the role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus—the “light control tower” in the brain—and the buildup of adenosine that creates sleep pressure. We talk about why outdoor light is such a powerful signal for your body clock, why indoor lighting doesn't come close to matching it, and how caffeine masks the buildup of adenosine rather than eliminating your need for sleep.
We then get into the surprising role of body temperature. You need to cool down to fall asleep, stay cool to stay asleep, and warm up to wake up. Chu explains the surprising reason a warm shower before bed can actually help lower your core temperature, why getting too cold can backfire, and why temperature regulation becomes increasingly challenging as we age.
I’ve also been beta testing the Somnus system myself, so we talk about how it can automatically regulate the temperature of your mattress throughout the night, customize each side of the bed, and track sleep without requiring you to wear a device. And if you’re someone who loves your sleep-tracking data, we have an important conversation about why more data isn't necessarily better.
This episode will make you think differently about what you're doing to get better sleep: we get into the technology, but also the general behaviors that can help us get things right—including the effects of caffeine and alcohol, how sensitive the body is, and how sometimes we can simply get out of the way. It’s a great reminder that getting better sleep and better health may be less complicated than we think.

TIMESTAMPS:
Chu discovered some surprising things when he got in to the sleep system technology research. [04:40]
Circadian rhythm is very important in regulating how we use sleeping time. [05:49]
The hypothalamus is the control center of the brain that receives the light and dark cycles governing our sleep cycles. [07:33]
Caffeine is able to take the spot of the brain's receptor that is supposed to take in adensoine to tell you if you are tired. [08:30]
If we look at the evolutionary timelline, we see how the sunset and sunrise used to determine our sleep patterns, whereas now we have the lights and screens that don't allow these mechanisms to work naturally. [11:23]
Also the access to processed foods and sugars, the empty calories are causing problems nowadays. The difference between direct sunlight and the indoor blue light we are exposed to also makes a big difference. [12:16]
Every system in human body has a mechanism to pull it one way and the other way to push it so that you basically have a two-directional regulation system almost in every aspect. [16:35]
So the important thing to do in the morning is awaken naturally near sunrise and get some direct esxposure to light, and then know that in the evening is where most of the problems happen. [17:35]
Wearing blue screening glasses during the day is completely wrong. [19:16]
Body temperature and environmental temperature are very important parts of the ability to fall asleep. [21:23]
You need to cool down to fall asleep and you need to stay cool to stay asleep. You need to warm up to wake up. [23:31]
Take a warm shower which allows the body temperature to drop and then bed covers or pajamas keep your skin at a comfortable temperature, but it is really important to have the room or the mattress temperature promoting a drop in body temp. [28:13]
There are four sleep stages: preparation to sleep, deep sleep, then REM sleep and waking up stage. [32:37]
How do you determine whether you're getting these factors dialed in? Is it as simple as waking up and feeling alert and energized? [34:48]
The Somnus sleep system is simply a mattress cover like the protective cover you have on your mattress, that is filled with water that creates a cool sleeping environment. [37:27]
How does this Somnus monitor your sleep so that you have sleep data? [50:07]

LINKS:
Brad Kearns.com
BradNutrition.com
B.rad Whey Protein Superfuel - The Best Protein on The Planet!
B.rad Superdrink – Hydrates 28% Faster than Water—Creatine-Charged Hydration for Next-Level Power, Focus, and Recovery
NEW: B.rad Real Rad Gummies - Creatine + Nootropics for Focus, Motivation, Performance, and Recovery!
Brad’s Shopping Page
BornToWalkBook.com
B.rad Podcast – All Episodes
Peluva Five-Toe Minimalist Shoes
Somnus Labs
Lux, the measurement of light
The Sleep Revolution
Why We Sleep

We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you!
Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life:

Recover Faster: B.rad Superfuel helps with fat loss, longevity, immune function and athletic performance with a potent combo of grassfed whey protein and creatine. A five-star bestseller on Amazon, or order direct and save! Get 20% OFF your first order with code BRAD20
Strengthen Your Feet: Peluva five-toe minimalist shoes naturally strengthen and realign your feet to perform better, relieve pain, and achieve full functionality. Use code BRADPODCAST for 10% off
Online Education: Immersive learning to transform your diet in 21 days, endurance train the right way, prepare Paleo meals for the whole week, get started the right way the therapeutic cold exposure, and custom-design a morning movement routine.
Somnus sleep system: An advanced, water-based mattress pad that uses intelligent, dual-zone temperature regulation to optimize your micro-climate for deeper, more restorative rest. Use code BRAD for $200 discount on SomnusLab.com
Drink Tmrw: Tmrw is a delicious daily longevity drink with 88 potent, clean ingredients to support cellular nutrition, gut health and mitochondrial function. Use code BRAD for 25% off your first subscription month + free Welcome Kit AND an additional $10 off.
Clean Your Indoor Air!: The Jaspr Air Scrubber is an ultra high-performance, automatic-sensor unit that will address the often-disregarded health concern of indoor air quality. Save $200 on your unit with code BRAD
Explore B.rad Nutrition, online courses, and my favorite gear at: BradKearns.com/Shop

Enjoying the podcast?
Please leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more people discover the show. Thanks for your support!

#bradpodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let’s talk about testosterone testing and other important blood tests you can track for your overall health, wellness, vitality, and longevity.
I recorded this show on the occasion of my first visit to the blood lab after signing up for Vitals Vault’s premium program, and I talk about some of my favorite markers while pedaling home from the lab.
I focus a lot on testosterone because I believe it’s a great proxy for overall wellness, vitality, recovery, and resilience to stress. I share my own numbers, which have ranged from 562 to 1,004, and explain why I’m so intent on keeping testosterone levels high as I age.
I also get into the roughly 1% annual decline in average male testosterone levels since the 1980s, vitamin D and the widespread fear of the sun, why looking beyond LDL can give you a better picture of your lipid panel, and the lifestyle practices that can help optimize testosterone—from sleep and diet to avoiding chronic cardio, lifting heavy things, sprinting once in a while, and even maintaining a winning relationship.

TIMESTAMPS:
Testosterone testing is the best proxy for your overall state of wellness, vitality, and recovery or resilience to stress. [00:51]
Brad checks his testosterone level frequently because it is his way of monitoring the stress impact from his training. [5:41]
Triglycerides to HDL ratio is a premier indicator of your heart disease risk factor. It is much better than looking at total LDL cholesterol. [06:42]
In 2017 they lowered the ideal level of testosterone due to the widespread decline of testosterone among males around the world. [09:02]
If you are not optimizing your sleep, including down and rest time, you cannot reduce your stress. [12:13]
Get the junk out of your diet. If you are in that chronic cardio pattern in your exercise, you may be tanking your testosterone. [12:37]
If there is arguing and other dysfunctional patterns in your relationship, it will tank your testosterone as well as shorten your lifespan. [13:34]
Vitamin D comes from sun exposure more than from your diet or pills. [14:30]

LINKS:
Brad Kearns.com
BradNutrition.com
B.rad Whey Protein Superfuel - The Best Protein on The Planet!
B.rad Superdrink – Hydrates 28% Faster than Water—Creatine-Charged Hydration for Next-Level Power, Focus, and Recovery
NEW: B.rad Real Rad Gummies - Creatine + Nootropics for Focus, Motivation, Performance, and Recovery!
Brad’s Shopping Page
BornToWalkBook.com
B.rad Podcast – All Episodes
Peluva Five-Toe Minimalist Shoes
Vitals Vault
The Vitamin D. Solution

We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you!
Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life:
Recover Faster: B.rad Superfuel helps with fat loss, longevity, immune function and athletic performance with a potent combo of grassfed whey protein and creatine. A five-star bestseller on Amazon, or order direct and save! Get 20% OFF your first order with code BRAD20
Strengthen Your Feet: Peluva five-toe minimalist shoes naturally strengthen and realign your feet to perform better, relieve pain, and achieve full functionality. Use code BRADPODCAST for 10% off
Online Education: Immersive learning to transform your diet in 21 days, endurance train the right way, prepare Paleo meals for the whole week, get started the right way the therapeutic cold exposure, and custom-design a morning movement routine.
Somnus sleep system: An advanced, water-based mattress pad that uses intelligent, dual-zone temperature regulation to optimize your micro-climate for deeper, more restorative rest. Use code BRAD for $200 discount on SomnusLab.com
Clean Your Indoor Air!: The Jaspr Air Scrubber is an ultra high-performance, automatic-sensor unit that will address the often-disregarded health concern of indoor air quality. Save $200 on your unit with code BRAD
Explore B.rad Nutrition, online courses, and my favorite gear at: BradKearns.com/Shop

Enjoying the podcast?
Please leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more people discover the show. Thanks for your support!

#bradpodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Should we pursue "loungevity" instead of longevity?
This is a question posed by prominent sports commentator Colin Cowherd on a recent rant that appeared on Instagram. It was very entertaining, and the intent was to be humorous, but it was also, to me, very offensive at times and brings up this big question that we continue to face: the juggling act of trying to enjoy our lives and not miss out versus trying to make sensible, healthy choices that promote longevity rather than send us into this spiral of accelerated aging and demise that has become the norm.
In this episode, I break down Cowherd’s rant point by point, giving him credit where he gets it right while challenging some of the arguments he makes about enjoying life and not worrying so much about health.
We get into alcohol, sleep, hydration, processed foods, biohacking, and the constantly changing research on what is and isn’t healthy. I also get into the question of how much control we really have over our health destiny, why your genes are not your destiny, and why four of the five markers of metabolic syndrome can be reversed in a matter of weeks with dietary transformation.
Most importantly, I look at some remarkable examples of people who are actually aging powerfully and performing at a high level—from 85-year-old high jumper Kathy Bergen and 101-year-old sprinter Lester Wright to 90-year-old Earl Fee, 61-year-old world-record 400-meter runner Sue McDonald, and my own father, who played championship golf and shot his age more than 1,200 times. These are the people we should be paying attention to when it comes to figuring out how to age well.

TIMESTAMPS:
Do we have to have a juggling act between trying to enjoy life and staying fit? Many people use rationalizations, excuses and cop-outs along the lines of "Hey, life is short, we might as well enjoy ourselves." [01:08]
The United States is now the fattest, sickest population in the history of humanity with over 80% designated as metabolically unhealthy. For waist to height ratio, you want to measure better than 2 to 1. [05:21]
There is more of a problem with obesity than there is with starving children in Africa. [08:50]
Brad critiques a recent quip from Colin Cowherd. There is a whole group of sports fans who rationalize "what I could have been." You can still do something to keep in the game. [11:51]
Does alcohol have any health benefits? [15:33]
Many aspects of the biohacking scene have gone a little bit wild, extreme and somewhat inappropriate. [19:52]
Are you getting enough hydration when you drink coffee and orange juice? [23:17]
Sleep deprivation is one of the biggest public health problems on the planet. [24:24]
A processed power bar is very nutrient deficient and health destructive. [27:37]
The extreme biohackers are deeply immersed into that lifestyle but it is mostly unreachable for most of us. [31:27]
With so many new technological inventions, are we soon going to have some drugs that neutralize the adverse impact of junk food? [35:18]
VO2 max is a measurement of the volume of oxygen that you consume per minute per kilogram of body weight while your are exercising. [37:10]
The use of anti-aging hormone replacement therapy can override adverse lifestyle practices. [42:16]
There are many folks giving advice out there who do not have the experience needed to be telling you what to do. [42:16]
Your genes are not your destiny. The genes require lifestyle behaviors in order to be expressed. [51:42]
There are four blood markers that can be corrected and reversed out of the disease risk category into healthy category in a matter of weeks of dietary transformation. [57:16]

"I wanna live a life that's healthy enough to enjoy and enjoyable enough to be healthy."

LINKS:
Brad Kearns.com
BradNutrition.com
B.rad Whey Protein Superfuel - The Best Protein on The Planet!
B.rad Superdrink – Hydrates 28% Faster than Water—Creatine-Charged Hydration for Next-Level Power, Focus, and Recovery
NEW: B.rad Real Rad Gummies - Creatine + Nootropics for Focus, Motivation, Performance, and Recovery!
Brad’s Shopping Page
BornToWalkBook.com
B.rad Podcast – All Episodes
Peluva Five-Toe Minimalist Shoes
Colin Cowherd
The Overfat Pandemic
The Primal Blueprint
Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation
Three ways to get super fit without ogoing to the gym
The Hacking of the American Mind
Lester White runs the 100 meter dash
Podcast with Sue McDonald
Biology of Belief
Bruce Lipton Podcast

We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you!
Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life:
Recover Faster: B.rad Superfuel helps with fat loss, longevity, immune function and athletic performance with a potent combo of grassfed whey protein and creatine. A five-star bestseller on Amazon, or order direct and save! Get 20% OFF your first order with code BRAD20
Strengthen Your Feet: Peluva five-toe minimalist shoes naturally strengthen and realign your feet to perform better, relieve pain, and achieve full functionality. Use code BRADPODCAST for 10% off
Online Education: Immersive learning to transform your diet in 21 days, endurance train the right way, prepare Paleo meals for the whole week, get started the right way the therapeutic cold exposure, and custom-design a morning movement routine.
Clean Your Indoor Air!: The Jaspr Air Scrubber is an ultra high-performance, automatic-sensor unit that will address the often-disregarded health concern of indoor air quality. Save $200 on your unit with code BRAD
Explore B.rad Nutrition, online courses, and my favorite gear at: BradKearns.com/Shop

Enjoying the podcast?
Please leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more people discover the show. Thanks for your support!

#bradpodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In your 30s, you start to lose a certain percentage of muscle tissue year over year, and that rate really accelerates when you hit 60. But everything we've been told about the importance of maintaining muscle as you age is roughly around half right.
Maintaining muscle mass and muscle strength is a key driver of longevity, but even more important is maintaining muscle power and explosiveness. They are not the same.
A recent 10-year study of nearly 4,000 adults revealed that those with lower muscle power and explosiveness had a six to seven times higher mortality risk compared to the strongest, most powerful group, while differences in pure strength were insignificant once age and health history were factored in.
I explain the difference between sarcopenia and dynapenia, why muscle power is the first thing you lose and you lose it more quickly than anything else, and why we lose our anaerobic conditioning, muscle strength, and power at around 40% per decade, compared to roughly 10% for aerobic conditioning.
I also share practical ways to develop and preserve muscle power and explosiveness safely, so you can maintain that important attribute throughout life and avoid the devastating consequences of falls.

TIMESTAMPS:
Muscle mass and muscle strength are not the same but both are key drivers to longevity. [01:01]
Sarcopenia is age-related loss of muscle mass or muscle strength. Dynapenia is the age-related loss of muscle power and explosiveness. [02:25]
Training has risen in the level of sophistication where athletes can perform better. [05:16]
We have an obligation to hone things like coordination, balance, agility, and timing. [07:22]
Dynapenia is defined as the loss of the nervous system's ability to recruit what muscle you still have. [10:10]
Muscle mass declines the slowest. Muscle strength declines faster than muscle mass declines. Muscle power declines faster than all the others. [14:29]
Falls should be in our central focus as something that is really concerning to us. Overall, there are 14 million aging Americans who fall every year, resulting in three million emergency room visits. [19:20]
How do you train for power specifically as opposed to just building your muscular strength? [20:34]
All manner of complex kinetic chain acuity starts with your feet. Your feet play a huge role in balance stability, proper movement through the kinetic chain and proper execution. [25:40]

LINKS:
Brad Kearns.com
BradNutrition.com
B.rad Whey Protein Superfuel - The Best Protein on The Planet!
B.rad Superdrink – Hydrates 28% Faster than Water—Creatine-Charged Hydration for Next-Level Power, Focus, and Recovery
NEW: B.rad Real Rad Gummies - Creatine + Nootropics for Focus, Motivation, Performance, and Recovery!
Brad’s Shopping Page
BornToWalkBook.com
B.rad Podcast – All Episodes
Peluva Five-Toe Minimalist Shoes
B.rad Podcast – All Episodes
Peluva Five-Toe Minimalist Shoes
Video of kids exercising for speed, power, and explosiveness
Brad's video on the 400

We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you!
Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life:

Recover Faster: B.rad Superfuel helps with fat loss, longevity, immune function and athletic performance with a potent combo of grassfed whey protein and creatine. A five-star bestseller on Amazon, or order direct and save! Get 20% OFF your first order with code BRAD20
Strengthen Your Feet: Peluva five-toe minimalist shoes naturally strengthen and realign your feet to perform better, relieve pain, and achieve full functionality. Use code BRADPODCAST for 10% off
Online Education: Immersive learning to transform your diet in 21 days, endurance train the right way, prepare Paleo meals for the whole week, get started the right way the therapeutic cold exposure, and custom-design a morning movement routine.
Clean Your Indoor Air!: The Jaspr Air Scrubber is an ultra high-performance, automatic-sensor unit that will address the often-disregarded health concern of indoor air quality. Save $200 on your unit with code BRAD
Explore B.rad Nutrition, online courses, and my favorite gear at: BradKearns.com/Shop

Enjoying the podcast?
Please leave a quick review on Apple Podcasts—it helps more people discover the show. Thanks for your support!

#bradpodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hey, Brad Kearns here with some thoughts from my morning walk about the foundation of any excellent, well-rounded fitness program for peak performance, vitality, fat loss, and longevity.
Did you know half of regular runners get an overuse injury every year, and 25% of regular runners are injured at any given time?
In this episode, I explain why the modern endurance running approach is deeply flawed, why walking provides an excellent aerobic conditioning effect with minimal impact load or injury risk, and why it should be the foundation from which you launch your more ambitious fitness activities. I also share why resistance training is the missing link for many people, including Dr. Doug McGuff's “Big Five” workout, and why true sprinting—not long HIIT sessions—is the single best workout ever known to mankind in terms of return on investment for reducing excess body fat, promoting overall functional fitness, and supporting longevity.
Research reveals that anaerobic muscle fibers decline at a rate of around 40% per decade without intervention, compared to roughly 10% for the aerobic system. That's why we have a critical obligation for longevity to hone the anaerobic system with brief, explosive maximum efforts.
The three fitness laws are simple: move frequently at a slow pace, lift heavy things, and sprint once in a while. That is the winning ticket for true fitness, weight loss, and longevity.

TIMESTAMPS:
Brad emphasizes the importance of walking as an activity from which to launch your more ambitious fitness activities. [01:51]
Steady state cardiovascular exercise and other extreme endurance exercises often create injuries. [03:01]
Sprinting is the single best workout known to mankind! It's all about quality, explosiveness, power, lots of rest in between. [08:30]

LINKS:
Brad Kearns.com
BradNutrition.com
B.rad Whey Protein Superfuel - The Best Protein on The Planet!
Brad’s Shopping Page
BornToWalkBook.com
B.rad Podcast – All Episodes
Peluva Five-Toe Minimalist Shoes
B.rad Podcast – All Episodes
Peluva Five-Toe Minimalist Shoes
The Primal Blueprint
Body by Science

We appreciate all feedback, and questions for Q&A shows, emailed to podcast@bradventures.com. If you have a moment, please share an episode you like with a quick text message, or leave a review on your podcast app. Thank you!
Check out each of these companies because they are absolutely awesome or they wouldn’t occupy this revered space. Seriously, I won’t promote anything that I don't absolutely love and use in daily life:
B.rad Nutrition: Premium quality, all-natural supplements for peak performance, recovery, and longevity; including the world's highest quality whey protein! Get 20% OFF your first order!
Peluva: Comfortable, functional, stylish five-toe minimalist shoe to reawaken optimal foot function. Use code BRADPODCAST for 15% off!
Jaspr Air Scrubber: Ultra high-performance air purifier - blows other air filters away! Save $200 on your unit with code BRAD.
Get Stride: Advanced DNA, methylation profile, microbiome & blood at-home testing. Hit your stride the right way, with cutting-edge technology and customized programming. Save 10% with the code BRAD.
Online educational courses: Numerous great offerings for an immersive home-study educational experience
Primal Fitness Expert Certification: The most comprehensive online course on all aspects of traditional fitness programming and a total immersion fitness lifestyle. Save 25% on tuition with code BRAD!
#bradpodcast
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.