• Founder and head performance adviser of Neuro Athletics
  • Specializes in turning your brain into a Ferrari
• Neurophysiologists and human performance coach
• Her company uses science-driven data to improve your brain
• Master of medicine and neurophysiology
  • Currently completing her PhD
• Louisa’s background 
• Raced for Australian triathlon team
  • Trained for 40 hours a week
  • 20 races a year
• Learned to swim at a young age
  • Government mandatory swimming drill in school living in Australia
• Ironman Australia
• Currently based in New York
• Founded Neuro Athletics 

-What got Louisa interested in medicine?…11:46

• Started off with exercise physiology
• As a triathlete, became obsessed with data
• Polar heart rate monitor and Polar watch
• Usain Bolt's running coach gave them a lecture
  • Brought up a machine to do EEG scan
  • Assessing brain waves to train to be better
• Got very interested and wanted to pursue a career in it
• Ben’s first experience with heart rate monitors
• Data made her a better athlete
• Preparing for Beijing to compete
  • Two weeks before going, she was hit by a car
  • Broke a leg, injured some ribs
  • Got fear to get on a bike
  • Did an EEG and saw frontal lobe damage
• Started to train her brain visually
• Realized how special the brain was
• Nobody talked about the importance of sleep

-What does EEG measure?…17:33

• Electrodes put over certain areas of the brain
• Measures actual brain wave data
• Is there a home EEG test?
• EEG measures electrical activity in brain
  • Detects abnormal brain function
  • Usually used to detect early-onset Alzheimer's disease or cognitive impairment, a pre-dementia state
• While working at a clinic, Louisa did numerous scans a day
• Why not do it on a normal brain?
• Contacted the company that produces EEG devices
  • Told them she worked with elite athletes
  • Wanted to start scanning the brains of NFL players
• They gave her a $150,000 device
  • Portable, easy to use
• It’s important to know to interpret the results
• Dr. Andrew Hill of the Peak Brain Institute 
  • Ben Got COVID (& What He Did About It), How To Fix Issues With Your Brain, The “God Cap” For Neurofeedback, Do Home Neurofeedback Devices Work & More With Dr. Andrew Hill.
• Primarily working with elite athletes, NBA, NFL players
• But also financial services on Wall Street

-Tests at Neuro Athletics…23:19

• Neuro Athletics  
  • 25-minute EEG scan
    • Raw EEG data and head maps
    • Maps all the areas of your brain
    • Shows you which area has dysfunction
    • Hyper activity (red brain) or Hypo/low activity (blue brain)
  • Blood work
    • Full lipid panel
    • Hormone function
  • Cognitive assessment
  • Visual acuity test
  • VO2 max
• Podcast with Greg Wells:
  • How To Increase Your VO2 Max Anytime, Anywhere – Without Actually Exercising.

-Are there any bloodwork parameters that identify problematic issues of the brain?…  24:46

• Look at neural hormonal biomarkers
• Do a DNA test
  • Predisposition to Alzheimer's disease
• Elevated Homocysteine
  • Not being able to process B vitamins
• Omega-3 index test
  • If you have AFib, don’t take high dose of Omega-3
  • Omega-3 is an anti-coagulant
• Best supplements for the brain – EPA and DHA
  • Kion Omega or Omega-3 Rejuvenate (use code BEN10 to save 10% off single purchases)
• VO2max
  • Picking up on cardiorespiratory fitness
  • In college learned that it is only for elite athletes
  • Huge biomarker of longevity is having a high VO2max
  • Usually on a treadmill or bike
• Blood lactate test
• Cognitive assessment test
  • Brain is separate from cognition
    • Brain functionality and brain structure – EEG
  • Cognition refers to attention, reaction, focus, information processing speed
• Complete hormone check
• Exercise parameters
• The first month on Neuro Athletics is just testing
• Psychological assessment
• At-home sleep study
• Oura ring
• WHOOP
• An in-house sleep study cannot be replicated with wearables just like an EKG cannot be replicated by a wearable

-What can you do for brain building during an average day?…36:20

• A study from 2004
  • A group of healthy students was asked to juggle for 3 months
  • 20 minutes a day
  • Result showed jugglers had more gray matter
  • Proved a hypothesis that any form of hand-eye coordination drill grows the gray matter of the brain
• Started to go down this rabbit hole
• Came up with Neuro Athletics drills that anybody can do at home
• Simply throwing the ball to the wall and catching it
  • Builds your information processing speed
  • Throwing vs. hitting
• Adherence to any protocol is the key
• Do it better by throwing the ball while balancing on one leg
• Human homunculus
• Every area of the brain is responsible for something different
  • As we get older, we stop using certain areas of our brain
  • Areas that you use less start to shrink and eventually die
• Do harder, challenging things
• One of the leading causes of motor vehicle deaths is reaction time
  • Improving reaction time can make you a better driver

-Useful visual exercises…43:38

• Exercises with an eye patch
• The eye connects to the brain via the optic nerve – one of the cranial nerves
• It goes into the back of the brain called occipital cortex where the information is processed
• It sends a message back up to your frontal lobe
• When wearing an eyepatch, you create more neural pressure and demand
• Growing new areas of the brain and working on visual acuity
• Strobe goggles

-Managing sleep during travel…47:05

• Adjust your sleep schedule 72 hours before departure
• Adjust food and light; food is very big when it comes to circadian rhythm
• On the plane
  • Eating minimally or bringing your own food
  • Sleep aids
  • Over-hydrating and taking electrolytes
  • Ketone IQ
  • Greens powder to decrease the amount of inflammation
  • Blue light-blocking glasses, sleep mask
• Ben uses hydrogen tablets and NAD patches (use code BEN to save $100 off your first order)
• No Choice (use code BENPROTECT to save 5%) and compression socks
• Fastest way to adapt to a new time zone is exercise

-Heat and cold therapy and mental performance…54:12

• Cold shock proteins are released when you get into cold immersion
• Saunas yield more cardiovascular benefits than neural benefits
• Robust release of norepinephrine when you jump into cold water
  • Hormone and a neurotransmitter involved in vigilance and focus
  • 350% increase in norepinephrine
• Cryotherapy  – not the same benefits as cold immersion
• Cold is beneficial for inflammation
• Don’t go into a cold bath straight after a strength training session
• You can induce mitochondrial biogenesis by getting into the cold
  • Mitochondria create energy in your cells
• Ben’s special hack for cold showering in a hotel

-Supplements, nootropics, and smart drugs for the increase of mental performance…59:19

• Creatine – not just good but necessary for the brain
• Creatine and NAD for sleep deprivation
• Modafinil is great, but isn’t for everyone
  • Ben’s podcast with Dr. Jonathan Wisor about Modafinil:
    • Modafinil: Is This Wildly Popular Smart Drug Safe And Effective? (& What It Can Do For Your Sleep Cycles & Brain Health).
    • Impact on sleep cycles
    • Potential for dopamine desensitization
  • Ben’s experience with Modafinil
• Alpha GPC for concentration and focus (use code BEN to save 15%)
• Phosphatidylserine
• Choline and caffeine
• Electrolytes drive your brain to produce the energy
• Magnesium
• Theanine
• Caution for melatonin because it's a hormone
• THC isn't helping you sleep
  • You're putting yourself into a sedative state, not sleep
• L tyrosine – it's a precursor
  • Make you actually feel happy and good and focused
• Taurine
• Ben’s sleep gummy recipe
  • Tart cherry juice
  • Glycine
  • Reishi
  • Ashwagandha
  • CBD
  • Gelatin
  • Lecithin powder
• Core body temperature needs to drop at least two degrees for good sleep
• Louisa's Instagram
• Neuro Experience podcast
• YouTube channel
• Neuro Athletics Coaching Certificate (use code BEN to save 20%)
  • 2-day in-person training course every 3 months