Accelerate Learning & Increase Cognitive Capacity | Dr. Tommy Wood

July 20, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

In a study of older adults, three groups were assigned to different exercise intensities for six months. One group did low-intensity work, another did steady zone-two treadmill walking, and the third performed the Norwegian 4x4 protocol—four minutes at 85 to 95 percent of maximum heart rate, with three minutes of rest, repeated four times, three times a week. The high-intensity group improved their fitness as much as the zone-two group, but they showed significantly greater improvements in hippocampal structure and function on MRI scans. Remarkably, that benefit was maintained for five years after the six-month intervention ended. The harder people worked, and the more cortisol they released, the better the outcome. This challenges the popular fear of cortisol and suggests that acute, intense stress, when intermittent and recoverable, can drive lasting neuroplastic change.

The Brain’s Two Plasticity Mechanisms: Pruning and Growth

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What you'll learn

1 (00:00) **High-Intensity Interval Training & Hippocampal Health** - A six-month study showed that the Norwegian 4x4 protocol improved hippocampal structure and function in older adults, with benefits lasting five years.
2 (01:04) **Episode Introduction** - Andrew Huberman introduces Dr. Tommy Wood, a medical doctor and neuroscience researcher, and outlines the episode's focus on neuroplasticity, brain states for learning, and the role of exercise.
3 (04:06) **Defining Neuroplasticity & Clearing Up Misconceptions** - Discusses the core definition of neuroplasticity as the brain's ability to change its connections in response to inputs.
4 (06:56) **The Role of Pruning in Skill Learning** - Explains that skill improvement involves both forming new connections and removing inappropriate ones, a process of refinement.
5 (09:09) **Maintaining Brain Health vs. Driving Plasticity** - Distinguishes between "use it or lose it" (maintaining function through familiar activities) and the need for novel, challenging inputs to drive new plasticity.
6 (16:59) **The Power of Novelty & Processing Speed** - Discusses the importance of challenging oneself with new skills, especially those that require processing information quickly.
7 (22:01) **Choosing the Right Challenge for Maximum Effect** - Advises that for the greatest cognitive benefit, one should pick a hard, new skill that is both cognitively and motorically demanding, rather than just pushing harder at a familiar task.

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Show Notes

Dr. Tommy Wood, BM, BCh, PhD, is a professor of neuroscience at the University of Washington and an expert on brain health, neuroplasticity, and cognitive performance. Dr. Wood explains how to use specific forms of exercise, dietary strategies, and compounds to enhance the rate and stability of mental and/or physical skill development. We also discuss science-based tools to preserve cognitive function, reduce dementia risk, and offset loss of memory after a concussion or other brain injury. This episode provides practical, science-based tools for learning new information and skills and for improving your overall ability to learn.

Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

(00:00:00) Tommy Wood

(00:04:05) Neuroplasticity; Neurogenesis; Synaptic Pruning

(00:11:11) Aging & Neuroplasticity; Familiar vs Novel Tasks

(00:14:33) Protocols Book; Sponsor: David

(00:16:49) Aging, Training & Processing Speed

(00:21:56) Enhancing Neuroplasticity with Age, Tool: Motor & Cognitive Challenge

(00:26:56) Learning New Skills, Dance, Sports, Arts; Psychological Benefits of Challenge

(00:36:50) Flow, Clutch States; Virtuosity

(00:46:59) Power of Practice

(00:50:55) Sponsor: AG1

(00:52:14) Tools for Focused Work & Learning; Distractions

(01:00:17) Nutrition for Brain Health, Dementia; Critical Nutrients

(01:06:56) Nutrient Timing, Supplementation; Omega-3s, Tool: Blood Tests

(01:16:41) Sponsor: Function

(01:18:19) Enhancing Brain Health, Nutrition & Supplements

(01:23:10) GLP-1s, Peptides, Supplements & Evaluating Efficacy

(01:32:56) Stimulants: Feeling vs Performance

(01:37:18) Exercise & Enhancing Cognitive Function, Tool: Optimize Exercise Volume

(01:43:18) Long-Term Cognitive Health & Exercise, HIIT

(01:47:17) Sponsor: Rorra

(01:48:31) Cortisol Benefits, Acute vs Chronic Stress

(01:54:24) Resistance & Aerobic Exercise, Brain Gray & White Matter, Cognitive Health

(02:03:37) Cognitive Decline, Dementia, Alzheimer's Disease, Modifiable Risk Factors

(02:09:47) Shingles Vaccine & Dementia Risk; Tool: Avoid Illness for Cognitive Health

(02:18:28) Concussion, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Creatine

(02:24:04) Treating TBI, Supplements, Physical Therapy

(02:32:16) Strongman Competition

(02:38:51) Zero-Cost Suppo