#2450 - Tommy Wood

Summary of #2450 - Tommy Wood

by Joe Rogan

2h 17m•February 6, 2026
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Overview of #2450 - Tommy Wood (Joe Rogan Experience)

Dr. Tommy Wood (author of The Stimulated Mind) discusses how to “future-proof” the brain — slowing cognitive decline and reducing dementia risk — by combining lifelong cognitive stimulation, proper metabolic/cardiovascular supply, and recovery/support. The conversation covers dementia causes and preventability, the harms of passive overstimulation (social media/AI), neuroplasticity principles, practical lifestyle interventions, behavior-change challenges at scale, and high-performance applications (Formula One athletes).

Key takeaways

  • Dementia is heterogeneous. Alzheimer’s (60–80%) and vascular dementia (10–20%) make up most cases; many (estimates 45–70%+) are related to modifiable lifestyle/environmental factors and therefore partially preventable.
  • Genetics (e.g., APOE4) multiply risk but do not determine destiny — lifestyle offsets matter more for many people.
  • The brain follows “use it or lose it”: cognitive networks require targeted, challenging stimulation to maintain and grow capacity (neuroplasticity is driven by prediction errors and failure).
  • Tommy’s 3-S model: Stimulus (novel cognitive challenges), Supply (cardiovascular/metabolic/nutrient support), Support (sleep, recovery, stress management). These interact — improving one often helps others.
  • Modern life: paradox of being over-stimulated (nonsense content) but under-stimulated (few true cognitive challenges). Passive tools (social media, unchecked AI) can atrophy skills; use AI as an orthotic (draft yourself first, then augment).
  • Physical activity is foundational — immediate and long-term cognitive benefits; even small increases above baseline matter. Exercise can also help with ADHD-like symptoms and jet lag.
  • Behavior change is the main bottleneck. People know what to do; implementing sustainable systems, coaching, community, and accessibility are the hard parts.

Topics discussed

  • What dementia is and types (Alzheimer’s, vascular, Lewy body, frontotemporal).
  • APOE4 as a risk multiplier (approx. 2–6× risk with one copy, 6–20× with two copies depending on measures).
  • Neuroplasticity and learning: learning requires failure, prediction errors, and repetition; being “bad at something” and improving is beneficial.
  • Social media and AI: attention capture, social-rank stress, memory/engagement drops when relying on search/LLMs (MIT essay study).
  • Creative skills (music, arts, language learning) as protective cognitive stimulation.
  • Exercise modalities and immediate cognitive boosts (short sprints, 20-minute jogs), resistance training for white-matter/vascular health.
  • Sleep, circadian hygiene, jet-lag mitigation strategies (light, exercise, caffeine timing, melatonin, meal timing).
  • Supplements and performance: benefits, evidence gaps, and the necessity of third-party testing in sport (NSF for Sport, Informed Sport).
  • High-performance contexts (Formula One): emphasis on recovery, sleep, individualized protocols, arousal curve (Yerkes–Dodson), and psychological skills.
  • Societal solutions: better education (teach cooking, movement), public/community gyms, structured programs that build autonomy, competence, relatedness.

Notable insights & quotes (paraphrased)

  • “We are over‑stimulated and under‑stimulated at the same time — tons of input, little real cognitive challenge.”
  • Neuroplasticity is driven by failure: “Your brain is a prediction machine — mistakes divert resources and cement new connections.”
  • Headroom concept: build cognitive capacity above daily needs so you can perform under stress, illness, or aging.
  • Use AI as an orthotic: write yourself first, then ask tools what you missed so you stay mentally engaged.
  • “Any movement above your current baseline produces benefits” — small changes compound.

Actionable recommendations (practical)

Short-term (days–weeks)

  • Add a daily, cognitively engaging activity: 20–30 minutes of deliberate practice (language app with conversation, music practice, complex hobby).
  • Move daily: 20-minute light jog/walk or a few short (6–10s) maximal sprints; these give immediate cognitive arousal and improve sleep.
  • Sleep hygiene: prioritize consistent time in bed; use light exposure (bright morning light) and avoid late bright screens.
  • Reduce passive social media scrolling; curate feeds that maintain real social connection or brief, uplifting content.

Medium-term (weeks–months)

  • Pick 1–2 skills to pursue for months (language, instrument, tango, art, chess) and deliberately practice with failure-driven learning.
  • Address metabolic/cardio health: lower excessive alcohol, improve diet quality, get BP and fasting glucose checked and managed.
  • Build social/learning community: join classes, group exercise or clubs to increase relatedness and accountability.
  • Evaluate nutrient status with a clinician: address deficiencies (vitamin D, B vitamins, iron, omega‑3s, magnesium) when clinically indicated.

Long-term (months–years)

  • Maintain resistance training (supports white matter and executive function) and cardiovascular training as lifelong habits.
  • Treat behavior-change as design: small progressive steps, coaching/support when needed, and environmental fixes (access to safe walking spaces, cooking education).
  • Invest in broad education and diverse skill acquisition (range + later specialization) to build “headroom.”

For clinicians/athletic coaches

  • Prioritize basics: consistent sleep, nutrition, tailored training, measured recovery, and psychological support.
  • Use third-party tested supplements only (NSF/Informed Sport) for athletes under drug-testing regimes.
  • Individualize interventions; trial low-risk changes in practice sessions before competition.

Supplements & cautions

  • Supplements can help (creatine shows cognitive benefit esp. with sleep deprivation; theanine can smooth caffeine), but evidence varies and quality control is critical.
  • For tested athletes, choose third‑party‑tested brands (e.g., Thorne, NSF for Sport certified). Avoid gray‑market peptides or untested compounds.
  • Alpha-GPC/choline precursors have theoretical benefit for attention (acetylcholine), but reliable third‑party sources and evidence are limited.
  • Newer caffeine-related compounds (paraxanthine, theacrine) show promise but require more high‑quality human data and testing/availability concerns.

Strategies for jet lag (practical)

  • Shift light exposure, sleep schedule, exercise timing, and meal timing several days before travel toward destination time zone.
  • Use short high‑intensity exercise, bright light, and caffeine strategically to shift circadian phase on travel day; consider melatonin for phase shifting.
  • Avoid large meals on flights if it disrupts your circadian meal timing; aim to eat according to destination schedule when possible.

Societal & policy ideas Tommy highlights

  • Reinstate meaningful physical activity and practical life skills (cooking, movement) in school curricula.
  • Create accessible community exercise resources (low-cost or public gyms, classes for novices).
  • Build scalable programs that leverage autonomy, competence, and relatedness (self-determination theory) — e.g., guided government or community programs with social support and simple progressions.

Quick checklist (what to start doing tomorrow)

  • Replace 30 minutes of passive scrolling with 30 minutes of deliberate practice or exercise.
  • Do one 20-minute light aerobic session or 2–3 short sprints.
  • Fix one sleep behavior (consistent wake time; bright morning light).
  • Pick one new skill and schedule 3 weekly practice sessions (even 20–30 minutes).
  • If athlete: ensure supplements are third-party tested; trial changes in practice, not race day.

Resources & book

  • Dr. Tommy Wood — The Stimulated Mind (out March 24). The book’s framework: stimulus, supply, support; extensive references (≈2,000 papers) support the recommendations.

This episode blends neuroscience, practical lifestyle medicine, behavior‑change realities, and high‑performance insights — all emphasizing that many drivers of cognitive decline are modifiable and that building sustained, challenging cognitive and physical habits is the best defense.