Improve Energy & Longevity by Optimizing Mitochondria | Dr. Martin Picard

Andrew Huberman

Dec 15, 2025

Episode description

Dr. Martin Picard, PhD, is a professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University and an expert on how our behaviors and psychology shape cellular energy production and rates of aging. He explains that your mitochondria don’t just “make energy”; they translate what you do—your mindset and your relationships—into the energy you experience as vitality or lack thereof. He explains how exercise, nutrition, sleep, meditation, and even certain thought patterns and our sense of purpose can charge our cells like batteries. He also shares findings that hair greying is the result of cellular stress and is reversible. This episode links physical and mental ‘energy’ with cellular energy and provides science-supported tools to improve your physical and mental health.Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/dHanxYLThank you to our sponsorsAG1: https://drinkag1.com/hubermanHelix: https://helixsleep.com/hubermanLingo: https://hellolingo.com/hubermanFunction: https://functionhealth.com/hubermanWaking Up: https://wakingup.com/hubermanFollow Huberman LabInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlabX: https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-hubermanWebsite: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletterDr. Martin PicardPersonal website: https://martinpicard.energyLab website: https://www.picardlab.org Academic profile: https://www.neurology.columbia.edu/profile/martin-picard-phd Publications: https://www.picardlab.org/all-publications.html TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idJo0hpLhyI Resources: https://www.picardlab.org/resources.html Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/author/martin-picardX: https://x.com/MitoPsychoBio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitopsychobio Timestamps00:00:00 Martin Picard00:03:50 What is Energy?, Energy Flow & Transformation00:07:53 Energy, Vitality, Emotions, Sensory Perception00:14:18 Sponsors: Helix Sleep & Lingo00:17:19 “Mito-Centric” View of World, Mitochondrial Energy & Information Patterns00:25:26 Organelles, Mitochondria & Energy Transformation; Maternal Genes00:31:12 Mitotypes & Differentiation, Mitochondria as “Social Organisms”00:36:52 Food & Dysfunctional Energy Transformation00:40:02 Lifestyle Choices & Interests, Physiological Growth00:46:39 Pregnancy, Amenorrhea; Illness & Tiredness00:51:07 Sponsor: AG100:52:29 Energy Transformation & Distribution; Body’s Wisdom, Feeling Sick00:56:27 Tool: Feel Your Energy; Breath & Energy01:02:31 Flow of Energy; Trade-Offs, Life Purpose & Enjoyment01:10:15 Biology, Meaningful Experiences & Energy Flow01:16:27 Sponsor: Function00:18:15 Inflammation, Energetic Flow01:20:43 Child Prodigies, Species Lifespan & Mitochondrial Metabolism; Aging01:28:56 Lifestyle & Aging: Exercise, Fasting; Inflammation, Sleep, Stimulants01:37:06 Energetic Stress Signals, GDF-15, Cancer, Heart Failure01:42:18 Genes, Lifestyle & Aging01:47:54 Gray Hair Reversal, Stress; Inflammation & Aging01:57:37 Energy Recovery, Sleep & Mitochondrial Function, Stress, Meditation02:05:16 Tools: Yoga Nidra, NSDR; Pre-Sleep Relaxation, Energy & Restorative Sleep02:10:58 Diet Individualization, Clinical Trials; Mitochondria & Nutrition, Keto02:20:14 Alcohol; Energy Budget; Stress02:25:02 Exercise, Increase Mitochondria, Overtraining; Resistance & Growth02:33:06 Sponsor: Waking Up02:34:41 Supplements & Mitochondria Health, Deficiencies, SS31, Methylene Blue02:41:31 Energy Flow; Experiences, Balance02:49:13 Transform Through Resistance, Energetic Awareness, Connection02:56:05 Food Over-consumption Mitochondria Disruption; Tissues & Mitochondria03:01:02 Mitochondrial Health Test; Tool: Ways to Increase Energy; Meditation03:06:10 Peptides; Fertility Supplements, Urolithin A; Electromagnetic Fields03:12:16 Acknowledgements03:14:15 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify; Apple Follow, Reviews; Feedback,Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter#HubermanLab #Science #Longevity Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Focus on non-genetic factors to enhance longevity

The best studies suggest that only about 7% of how long you live is genetically inherited, while around 90% is determined by non-genetic factors.

#genetics

#longevity

Avoid blocking stress signals to prevent increased mortality in cancer patients

In a clinical trial, blocking the energetic stress signal GDF15 in cancer patients to improve their appetite and mood resulted in double the mortality rate.

#cancer

#stress

Boost mitochondria by finding purpose in life

A study on human brains found that people who reported more purpose in life had mitochondria with a greater capacity for energy transformation in their prefrontal cortex.

#mitochondria

#purpose

Understand energy as potential for change

A powerful way to understand energy is not as a substance, but as the potential for change within any system.

#energy

View mitochondria as social organisms with division of labor

It is useful to think of mitochondria as social organisms that exhibit division of labor and have a life cycle, much like a colony of ants.

#mitochondria

Reduce psychological stress to reverse gray hair

The graying of hair is not always a linear aging process and can be temporarily reversed by reducing psychological stress.

#hair

#stress

Utilize meditation to maximize energy restoration

While sleep reduces energy expenditure by 10-15%, expert meditators can achieve a reduction of up to 40%, suggesting meditation is a powerful restorative state.

#energy

#meditation

Redirect energy to fight infection through sickness behavior

The lethargy, apathy, and lack of appetite you feel when sick is an adaptive energy-conservation strategy to redirect your body's resources toward fighting the infection.