EPISODE 42 - The Lore of Running, Hydration & Increasing Longevity w/ Prof. Tim Noakes

In episode 42, Dr. Bubbs interviews world-renowned scientist and researcher, Professor Tim Noakes about his remarkable career. Prof Noakes talks about his start in medicine and how his career path transitioned to sport and exercise science, as well as how the hydration recommendations have dramatically changed over the last 40 years and what the best advice really is. He discusses his proposed Central Governor Model in the late 1990s to explain the brain’s fundamental role in limiting athletic performance, as well as his journey from elite endurance athlete to type-2 diabetes diagnosis and how his health dramatically changed after adopting a low-carb diet. Terrific insights from Professor Noakes and a testament to his remarkable career.

Lay-Ups From This Episode

  1. “Drink to thirst” is an effective strategy for the majority of the population to hydrate.
  2. Your brain is the ultimate governor of “how hard” you can exercise.
  3. For diabetes (type-2), the evidence is mounting in support of a low-carb diet to reverse the condition.

Performance Hacks In This Episode

  1. The brain is the ultimate governor of athletic performance.
  2. The research on hydration loss and decrements in performance is potentially over-stated.

Coffee Talk

Prof Noakes morning coffee + cream (and intermittent fasting until lunch).

About Professor Tim Noakes

Prof Noakes is an Emeritus Professor at University of Cape Town, following his retirement from the Research Unit of Exercise Science and Sports Medicine. In 1995, he was a co-founder of the now prestigious Sports Science Institute of South Africa (SSISA). In 2008, he received the Order of Mapungubwe, Silver, from the President of South Africa for his “excellent contribution in the field of sports and the science of physical exercise” and has published more than 750 scientific books and articles. Prof. Noakes has been cited more than 16,000 times in scientific literature, has won numerous awards, and authored many books, including the Lore of Running (4th Edition), considered to be the “Bible” for runners, Waterlogged: The serious problem of over-hydration in endurance sports (in 2012), The Real Meal Revolution (in 2013), Raising Superheroes (in 2015) and since 2011 his autobiography, Challenging Beliefs: Memoirs of a Career. He now devotes a majority of his time to promoting the low carbohydrate high fat diet, especially for those with insulin resistance, and on raising funds for research through The Noakes Foundation.
