EPISODE · Jun 23, 2025 · 1H 52M
Control Your Vagus Nerve to Improve Mood, Alertness & Neuroplasticity
from Huberman Lab · host Scicomm Media
In this episode I explain how your vagus nerve—an extensive neural pathway linking your brain and body in both directions—powerfully regulates your mood, digestion, alertness and even certain food cravings, and I explain how you can activate certain vagus nerve pathways to improve your heart rate variability (HRV), a key marker of health and longevity. I also explain how to control vagal pathways to enhance your focus and alertness to improve learning and neuroplasticity. And I explain how your vagus nerve controls levels of serotonin in both your gut and brain, impacting your mood and emotional resilience and how to keep that pathway robust. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Joovv: https://joovv.com/huberman ROKA: https://roka.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Vagus Nerve 00:02:43 Sponsors: LMNT & Joovv 00:05:41 Cranial Nerves, Inputs (Afferents) & Outputs (Efferents), Sensory & Motor 00:12:40 Vagus Nerve & Sensory Pathways, Body & Brain 00:18:30 Sensory Information, Chemical & Mechanical Information 00:23:49 Sympathetic & Parasympathetic Nervous Systems, Vagus Nerve, Tool: Calming & Auricular (Ear) Sensation 00:30:19 Sponsors: AG1 & ROKA 00:33:38 Vagus Nerve Motor Outputs 00:36:00 Autoregulation, Improving Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Tools: HR Deceleration 00:49:46 Aging, Declining HRV, Health, Activity, Tool 00:52:31 Tool: Exercise, Increase Alertness for Cognitive & Physical Activity, Motivation 01:04:26 Sponsor: Function 01:06:14 Adult Neuroplasticity & Learning, Acetylcholine, Alpha GPC Nicotine 01:11:48 Tools: High-Intensity Exercise, Increase Alertness, Focus & Learning; Sleep 01:18:14 Serotonin, Gut, Brain & Mood, Depression & SSRIs 01:21:34 Serotonin, Improve Mood & Gut Health, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Tools: Low-Sugar Fermented Foods, Tryptophan 01:28:49 Mood, Depression, Gut Health & Vagal Signaling, Probiotics 01:32:12 Calming Down via Vagus Nerve, Tool: Neck Peri-Arterial Vagus Stretch 01:42:00 Tools: Calming Down, Humming, Extended Exhales 01:46:38 Recap 01:48:46 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What this episode covers
In this episode I explain how your vagus nerve—an extensive neural pathway linking your brain and body in both directions—powerfully regulates your mood, digestion, alertness and even certain food cravings, and I explain how you can activate certain vagus nerve pathways to improve your heart rate variability (HRV), a key marker of health and longevity. I also explain how to control vagal pathways to enhance your focus and alertness to improve learning and neuroplasticity. And I explain how your vagus nerve controls levels of serotonin in both your gut and brain, impacting your mood and emotional resilience and how to keep that pathway robust. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Joovv: https://joovv.com/huberman ROKA: https://roka.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Vagus Nerve 00:02:43 Sponsors: LMNT & Joovv 00:05:41 Cranial Nerves, Inputs (Afferents) & Outputs (Efferents), Sensory & Motor 00:12:40 Vagus Nerve & Sensory Pathways, Body & Brain 00:18:30 Sensory Information, Chemical & Mechanical Information 00:23:49 Sympathetic & Parasympathetic Nervous Systems, Vagus Nerve, Tool: Calming & Auricular (Ear) Sensation 00:30:19 Sponsors: AG1 & ROKA 00:33:38 Vagus Nerve Motor Outputs 00:36:00 Autoregulation, Improving Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Tools: HR Deceleration 00:49:46 Aging, Declining HRV, Health, Activity, Tool 00:52:31 Tool: Exercise, Increase Alertness for Cognitive & Physical Activity, Motivation 01:04:26 Sponsor: Function 01:06:14 Adult Neuroplasticity & Learning, Acetylcholine, Alpha GPC Nicotine 01:11:48 Tools: High-Intensity Exercise, Increase Alertness, Focus & Learning; Sleep 01:18:14 Serotonin, Gut, Brain & Mood, Depression & SSRIs 01:21:34 Serotonin, Improve Mood & Gut Health, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), Tools: Low-Sugar Fermented Foods, Tryptophan 01:28:49 Mood, Depression, Gut Health & Vagal Signaling, Probiotics 01:32:12 Calming Down via Vagus Nerve, Tool: Neck Peri-Arterial Vagus Stretch 01:42:00 Tools: Calming Down, Humming, Extended Exhales 01:46:38 Recap 01:48:46 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify & Apple Follow & Reviews, Sponsors, YouTube Feedback, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Control Your Vagus Nerve to Improve Mood, Alertness & Neuroplasticity
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