WiseAthletes on FullScript

Hey Everyone, welcome to WiseAthletes, your source for discovering how to flourish as an older athlete, and find your path to longevity in sport. I'm your host Joe Lavelle.

Today on Episode 150 I am presenting Part 2 in my series on Near Infrared (NIR) light, an important environmental factor that our bodies expect to have and need for our health. But in a narrowly focused effort to improve energy efficiency, our society has shifted our indoor lighting to LEDs which are the least power hungry way to illuminate our homes and offices....but in focusing on visible light, we have lost something very important to our health. This loss is compounded by the increase in time spent indoors (estimated at 90%). Part Two of the series is with Professor Glen Jeffrey PhD, an research biologist, who has been focused on using Deep Red/NIR light to preserve and improve eye health. His lab has also discovered that a short exposure to deep red (670nm) light measurably reduces blood sugar. Deep Red (670 nm)/NIR (700-2,500nm) light acts to increase ATP production and while blue light reduces ATP production. Low ATP production leads to, in the short term, lower visual acuity, while in the long-term, to photo receptor death (macular degeneration).

"Retina has an enormous metabolic rate...things that burn a lot of energy age fast...by the time you are 70 years old, you've lost 25%-30% of the central photo receptors in your eye....even if you are healthy"

"Retina is a sports car....goes like crazy, burns vasts amounts of energy, but also has a frailty in it. It needs a lot of looking after." You cannot recover lost photo receptors but you can slow the rate of decline by preserving the function of mitochondria in the retina. And you can improve eye function within 3 hours with as little as 1 minute of exposure to deep red and NIR light (targeted LEDs and the effect lasts for days. Incandescent lights also work (if your government hasn't banned them), and natural light is the best solution (if you live far enough South, or it's the right time of year).

The morning is the best time of day for red light to improve mitochondria energy production (it doesn't work after norming!)

Overall metabolic health PLUS deep red light ---> helps the mitochondria in the retina to produce a youthful level of energy to continue to function well enough to survive and allow us to see.

The scary bit is you and I have already lost a lot of our photo receptors (vision)...we just cannot tell yet. Now is the time to stop it.

Professor of Neuroscience, Institute of Ophthalmology, University College London (UCL Profile)

Professor Jeffery researches the intricate relationship between light, mitochondria, and health. Mitochondria (the “powerhouses of the cell”) are responsible for producing nearly all of the energy produced in the body. Sufficient exposure to red light / NIR lightwave frequencies can significantly boost mitochondrial function, leading to a range of health benefits, including:

• Improved cellular energy production
• Reduced inflammation
• Accelerated tissue repair
• Enhanced cognitive function
• Anti-ageing effects

• Glen Jeffery (@glen_jeffe5111) — biologist specializing in NIR light effect on the body
• Bob Fosbury (@BobFosbury) — astrophysicist expert in light (electromagnetic waves in frequencies from UV to IR) and penetration into the human body
• Scott Zimmerman (@SZimmZoo)— optical e...

WiseAthlete Supplements

Hey Everyone, welcome to WiseAthletes, your source for discovering how to flourish as an older athlete, and find your path to longevity in sport. I'm your host Joe Lavelle.

Today on episode 149 I am starting a 2-part series on Near Infrared (NIR) light, an important environmental factor that our bodies expect to have and need for our health. But in a narrowly focused effort to improve energy efficiency, our society has shifted our indoor lighting to LEDs which are the least power hungry way to illuminate our homes and offices....but in focusing on visible light, we have lost something very important to our health. This loss is compounded by the increase in time spent indoors (estimated at 90%). Part One of the series is with Scott Zimmerman, an optical engineer, who has been focused on quantifying the health effects of natural sunlight and designing indoor lighting that reintroduces near-infrared into our homes and offices (that does not run afoul of the Department of Energy). NIR light acts to increase ATP production and while blue light reduces ATP production. But blocking blue is a half-measure The real problem is the missing NIR light that you can get in the sun (or better yet, shade) if you would only spent a lot more time outside. Or, you can fix your indoor lighting.

Founder of Silas, Inc., maker of NIRA lighting (https://niralighting.com/). Scott has more than 35 years of experience in the fields of lighting and displays. His innovations and inventions have been used successfully in a wide range of military and commercial products that include night vision displays, liquid crystal display backlighting designs, and lighting fixtures.

• Scott Zimmerman (@SZimmZoo)— optical engineer specializing in building light sources which minimize the health detriments of indoor lighting
• Glen Jeffery (@glen_jeffe5111) — biologist specializing in NIR light effect on the body
• Bob Fosbury (@BobFosbury) — astrophysicist expert in light (electromagnetic waves in frequencies from UV to IR) and penetration into the human body

• https://niralighting.com/
• https://youtu.be/6Win49aeh8A?feature=shared
• https://youtu.be/16UHK1gPUO8?feature=shared
• https://youtu.be/isz2IQs_EPg?feature=shared
• https://youtu.be/wadKIiGsDTw?feature=shared

• Episode 108 Red-NIR Light Therapy w/Dr Zulia Frost
• Episode 105 -- UV Light Sweetspot w/Prof Prue Hart/

• Dallaghan, Paul. “Mitochondria (Cellular Energy Batteries) Enhancement with Red Light and Near-Infrared (NIR) Light Therapy.” Samahita Retreat, www.samahitaretreat.com/mitochondria-cellular-energy-batteries-enhancement-with-red-light-and-near-infrared-nir-light-therapy/. Accessed Jan. 26, 2021.
• Reiter, Russel J. and Zimmerman, Scott. “Melatonin and the Optics of the Human Body.” <...

Professional Grade Supplements for WiseAthletes

Hey Everyone, welcome to WiseAthletes, your source for discovering how to flourish as an older athlete, and finding your path to longevity in sport. I'm your host Joe Lavelle.

Socrates warned us to beware the barrenness of a busy life. I understand that all too well these days. If you are like me, you are so busy doing the many things you HAVE to do plus your athletic longevity efforts to live long strong, including getting good sleep, eating a good diet with enough of this and not too much of that, and getting enough high and low intensity exercise … that the days just flash by. Time is flying by. Which is the exact opposite of what I am after.

The missing ingredient, I think, is marking time with powerful memories: and for me powerful memories come of adventures that provide experiences that had such powerful emotions that my brain stored the memories very securely. These experiences mark time and give my life a sense of fullness.

This idea is why invited Brian Keane to the show for episode 148. You probably know Brian. He is famous for his epic adventures in the Sahara desert and the arctic and more.

In our chat we discuss how to pick adventures and how to up your game to prepare for them while accomplishing your health and fitness goals for life.

I have to say that Brian is amazing and my conversation with Brian has had a big impact on my thinking. My mind is now focused on returning to my roots as an adventurer. I hope Brian has a powerful effect on you too

Who said “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all”?

• Powerful memories to mark time for a full life
• Feel proud of overcoming fears
• Motivation to up your fitness game, both mentally and physically
• Find your people; make life friends

• Brian has also completed some of the worlds most gruelling endurance challenges, such as six back to back marathons through the Sahara desert, a 230km through the Arctic and multiple ultra-marathons, including a 100 mile ultra-marathon in the desert in Nevada.
• Brian is the host of one of Ireland and the UK’s top health podcasts, which is regularly featured #1 on the iTunes Health Charts.
• Brian is a three time best-selling author with The Fitness Mindset, Rewire Your Mindset and The Keane Edge: Mastering the Mindset for Real Lasting Fat Loss.
• Over the past ten years, Brian has become one of the most recognised faces in the Irish health and fitness industry. He has spoken at major wellness events such as Wellfest Ireland and Mefit Dubai, was a Keynote speaker at Google HQ and has done corporate wellness talks for Allianz Partners, SAP and Acorn Insurance.
• briankeanefitness.com
• @brian_keane_fitness - Instagram

• Joe & Pete's Matterhorn & Mont Blanc trip report
• 5 14ers on my 40th Birthday with Brian trip report
• The 2 Joes Bolivia Peak Bagger trip report