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Want a Smarter, Faster Brain? Try Running Really, Really Fast. For a Minute.

Want a Smarter, Faster Brain? Try Running Really, Really Fast. For a Minute.

Lyle Agagon
February 12, 2026

EXERCISE 🏋️‍♂️

You can grow your brain! Yes, you heard me.

I don’t mean in a sci-fi, Frankenstein way. On a tiny, microscopic level, you can literally force your brain to build new cells and strengthen the connections between them.

It’s called neuroplasticity. It’s your brain’s ability to rewire itself, fix itself, and learn new things. For a long time, scientists thought adults were stuck with the brain they had. We now know that’s totally wrong.

So, how do you get more of this "brain growth" stuff? You could do crossword puzzles. You could learn guitar.

Or—and this is the cool part—you could just run as fast as you can for 30 seconds.

The Brain Fertilizer You’ve Never Heard Of

Let’s talk about BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor). It’s Miracle-Gro for your brain.

Just like plants need fertilizer to grow strong roots, your brain cells need BDNF to survive, sprout new branches, and talk to each other. High levels of BDNF protect you from stress, help you learn faster, and even fight off brain aging. Low levels of BDNF are linked to depression, slower thinking, and memory loss.

Here is the good news: You can spike your BDNF levels in about 60 seconds. The trigger? All-out, gasping-for-air, maximum effort.

Jogging Won’t Cut It

Going for a jog is great for your heart and your mood. You should keep doing it. But if your goal is to dump a bucket of Miracle-Gro on your head, you need to sprint.

Here is what happens when you do a sprint interval:

You push your body so hard it panics.
It thinks it’s being chased by a predator.
To survive, your body dumps a bunch of chemicals into your blood, including a protein called lactate.

For years, people thought lactate was a bad thing. They called it "lactic acid" and blamed it for muscle burn. We now know lactate is actually a fuel source. More importantly, it’s a signal.

When lactate hits your bloodstream, it crosses into your brain and triggers a switch. That switch tells your genes to start producing BDNF—a lot of it, and fast.

Steady jogging produces some BDNF.
Sprinting produces a massive, immediate spike.

How to Do This

You don’t need a gym. You don’t need equipment. You don’t even need a lot of time. In fact, the less time you have, the better this works.

Here is a simple "Brain-Builder" workout. It takes 8 minutes.

Warm up: Jog slowly or do jumping jacks for 2 minutes. Get the blood moving.
Interval 1: Sprint as fast as you possibly can for 30 seconds. (If you’re on a bike, crank up the resistance and pedal like you’re being chased).
Rest: Walk or stand still for 60 seconds. Catch your breath.
Repeat: Do this 4 times total.
Cool down: Walk for 2 minutes.

That’s it. 4 sprints. You’re done.

If 30 seconds feels impossible, start with 20. If you’re outside, sprint to that lamppost, then the next one, then the next one. The key is intensity. You should be unable to hold a conversation. You should be counting down the seconds until the rest period starts.

The "Feel Good" Effect

Have you ever gone for a run, felt terrible during it, but then felt amazing and clear-headed an hour later? That’s the BDNF talking.

This is why doctors are starting to prescribe exercise for anxiety and depression. It’s not a replacement for therapy or medication, but it’s a powerful tool. When you spike BDNF, you quite literally change the chemistry of your brain. You make it more resilient.

You Don’t Have to Be an Athlete

You might be thinking: "I’m not a sprinter. I’m out of shape. People will see me huffing and puffing in the park."

Nobody cares. And honestly, the more out of shape you are, the more your brain needs this.

You don’t have to be fast. You just have to try. If you haven’t run in years, your "sprint" might look like a fast shuffle to someone else. That’s fine. The goal isn’t to win a race. The goal is to flood your system with lactate and wake up your neurons.

Just Run

We spend a lot of time trying to buy brain supplements, drink fancy teas, or download "brain training" apps. Many of those things don’t work. This does.

Sprint intervals are one of the few things we know of that actually force your brain to grow and repair itself. It takes less time than waiting for your coffee to brew.

So next time you have 10 minutes, and you’re feeling foggy, don’t open a puzzle game. Lace up your shoes and find a stretch of sidewalk. Run hard. Breathe hard. Grow your brain.

NUTRITION 🥑

Keto Cycling for Brain Energy

You've heard about the keto diet. Maybe you tried it. Maybe you felt amazing for a few weeks, then kind of crashed. Or maybe you loved the mental clarity but missed your oatmeal.

Here's the thing: Your brain runs on energy. Usually, that energy comes from carbs. But there's another fuel source, and it's actually cleaner for your thinking. The trick isn't necessarily staying in keto forever. It's cycling in and out.

What Your Brain Actually Eats

Think of your brain like a hybrid car. Most of the time, it runs on gasoline (that's glucose from carbs). But your brain also has an electric motor. That motor runs on something called ketones.

Ketones come from fat. When you stop eating carbs, your liver starts breaking down body fat into ketones. These little molecules cross into your brain and power your neurons.

Some research suggests that ketones are actually a cleaner fuel than glucose. They create less oxidative stress, which is basically cellular rust. Less rust means your brain cells stay healthier longer.

But here's the problem nobody talks about.

The "Forever Keto" Problem

Staying in strict keto forever is really hard. Like, really hard. No birthday cake. No pizza with friends. No fruit in summer. For most people, it's not sustainable.

Your body is also smart. If you starve it of carbs for months, it adapts. Your ketone production might actually drop. You can lose some of the mental edge you had in the beginning.

Plus, some people just don't sleep as well or feel as strong in their workouts when they're zero-carb forever.

So what's the solution?

Keto Cycling

Keto cycling means you're not in ketosis every single day. Maybe you're in ketosis five or six days a week. Then you have one or two days where you add carbs back in.

Benefits of Keto Cycling:

It makes the diet actually doable. Knowing you can have pasta on Saturday night makes Tuesday's salad much easier to swallow.
Cycling can keep your body responsive. When you add carbs back strategically, your body goes, "Oh good, carbs!" and uses them efficiently. Then, when you drop carbs again, your body goes, "Okay, back to fat," and ramps up ketone production again.
Your brain seems to benefit from both fuel sources. Glucose is fast. Ketones are steady. Having access to both might be better than relying on just one.

How This Helps Your Brain Specifically

Have you ever had that mid-afternoon slump? Where you're staring at your screen, and the words aren't making sense? That's your brain running low on quick glucose.

Now, if your brain is also good at burning ketones, that slump isn't as bad. You have backup fuel. Your thinking stays clearer, longer.

People who keto cycle often report:

Less brain fog
More stable energy throughout the day
Better focus in the morning
Fewer cravings

But you don't need to be in deep ketosis every single day to get these benefits. You just need your brain to remember how to burn ketones. That's what cycling does. It keeps the pathway open.

What This Looks Like in Real Life

There's no single right way to keto cycle. But here are three common approaches.

The weekend cycler. You eat strict keto Monday through Friday. Saturday and Sunday, you add carbs back, maybe oatmeal, sweet potatoes, rice, fruit. Monday morning, back to keto.

The targeted cycler. You stay low-carb most of the time, but eat carbs around your workouts. Before a run or heavy lifting, you have a small amount of carbs. This gives you energy for the workout, then you go back to keto afterward.

The seasonal cycler. You do strict keto for 2-3 months, then take a month off, then go back in. This is less about weekly rhythm and more about giving your body breaks.

Most people do best with the weekend cycler approach. It's simple. You know the drill: weekdays keto, weekends flexible.

What to Eat on Carb Days

Here's where people mess up. Carb days are not "eat everything white and fried" days. If you smash donuts and pizza, you'll feel awful. Your brain will crash. You'll wake up Monday with a food hangover.

Better carb choices:

Sweet potatoes
White rice
Oatmeal
Fruit (berries, apples, bananas)
Legumes (lentils, black beans)

These digest more slowly and give your brain steady glucose, not a spike and crash.

Also, portions matter. You don't need a mountain of rice. A fist-sized portion is plenty to reset your brain's fuel options.

What to Expect

If you're new to keto cycling, the first week can feel weird. The back-and-forth of no carbs during the week, then carbs during the weekend, confuses your system at first.

You might feel tired, foggy, or irritable. That's normal. Your body is learning a new pattern. Give it time. It catches on. Drink extra water and salt your food. Electrolytes matter a lot here.

By week two or three, your body gets the pattern. It stops panicking. Monday becomes just Monday, not carb-withdrawal day.

It’s Not For Everyone

Keto cycling isn't for everyone.

If you have a history of eating disorder, rigid food rules can be triggering. Check with a doctor or nutritionist first.

If you're diabetic or on blood sugar medication, do not experiment with keto cycling without medical supervision. Your medication might need adjustment.

If you're pregnant, breastfeeding, or under 18, this is probably not the right approach.

For most healthy adults, though, it's a safe and flexible way to get brain benefits without feeling trapped.

The Best of Both Worlds

You don't have to choose between "keto forever" or "never keto." Keto cycling gives you the best of both worlds. You teach your brain to burn fat for fuel, which keeps energy stable and mental clarity high. But you also give yourself breaks, which makes the whole thing sustainable.

Try it for a couple of weeks. You might find that keto cycling gives your brain the clean, steady, reliable energy it needs.

BIOHACKING⚡

So, You Want to Build a Smarter Brain?

Life is busy. Between work, family, and daily stress, it can feel like your brain just can’t keep up.

You may have heard of nootropics. Some people call them brain boosters. The idea is simple: take something that helps you focus, remember more, and handle stress better.

It sounds easy. But most people try one supplement, don’t notice much, and stop.

Here’s what experienced users understand: you don’t rely on just one. You combine them. That’s called stacking

What is Stacking?

Stacking just means combining different supplements that work well together. It’s like making a smoothie. A banana is good. Peanut butter is good. But put them together with some milk and ice? Now you’ve got a meal.

In the nootropic world, two of the most popular ingredients are racetams and adaptogens. One helps you think clearly while the other helps you stay calm. Together, they help you perform longer and better.

Focus with Racetams

Racetams are a family of synthetic compounds that have been around since the 1960s. The most famous one is Piracetam. They support clearer communication between brain cells.

People often use them to:

Recall words faster (no more tip-of-the-tongue moments).
Learn new skills quicker.
Process information smoothly.

The feeling isn’t a wired energy like coffee. It’s more like a quiet clarity. You sit down to work, and suddenly the distractions fade away.

However, they need fuel to work. That fuel is usually choline.

Choline is a nutrient that helps build the wiring in your brain. If you take racetams without enough choline, some people get headaches. With adequate choline, focus tends to feel stronger and more stable.

Stay Calm with Adaptogens

Adaptogens help your body handle stress.

If racetams are the engine, adaptogens are the suspension system. Life is bumpy. Deadlines, family drama, global chaos—it all hits you. When you are stressed, your body releases cortisol. A little bit is fine, but a lot of it makes your brain foggy and tired.

Adaptogens are plants and herbs that help your body “adapt” to stress. They don’t sedate you. They don’t numb you. They just raise the roof so the stress doesn’t crush you.

Here are a few popular adaptogens:

Rhodiola Rosea: This is the go-to for mental fatigue.

Ashwagandha: This helps lower cortisol levels over time. If you feel anxious and tight-chested all day, Ashwagandha helps you feel steady.

L-Theanine: This smooths out the rough edges. You get the focus without the shaky hands.

Why They Work Well Together

Simple. One boosts performance. The other prevents burnout.

Racetams help you think, but they don’t help you handle the stress of thinking hard.

Adaptogens are the safety net. They keep your nervous system calm while your brain is working overtime.

Together: Fast + steady = sustainable focus.

The Beginner’s Stack

If you are new to this, do not buy ten different bottles at once. Keep it basic:

Piracetam (the classic racetam): Take the recommended dose on the bottle.
Alpha-GPC (a source of choline): This fuels Piracetam and prevents headaches.
L-Theanine: Take this with your morning coffee.

This is a safe, well-tested introduction. You should notice that your thoughts feel "stickier." You’ll read a page and actually remember what you read.

If you find that you are focused but also anxious, swap out the coffee for a straight L-Theanine capsule, or add in Rhodiola.

Try this simple starter stack for 7-8 days and see how you feel.

What to Watch Out For

I have to pause here and be direct with you.

Supplements are not magic pills.

Just because you can buy something online doesn’t mean it’s harmless. Racetams are research chemicals. They aren't vitamins. They affect the chemistry of your brain.

Also, quality matters. A lot of stuff on Amazon is cheap powder that does nothing. If you are serious, buy from vendors that provide third-party lab testing.

And please, talk to a doctor. Not the internet. A real doctor. Especially if you take medication for anxiety, depression, or ADHD. These stacks can interact with prescriptions in weird ways.

The Truth About Nootropics

The best stack in the world won’t fix a bad lifestyle.

If you sleep four hours a night, eat fast food for every meal, and stare at your phone all day, no amount of Piracetam will save you. Supplements are the 10% edge. They are not the 90% foundation.

Think of nootropics as the cherry on top. The sundae is sleep, exercise, and real food.

The Bottom Line

Stacking racetams and adaptogens is a smart way to support your brain. Racetams sharpen the blade, and adaptogens keep it from snapping under pressure.

Start slow. Listen to your body. Keep a journal of how you feel.

You’re not trying to become superhuman. You’re trying to operate at your best.

That’s the real goal.

CHALLENGE💪

The Challenge of the Week: The 8-Minute Brain Boost

Your mission: Do two sprint workouts this week. Just two.

Here’s how:

Pick two days. Any two. Put them on your calendar.

Find a place to move. A sidewalk, treadmill, driveway, or bike. You only need a small space.

Now do this:

2 minutes easy warm-up (light jog or jumping jacks)
30 seconds sprint hard
60 seconds walk
30 seconds sprint
60 seconds walk
30 seconds sprint
60 seconds walk
30 seconds sprint
2 minutes easy walk

Total time: 8 minutes.

The rule: During the 30 seconds, go hard. You shouldn’t be able to talk in full sentences. If you can chat, you’re not pushing enough.

Too hard? Sprint for 15–20 seconds instead.
Too easy? Add one more sprint or shorten the rest.

Bonus: One hour later, write a quick note about how you feel. Clear? Tired? Energized?

That’s it. Two workouts. Eight minutes each. Simple and done.

Strong Body. Calm Mind. Smarter Long-Term Planning.

You plan your workouts.
You watch what you eat.
You think years ahead about how you want to live.

But most people never apply that same long-term thinking to their money.

Index Universal Life (IUL) insurance is a long-term planning tool that helps protect your family and build money you can use later in life. It’s not about chasing returns or timing the market. It’s about stability, flexibility, and options.

Why some longevity-minded people use IULs: