I have been really into the Huberman Lab Podcast recently, and for good reason. There is a plethora of great science-based information that I can use to optimize the health and wellness of myself and the clients that I work with. On this week’s podcast, Dr. Huberman dives into the science behind motivation and how dopamine acts as our primary motivation neuromodulator (keep in mind dopamine serves many functions in the brain and body, not just motivation).
Nature has given us (and other organisms) dopamine to drive us toward accomplishing biological functions that are necessary for survival( i.e. eating, drinking, sex, and much much more). If you are driven to do something in life, dopamine is behind it. But as we are exposed to dopamine repetitively, our ability to get the same response (motivation) from the previous stimulus drops. This adaptation is known as tolerance. Dr. Huberman points out however, that when the reward of accomplishing the task is randomized, the dopamine tolerance remains the same. Anecdotally, this is how casinos get you to spend hours on slot machines. Because the result is random, you are always pulling the lever to go again and again.
We can purposely randomize rewards on tasks like exercise and other wellness related practices. Here is a simple example: after every workout you complete, you reward yourself with a scoop of ice cream. After a few weeks, your desire to complete the workout starts to drop because the motivation of the ice cream isn’t as powerful (tolerance). We could create a bigger reward (more ice cream) or, better yet, we can randomize the reward. A simple way of doing this is flipping a coin. After your workouts, flip a coin to decide whether or not you have that scoop of ice cream. By randomizing the reward, you don’t allow yourself to accommodate to dopamine. Pick one area of fitness, nutrition, or wellness that needs work and give it a shot!
In the end, if you want to maximize your fitness, nutrition, and wellness, you need a guide. That’s where I can help. I offer nutrition coaching, personal training, and training programs to create progress with minimal setbacks and wasted time. Click the link below to get started today!