The Coaching Lab: Evidence-Based High Performance & Wellbeing

 In the world of health and wellness and performance, there are so much logical fallacies all around us.  In this podcast popular author Peg Tittle will talk with us about critical thinking and how to navigate the increasing dependence on logical fallacies.  Peg shares how to come back to what is the actual evidence and how to think it through starting with the building blocks of a good argument....

Athletes earn our attention  at every turn, but what if our focus went beyond entertainment to actually learn something.  What if  the lessons from world class athletes can actually improve our lives?  Today’s guest,  Dr. Noel Brick, is a co author with Scott Douglas of  the best-selling book, The Genius of Athletes .  Dr. Brick will share his insights on the 'dumb jock' stereotype, the...

The connection between our nutrition and both mental health and long-term brain health (e.g., Alzheimer's) is a growing area of interest worldwide. Does what we eat influence more than just our body's physiology? Could it also influence our psyche? The evidence is growing and we are pleased to welcome one of the foremost experts on the subject to this week's episode. Professor Felic...

What does it take to light a fire to our creative potential? What does risk have to do with luck? Are there practical steps to positively move the dial in each one of these?  In today’s podcast with Tina Seelig, we will take an evidence based deeper dive into creativity, risk taking and much more.  Tina Seelig is Executive Director of the Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program, Professor of the Practice...

Dr. Colleen E. Carney breaks down why we’re not sleeping, the magic number of hours we should be sleeping, and what we think we know that may not be true (like why the blue light and chronic insomnia may not be related).  In this very informative podcast, she also highlights that having good habits set the stage for a health perspective and getting back to basics to help us sleep better - just not...

What if the device that you are wearing on your wrist is the key to  more effective healthcare? The opportunities as we will learn in this interview, are endless.  In todays podcast we will be talking about precision health with Stanford's  top experts in this area, Dr. Michael Snyder.    Dr. Michael Snyder, Chairman of the Genetics Department at Stanford Medicine, is the world’s leading expe...

Dr. Americus Reed II, the Hip Hop Prof. He’s the Whitney M. Young Jr., Professor of Marketing at the Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, where he has served on faculty since 2000. He is the go-to expert when it comes to the intricacies of marketing, branding, and identity.  In this interview, he shares how social identity, social influence, values, attitudes and judgments interact in shapi...

Curious about behavior change? In this special Hidden Gem episode, Dr. Lisa Belanger introduces us to key, practical aspects of behavior change we can apply to work, play, family and more! For more information about the Catalyst Community, earning your health & wellness coaching certification, the annual Rocky Mountain Coaching Retreat & Symposium and much more, please see https://www.cata...

Life transitions can be difficult - few understand that better than professional athletes. Scott Tinley took it a step further, writing an exceptional book (Racing the Sunset) that takes a deeper dive into how to make the most of those transitions. He shares the lessons learned, along with some great memories as one of the original BIG 4 in the sport of triathlon (Tinley, Dave Scott, Mark Allen an...

What's holding you back and what does The Flinch have to do with moving forward? Do you notice those times when you're flinching - and thus hesitating to move forward at the critical moments? The Flinch is a book by Julien Smith, working alongside Seth Godin, and in this interview Julien shares some different techniques on how to master the Flinch.  Julien Smith is a New York Times bests...

Looking for a few keys to dialing in a better, more meaningful life? In this special episode, Dr. Cooper shares 7 Keys to a Meaningful Life to help point you in the right direction. They include:  Dots: More Creating... Less Connecting  Tune In Without Tuning Out  Differentiating Goals vs. Resources  Easier to "Stay" in Shape (in any area of life) than "Get" in Shape  Two-way S...

Stanford’s Dr. Kelly McGonigal is a multiple-time best-selling author and a pioneer in the field “science-help” as she aims to translate insights from psychology and neuroscience into practical strategies that support personal well-being and strengthen communities. Her TED talk, "How to Make Stress Your Friend," is one of the most viewed TED talks of all time, with over 20 million views....

In 1967, Kathrine Switzer became the first woman to officially run the Boston Marathon. However the way it happened stunned the world and changed the face of marathons and women's running. In this episode, Kathrine peels back the curtain on what really happened on the day of the race and how it changed our world since that day.   Kathrine Switzer has long been one of running’s most iconic fig...

Professor Timothy Noakes has gone against the grain all his life. 1st his groundbreaking book The Lore of Running... then coming out against the idea that dehydration was the most significant risk to marathoners (turns out he was right),  then the Central Governor Theory... then... well, it goes on and on. In this once in a lifetime interview opportunity, Dr. Cooper takes a deeper dive into each a...

When first hearing about blood flow restriction training, it may sound more like an ancient torture device than an actual training strategy - at least it did to us! Restricting blood flow might seem like a counterintuitive training method, but this technique has been touted  as “the next big fitness trend”.  Airbands Founder Joseph Marcus discusses the research, practical application and more.   ...

Habits are at the core of what makes us who we are but they are SO hard to change! Or are they? Best-selling author and professor, Dr. Wendy Wood shares evidence-based insights on how we can - frankly quite easily - eliminate the bad habits from our lives and start good habits. This hidden gem episode is one of our all-time favorites for a good reason! If you'd like to access a video version...

Long hauler or long haul Covid is affecting a significant portion of the population and it isn't just those generally at high risk who are at high risk for long covid. Elite masters runner and best-selling author Matt Fitzgerald sat down with us to share his experience, what he's learned, and what the data and early research is revealing. If you'd like to access a video version of t...

Barnard College President, researcher and author Dr. Sian Beilock pulls back the curtain on what causes us to choke under pressure and what we can do to reduce or eliminate this tendency. Dr. Beilock, wrote a fascinating book, Choke , and in this interview we dive into  why we  too often blunder when the stakes are high, what happens in our brain and body when we experience the dreaded performance...

What if we could interview Friedrich Nietzsche about health, wellness & performance?   The well-known philosopher famous for "That which does not kill us makes us stronger" or "The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly" or even "He who has a WHY to live can bear almost any HOW." Nietzsche died in the year 1900, but Professor John Kaag has a...

Is the vaccine safe?  Was it rushed through development? How about for pregnant mothers? Children? Do we all need it? What if I'd rather just get Covid than the vaccine? Michelle Barron, MD, the Senior Medical Director at UC Health and Professor of Medicine (Division of Infectious Diseases) was kind enough to make herself available to answer every question we posed.  She helps to separate rea...

David Epstein is the multiple time best-selling author of The Sports Gene and Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World and was formerly a writer for Sports Illustrated. He is the writer I (the host) hope to become when I grow up - although he's 17 years younger! You'll love his insights and the way he communicates so effectively, yet humbly. This is one of our special hidden...

Menopause and perimenopause play a significant role in the lives of women and those who are close to them.  Dr. Dunston discusses hormones, nutrition and other ways to optimize the influence of menopause on the lives of women in this phase of life. If you're looking for the most effective ways to make the most of this aspect of life, treat menopause symptoms, and make the most of your life be...

What are some of Craig "Crowie" Alexander's greatest memories in the sport? How has he continued to be successful into his mid-40's? What secrets has he applied to garner such a long and successful career? Why was Craig "Crowie" Alexander able to become the 5x World Triathlon Champion? (70.3 in 2006 & 2011 and Ironman in 2008, 2009 & 2011). What did he do to c...

This one was personal. Growing up, the Miami Dolphins Larry Csonka was a childhood hero who's picture hung on the wall and who's incredible performance on the field was "must see TV" each week. As a fullback for the undefeated '72 Miami Dolphins, he lead the league in yards/carry and helped carry the Dolphins to 3 straight Super Bowls under the greatest coach of all time -...

Are genetics or lifestyle more important when it comes to health, wellness & performance?  Epigenetics researcher and best-selling author Dr. Kenneth Pelletier (MD and PhD) walks us through the evidence surrounding that question and what it means for our lives in this fascinating "Hidden Gem" episode! To access the "BE A CATALYST!" hoodies, t-shirts and more mentioned in th...