Podcast 199: Shift Work, Jet Lag, and Changes to Your Circadian Rhythms with Dr. Greg Potter

Dr. Greg Potter joins the WHOOP Podcast this week to cover a topic that many of our WHOOP members are curious about: the impacts of shift work and jet lag on your circadian health. Dr. Potter has a PhD from the University of Leeds focused on sleep, circadian rhythms, nutrition, and metabolism – in addition to being a qualified personal trainer and sports massage therapist. His work has been published in Time, BBC, Reuters, and the Washington Post. He sits down with VP of Performance Kristen Holmes to discuss how to navigate working difficult hours, how to think about nutrition, sleep, and exercise on an abnormal schedule, and how caffeine can even be a beneficial tool.

Want to see your questions answered? Email us – Podcast@whoop.com – or you can call our listener line (508-443-4952) and leave a voicemail, and your question might be answered on a future episode.

EPISODE CHAPTERS:

• 3:50 – The risks of shift work on the body
• 8:55 – The optimal time to send out schedules for shift work employees
• 13:55 – The process of sleep homeostasis
• 14:53 – The circadian process
• 17:51 – What zeitgebers are and how they influence circadian rhythms
• 23:56 – How to shift your biological clock
• 27:29 – How to schedule your meals
• 31:18 – The positive and negative effects of caffeine consumption
• 36:46 – Developing a pre-bed relaxation routine
• 38:42 – Melatonin and other supplements for sleep 
• 42:36 – The best ways to restrict light exposure
• 45:36 –  L glycine and L theanine
• 47:09 – How exercise can help metabolic health 
• 51:38 – Manipulating zeitgebers to adapt to a new time zone and dealing with jet lag

Learn More: Dr. Greg Potter

Learn More: Cheri Mah’s Study on Sleep and Athlete Performance

Learn More: Claudio Moreno’s Study on Melatonin