573 | Everyday Habits for Hunting Performance with Dr. Andy Galpin

The Hunt Backcountry Podcast

by Exo Mtn Gear

Sports:wilderness, Sports, Wilderness, Health & Fitness

4.9 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 25 March 2026

⏱️ 73 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Andy Galpin returns to the show to discuss everyday habits that can help or hinder your performance as a hunter. Topics covered include physical training and injury prevention, the power of sleep, what does and doesn't matter in nutrition, mental skills for high performance, and more... Physical Preparation & Injury Prevention Identify Your "Performance Anchors": Prioritize training based on your specific weaknesses—whether it is ankle stability, back strength, or nutritional deficiencies—that are most likely to cause failure during a long hunt. Develop Tissue Tolerance: The goal is to prepare your body (specifically low back, knees, and ankles) to handle the repetitive stress of a multi-day hunt so you don't "break" on day three. Use Your Actual Gear: Do not wait until the hunt to wear your boots or pack. Wear them during daily activities or training to let your body adapt to the specific stress loads of that equipment. The Power of Sleep The Number One Risk Factor: Poor sleep is a primary driver of injury risk and negatively impacts everything from cognitive focus to food cravings. Consistency Over Duration: It is better to sleep the same six hours every night than to fluctuate between four and nine hours. Your body optimizes sleep better when it recognizes a consistent pattern. Perception Matters: A person's perception of how they slept often dictates their performance more than the actual hours of sleep they received. Nutrition & "Major in the Majors" Focus on Quality: Avoid getting lost in "minor" details like seed oils if you are still eating inconsistent meals or highly processed gas station food. The Micronutrient Factor: While calories and macros determine body composition, micronutrients (vitamins, minerals, fiber) determine how you actually feel and perform. Protein Intentionality: Many people eat less protein than they realize. Reaching high targets (e.g., 1g per pound of body weight) requires specific planning rather than just "eating meat". Mental Performance Skills Talk to Yourself, Don't Listen: To build grit, use your own name (or a nickname) when encouraging yourself. This creates a psychological detachment that allows you to view a problem as a "coach" rather than being embedded in the suffering. Physical Grounding: Use a "reset button," such as touching a specific wristband or looking at a meaningful acronym, to regain focus when you feel overwhelmed or lost. LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE... The Experience Challenge: https://exomtngear.com/challenge Vitality Blueprint: https://www.vitalityblueprint.com/exo — Save 10% with code EXO10 through 04/30/26 Andy's Website: https://www.andygalpin.com/ Andy's Podcast: https://performpodcast.com/ Andy's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drandygalpin/ Episode 454 | Hunting & Human Performance: https://exomtngear.com/blogs/podcast/454 Episode 542 | Resilience, Joint Health, & Sleep: https://exomtngear.com/blogs/podcast/542 The Hunt Backcountry Podcast is brought to you by Exo Mtn Gear: https://exomtngear.com/ Email Sign-up: https://exomtngear.com/newsletter Contact Us: podcast@exomtngear.com Leave A Message: https://speakpipe.com/huntbackcountry Podcast Episode Archive: https://exomtngear.com/podcast

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Welcome to the Hunt Backcountry podcast. This is episode number 5773, and our guest is Dr. Andy Galpin.
0:24.7	We have had Andy on the podcast a couple times in the past, and I will make sure to leave
0:31.1	links for those episodes in the short description, because they are definitely worth going
0:36.4	back to even if you've heard them.
0:38.5	Every time I speak with Andy, there's always on one hand so much information, but on the other hand,
0:43.8	so much clarity in the information that he provides, I always find it helpful.
0:49.0	I'm excited to chat with Andy today, but I'd also, again, encourage you guys to go back to
0:53.4	episode 454, where we talked
0:56.5	about hunting and human performance with Andy, and then episode 542, where we talked about
1:03.7	resilience, joint health, sleep, and more. We get into those conversations and similar today as well as we talk about
1:15.4	really essential information. We get into some topics that don't necessarily seem exciting.
1:22.5	They're not the buzzword, trendy health things you may see on Instagram.
1:27.9	It's just real stuff that matters as we talk about sleep, nutrition, mindset, and performance.
1:36.2	And there's a whole lot more to come.
1:38.4	I also want to let you guys know that since this conversation with Andy, he did follow up and give us a special offer to share
1:47.3	with you guys. Now, I will say if you know us, if you know the podcast, we don't have advertisers.
1:54.2	We don't have sponsors. We don't have affiliates. We are not sharing this offer because we are
2:00.0	financially invested or get a kickback.
2:02.0	This is truly just a discount to offer you guys.
2:05.8	So one of Andy's companies that he is involved with is vitality.
2:12.4	They do blood work where you don't have to go to a doctor or even your primary care. And they do blood work
2:19.0	differently, as you'll hear him mention this episode, because what vitality does is they look
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from by Exo Mtn Gear, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of by Exo Mtn Gear and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.