Cognitive Decline Expert: The Disease That Starts in Your 30s but Kills You in Your 70s

The Diary Of A CEO with Steven Bartlett

FlightStory

Business, Society & Culture, Education

4.5 • 17.8K Ratings

🗓️ 5 February 2026

⏱️ 127 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Alzheimer’s expert LOUISA NICOLA explains early Alzheimer’s risk, why creatine fuels brain energy and memory, deep sleep hacks, and why sitting is a silent killer! Louisa Nicola is a leading neurophysiologist and human performance coach who studies the brain and nervous system. She is the founder of Neuro Athletics, a consulting firm that provides scientific strategies for cognitive performance, and is also currently finishing her PhD at the University of Washington. She explains: ▪️Why 70% of Alzheimer's patients are women ▪️The "leaky brain" warning signs you are ignoring ▪️Why menopause triggers a 30% drop in brain energy ▪️How 20 minutes of Zone 5 training reverses heart aging ▪️Why your "willpower muscle" shrinks without hard challenges (0:00) Intro (2:31) Why I’m on a Mission to Prevent Alzheimer’s for Millions (2:58) Alzheimer’s Might Be More Preventable Than You Think (4:34) How Lifestyle Habits Quietly Lead to Dementia (8:43) Why Some Older Adults Stay Mentally Sharper Than the Young (12:35) What Short-Form Content Is Doing to Your Brain (13:47) The Hidden Cognitive Power of Exercise (16:31) Why Strong Legs Might Be a Key to Brain Health (17:23) How Resistance Training Rewires Your Brain (21:08) Can Exercise Actually Help Suppress Cancer? (22:58) The One Exercise That Shields Your Brain Over Time (25:42) Can Aerobic Training Help Prevent Alzheimer’s? (28:47) What Cardiovascular Health Really Means for Your Brain (32:15) Why VO2 Max Could Predict How Long You’ll Live (34:45) The Best Exercises for Long-Term Brain and Mental Health (41:45) What to Do Right After an Alzheimer’s Diagnosis (45:05) Why the Ketogenic Diet Could Benefit Perimenopausal Women (50:12) What You Should Know About Hormone Replacement Therapy (52:31) How to Find the Best HRT for Your Body and Brain (1:00:24) Ads (1:01:56) The Overlooked Link Between Sleep Loss and Alzheimer’s (1:03:42) Why You Need to Rethink Your Sleep Habits Now (1:07:01) Can Ashwagandha and Rhodiola Really Reduce Stress? (1:10:02) The Most Potent Brain Supplement You’ve Never Tried (1:14:04) How Vitamin D Supports Longevity and Brain Health (1:15:03) The Most Affordable Way to Boost Brain and Body Function (1:34:34) Ads (1:36:27) Why Doing Hard Things Literally Grows Your Brain (1:43:28) Are Chatbots Causing Brain Rot? Here’s What We Know (1:49:03) The Truth Women Deserve to Hear About Their Health (1:57:39) What Happens When You’re Obsessed With Your Mission Enjoyed the episode? Share this link and earn points for every referral - redeem them for exclusive prizes: https://doac-perks.com Independent Research: https://stevenbartlett.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/DOAC-Louisa-Nicola-Independent-Research-further-reading.pdf Follow Louisa: Instagram - https://linkly.link/2ZgsR YouTube - https://linkly.link/2ZgsW X - https://linkly.link/2Zgsa Neuroathletics - https://linkly.link/2Zgsf Podcast - https://linkly.link/2ZmIF You can learn more about ‘BRAIN CODE’, here: https://linkly.link/2ZmIC The Diary Of A CEO: ◼️Join DOAC circle here - https://doaccircle.com/ ◼️Buy The Diary Of A CEO book here - https://smarturl.it/DOACbook ◼️The 1% Diary is back - limited time only: https://bit.ly/3YFbJbt ◼️The Diary Of A CEO Conversation Cards (Second Edition): https://g2ul0.app.link/f31dsUttKKb ◼️Get email updates - https://bit.ly/diary-of-a-ceo-yt ◼️Follow Steven - https://g2ul0.app.link/gnGqL4IsKKb Sponsors: Apple Card - https://Apple.co/get-daily-cash Apple Card issued by Goldman Sachs Bank USA, Salt Lake City Branch. Offer may not be available everywhere. Terms and limitations apply. Ketone - https://ketone.com/STEVEN for 30% off your subscription order Wispr - Get 14 days of Wispr Flow for free at https://wisprflow.ai/DOAC

Transcript

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0:00.0	I want to make the most of my stocks and shares ISA allowance, but I don't want to spend my evening stock picking or scrolling investment strategies.
0:07.0	So I added FNC Investment Trust to my ISA, one simple choice and my money's hard at work in over 350 of the world's leading companies.
0:14.9	So I get to make the most of my ISA and invest my money, not my weekends.
0:19.3	Add F&C Investment Trust to your ISA before the deadline. Search FNC Investment Trust, capital at risk. This FNC Investment Trust advert is approved for distribution by Columbia Threadneedle Management Limited January 2026. We have this white powder in front of me. You've got a big smile on your face. I do because I don't care who you are. You should definitely be having this.
0:38.4	So let's talk about creatine.
0:39.8	Phenomenal research shows you can creatine your way out of sleep deprivation.
0:44.0	It can protect your brain against a concussion, stroke from stress.
0:47.5	And there was a study done on Alzheimer's disease patients.
0:50.2	And they found that patients not only preserved their cognitive functions, but they had more
0:55.9	energy and they were able to exercise more. And I know this because I'm a clinician. And over the last
1:02.2	decade, I've been surrounded by the greatest neurosurgeons in the world studying the brain.
1:06.7	And so I'm here to tackle one disease, and that is Alzheimer's, because it generally starts
1:12.5	in our 30s, and 60 million people worldwide have Alzheimer's.
1:17.0	70% being women, and I get angry, and I get passionate, because women have been lied to.
1:22.9	They've been underrepresented.
1:24.4	They downplay their symptoms, or they're too scared to ask their doctor for advice.
1:28.5	And what people don't really know is that it is a preventable disease.
1:31.8	But it's like end-stage cancer.
1:33.8	Once you get the diagnosis, there is no cure.
1:36.6	And the fact that so many people are at the mercy of a disease that is preventable is not
1:42.4	okay with me.
1:43.3	And I don't think people understand these
	...

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