Dr. Martin Picard on Huberman Lab: Why stress grays hair

Picard reframes aging as a problem of energy flow and resistance; stress-triggered mitochondrial signals can gray hair, and the change is partly reversible.

Andrew HubermanhostMartin Picardguest

Dec 15, 20253h 16mWatch on YouTube ↗

EPISODE INFO

Released: December 15, 2025
Duration: 3h 16m
Channel: Huberman Lab
Watch on YouTube: ▶ Open ↗

EPISODE DESCRIPTION

Dr. Martin Picard, PhD, is a professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University and an expert on how our behaviors and psychology shape cellular energy production and rates of aging. He explains that your mitochondria don’t just “make energy”; they translate what you do—your mindset and your relationships—into the energy you experience as vitality or lack thereof. He explains how exercise, nutrition, sleep, meditation, and even certain thought patterns and our sense of purpose can charge our cells like batteries. He also shares findings that hair greying is the result of cellular stress and is reversible. This episode links physical and mental ‘energy’ with cellular energy and provides science-supported tools to improve your physical and mental health. Show notes: https://go.hubermanlab.com/dHanxYL *Thank you to our sponsors* AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman Helix: https://helixsleep.com/huberman Lingo: https://hellolingo.com/huberman Function: https://functionhealth.com/huberman Waking Up: https://wakingup.com/huberman *Follow Huberman Lab* Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hubermanlab Threads: https://www.threads.net/@hubermanlab X: https://twitter.com/hubermanlab Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hubermanlab TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hubermanlab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-huberman Website: https://www.hubermanlab.com Newsletter: https://www.hubermanlab.com/newsletter *Dr. Martin Picard* Personal website: https://martinpicard.energy Lab website: https://www.picardlab.org Academic profile: https://www.neurology.columbia.edu/profile/martin-picard-phd Publications: https://www.picardlab.org/all-publications.html TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idJo0hpLhyI Resources: https://www.picardlab.org/resources.html Scientific American: https://www.scientificamerican.com/author/martin-picard X: https://x.com/MitoPsychoBio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitopsychobio *Timestamps* 00:00:00 Martin Picard 00:03:50 What is Energy?, Energy Flow & Transformation 00:07:53 Energy, Vitality, Emotions, Sensory Perception 00:14:18 Sponsors: Helix Sleep & Lingo 00:17:19 “Mito-Centric” View of World, Mitochondrial Energy & Information Patterns 00:25:26 Organelles, Mitochondria & Energy Transformation; Maternal Genes 00:31:12 Mitotypes & Differentiation, Mitochondria as “Social Organisms” 00:36:52 Food & Dysfunctional Energy Transformation 00:40:02 Lifestyle Choices & Interests, Physiological Growth 00:46:39 Pregnancy, Amenorrhea; Illness & Tiredness 00:51:07 Sponsor: AG1 00:52:29 Energy Transformation & Distribution; Body’s Wisdom, Feeling Sick 00:56:27 Tool: Feel Your Energy; Breath & Energy 01:02:31 Flow of Energy; Trade-Offs, Life Purpose & Enjoyment 01:10:15 Biology, Meaningful Experiences & Energy Flow 01:16:27 Sponsor: Function 00:18:15 Inflammation, Energetic Flow 01:20:43 Child Prodigies, Species Lifespan & Mitochondrial Metabolism; Aging 01:28:56 Lifestyle & Aging: Exercise, Fasting; Inflammation, Sleep, Stimulants 01:37:06 Energetic Stress Signals, GDF-15, Cancer, Heart Failure 01:42:18 Genes, Lifestyle & Aging 01:47:54 Gray Hair Reversal, Stress; Inflammation & Aging 01:57:37 Energy Recovery, Sleep & Mitochondrial Function, Stress, Meditation 02:05:16 Tools: Yoga Nidra, NSDR; Pre-Sleep Relaxation, Energy & Restorative Sleep 02:10:58 Diet Individualization, Clinical Trials; Mitochondria & Nutrition, Keto 02:20:14 Alcohol; Energy Budget; Stress 02:25:02 Exercise, Increase Mitochondria, Overtraining; Resistance & Growth 02:33:06 Sponsor: Waking Up 02:34:41 Supplements & Mitochondria Health, Deficiencies, SS31, Methylene Blue 02:41:31 Energy Flow; Experiences, Balance 02:49:13 Transform Through Resistance, Energetic Awareness, Connection 02:56:05 Food Over-consumption Mitochondria Disruption; Tissues & Mitochondria 03:01:02 Mitochondrial Health Test; Tool: Ways to Increase Energy; Meditation 03:06:10 Peptides; Fertility Supplements, Urolithin A; Electromagnetic Fields 03:12:16 Acknowledgements 03:14:15 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube, Spotify; Apple Follow, Reviews; Feedback, Sponsors, Protocols Book, Social Media, Neural Network Newsletter #HubermanLab #Science #Longevity Disclaimer & Disclosures: https://www.hubermanlab.com/disclaimer

SPEAKERS

Andrew Huberman
host
Martin Picard
guest
Narrator
other

EPISODE SUMMARY

In this episode of Huberman Lab, featuring Andrew Huberman and Martin Picard, Dr. Martin Picard on Huberman Lab: Why stress grays hair explores harness Mitochondrial Energy: Mind, Stress, and Habits Shape Aging Andrew Huberman and mitochondrial biologist Dr. Martin Picard explore how mitochondria do far more than make ATP—they act as energy sensors and signal hubs that link psychology, behavior, and biology. Aging and vitality are reframed as questions of energy *flow* and *resistance*, not just of calories, genes, or time. Picard explains how stress, mindset, sleep, movement, and even purpose in life alter mitochondrial function across organs and brain areas, influencing mood, disease risk, and visible aging like hair graying. The conversation also examines why aging isn’t linear, how stress-linked gray hair can partially reverse, why overnutrition and chronic inflammation drain energy, and how practices like exercise, fasting, meditation, and better stress management can restore and redistribute energy for health and longevity.

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