The Huberman Protocol: What works for you and what doesn't (2026)

Andrew Huberman has an extensive supplement stack, a Stanford lab, and a schedule free of children, traffic, or meetings. You probably have some items from that list. So the question isn't whether his protocol works for him. The question is: what part of his protocol works for you?

Below, we'll walk through his day, from waking up to bedtime. For each period, you'll read what he does, why he says he does it, what the research says, and, more importantly, what the workable version is for someone with a job and a Northern European winter. We'll add one thing most fan pages omit: an honest verdict for each element. Not everything Huberman does is equally well-substantiated. Not everything is for everyone.

Who is Andrew Huberman?

Andrew Huberman is a professor of neurobiology and ophthalmology at Stanford. He hosts the Huberman Lab podcast, one of the most listened-to science podcasts in the world. His approach: take a topic from behavioral science or neuroscience, explain what the research truly says, and provide a protocol that a normal person can implement.

What sets him apart: he updates his protocol when new research demands it. The most famous example is Fadogia Agrestis, a testosterone supplement he was once enthusiastic about. When human safety data remained limited and animal studies suggested potential testicular damage, he became more cautious. That kind of intellectual honesty is rare.

The protocol at a glance

Before we delve into the day, here's the complete protocol with our verdicts. SOLID (strong evidence base), DEPENDS (works for some, not universally), OVERHYPED (limited evidence relative to marketing), and NOT HERE (restricted in NL or EU, or now advised against by Huberman himself).

With this overview in mind, here's what his day looks like.

Morning: 06:00 to 10:00

What Huberman does

He wakes up between 06:00 and 06:30 and goes outside within the first hour for 10 to 15 minutes of daylight. No sunglasses. Cloudy day? A little longer. First, water with sea salt or an electrolyte mix. Caffeine comes only 90 to 120 minutes after waking, often yerba mate or black coffee. If he feels less rested, he starts with 10 minutes of NSDR (a type of yoga nidra protocol to mentally recharge without sleeping).

The principle

Two mechanisms. Daylight in the first hours sends a signal to your hypothalamus that your day is beginning. That sets a 14 to 16-hour clock for melatonin release in the evening (the hormone that makes you sleepy). Skip that signal, and your sleep that evening is measurably worse. The second is caffeine timing. Adenosine is a molecule that builds up during your waking hours and makes you sleepy. Caffeine temporarily blocks these receptors. If you drink coffee too early, you suppress the natural cortisol peak and later experience a crash.

Research perspective

The daylight recommendation is well-supported. The 90-minute caffeine rule is more principle than hard science. It works for people with a healthy cortisol pattern. If you have chronic sleep problems or disturbed cortisol, 45 to 60 minutes might be a better fit. No shame in that.

Translation gap for you

Huberman lives in California and works at Stanford. You're in Europe, with a job that starts at 09:00. The principle still applies. Workable for you: go outside for 10 minutes, even on a gloomy day. Daylight through clouds is still many times stronger than indoor lighting. In darker months, a 10,000 lux daylight lamp helps as a bridge. The caffeine waiting rule is worth an experiment. Try it for two weeks. Does your late morning slump disappear? Keep going. Do you mostly feel miserable during those first 90 minutes? 45 minutes is a good compromise.

Use your wearable as a signal

Your Oura or Whoop readiness score that morning indicates whether your cortisol response is strong enough to wait with caffeine. Below 70 means your body needs recovery, not an experiment with delayed caffeine. On those days, coffee can be earlier.

Supplements for the morning

Huberman uses LMNT, an American electrolyte brand with high sodium content. It's quite expensive and now difficult to obtain in Europe. The European alternative? That's NoordCode Electrolytes with the same philosophy. For those who prefer drops in water: the Kiki Health Ionic Electrolytes Liquid.

Then vitamin D3 plus K2. Huberman uses 5000 to 10000 IU per day, based on his blood test. The Dutch recommendation is 800 IU (EU countries often between 800 and 2000 IU). That seems like a huge difference, but the Dutch guideline, for example, dates back to a time when we mainly looked at what was needed to prevent rickets (a bone disease), not to optimize functioning. In practice: almost everyone who consciously supplements is above 1000 IU, and most longevity-oriented doctors themselves take 2000 to 5000 IU. Your ideal dose lies between those extremes, and you determine it best with a blood test. Our Vitamin D3 + K2 Oral Spray is a good starting point. For those who want more: Ultimate Vitamin D3 + K2. Vitamin D3 contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system. The combination with K2 is there to direct calcium to the right places in your body.

Late morning and lunch: 10:00 to 14:00

What Huberman does

After his caffeine moment, he does 90 minutes of focused deep work. No phone, no notifications. His first meal comes between 11:00-13:00, often after 16 to 18 hours of fasting since dinner. With it, he takes AG1, a powdered multivitamin that sponsors his podcast. And about AG1: that story deserves a separate paragraph.

AG1 has been central to Huberman's mornings for years. Until early 2026, Bryan Johnson gained a lot of attention with a series of posts, presenting research suggesting that AG1 did not demonstrably contribute to health markers. The backlash was significant. Fans felt misled because Huberman had promoted the product for so long and so prominently. Our take: AG1 is not a dangerous product, but 100 euros per month is not proportionate to what a well-stocked kitchen plus a few targeted single-ingredient supplements give you. Following Huberman? Note that he still takes this and decide for yourself if it still convinces you. Also read our article about Bryan Johnson's protocol.

The principle

Time-restricted eating has research pointing to metabolic regulation and possible anti-inflammatory effects. Stopping caffeine well before evening protects his sleep. The coffee cut-off is around 12:00, because caffeine can still be in your blood for about 5 to 7 hours. In other words: that 15:00 cup still has 50 milligrams in your blood at 22:00.

Research perspective

Intermittent fasting has nuanced research. For some, it works excellently, others experience more stress and poorer sleep. Women over 35, in particular, may react differently due to hormone patterns, especially in the second half of their cycle.

Translation gap for you

16 hours of fasting isn't best for everyone. Do you have a physically or mentally demanding morning? Are you a woman with cycle-sensitive energy? A 12 to 14-hour window is often smarter then. Workable for you: experiment with the caffeine cut-off before you start fasting. Stop coffee after 12:00 for two weeks and see what it does to your sleep with the help of your wearable. That's a change with more impact than all sleep supplements combined.

Use your wearable as a signal

The question at this point: do the caffeine cut-off and late first meal work for you? Look at your 7-day HRV trend on your Oura or Whoop. If it rises or remains stable, it means your routine is serving you. If it drops, it means something is too heavy: often the fasting window is too long, or caffeine is in your system too late and affecting your sleep.

Supplements for lunch

With a fatty meal, omega-3 absorption increases significantly. Super Omega-3 Plus EPA/DHA is therefore a good fit here. Huberman aims for 2 to 3 grams of EPA per day. Omega-3 (EPA and DHA) contributes to normal heart function with a daily intake of 250 milligrams.

For your protein intake (aim for 1.6 grams per kilogram of body weight per day): NoordCode Whey Protein or the plant-based variant.

Afternoon: 14:00 to 18:00

What Huberman does

He schedules his workout, often around 14:00 to 16:00. Three days a week resistance training (60 to 75 minutes max), three days cardio (one long Zone 2 session, one mid-intensity of 25 to 35 minutes, one short HIIT). One day heat plus cold (sauna followed by cold plunge, 3 to 5 times). After his workout, 1 to 3 minutes of cold exposure.

The principle

Strength training maintains muscle (from age 40, you lose 1% muscle per year without training). Zone 2 cardio builds mitochondrial capacity, the basis for endurance and metabolic health. HIIT pushes your VO2 max (how much oxygen your body can maximally utilize during intense exertion). Cold exposure releases dopamine and norepinephrine, which sharpens your mental state.

Research perspective

The 3+3+1 schedule is well-supported. Cold exposure has solid research for mood and alertness, limited evidence for recovery claims. Important: cold exposure immediately after strength training can blunt muscle growth stimulus. For pure recovery: wait a few hours or do cold exposure on rest days.

Translation gap for you

Six workouts a week is unrealistic for most people and not even necessary. Workable for you: three times movement, two times strength and one time Zone 2, provides most of the longevity benefits. Cold exposure: 11 minutes total per week is enough according to research (Søberg et al. 2021). Three times a minute of cold showering already counts. No ice bath needed and not recommended for women in the second half of their cycle.

Use your wearable as a signal

For your workout, your Whoop strain score or your Oura activity ring is a direct measure. A Whoop strain of 14 to 18 is usually the sweet spot for growth without overtraining. An HRV that drops 20% or more the morning after a workout is a sign that the workout was too heavy for your current recovery capacity.

Supplements for the afternoon

Creatine Monohydrate Powder is for Huberman the most evidence-backed supplement after omega 3. He initially took 5 grams and has increased this to 10 to 15 grams daily due to scientific research on cognition. In his Whey protein shake, or with water and lemon. For those who want a certified Creapure variant: Creatine Creapure Unflavored. Creatine enhances physical performance during successive short, very intensive physical efforts with a daily intake of 3 grams.

For stress and cortisol management: Ashwagandha Plus. An adaptogen, a herb traditionally used in Ayurveda to support the body's stress response.

Then something that often comes up in the Huberman protocol: NAD+ boosters. He takes NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) for cellular energy and longevity. Problem: NMN is not allowed in the EU. Fortunately, there is an alternative that is allowed and equally well-supported, if not better: NR (nicotinamide riboside). Both are precursors to NAD+, a molecule your cells use to create energy. The DoNotAge Pure NR is a very pure, EU-legal option for those who want to follow this pillar of the protocol.

Evening and night: 18:00 to bedtime

What Huberman does

Around sunset, he goes outside again to watch the evening sun. Second signal to his circadian rhythm. Last meal 2 to 3 hours before bedtime, often with starchy carbs like rice or pasta because that helps his sleep. He goes to bed between 22:00 and 23:00.

His sleep cocktail consists of three core components, 30 to 60 minutes before bed:

• Magnesium L-threonate, 145 milligrams elemental magnesium
• Apigenin, 50 milligrams (a flavonoid from chamomile)
• L-theanine, 100 to 400 milligrams (an amino acid from tea)

Three to four nights a week, he adds glycine (2 grams) and GABA (100 milligrams).

The principle

Magnesium L-threonate is the only form of magnesium that effectively crosses the blood-brain barrier. That makes it relevant for cognitive aspects of sleep, not just muscle relaxation. Apigenin acts on GABA receptors in the brain, which provides a calming effect. L-theanine increases alpha brainwave activity, associated with relaxed alertness (a good transitional state to sleep).

Research perspective

Magnesium for sleep has good observational support. Magnesium L-threonate specifically has limited but growing clinical support. Apigenin has little human research. L-theanine has mildly positive studies but no EFSA-approved claim. To be fair: the sleep cocktail works for many people, but not all ingredients are proven to the same extent.

Important for women to know

Apigenin has an estrogen-suppressing effect. Usually not an issue for men. For women, especially in fertile years or perimenopause, this is an ingredient to be cautious with. Huberman himself advises women to consider this. Our advice: omit apigenin from your stack if you are a woman, and stick to magnesium and possibly theanine.

Translation gap for you

A darkened bedroom, no partner still watching Netflix until 23:00, no children waking up at 6:30: not everyone's reality. The principle (preparing your brain for rest with the right building blocks and a sleep environment that serves you) remains. Workable for you: start with one supplement (magnesium), test for two weeks, then possibly expand. Phone outside the bedroom and a silk sleep mask if your partner is still reading will do more for your sleep than any supplement.

Use your wearable as a signal

Your sleep latency on your Oura (how quickly you fall asleep) is direct feedback on your evening routine. Under 15 minutes is healthy. A deep sleep percentage below 15 percent is a signal that your magnesium status or sleep environment needs attention. Low REM is often a sign of alcohol yesterday or a meal too late.

Supplements and tools for the evening

For the Huberman approach: Neuro-Mag Magnesium L-Threonate is the exact same form he uses. For those who prefer bisglycinate (cheaper, less cognitively focused but equally effective for general relaxation): Magnesium Glycinate. Magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

For those who want to try glycine: Glycine has research for sleep onset and body temperature regulation during the night.

For the sleep environment: a Deep Sleep Mask Silk ensures total darkness. Not a supplement, but one of the most impactful adjustments you can make.

Build your own version of the Huberman protocol

Huberman has a Stanford lab, two extensive blood tests annually, and a schedule he completely determines himself. These resources are not available to everyone. And they don't have to be. The principle behind his protocol is universal: a daily routine that aligns sleep, exercise, nutrition, and targeted supplements. You scale the implementation to what fits your life.

BeatsWell was founded by entrepreneurs who had the same problem as you: a market full of claims, little transparency, and no place where someone weighs what really works for you. Together with longevity doctors and orthomolecular therapists, we set the standard, and BeatsWell selects which products and protocols pass through our gate. What you read here has been weighed by the team.

Translating this to your body and your goals requires a 20-minute conversation. Schedule a free wellness check and we'll see where you start together. Prefer to start on your own? Build your routine in 2 minutes with the Routine Builder.

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