{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Cognitive Edge","title":"Fuelling the Brain for Cognitive Performance: Energy, Focus and Recovery Are Built on Your Worst Days, Not Your Best.","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":3556,"description":"In this episode of Cognitive Edge, Dr Miah Hammond-Errey is joined by Jessica Spendlove, one of Australia's leading performance dietitians turned executive wellbeing coach. She has more than 25 seasons experience across professional sport, major corporates and the ADF School of Special Operations. Drawing on her clinical background and her own experiences with burnout and parenthood, Spendlove explains why what we eat, when we eat, and how we structure our days are among the most direct levers available to anyone seeking to sustain high cognitive output.The conversation cuts through the noise of fasting protocols and supplement trends to focus on what Spendlove calls the five rhythms, nutrition, sleep, exercise, stress and recovery, and connection. This podcast explores how these five pillars interact to shape not just physical performance but also focus, decision-making and resilience. She makes a practical case for being proactive rather than reactive with daily inputs, explains the bi-directional relationship between nutrition and sleep, and offers a clear-eyed view of where supplements like creatine and omega-3s fit. For anyone operating under sustained cognitive load, this episode is a grounding and actionable listen.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Jessica Spendlove and her expertise01:34 Common myths about nutrition and cognitive performance02:34 Difference between general wellbeing and peak performance04:45 Foundations of good cognitive health: nutrition, rhythm, hydration07:22 The importance of sleep and managing transitions10:13 Brain breaks and micro moments for cognitive reset13:41 Balancing exercise, motherhood, and building new rhythms15:25 Where to start for improving cognitive function19:01 Fuelling for training and performance optimisation23:25 Protein pulsing and its effect on brain function26:26 Hydration's role in cognitive performance32:56 The science of creatine and brain energy39:45 Gut health and the gut-brain connection44:45 Supplements:...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/3W3x14w4GoWZnNAYsXzYofKhAMdbfsDyjGR4X5VUBcM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xNjlm/ZDRkMDAxNjY5MDc5/NTdkNTMxYjQyZTFh/OWIxNi5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}