The Workout Plan for Your Brain with Neurophysiologist Louisa Nicola
Is walking enough? Is Pilates enough? How heavy should you actually be lifting? If you’ve ever wondered which exercise really protects your brain as you age, especially through perimenopause and menopause, this conversation gives you the exact weekly plan.
In this episode, Tamsen sits down with clinical neurophysiologist and Alzheimer’s researcher Louisa Nicola, founder of Neuro Athletics and host of The Neuro Experience podcast, to talk about why she calls exercise medicine for the brain. Louisa explains that, outside of medication, exercise is the most powerful intervention we have to lower our risk of Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, a disease that affects far more women than men.
Tamsen opens up about the short-term memory loss and brain fog that scared her during perimenopause, and Louisa breaks down what happens inside your brain when you walk, sprint and lift, from BDNF and lactate to the myokines your muscles release. Then she builds out a workout plan for your brain: two days a week of heavy compound lifting at around 80% of your one-rep max, one Norwegian 4x4 interval session, zone 2 cardio and 10,000 steps a day.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
- Why exercise is the best non-drug intervention for lowering Alzheimer’s risk
- How heavy to lift for brain health, and why compound moves like squats and deadlifts matter most
- Why Pilates is a great add-on, but not enough on its own
- The surprising link between leg strength and brain aging: “the larger the legs, the larger the brain”
- What zone 2 training (about 65% of your max heart rate) does for the hippocampus and memory
- How to raise your VO2 max with the Norwegian 4x4, how to estimate it with the 12-minute Cooper test, and why she wouldn’t rely on your wearable
- What she says about creatine for the brain, omega-3s, and the p-tau217 blood test and APOE4 gene test you can ask your doctor about
If you’ve ever wondered whether your workouts are doing anything for your brain, this episode will help you build a plan that protects your memory now and decades from now.
If you liked this episode, then you’ll like: How Getting Stronger as You Age Can Change Everything with The Muscle Doctor, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon and The #1 Pharmacist Phil Cowley: Creatine, Greens, Electrolytes, What’s Worth Buying and What Isn’t
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FOLLOW LOUISA NICOLA:
- Follow Louisa on Instagram
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- Listen to Louisa’s podcast, The Neuro Experience
- Watch TNE with Louisa Nicola on YouTube
- Subscribe to Louisa’s Neuro Athletics newsletter
MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:
- Dr. Lisa Mosconi on The Tamsen Show
- Walking and hippocampus study (Erickson et al., PNAS, 2011)
- Leg power and cognitive aging in older female twins (Steves et al., Gerontology, 2016)
- The Norwegian 4x4 interval study (Helgerud et al., Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2007)
- The 12-minute Cooper test (Cooper, JAMA, 1968)
- Creatine monohydrate pilot study in Alzheimer’s (Smith et al., 2025)
- Creatine and sleep deprivation study (Gordji-Nejad et al., Scientific Reports, 2024)
- FDA clears the first blood test used in diagnosing Alzheimer’s (p-tau217)
- APOE4 and Alzheimer’s genetics (Alzheimer’s Association)
- The 14 modifiable dementia risk factors (2024 Lancet Commission)
- Sleep regularity and mortality study (Windred et al., Sleep, 2024)
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Medical Disclaimer:
The information provided in this podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional regarding any medical concerns or treatment options. The views expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of The Tamsen Show.
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