EP 1365
1365. The 12 Greatest Mood Boosters on Earth
In this episode of The Human Upgrade, Host Dave Asprey sits down with biohacker and performance researcher Lucas Aoun for a deep, systems level conversation on mood, motivation, and dopamine. They break down why dopamine sensitivity matters more than stimulation, and how mood, drive, and emotional resilience are shaped by biology rather than personality. Dave and Lucas explore dopamine receptor upregulation, hormone optimization, neuroplasticity, and energy production, reframing depression, burnout, and low motivation as signal and regulation problems instead of character flaws. The conversation covers compounds and pathways discussed in the episode, including lithium, sarcosine, trumpet vine, testosterone, growth hormone, thyroid function, liver health, ketamine pathways, and sleep depth, while also examining GLP-1 drugs, desire suppression, and the ethics of advanced biohacking. Together, they show how upgrading core biological systems creates sustainable mood, focus, and resilience using a Smarter Not Harder approach to longevity and human performance.
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In this Episode of The Human Upgrade™...
Mood, motivation, and emotional resilience are not personality traits. They are biological systems. In this episode, you’ll get the 12 greatest mood boosters on Earth, not as a clickbait supplement list, but as the real biological levers that control dopamine sensitivity, hormones, neuroplasticity, and energy production.
Host Dave Asprey sits down in Dubai with Lucas Aoun, founder of Ergogenic Health and INB4, for a deep, experience driven conversation on dopamine, mood, and performance. Lucas is Australia’s leading biohacker, now based in Dubai, with a background in exercise science, naturopathy, and pharmacology. He is globally recognized for his work in dopamine regulation, testosterone optimization, and neurohormonal performance, and for rigorously testing protocols before recommending them.
Together, Dave and Lucas explore how dopamine receptor upregulation changes motivation, mood, and resilience more effectively than stimulants alone. They break down compounds and systems discussed in the episode including solbutiamine, lithium orotate, sarcosine, inositol, uridine, testosterone, growth hormone, ketamine pathways, thyroid optimization, liver health, sleep quality, and desire regulation. The conversation also examines GLP-1 drugs, why they can blunt motivation, and how to think more strategically about long term mood and energy.
This episode connects neuroscience, functional medicine, hormone biology, nootropics, and advanced biohacking ethics into a single framework for improving how you feel and function every day. Dave and Lucas also explain why experimentation requires guardrails, how to avoid tolerance and emotional flattening, and why upgrading baseline biology beats chasing quick fixes.
You’ll Learn:
- Why dopamine sensitivity matters more than dopamine levels
- How mood, motivation, and desire are regulated biologically
- Which compounds and systems came up as major mood levers
- How testosterone and growth hormone influence emotional resilience
- Why some longevity drugs may reduce motivation and drive
- How sleep depth and mitochondrial function affect mood
- The role of neuroplasticity in emotional regulation
- Why strategic testing beats random supplementation
- How to improve mood without addiction or burnout
- Where to start if you want sustainable energy and motivation
Dave Asprey is a four time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade is the top podcast for people who want to take control of their biology, extend their longevity, and optimize every system in the body and mind. Each episode features cutting edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, hacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.
Keywords: dopamine sensitivity, dopamine receptors, mood boosters, motivation biology, dopamine supplements, natural mood boosters, biohacking dopamine, emotional resilience, anhedonia dopamine, focus and motivation, testosterone mood, growth hormone mood, ketamine alternatives, neuroplasticity mood, sleep and mood regulation, mitochondrial energy mood, GLP-1 dopamine effects, desire regulation, hormone optimization mood, dave asprey dopamine, lucas aoun biohacking, smarter not harder mood
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Resources:
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- Upgrade Collective: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com
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- 40 Years of Zen: https://40yearsofzen.com
“This particular herb can actually release dopamine in the nucleus accumbens to the same level as amphetamines without the addictive potential.”
Lucas Aoun
0:00 – Introduction & Dopamine Discussion
Dave and Lucas set the frame for the episode by explaining why dopamine sensitivity, not stimulation, determines mood, motivation, and emotional stability, including Dave’s early experience with Adderall.
2:55 – Dopamine Compounds
Lucas explains his core goal of upregulating dopamine receptors and introduces compounds like solbutiamine and microdosed stimulants that may increase sensitivity without tolerance.
6:29 – Lithium & Emotional Regulation
They discuss low dose lithium orotate for emotional buffering, REM sleep, neuroprotection, and reducing reactivity during periods of extreme stress.
9:37 – Pain, Suffering & Biohacking Ethics
Dave and Lucas explore whether using biohacks to regulate mood is “cheating,” and how reducing reactivity can actually accelerate emotional learning rather than avoid it.
13:56 – Trumpet Vine & Amphetamine Alternatives
Lucas breaks down research on Thunbergia laurifolia, a plant shown to release dopamine in the nucleus accumbens at levels comparable to amphetamines without addictive patterns.
17:55 – Nootropics & Experimentation
They discuss how to experiment responsibly with nootropics, why individual neurochemistry matters, and the risks of stacking too many compounds at once.
20:27 – Sarcosine & Fast-Acting Antidepressants
Sarcosine is explored as a glycine reuptake inhibitor with research on anhedonia, mood, and AMPA receptor modulation without SSRI mechanisms.
23:53 – Sugar Tolerance & Inositol
Dave and Lucas discuss carbohydrate tolerance, blood sugar, and how high dose myo-inositol may improve HbA1c, mood, and OCD-related symptoms.
27:01 – Testosterone & Hormone Optimization
They break down testosterone’s role in mood, motivation, confidence, and dopamine signaling, and debunk myths around TRT and fertility.
33:48 – Natural Testosterone Optimization
Lucas shares how training, diet, supplements, and selective compounds can raise testosterone naturally, especially in younger men.
37:36 – Anabolic Agents & SARMs
Dave recounts his experience with SARMs, rapid muscle gain, and the neurological and connective tissue risks of aggressive anabolic experimentation.
39:38 – Growth Hormone & MK-677
MK-677 is explained as a growth hormone secretagogue, including its effects on IGF-1, sleep depth, appetite, and recovery.
40:38 – Cabergoline & Prolactin
They discuss prolactin, dopamine agonists like cabergoline, and how prolactin influences libido, motivation, and refractory periods.
49:03 – Thyroid & Reverse T3
Dave explains thyroid signaling, reverse T3, and why low carb or carnivore diets can impair energy, mood, and hormone availability.
51:18 – Liver Health & Tudca
The liver’s role in hormone metabolism, detoxification, and longevity is explored, with Tudca highlighted as a foundational support supplement.
54:53 – Ketamine & Psychedelics
Dave shares his experience with ketamine assisted neurofeedback, neuroplasticity, dissociation, and its role in emotional and cognitive resets.
1:02:01 – Experimental Compounds
They discuss high risk experimental substances, serotonin antagonism, and why having an exit strategy is critical when altering consciousness.
1:07:05 – Advanced Peptides & Compounds
Lucas introduces emerging peptides and compounds that influence steroidogenesis, muscle preservation, and hormone sensitivity.
1:13:19 – GLP-1 Agonists & Dopamine
They examine how GLP-1 drugs may blunt desire and motivation by suppressing dopamine signaling, even at microdoses.
1:14:44 – Closing Thoughts
Dave and Lucas emphasize starting with core systems like thyroid and testosterone, setting clear goals, and upgrading mood and energy methodically rather than chasing hacks.
Enjoy the show!
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