The guest
Tim Ferriss: Author, angel investor, and host of The Tim Ferriss Show; creator of the Coyote card game with Exploding Kittens and founder of the Saisei (SCI) Foundation funding mental-health science.
What this episode covers
In this solo listener Q&A, Tim Ferriss walks through his recovery from lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow) surgery a week and a half prior, detailing his decongestion, BFR training, peptide, and supplement protocols. He explains his workflow for using AI tools like Consensus.app, ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity to research medical questions before cross-referencing with expert physicians. He covers his evolving views on intermittent fasting and protein absorption, reflects on the failure of The 4-Hour Chef as a catalytic gift that launched his podcast, and shares thoughts on Austin vs. San Francisco for AI builders. He also discusses behind-the-scenes work on fusion energy and emissions reduction, plus creative ambitions to build an AI-generated movie trailer for his Cockpunch/Vorlatta world.
Recommended on this episode
ProductRecommended
Marc Pro device
Marc Pro
“I was using a device called a mark pro device”
“I was using a device called a mark pro device MC which provides effectively stimulation through electrodes to pump the tissue for decongestion and lymphatic drainage”— Tim Ferriss
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BPC-157
“that I was consuming”
“there were a number of peptides like EMP 157, not medical advice for information purposes only, that I was consuming to kind of hedge my bets”— Tim Ferriss
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Alpha lipoic acid
“I am still taking”
“I am still taking the A component of that which would be alpha lipoic acid which can be helpful for liver health”— Tim Ferriss
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N-acetylcysteine (NAC)
“I'm also taking anicylcyine or NAC”
“I'm also taking anicylcyine or NAC and then the two G's refer to green tea extract and garlic allisonin extract. I still find value in those”— Tim Ferriss
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Green tea extract
“I still find value in those”
“the two G's refer to green tea extract and garlic allisonin extract. I still find value in those”— Tim Ferriss
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Garlic allicin extract
“I still find value in those”
“the two G's refer to green tea extract and garlic allisonin extract. I still find value in those”— Tim Ferriss
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Uloric (febuxostat)
“I'm taking something called uloric”
“I'm taking something called uloric for fibuistat for managing uric acid levels to avoid future problems with gout for instance”— Tim Ferriss
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Nexlizet (ezetimibe and bempedoic acid)
“I am taking something called nexette”
“Nexloette which is a combination of a zettobe and bmpidoic acid or various lipid profile variables or like kind of biomarkers that I care about”— Tim Ferriss
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Famotidine (Pepcid)
“I'm also taking fototedine, otherwise known as Pepsid”
“I'm also taking fototedine, otherwise known as Pepsid, for possible anti-COVID applications. You should look up the research on that”— Tim Ferriss
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Collagen
“I'm taking the supplementation which I mentioned which is the collagen”
“I'm taking the supplementation which I mentioned which is the collagen often with whey protein and vitamin C prior to any type of straining or training”— Tim Ferriss
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Vitamin C
“the collagen often with whey protein and vitamin C”
“the collagen often with whey protein and vitamin C prior to any type of straining or training or stretching of the elbow”— Tim Ferriss
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Maca root extract
“I am also taking maca root extract which I found to be beneficial”
“I am also taking maca root extract which I found to be beneficial for a host of different things and almost acts like a mild androgen”— Tim Ferriss
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Magnesium L-threonate (Magtein)
“And I'm taking the Mag 3 and8”
“And I'm taking the Mag 3 and8”— Tim Ferriss
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Fish oil
Pure Encapsulations
“I'm taking fish oil. Good old fish oil. Pure encapsulations”
“I'm taking fish oil. Good old fish oil. Pure encapsulations. The one has been tested by Kevin Rose and Ronda Patrick as being quite pure”— Tim Ferriss
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AREDS 2
Bausch + Lomb
“I am also taking a reds 2”
“I am also taking a reds 2 which is a supplement that is produced by bowin lom based on clinical research into helping to improve some types of ocular degeneration”— Tim Ferriss
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Whey protein
“I will almost certainly have one or two protein shakes”
“I will almost certainly have one or two protein shakes... which would have added, let's just call it 30 g of fast acting protein... but whey is just easy”— Tim Ferriss
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Fall of Civilizations podcast
Paul Cooper
“if you just listen to the Fall of Civilizations podcast”
“Like if you just listen to the Fall of Civilizations podcast and you're like, Oh, wow. Yeah, the Assyrians used to be a really big deal”— Tim Ferriss
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The Tim Ferriss Show: Dr. Kevin Tracey episode
Tim Ferriss
“I encourage you to listen to my Dr. Kevin Tracy episode”
“I encourage you to listen to my Dr. Kevin Tracy episode that came out not too long ago”— Tim Ferriss
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The Tim Ferriss Show: Dominic D'Agostino episode (sardine fasting)
Tim Ferriss
“you should check that out. It's pretty wild”
“something coming out tomorrow on the podcast with Dominic Dagustinino, sardine fasting, you should check that out. It's pretty wild”— Tim Ferriss
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Sin City (collector's edition coffee table book)
Frank Miller
“I put up that giant coffee table book which is a collector's edition of Sin City”
“I put up that giant coffee table book which is a collector's edition of Sin City by Frank Miller because you get to see underneath the finished inking a lot of the pencil marks”— Tim Ferriss
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MCT oil
“MCT oil does have some very interesting case studies”
“MCT oil does have some very interesting case studies and I think also clinical trials that you can look at in terms of cognitive enhancement”— Tim Ferriss
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Maui Nui Venison
Maui Nui Venison
“the sort of most nutritious red meat you can purchase on the planet arguably”
“one of the largest investors in Maui new venison which is the sort of most nutritious red meat you can purchase on the planet arguably”— Tim Ferriss
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Audio-Technica headset
Audio-Technica
“which is what I'm using right now, an Audio Technica headset”
“I prefer to have a hard connection, which is what I'm using right now, an Audio Technica headset with this as backup audio at highest fidelity via QuickTime”— Tim Ferriss
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Monopoly Deal
Hasbro
“Monopoly Deal, great game... Are my go-to card games with family and friends”
“Stephanie, Monopoly Deal, great game. And Coyote, I'm biased. I think it's also a great game. Are my go-to card games with family and friends”— Tim Ferriss
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Zero fasting app
Kevin Rose
“Kevin Rose's zero fasting app. Yes, for fasting. Great one”
“Kevin Rose's zero fasting app. Yes, for fasting. Great one”— Tim Ferriss
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THC and CBN (for pain/sleep)
“I'm taking a combination of THC and CBN to help with pain, which it does in my case quite dramatically”
“I'm taking a combination of THC and CBN to help with pain, which it does in my case quite dramatically”— Tim Ferriss
ProductRecommended
Consensus.app
Consensus
“I also use something called consensus.app”
“I also use something called consensus.app. Consensus.app is specifically tuned for reviewing published scientific literature to answer a given question”— Tim Ferriss
The guest's own work
ProductBy the guest
Coyote
Exploding Kittens
“Coyote, the game that's now in 8,000 or so retail locations. And Coyote itself is one of the smallest games that Exploding Kittens has ever made”— Tim Ferriss
BookBy the guestISBN verified
The 4-Hour Chef
Tim Ferriss
“That won't surprise anybody who's read the 4-hour chef, which is confusingly a book about accelerated learning, but sequencing is the magic sauce”— Tim Ferriss
BookBy the guestISBN verified
The 4-Hour Body
Tim Ferriss
“Polycosinol is the only thing the P of PG that I would put on the question mark chopping block if I were to update the 4hour body”— Tim Ferriss
Also referenced (named, not recommended)
MediaReferenced
The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar
Wes Anderson
“Have you seen the wonderful story of Henry Sugar? I had to look that up. It looks amazing. A Wes Anderson short film adaptation of a Rald Doll short story which I'm very excited to see”— Tim Ferriss
BookReferencedISBN verified
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Roald Dahl
“particularly since I just finished listening to Charlie in the Chocolate Factory by the same author”— Tim Ferriss
BookReferencedISBN verified
How to Stop Worrying and Start Living
Dale Carnegie
“this actually makes me think of Dale Carnegie and how to stop worrying and start living. Often step number one is more information”— Tim Ferriss
ProductReferenced
KetoStart (ketone salt and electrolyte combination)
Dom D'Agostino
“there are other ketones that are less expensive than the ketone monoester like keto start made by Don Dagghastino which is a electrolyte and ketone salt combination”— Tim Ferriss
BookReferencedISBN verified
Fast Like a Girl
Dr. Mindy Pelz
“you're recommending Dr. Mindy Peltz reset her podcast. She wrote Eat Like a Girl and Fast Like a Girl all about fasting. That's interesting to me also”— Tim Ferriss
MediaReferenced
The Resetter Podcast
Dr. Mindy Pelz
“you're recommending Dr. Mindy Peltz reset her podcast. She wrote Eat Like a Girl and Fast Like a Girl all about fasting”— Tim Ferriss
Big reveals from this episode
- Tim had surgery for lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow), repairing an injury from a jiu-jitsu accident 20+ years ago where a black belt hyperextended his elbow; he's about a week and a half post-op with near-full extension.
- He's using a Marc Pro device for decongestion and lymphatic drainage, lymphatic massage, peptides like BPC-157, collagen plus vitamin C (per Keith Baras), and blood flow restriction (BFR) training recommended by Kelly Starrett.
- His AI medical workflow: Consensus.app for scoring published literature (red/yellow/green conviction ratings), cross-referenced with ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity, then sends the key paragraph to his surgeon for expert verification.
- Tim carries the APOE 3/4 genotype, which raises his Alzheimer's risk roughly 2.5x versus APOE 3/3, influencing his interest in DORA-class sleep meds that may help clear amyloid plaque and tau.
- He changed his mind about intermittent fasting; after a strict keto phase plus a 16:8 fasting window, he recorded his best blood work in over a decade, including very high testosterone.
- The 4-Hour Chef was boycotted by Barnes & Noble, Costco, and other retailers because it launched Amazon Publishing; its failure pushed Tim to launch his podcast as a test of 6-10 episodes, now 800+ episodes over a decade later.
- Behind the scenes, Tim has spent 5+ years investing in fusion and nuclear clean energy, algae feed additives to cut cattle methane, and meat alternatives, despite being an avid meat eater and major Maui Nui venison investor.
- He wants to create an AI-generated movie trailer for his Vorlatta/Cockpunch world as a low-cost proof of concept, casting Tom Hardy and a younger Timothee Chalamet-type as a father-son pair.
Worth remembering
- The Coyote card game by Exploding Kittens is now in roughly 8,000 retail locations and is their first game sold on a hang tag.
- Tim takes prescriptions including Uloric (febuxostat) for uric acid/gout and Nexlizet (ezetimibe + bempedoic acid) for lipid management, since male relatives on both sides tend to die of cardiovascular complications.
- He takes famotidine (Pepcid) for possible anti-COVID applications and as a possible mild vagal tone improver.
- He takes maca root extract, which acts like a mild androgen and may benefit reproductive health, plus THC and CBN at night for elbow pain while being 100% off opioids.
- His supplement roll call includes Pure Encapsulations fish oil (tested pure by Kevin Rose and Rhonda Patrick) and AREDS2 by Bausch + Lomb for ocular health.
- Tim argues the myth that you can't absorb more than 30g of protein per sitting isn't supported by literature, and older adults may absorb protein more effectively in fewer sittings.
- He has a 40-page English printout describing a Soviet psychiatrist's center that fasted thousands of schizophrenia and psychiatric patients for 30+ days.
- Tim names Taiwan as a favorite place he wishes he'd returned to sooner, praising its preserved culture, food, and nature within an hour's drive of Taipei.
- For competitive chess as a mental sport, Tim emphasizes stabilizing glucose metabolism via intermittent fasting and moderating caffeine, which spikes insulin and can spike glucose.
- Tim records his podcast with a hard-wired Audio-Technica headset plus AirPods as backup audio via QuickTime, following his 'two is one and one is none' principle.
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