Brain energy, menopause and cognitive decline

Today I’m joined by neuroscientist and mitochondrial health expert Siobhan Mitchell to cut through the noise around mitochondria, inflammation, NAD, and what actually matters for energy, recovery, and brain health in midlife

We unpack why mitochondria are not just “battery packs”, they are a master regulator of oxidative stress, immune signalling, and cellular aging. Siobhan explains the difference between hormetic stress that upgrades your system (like training) versus chronic stress that drains it

WHAT YOU’LL LEARN:

• What mitochondria actually do, beyond “energy production”
 • Mitophagy and mitochondrial biogenesis, and why both decline with age
 • The difference between hormetic stress (exercise) and chronic stress (modern life)
 • Why mitochondrial dysfunction can drive inflammation and immune overactivation
 • How brain energy demand and oestrogen loss intersect in menopause symptoms
 • CD38, inflammation, and why staying lean matters for NAD preservation
 • Why NAD precursors can be wasted, and what supports conversion inside the cell
 • The practical take on timing, training, and recovery support

TIMESTAMPS

00:01 Mitochondria, ATP, and the oxidative stress trade-off
 04:14 Mitophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, and aging
 16:13 Mitochondria as immune regulators, inflammation and cytokines
 23:09 Brain energy, menopause, oestrogen, and cognitive decline mechanisms
 29:33 NAD explained, CD38, and why NAD drops with age
 48:56 NAD, GLUT4, insulin sensitivity, and perimenopause metabolism
 53:19 Where to learn more, discount code, and closing

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ABOUT THE GUEST

Dr Siobhan Mitchell - Chief Scientific Officer - MitoQ

Siobhan is the Chief Scientific Officer at MitoQ. She completed her PhD at SUNY Albany and a post-doctoral fellowship in brain ageing at the University of Washington. Siobhan has held roles at the three largest food companies in the world (Unilever, Nestlé, and PepsiCo), where she conducted trials in Europe, North America, and Asia, investigating the effects of nutrition on cognitive decline, mood, and performance. Additionally, she was Senior Director of Research at Noom, where she led a team investigating the behavioural and health effects of weight loss and mental health

ABOUT THE HOST

Angela Foster is an award winning Nutritionist, Health & Performance Coach, Speaker and Host of the High Performance Health podcast. A former Corporate lawyer turned industry leader in biohacking and health optimisation for women, Angela has been featured in various media including Huff Post, Runners world, The Health Optimisation Summit, BrainTap, The Women’s Biohacking Conference, Livestrong & Natural Health Magazine.

Angela is the creator of BioSyncing®️ a blueprint for ambitious entrepreneurial women to biohack their health so they can 10X how they show up .without burning out.

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Disclaimer: The High Performance Health Podcast is for general information purposes only and do not constitute the practice of professional or coaching advice and no client relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast, or materials linked from this podcast is at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for medical or other professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should seek the assistance of their medical doctor or other health care professional for before taking any steps to implement any of the items discussed in this podcast.