Yesterday marks the four-year anniversary since we launched The Drive podcast. As I’ve shared before, I started the podcast for selfish reasons, as I am always trying to learn and grow in my knowledge. I was also frustrated that I could have meaningful conversations with brilliant scientists but couldn’t record their insights to share with others and listen to again in the future.
We started the podcast on a 12-episode test run to see if anyone had interest in the conversations we were having, and we’ve been amazed by how many of you engaged with the content and continue to find value in what we produce. This podcast continues to be the greatest “forcing function” to drive my learning at a rate I could never keep up organically.
So, for this week’s newsletter we’re looking back at some of the most popular episodes over this past year. These episodes are listed below in no particular order, but categorized in general themes. My hope is that if you haven’t listened to some of these episodes, you may be inspired to do so based on your interests. And if you already have, you may want to listen again to dive even deeper—I myself often find that I pick up even more insight by listening to episodes more than once. It’s a long list below, 13 episodes lasting about 30 hours in total, so perhaps consider it a 3-month project to get caught up on some of our most popular episodes.
I cannot thank you all enough for spending your time tuning into these conversations and supporting our efforts. I’ve greatly enjoyed these discussions over the past four years, and I look forward to many more in the years to come.
As always, our goal is to make the podcast as beneficial and enjoyable for you as possible, so please don’t be shy in letting us know what we’re doing well or how we can improve. We may not be able to respond to everyone, but we’ll be reading and learning from your feedback.
Aging
Steve is one of the people I put on the list of geroscience Gods. His knowledge is nearly unparalleled across a broad range of topics from caloric restriction to molecules and his path to this pinacle from taming lions on movie sets is pretty much priceless.
Matt and I could probably have a weekly podcast at the frequency with which we speak/email on all topics pertaining to geroscience. Sure, we often discuss rapamycin, but also everything from nutrition to exercise to biomarkers. This is a great episode for folks hoping to learn more about rapamycin, in particular.
Exercise Physiology
#201 – Deep dive back into Zone 2 | Iñigo San-Millán, Ph.D. (Pt. 2)
Inigo’s work has had a huge impact on my training and, by extension, the training of my patients. If you want to understand why I’m always talking about Zone 2 training, listen to this episode.
#205 – Energy balance, nutrition, & building muscle | Layne Norton, Ph.D. (Pt.2)
Layne’s knowledge of the intersection of nutrition and strength training is unparalleled. We’re already planning round 3, so be sure you’re caught up on round 2 here.
Emotional and mental health
The feedback on this talk was consistently in the direction, “Wow, I’ve heard Esther speak many times, but this was a really special interview.” I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Not only is Karl one of the most brilliant scientific minds in the world, and the person leading the charge for how to probe the innermost workings of the brain with a resolution never before seen, but he’s also an exceptional communicator and human being.
Nutritional Biochemistry
#197 – The science of obesity & how to improve nutritional epidemiology | David Allison, Ph.D.
David, like Matt Kaeberlein, is another one of those people I’m in constant communication with over everything that pertains to science. To finally sit down with him on the podcast was a real treat and long overdue.
#194 – How fructose drives metabolic disease | Rick Johnson, M.D.
Rick has a talent for bringing together observations from biochemistry, animal and human studies, and even history to identify patterns and throughlines and make comprehensible conclusions about human metabolism. With his down-to-earth nature and genuine love of science, he’s a pleasure to interview.
Diseases
#185 – Allan Sniderman, M.D.: Cardiovascular disease and why we should change the way we assess risk
Allan has been a mentor to me for over a decade now and it was therefore such a joy to sit down with him to discuss his life’s work for all of you to learn from this master, also.
Steve has been my most important mentor, and I’ll never be able to repay him for all he has taught and given me. To finally be able to sit down with him for a discussion that spanned his career and the field of immunotherapy was one of the high points of the past year.
Personal growth
#183 – James Clear: Building & Changing Habits
I had wanted to have James on the podcast after reading his book twice and realizing I’d gotten even more out of it the second time than I did the first. No matter how old you are, where you fall on the health spectrum, or what you struggle with, I can guarantee you’ll find value in James’ insights on building habits and using them as a path toward self-improvement.
#178 – Lance Armstrong: The rise, fall, and growth of a cycling legend
The response to this interview has been unlike anything I’ve ever seen or expected. Lance is a very polarizing figure who, admittedly, I have great affection for. Looking at the YouTube comments really took me by surprise. I simply can’t believe how positive they are. Whether you’re a cycling fan or not, whether you like Lance or not, you will most definitely get a lot out of this episode.
Hugh is a very special person and a dear friend, so it was a real treat to sit down with him for an intimate reflection of his life, his career, and even his insecurities.
