Fitness
Exercise Scientists Brutally Condemn Andrew Huberman's Most Widely-Adopted Fitness Advice
“Science and science-based tools” may be Huberman’s calling card, but exercise scientists have come crashing down on his flagship fitness fad.
Andrew Huberman is one of the world’s most famous faces in the wellness and fitness industry. Regularly appearing alongside icons like the equally controversial Joe Rogan and occupying a similarly hallowed space in the minds of the health-conscious as David Goggins, Huberman is famous and revered for much of the advice he’s offered to consumers about bettering their lives and themselves.
However, one of the internet’s most revered exercise scientists — the one and only Dr Mike Israetel — has roundly called out one particularly popular aspect of Huberman’s workout regime during an end-to-end critique of his entire training program. While Israetel was broadly impressed with Huebrman’s approach and had many nice things to say, he didn’t hold back when it came to Huberman’s favourite habit.
RELATED: David Goggins’ “Nickels & Dimes” Calisthenic Workout
What Huberman Gets Right
Before we get into the nitty gritty of what Huberman gets wrong, it’s worth giving some airtime to the wide array of things he gets right. While Israetel, being a lifelong fitness scholar and harshest of critics, does take issue with minor aspects of Huberman’s regiment across the board — suggesting, for example, that Huberman’s decision to train legs the day after a long run isn’t wholly advisable from a recovery standpoint — much of what Huberman recommends is solidly good advice, and he’s got the physique to prove it.
High-intensity interval training, slow and steady heavy weightlifting, lots of hot-and-cold recovery therapy and carefully curated rep ranges all feature in Huberman’s comprehensive wellness regime. With a special focus on longevity in everything he does, Huberman gives an acute focus to things like VO2 max and the benefits of Human Growth Hormone which, though admittedly a little specialist for your average bloke, are pushing the boundaries of what an ageing body can do.
So while we, and indeed Israetel, don’t mean to rain on Huberman’s parade — given his soaring career and c. $7.5 million AUD net worth, we think this would be a challenge regardless — there is one fitness habit that Hubermna has pushed for harder than any other and seen adopted more widely than any other that, frankly, Israetel thinks is nonsense…
The Debunked Habit
Without further ado, the debunked habit is Huberman’s obsessive focus on nasal breathing, especially while working out. You may have seen scores of videos with creators espousing the manifold wellness magic of mouth tape swarming your feed alongside claims that it can improve cardiovascular fitness and help control the temperature of inhaled air while you sleep. However, Israetel’s condemnation of mouth tape to encourage nasal breathing during workouts is damning:
“Nasal breathing is almost certainly a waste of time […] If you can [breathe entirely through your nose] while you’re exercising, you are likely not working hard enough in the first place.”
And the scientific community seems to be aligned with the opinion of its most outspoken, baldest representative. While the odd study suggests that nasal breathing can help with hyperventilation during exercise, its authors roundly agreed that there was “little difference” in performance metrics.
So, if you’re a so-called “Huberman husband”, we certainly don’t want to put you off your rhythm — keep chasing a God-level Dad bod by all means — but maybe reconsider this one piece of underbaked advice from the internet’s favourite wellness guru.
Fitness
Steffie Bryant, Alistair Brownlee to Share AI, Performance Insights at European Congress – Health & Fitness Association
From artificial intelligence to elite sport, the HFA European Congress keynote speakers will explore the forces reshaping health and fitness around the world.
By Lia Palazzo, Manager of Public Affairs
Steffie Bryant and Alistair Brownlee are set to offer the two keynote addresses at the 2026 HFA European Congress.
Artificial intelligence and high-performance leadership will take center stage at the 2026 HFA European Congress, where Keepme.ai President Steffie Bryant and two-time Olympic triathlon champion Alistair Brownlee will headline the annual gathering of fitness industry leaders.
The Congress, scheduled for September 24-26 at London Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, will bring together executives, operators, suppliers, investors, and innovators from more than 35 countries to explore the trends shaping the future of health and fitness.
Bryant will open the event on September 24 with a keynote examining how artificial intelligence is transforming fitness businesses. As president of Keepme.ai, she has helped clubs adopt AI-driven tools to strengthen member engagement, improve operations, and drive sustainable growth. Her session will focus on how operators can leverage emerging technology while maintaining a people-first approach. Her keynote is sponsored by Keepme.ai.
Brownlee will headline the second day of the Congress, sharing lessons from Olympic competition, entrepreneurship, and health innovation. The only athlete to win two Olympic gold medals in the individual triathlon, Brownlee is also founder of sports nutrition company truefuels, an investor in health and wellness companies, and co-founder of the Brownlee Foundation, which promotes youth participation in sport.
The speaker lineup reflects this year’s Congress theme, One Vision. One Voice., which focuses on the role innovation, collaboration, and leadership will play in the next chapter of the global fitness industry.
In addition to the keynote presentations, attendees will hear from more than 40 speakers from the fitness sector and related industries addressing trends, GLP-1 usage and exercise, emerging markets to watch, investment opportunities, retention, payment ecosystems, corporate wellness, community initiatives, and more. The full schedule can be viewed here and includes time to connect with suppliers in the Sponsor Marketplace. On September 26, attendees can participate in club and studio tours across London. The club tours can be added at the time of registration.
Presented in partnership with ukactive and hosted by industry leader David Minton of EVOLVE, the HFA European Congress is the industry’s premier European event, offering business leaders insight into emerging trends, new technologies, and opportunities shaping the future of the industry.
...RED FLAG WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR GUSTY WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR THE SIERRA FRONT... * Affected Area...Fire Weather Zone 420 Northern Sierra Front including Carson City, Douglas, Storey, Southern Washoe, Western Lyon, and Far Southern Lassen Counties. * Winds...West 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph. * Humidity...Afternoon minimums of 12 to 20 percent. * Duration...2 to 5 hours Friday with 3 to 8 hours Saturday. * Impacts...The combination of gusty winds and dry fuels can cause fire to rapidly grow in size and intensity before first responders can contain them. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Avoid outdoor activities that can cause a spark near dry vegetation, such as yard work, target shooting, or campfires. Follow local fire restrictions. Check weather.gov/reno for updates and livingwithfire.info for preparedness tips. &&
...LAKE WIND ADVISORY REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM PDT SATURDAY FOR WASHOE LAKE... * WHAT...Southwest winds 20 to 30 mph with gusts up to 45 mph for Washoe Lake. * WHERE...Greater Reno-Carson City-Minden Area. * WHEN...Until 11 PM PDT Saturday. * IMPACTS...Small boats, kayaks and paddle boards will be prone to capsizing and should remain off lake waters until conditions improve. * ADDITIONAL DETAILS...Winds may briefly subside tonight before increasing again early Saturday morning. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... Check lake conditions before heading out and be prepared for a sudden increase in winds and wave heights. Consider postponing boating activities on the lake until a day with less wind. &&
In 2025, the global Virtual Reality fitness market was estimated to be worth between $30 – $50 billion dollars and by the mid 2030’s, it is likely to be estimated to be worth up to 400 billion dollars. Big name companies like Meta, Apple, Sony, Samsung and Nike, are investing a lot of money into the field.
One 2025 study by the University of Victoria found that more people utilising VR fitness programs were exercising for longer periods of time. VR based fitness users actively worked out sessions that were an average of 34% longer and VR fitness users were also 2.2 times more likely to complete weekly physical workout requirements than users of traditional home workout equipment.
The real question is, how viable is the market and how much of an opportunity is there for VC-funded startups that are working on the future of fitness technology?
Why Virtual Fitness is Worth Watching
VR fitness is built to solve the problem of the dropout of users of home fitness programs. According to studies, traditional home workouts suffer from dropout rates of 50% within three months. Repetitive workouts become boring and are a drain on motivation.
However, exercising in VR allows fitness to be gamified and VR fitness studies have uncovered an important phenomenon: users perceive their heart rate and effort to be lower than it is and are likely to work out even harder than in traditional settings.
Can You Actually Become Fitter With VR Fitness?
There is no shortage of virtual fitness games out there and yes, you can actually become fitter through a faster heart rate and all while ‘playing a game’ that might not seem so exhaustive when compared to the gym. Active VR games can create an effective aerobic workout and burn calories on par with biking or light jogging.
These games produce real results and the research backs it up. Active VR workouts consistently produce heart rates in the aerobic zone. Game examples include Beat Saber, Supernatural, Les Mills Body Combat VR and Thrill of the Fight.
Opportunities to Expand into Mental Well-Being Through VR
VR fitness isn’t just about physical output. Immersive environments have documented effects on stress and mood, exercising in a virtual forest or on a clifftop coastline produces different psychological responses to a gym mirror.
This mental wellness dimension is opening a new product category: VR fitness platforms that blur into mindfulness apps, targeting the significant overlap between corporate wellness programmes and mental health investment.
What Are The Limitations of Virtual Fitness?
Currently the biggest weakness in VR fitness is the lack of options for strength training. The types of movements that build and maintain muscle mass, like squats and deadlifts, can’t be effectively done in VR without some added equipment. One of the few companies that have started to tackle this problem is Black Box VR, which offers gyms combining VR and cable resistance.
Startups Worth Keeping an Eye On in The VR Fitness Sector
There are a handful of innovative startups in the VR fitness industry that are worth watching in 2026 and beyond- from subscription-based fitness tools to interactive challenges that help increase stamina and even strength:
Supernatural
In 2023, Meta completed its acquisition of Supernatural and integrated the VR fitness platform into the expanding Meta Quest ecosystem. The service offers users daily workouts set in immersive real-world locations, enhanced by licensed music and guided instruction.
As a subscription-based platform, Supernatural has consistently demonstrated some of the strongest retention rates in the consumer VR market, highlighting the viability of the VR fitness subscription model. In 2026, Meta announced that Supernatural would be spun off into a new independent company, Supernatural Health, led by the platform’s original founders. Supernatural Health is expected to relaunch in autumn 2026 with higher subscription pricing, reflecting a renewed focus on growing the platform as a standalone fitness business.
Black Box VR
Purpose-built VR gyms seem to be the focus of Black Box VR. Combining resistance machines and immersive environments is an interesting approach, especially with the existing VR home ecosystems providing frictionless workouts. Black Box VR’s franchise model suggests that they believe the hybrid VR/gym model will bring an edge over the competition when compared to only a software solution.
HOLOFIT
HOLOFIT is a virtual reality fitness platform developed by Holodia that transforms cardio workouts into immersive experiences. Using a VR headset, users can row, cycle, run, or perform bodyweight exercises while exploring virtual worlds and completing interactive challenges.
The platform connects with rowing machines, exercise bikes and ellipticals, making workouts more engaging and motivating through gamification, virtual coaching and online competitions.
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