Essentials: Understanding & Controlling Aggression

Essentials: Understanding & Controlling Aggression

From Huberman Lab by Scicomm Media

May 14, 2026 · 38 min

About this episode

This episode explores the neural circuits and factors influencing aggression and offers science-based tools for modulation.

In this Huberman Lab Essentials episode, I explain the neural circuits that activate and control aggressive states and behaviors. I discuss how hormones, genes and environmental factors such as day length can shift our aggressive tendencies. I also share science-based tools for modulating aggression, including sunlight exposure, heat therapy and supplementation with ashwagandha or acetyl-L-carnitine. Read the episode show notes at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://drinkag1.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/huberman Eight Sleep: https://eightsleep.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Aggression, Types of Aggression (00:01:43) Context, Aggression vs Sadness (00:03:11) Hydraulic Pressure Model of Aggression (00:06:40) Sponsor: LMNT (00:08:12) Brain Areas for Aggression, Ventromedial Hypothalamus (00:15:26) Biting, Neural Circuits of Physical Aggression (00:17:52) Sponsor: Eight Sleep (00:19:09) Estrogen & Aggression, Testosterone & Competitiveness (00:22:37) Seasonality, Sunlight, Melatonin & Aggression (00:24:50) Cortisol, Serotonin & Aggression (00:26:35) Tool: Reduce Cortisol with Sunlight & Sauna; Ashwagandha (00:30:39) Sponsor: AG1 (00:31:58)…

People in this episode

Host: Andrew Huberman

Topics covered

  • aggression
  • neural circuits
  • hormones
  • environmental factors
  • modulating aggression
  • science-based tools

Keywords

  • aggression
  • neural circuits
  • hormones
  • sunlight exposure
  • heat therapy
  • ashwagandha
  • acetyl-L-carnitine

Sponsors

AG1, LMNT, Eight Sleep

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Huberman Lab, Scicomm Media

Products: AG1, LMNT, Eight Sleep, ashwagandha, acetyl-L-carnitine

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