The Dunning-Kruger Effect is a simple story of over-estimating. It happens when we don’t know enough about a situation make an accurate assessment – AND we don’t know that we don’t know! A fun way to think of this is to ask a 5 year old how much a house costs. You might get an answer like, a THOUSAND DOLLARS, because this sounds like a LOT of money to a 5 year old! If you were to then ask, “How good are you at guessing the cost of houses?” you might get an answer like, “I’m awesome!” And, voila, you have just witnessed the Dunning-Kruger Effect (DK)!

If you have ever seen a person who is smart in one area – building houses, let’s say – assume that they are smart in another area – building computers, let’s say – even though the two topics have little in common, you have likely witnessed DK in action.

Now let’s take someone who is used to being smart, top of their game. Maybe they’re even genius level in their field. But things start to slip with their memory. And they’re so used to thinking of themselves as really, really, smart that they can’t hear loved ones try to draw their attention to their declining faculties. One of the clearest examples of this happens with hydration, by the way. I once visited a veterinarian who learned I was a natural healthcare practitioner during my visit. It was my second visit, and he had also learned this on my first visit, but forgotten. He also forgot on my third visit, but this time he wanted to know, “What can help with my memory?'” After a quick, silent assessment, I asked how much water he drank. He busted out laughing, and his assistant got a big, knowing smile on her face. He exclaimed, “That’s it! I’ve got the prostate issues, and I don’t want to drink much because I don’t want to have to run to the bathroom all the time!” He had been top in his field, but he was overestimating his performance due to the cognitive dissonance of dehydration (check out my last newsletter for more info on CD).

Let’s move forward in time, and imagine a few years down the road. An accomplished professional who is used to running every aspect of his life, who simply doesn’t want to see the facts in front of him: his memory isn’t what it used to be, and he is dangerously over-estimating his abilities. His bills are going unpaid, and his electricity gets turned off. It’s taking him hours to drive from home to the grocery store, because he gets turned around. He THINKS he’s doing alright, and that everyone else is at fault – the electric company is out to get him, and the road signs are being moved on him.

Actually, the DK effect can be applied in BOTH directions – overestimating or underestimating oneself.

One of the areas in my life I have encountered both aspects of this is triathlon training. First: I have GREAT news! I have just signed up to compete in my next Ironman competition, in my hometown of Houston, TX on April 22, 2023! But WHY AM I MENTIONING IRONMAN TRAINING AND COGNITIVE DECLINE in the same newsletter? Because there is one thing that EVERY health paradigm agrees on: EXERCISE is the NUMBER ONE thing you can do to protect your brain long-term. I like my brain! It’s where I put all my favorite things! 🙂 And I have Alzheimer’s, Diabetes, Stroke, and Heart Attacks in my family medical history – “There but by the Grace of God go I.” And: “God helps those who help themselves!” :-). I’m willing to do my part to live the healthiest I can.

When I trained for Ironman Florida in November of 2020, there were things I overestimated out of ignorance, and out of a belief that I was good at estimating! For example, I didn’t realize how much more sleep I would need later in my training. I needed another hour and a half from what I was actually getting, but I’m such a sleep princess that it never occurred to me I needed MORE than the eight hours I almost always allot myself.

At the same time, I would also underestimate myself. In the picture above, I won second place in a race that I thought I would be dead last in. This was a few months after my Ironman, and I underestimated the value of all that training on my physical fitness – even though I hadn’t trained intensely in the couple of months before the second race. The work that I put in before really paid off.

That’s REALLY GREAT NEWS! The work that we do to improve ourselves is important and LASTS! It physically, mentally, and emotionally changes and rewires us. It PROVES to us that we CAN make our goals, that we CAN make positive change in ourselves, and that we CAN even inspire others to do!

So, now that I’ve confessed my own DK effect to you, I’m also going to share some of what I’m going to do to mitigate it. If this speaks to you, these are things you can do, too.

Endurance cardio training can take its toll on hormones. Back when I was a personal trainer, I once had a lady run into the gym 45 minutes before closing to get her treadmill time in. She had been seated at dinner with her family, and realized the time – she literally jumped up, hopped in the car, drove to the gym to get there on time. I was so impressed by this! I chatted with her to learn more about her, and she said something I’ll never forget: “You wouldn’t think it to look at me, but I’m actually a marathoner.”

I thought, “She’s right. I wouldn’t think that. And that doesn’t seem fair!” Endocrine imbalance is why a number of peri-menopausal female Ironman competitors look a little heavy, instead of super-buff. So I’m going to get my hormones checked by the super ultimate fantastic comprehensive hormone panel – not just your regular bloodwork, because I want best-in-class support.

The fuel I need for endurance cardio is very different from my regular diet. A friend and long-time USA Triathlon coach who lives in Hawaii, and regularly trains with the Kona athletes (Ironman world championships) noted that her training group conducted an experiment with diets. Vegetarians, paleo, and keto athletes. The only group who didn’t finish the race were the ones who tried to race Keto. You simply need carbs for endurance cardio! So, I’m going to do a stool sample analysis to find out what might keep me from digesting the carbs I’ll need, and cause stomach upset.

Endurance cardio training is great for the heart…right up until it’s hard on the heart. At Longevity Wellness, we have state of the art equipment to evaluate heart health. During my last race training, I skipped using this tool until I reached a point that I felt exhausted, de-motivated, and plateaued. When I ran my test, I needed specific heart support. I took it and IMMEDIATELY (within a day) felt motivated and ready to level up! I’m going to do that first this time, instead of waiting until there’s a problem.

Longevity Wellness has three restorative modalities that are fantastic for both athlete recovery AND chronic illness. We have a pulsed electro-magnetic frequency mat called the BEMER that increases blood flow and blood oxygen, intermittent pneumatic compression legs which improve lymphatic flow, and an infrared sauna that strengthens the immune system and detoxifies. My cognitive dissonance can happen from HAVING these at the clinic, but failing to actually schedule myself on them! A bit of the cobbler’s children. This time, I’m making sure to schedule myself!

Do you notice any of these blind spots in yourself, too?

  • Are you a little tired?
  • Are you heavier than you like to be – or that you feel you should be, given what you do to take care of yourself?
  • Are you lower in motivation than once you were?
  • Do you have lingering aches and pains?

You’re welcome to join me on this journey of self-exploration! I learned a TON about myself with my epigenetic test, and I continue to be attentive to my genes. If you’re interested in learning more about yourself with any of these tests, please schedule a free 5 minute consult with me! Or if you’re already a client, let’s chat about it at your next follow up session!

As an engineer-turned functional medicine nutritionist, I LOVE data! Let’s USE it to make us stronger, happier, healthier, and SAFER!