Stronger with Don Saladino

Episode: Recover Faster – Sleep, Stress & Elite Recovery with NHL Trainer Andy O'Brien

Date: December 9, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode of Stronger dives deep into the science and real-world practicalities of recovery, sleep, stress management, and elite athlete performance with world-renowned NHL strength coach Andy O’Brien. Host Don Saladino sits down with Andy to explore what truly works when it comes to optimizing recovery—sorting through the hype on trends like cold plunges and saunas to give listeners actionable, evidence-based advice. The conversation is grounded in Andy’s two decades working with elite players like Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon, as well as his evolving role as an entrepreneur in the performance supplement space. A major focus emerges: building habits and mindsets around sleep, stress, and resilient leadership to get consistent, long-term results.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Leadership & Team Culture with Elite Athletes

[07:37 – 11:41]

• Andy shares insights on what makes Sidney Crosby an exceptional leader, emphasizing humility, social awareness, and genuine care for teammates.
  • "He’s just incredibly socially aware and just a good human, very humble. And it's amazing the impact that has. It's really like a ripple effect..." (Andy, 07:37)
• Crosby’s practice of inviting every new player to dinner, exchanging numbers, and checking in is cited as exemplary leadership that fosters trust, connection, and lasting team success.
• Discussion on how team sports, especially hockey, foster a unique brotherhood and sense of collective achievement—extending beyond performance to real-life relationships.

2. Evolution of Sports Science & Sleep as a Competitive Edge

[11:41 – 21:24]

• Andy outlines the transformation of strength and conditioning in elite hockey, highlighting how sleep data changed NHL travel protocols.
• Extensive explanation of sleep research and its confirmed impact on recovery, injury risk, hormonal balance, and learning, much of which was implemented during Pittsburgh’s championship seasons (16–17).
  • "If you look at the research around sleep, that's not new... when sleep gets impaired, you don't recover as well… your hormones change... influences on hydration, focus, endurance, stamina, motor learning..." (Andy, 12:19)
• Teams previously boarded planes immediately after night games, which disrupted player sleep cycles; sleep data showed starting sleep after 1am led to significant drops in performance.
  • "...when you start your sleep cycle after 1am, it’s pretty significant in terms of the drop off the next day. So we’d see these drops in HRV, increases in heart rate in practice." (Andy, 15:14)
• Now it’s standard for NHL teams to stay overnight in cities to preserve consistent sleep schedules—a shift catalyzed by both veteran buy-in and measurable performance benefits.

3. Cold Plunges, Saunas, and the Reality of Recovery Modalities

[27:37 – 42:09]

• Don and Andy discuss how trends like cold plunges and saunas swing from hype to criticism, often based on misinterpreted or clickbait scientific studies.
  • "It is kind of sad. People are attracted to the loud message...something that comes across as a secret...unfortunately, the interpretation of [science] is another.” (Andy, 28:52)
• Andy cautions against black-and-white thinking and stresses adjusting protocols to personal physiology, goals, and timing.
  • Cold plunges: best viewed as a modifiable tool, not a magic bullet or universal solution.
  • Example protocols from Andy:
    • 30-second cold plunge in the morning to boost dopamine, energy, and consistency without impairing digestion or pre-workout readiness ([33:40])
    • Longer cold plunges post-workout only for joint pain/recreational activity relief; for muscle growth-focused training, wait a few hours before plunging ([34:44])
  • "I really like the short protocols in the morning. I think they’re really beneficial... not enough to inhibit training or food." (Andy, 34:44)
• Myths about blunting hypertrophy and “anabolic windows” are debunked in favor of practical, flexible guidance.
  • "I find it hard to believe a few hours after a lifting session...three minutes of cold exposure is going to blunt all this muscle growth." (Don, 37:01)
• Both agree: consistent, intelligent habits and personal experimentation matter more than viral trends.

4. Rapid-Fire: Additional Recovery Modalities

[40:41 – 46:31]

• Sauna:
  • Andy’s preferred protocol: 4x/wk, 180°F for 20min (or longer if using lower heat). Especially effective post-workout or before bed for sleep support, circulation, and cardiovascular health.
    • "Big fan. I do like higher heats for myself...180 to 200, somewhere in that zone." (Andy, 41:19)
• Red Light Therapy:
  • Advocates for red light beds (20min, 4–5x/wk); sees improved blood flow, skin health, and recovery (“had black sunspots disappear in a month”—Don).
• Compression Boots & Firefly Devices:
  • Strong evidence for reducing soreness and swelling; Fireflies recommended for circulation during travel and long periods of sitting.
    • "The Firefly...creates a little contraction of the tibialis anterior muscle...[it’s] a pumping mechanism, like circulation. It’s fantastic." (Andy, 43:08)
• PEMF Therapy & Microcurrent:
  • Useful for stimulating muscle recovery and circulation; Andy endorses frequency-specific microcurrent for individualized muscle stimulation.
• Both note: practicality and routine matter—tools must fit real-life use.

5. Mindset: Mental Recovery from Injury

[47:38 – 54:47]

• Live call-in from Jess in Germany prompts a deep dive into the mental aspect of injury recovery.
  • Jess: “How do you approach your athletes about the mental part [of injuries]?...we don’t talk enough about this part of injury management.” (Jess, 47:54)
• Andy emphasizes:
  • The harder you work in sport, the harder setbacks hit; injury challenges identity and progress.
  • Reframes injury as an opportunity to build resilience, self-awareness, and gratitude.
    • "The obstacle is the way...you become stronger through injury, more in tune with your body, more resilient.” (Andy, 48:28)
  • Shares examples (Sidney Crosby’s year-long concussion recovery, Dara Torres’ comeback after multiple knee surgeries).
  • “On the positive end of that mountain is just gratitude...you tend to savor the moment a little bit more.” (Andy, 51:13)
• Don adds that injuries have driven his creativity and ultimately improved his approach (“grateful for the speed bumps”).
  • “Looking back, I’m almost, in a way, grateful I had to go through those speed bumps...I was able to come back stronger.” (Don, 51:26)
• Jess highlights how injury prompted her to start strength training to “bulletproof” her knee.

Notable Quotes

• On Team Culture & Leadership:

  “It actually kind of forms a team environment that’s better than the sum of its parts. And to me, that’s really what success in teams and groups is, is how can you take all individuals and create something that actually becomes greater than all of the people put together.”
  — Andy O’Brien (08:38)

• On Sleep’s Impact:

  “If you look at the research around sleep, that’s not new…when sleep gets impaired, you don’t recover as well. Obviously, you lose focus. Your hormones change, how you metabolize glucose, how you create anabolic versus catabolic hormones…”
  — Andy O’Brien (12:19)

• On Cold Plunges:

  “As a starting point, I think it’s positive for people to know it’s a tool. It’s a tool that can be modified or modulated or dosed up, dose down...depending on what your goals are.”
  — Andy O’Brien (33:21)

• On Injury & Mindset:

  “What the injury presents is an obstacle, and I think the obstacle is the way. When you look at it, it’s going to require you to change your mindset and look for areas of opportunity you hadn’t looked for before. You become more resilient, and manage the ups and downs a little bit more... Ultimately, there’s a lot more gratitude.”
  — Andy O’Brien (48:28)

Memorable Moments & Takeaways

• Sidney Crosby’s off-ice leadership—welcoming every new player, building team trust (07:55)
• The ripple impact of sleep science—how shifting from “get on the plane after a game” to “stay overnight” became NHL standard (12:19–17:26)
• Andy’s pragmatic approach to recovery science—debunking extremes, emphasizing context and “n of 1” experimentation (28:52, 39:15)
• Don’s candid reflections on injury—becoming more creative and appreciative because of setbacks (51:26)
• Real talk on modern biohacking noise: “We need people to become a little smarter themselves and take the research and not just decide, I'm going to just do this because this is the be all, end all.” (Don, 39:14)
• Jess’s story: turning ACL injury into a positive by discovering weight training and new mental resilience (52:59)

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Sidney Crosby & Team Leadership: 07:37–11:41
• Sleep/Travel in NHL: 12:19–21:24
• Recovery Myths & Cold Plunge Science: 27:37–39:14
• Sauna/Red Light/Compression Modalities: 40:41–46:31
• Caller Q&A – Mental Side of Injury Recovery: 47:38–54:47

Final Thoughts

Andy O’Brien delivers practical, nuanced recovery advice grounded in science and decades of elite coaching experience. The episode highlights the “boring basics” as the real differentiators: consistent sleep, smart stress management, and sustaining a growth mindset through adversity.

Stronger, indeed, means showing up for yourself—with the right tools, habits, and perspective.

Listen to full episodes of Stronger with Don Saladino for more insights and actionable strategies from the world’s top performers.