.png)
Biohacking is a broad term that refers to a DIY approach to optimizing one's biology and overall well-being. Essentially, it is about making small, incremental changes to your body, brain, or lifestyle to improve performance, health, or longevity. Below is a Guide Table to help navigate each section and enhance appreciation from a scientific perspective!
Nutrition and Diet
Nutritional biohacking involves tweaking diet, fasting, or using supplements to boost energy and focus. Methods include intermittent fasting (cycling between eating and fasting), keto and low-carb diets (burning fat instead of carbs for energy), and supplements like nootropics (e.g., caffeine, L-theanine), and probiotics for gut health. These approaches can reduce inflammation, enhance focus, and support digestion and immune function.
+ Referring to Guide Table, mTOR regulates cell growth, metabolism, and longevity. Biohackers often target this pathway through intermittent fasting or substances like resveratrol, aiming to promote cellular repair and potentially extend lifespan.
+AMPK, also listed, is a key player in energy balance and metabolism. Activating this pathway (e.g., through exercise, fasting, or metformin) could enhance fat metabolism and improve insulin sensitivity.
Biohackers often combine meditation with neurofeedback or other technologies to further optimize the brain's performance. Practices like mindfulness, meditation and even brain training are frequently used to reduce stress, improve focus, and promote clarity. In addition, Nootropics and Cognitive Enhancers can sometimes help too.
+ GABA listed above is an inhibitory neurotransmitter associated with calming effects. Practices like meditation or supplements such as L-theanine may target this pathway to reduce anxiety and enhance relaxation.
Wearable Technology
Sleep trackers support with assessing quality and duration to help with optimizing restorative rest. Devices like Oura Ring, WHOOP Strap, and Garmin track health metrics such as heart rate, HRV, sleep, and activity, offering insights into recovery and performance. Alongside this, EEG headbands are available to monitor brainwaves, providing information on mental state feedback. To measure blood sugar, Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs) are ideal.
+ Circadian Rhythm - Aligning biological processes with the circadian clock is a common biohacking goal. Techniques include managing light exposure (e.g., blue light blockers) to influence melatonin production and improve sleep quality.
The graph above displays sample biohacking diary entries, illustrating how factors like mood, energy, and focus levels can fluctuate over time.
Hormonal Optimization
Some biohackers focus on optimizing testosterone and growth hormone levels through natural supplements, exercise, or interventions like intermittent fasting, sleep optimization, or even more controversial practices like hormone replacement therapy (HRT) or peptide therapy. Balancing cortisol (the stress hormone) is another area of focus, as chronic stress can hinder peak performance. Techniques like meditation, deep breathing, and adaptogenic herbs (e.g., ashwagandha) are often used to manage stress hormones.
+ Nrf2 is involved in the body’s antioxidant and anti-inflammatory responses. Biohackers often target this pathway using compounds like sulforaphane (from broccoli sprouts) to reduce oxidative stress and inflammation.
+ Dopaminergic Pathway - This involves dopamine, a neurotransmitter that influences mood, motivation, and reward. Many nootropics (cognitive enhancers) and lifestyle hacks aim to increase dopamine production or sensitivity for improved focus or happiness.
+ Serotonergic Pathway - This involves serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood, sleep, and digestion. Many bio hacks focus on increasing serotonin levels naturally (via diet, supplements like tryptophan, or light exposure).
Personalized Biohacking
Some biohackers use genetic tests to determine their predispositions to certain health conditions, as well as how they respond to various foods, exercises, or supplements. This data is used to customize their biohacking routines for better performance. Regular blood tests and lab work can reveal nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, or other areas of potential improvement that are used to fine-tune biohacking efforts.
Resources
Nature.com is a website that serves as a hub for the Nature Portfolio, a collection of scientific journals published by Springer Nature, including the flagship journal, Nature. First published in 1869, Nature is the world's leading multidisciplinary science journal.
This Harvard paper explores biohacking as a DIY citizen science movement, discussing its implications for medical ethics, safety, and transhumanist technology. It highlights innovations like epidermal electronics and biosensors.
Holland and Barrett is a leading European health and wellness retailer, facilitating a wide range of vitamins, supplements, healthy foods, sports nutrition products, and ethical beauty brands. Their ethos is to empower customers to live happier, healthier lives.
Last updated: 27/03/2025
Share this:
.png){kind=link}
3 comments:
This was such an interesting read. Biohacking sounds like something that would involve gene sequencing. LOL. I love this approach to making our bodies work the best they can.
This was such a great read. It's amazing knowing how we can unlock our body's full potential with a simple method. I too would be interested in the biohackers genetic tests just to see data that could support my health changes.
I've always heard about biohacking! Its kind of always interested me. This is such a great read, and I learned alot!
Post a Comment