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DIY -

Biohacking is a form of DIY: for your body. It's also referred to as human enhancement. Biohackers self-experiment with techniques and collect data to find out what works best for them.

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Improve functions -

Biohacking ranges from efforts to improve brain function, to faster ways to lose weight.

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Technology -

Examples of how people use tech to support their biohacking include smartwatches. These provide data about the body and its performance, so tweaks can be made accordingly.

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Why biohack? -

Biohacking is for people who want to change aspects of their body to improve their health, performance, or well-being. There are a number of reasons why people might want to biohack.

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Control of health -

Biohacking might be chosen by people who feel an aspect of their health needs to be brought back into control.

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Explore ideas -

Perhaps curiosity is the reason, or a desire for variety. If someone is bored with their current fitness or wellness habits, they might try biohacking to switch things up.

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Fix perceived flaws -

People might feel that they have physical or performance flaws that they would like to rectify, attempting biohacking methods to do so.

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Greater longevity -

Perhaps longevity is something you strive for? If so, biohacking attempts to optimize the way the body responds, to help slow down the aging process for a longer life.

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Wide definition -

For some, biohacking is a way to follow a new meal plan. For others, it involves implanting devices into their body for a process called human augmentation.

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Biohacking examples -

There are lots of examples of biohacking. Some methods are supported by the latest scientific findings, while others are lacking research to back them up.

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Optimizing sleep -

Getting seven to nine hours of quality sleep has been shown to optimize muscle growth and repair, keep your brain sharp, improve blood sugar control, and help with longevity.

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Optimizing sleep -

Track your sleep duration and quality using wearable devices like a Fitbit, Apple Watch, WHOOP, or Oura Ring.

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Intermittent fasting -

Intermittent fasting is a method of dieting where you only eat between certain times, before fasting for an extended period until the next designated time to eat.

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Intermittent fasting -

Fasting in this way has several proven benefits, such as lowering insulin levels so that your body can burn fat more efficiently, helping your cells repair any damaged tissues, and protecting you from diseases like cancer.

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Sauna sessions -

Saunas can have cardiovascular health benefits similar to those produced by aerobic exercise thanks to the exposure to high temperatures. The body has to work to cool down, by increasing heart rate, blood flow, and cardiac output and decreasing blood pressure.

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Sauna sessions -

To get the benefits from using a sauna, try using them for 30 minutes at least three times a week. Choose temperatures between 175-195°F (80-90°C) with 10-20% humidity.

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Strength training -

Strength training is linked to improved body composition, strength, power, endurance, and flexibility. Depending on your goals and fitness levels, adding strength training to your weekly exercise routine can be a great way to ward off age-related conditions and maintain physical health.

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Strength training -

You can build muscle with strength training through resistance with free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, and/or bodyweight exercises.

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Meditation -

Meditation is a practice where you clear or focus the mind using mental and/or physical techniques, to reach an emotionally calm and stable state.

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Meditation -

Research has shown meditation helps you with more than just feeling relaxed. It can lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and make you more resilient to stressful situations.

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L-theanine supplementation -

L-theanine is thought to decrease excitatory brain chemicals that contribute to stress and anxiety, while at the same time increasing chemicals that promote relaxation. It's an amino acid found primarily in green and black tea, that's also available in pill or tablet form.

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Caffeine -

Caffeine acts as a brain stimulant. Coffee and tea have been linked to improved cognitive performance. It increases alertness and focus, while long-term consumption might reduce the risk of cognitive decline, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, and Alzheimer's disease.

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Cold water therapy -

Cold water therapy can improve your athletic recovery. This biohack involves immersing yourself in cold water, usually after exercise to quicken recovery, ease pain, or speed up healing.

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Cold water therapy -

It's been proven to reduce muscular fatigue and improve recovery and relaxation. For the best results, immerse yourself up to your neck, for bursts of between 10 and 20 seconds.

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Blood testing and biohacking -

Blood test results can be used to determine if diets or supplements affect biological processes and vitamin levels. Examining the levels of various substances in the blood, such as nutrient levels and cell counts, can provide a clearer picture of effectiveness.

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Blood testing and biohacking -

A person may measure their cognitive function before and after taking supplements or changing their diet, so health can be addressed and modified before irreversible disease develops.

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Biohacking vs. biotechnology -

Biotechnology is when scientists use living cells or organisms to produce products or services. It's a combination of engineering and biological science.

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Is it legal? -

While there are no legal issues with trying health and nutrition biohacks, any gene-editing products intended for self-administration are illegal in the US, for instance.

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A longer life? -

Several biohacking strategies relate to the field of slowing or countering the effects of aging. Eating a healthy diet, taking supplements, exercising, and meditation are practices that will improve your quality of life and could assist with longevity.

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A longer life? -

Methods of biohacking can also refer to more experimental, less common practices to increase longevity. Examples of these would be blood transfusions, egg rejuvenation, cryogenics, and gene editing.

Sources: (Medical News Today) (The Atlantic) (Healthline) (Inside Tracker) (Royal Society of Biology)

See also: The best supplements for women

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