Our bodies are truly amazing.
Every second of every day, a cascade of biological processes are at work ranging across every system including the nervous system, metabolism, the gastrointestinal system, and many more. The human body is truly a marvelous machine if you really think about it.
But I think I speak for all of us when I say that despite how powerful our biology is, we have all encountered moments where we've felt like we're running on empty. A rough day at the office, receiving stressful news, or even simply catching a cold can knock us off of our equilibrium, and suddenly the demands of everyday life seem overwhelming for our body and mind.
While my previous blogs have been dedicated to mindfulness, affirmations, and visualizations, there are special circumstances where we could use a boost, an additional tool in our belt to take on the challenges of the day.
But that's why I want to talk about the wonderful new world of biohacking. Biohacking is more than just a buzzword—it’s a movement that empowers individuals to take control of their health and well-being through strategic interventions and practices. It allows every single one of us to become a scientist in our right, and draw from a multitude of scientific fields to elevate our physical and mental performance to new heights.
What is biohacking?
Biohacking involves making intentional changes to your lifestyle, diet, and environment to improve your body’s performance and well-being. It combines principles from biology, nutrition, psychology, and technology to create a personalized approach to health optimization; in a sense, we become both the scientist and the participant, gathering data on our own subjective experiences and adjusting as needed.
The concept emphasizes small, incremental changes to our habits and lifestyle in order to maximize the body's response to a variety of situations, such as getting better sleep, controlling body weight, or to improve cognitive function.
What are the core principles of biohacking?
Like many philosophies, there are a few core principles that biohacking -- no matter the kind that you choose to do -- emphasize. They are:
Self-Experimentation:
Biohacking emphasizes testing and tracking changes to determine what works best for you. No one knows your body and mind better than yourself, and biohacking enables you to make more informed choices about your mental health and physical health.
Holistic Approach:
Biohacking considers multiple aspects of health, including diet, exercise, sleep, stress management, and mental performance and well-being. There's no perfect way to approach biohacking, but depending on your goals, a holistic approach tailored to your needs can help you live healthier and succeed in your biohacking journey.
Personalization:
Biohacking is highly individualized, allowing you to tailor interventions to your unique needs and goals. For example, if you wanted to improve your mental health, you can use tools that you specifically enjoy.
These core principles are what separate biohacking from other schools of thought surrounding lifestyle enhancements, and they enable us to develop an individualized process that is maintainable in the long run. With these core principles of biohacking in mind, we can start to dissect the different types that individuals engage in.
What are the different types of biohacking?
Biohacking as a concept isn't complex, but there are different types that have dedicated sub-communities, where tips, tricks, and general methods can be shared.
DIY biology
DIY biology is a very popular type of biohacking that is usually done by individuals with specialized training in a particular field of science, like biology and its sub-disciplines. These individuals could be molecular biologists, neuroscientists, or medical scientists, for example.
You don't have to be a biologist to try DIY biology biohacking, thankfully -- the community is typically spearheaded by these specialists who share tips and techniques to help non-experts design carefully structured experiments as they track their journey. For instance, they may suggest a particular type device, application, or method for tracking your biohacking progress.
Nutrigenomics
Also known as nutritional genomics or genetic biohacking, nutrigenomics is the concept of uniting genomic science with nutrition science to analyze how nutrient levels or types interact with an individual's gene expression.
In its simplest form, it involves undergoing nutrigenomic testing and making informed decisions about your nutrition as it relates to your body's unique genetic makeup. It enables you to gain a better understanding of which parts of your diet impact your overall health and well-being.
For example, if you happen to have a genetic predisposition to developing high blood pressure, you can consult with your healthcare provider about steps to take to lower your risk, such as reducing sodium intake. Or say, you want to design a workout routine and complementary diet to increase muscle mass, neurogenomics can help with seeing how your body responds to macronutrients like carbohydrates, proteins and fats.
Grinder biohacking
Possibly one of the more intriguing types of biohacking, grinders consist of people who combine medical technology with body modification in order to enhance their physical capabilities. A bit more involved than simply purchasing and wearing an Apple Watch, Grinder biohacking is founded upon the principles of transhumanism, or the philosophy of advancing the human body and brain function through technology. The word "cyborg" is appropriate here.
While on its surface grinder biohacking sounds extreme, the reality is far more subtle and interesting.
A good example of this would be the dermal tattoo biosensors scientists from the Technical University of Munich developed that enables a special kind of tattoo ink to respond to the body's pH, glucose, and albumin concentrations.
How do I apply biohacking techniques, practically?
Biohacking can be done by anyone, anywhere, but with this freedom comes a bit of confusion; with all the different ways we can measure and change different parts of our biological processes, there are too, numerous techniques.
But luckily, there are set of steps that I believe will not only help you identify where you can apply biohacking to your life, specifically, but also methods for tracking and troubleshooting.
1. Identify your goals
Identify what aspects of your life could benefit from an exercise in biohacking. For example, say you want to improve your physical health, be specific about what kind of improvement you want to see. This could range from improving your bone health, metabolic health, sleep duration and quality, and many more.
From there, you can research into different biohacks specific to your intentions. You don't have to limit yourself to just one goal, since oftentimes the same biohack will work for quite a few of them, but start small and build as you go.
2. Measure and track
Leverage technology to help you monitor progress and gather the necessary data. Many of us do this already by wearing an Apple Watch or Oura Ring, which gathers data on step count, exercise, heart rhythm, and sleep duration.
If a wearable isn't your style, a simple Excel or Google Sheets where you manually enter your estimations can be useful, though this may not work for every measurement. But documentation is key: try to keep a journal where you note any changes in your body health, mood, or performance. This can help you decide on a biohack or adjust your current one.
3. Stay informed
Biohacking emphasizes education and information, and there are many online resources that outline the latest biohacking techniques and scientific evidence.
Always strive for empirical, high-impact evidence for your biohacking, as not all claims -- no matter how "scientific" they may sound -- are based on sound science. Any claim that promises an immediate fix is probably not reliable, like anyone trying to sell supplements that they allege lowers blood sugar overnight, or a miracle hack that cures Alzheimer's disease aka "smart drugs".
Staying up to date on current information enables us to immediately identify new developments in the field, and modify our experiments, accordingly.
4. Experiment responsibly
Start with simple and low-risk biohacks that you can easily fit into your routine, and then gradually gauge your comfortability with more complex and intensive biohacks (preferably with consultation from a medical professional).
A small, low-risk start for improving your cognitive function could look something like measuring how many essential amino acids and nutrients you're consuming per day, or tracking what time of the day you tend to experience a reduced attention span are good options.
5. Consult with an expert
If you have access to experts who are knowledgable in the field you're drawing from, consult with them and tell them what kind of biohack you're trying. A medical professional like a physician or licensed nutritionist, a fitness coach, or a mental health professional are great sources of information and guidance during your journey.
How much time do I need to invest in biohacking?
Like many good things in life, biohacking takes time to see results. The positive effects of a biohacking experiment are not always immediate, but rather, they're subtle changes you invest time in doing in order to reap future benefits.
A good example of this would be strength training; a biohack for that would be something like doing nutrigenomics and modifying your workout routine based on how you are genetically predisposed to building muscle mass or recovering from fatigue. This requires many data points which include workouts, their duration, what kind they are, and perhaps taking progress photos. This takes time, but any fitness enthusiast can tell you that the changes will in fact come, just not overnight.
Be patient and determined
It may be easy to get discouraged, but I recommend incorporating all of your feelings on the biohacking process into the experiment.
Track how you're feeling about the biohack, and allow yourself to feel everything, positive and negative. When you look back on those feelings a month from now, you may be surprised at your progress and proud of your determination.
Conclusion
Biohacking offers diverse and innovative ways to optimize your physical and mental health. By understanding the different types of biohacking and implementing simple, evidence-based strategies, you can take proactive steps towards enhancing your well-being and achieving your personal goals.
Whether your goal is see health benefits, improve cognitive function, or just give yourself a little boost when you need it most, biohacking can be an exciting journey of discovery.
