Biohacking for Beginners: How to Do It Right

Hacking is a term primarily associated with computers, smartphones, or social media profiles.

But what about hacking your body? This concept is called biohacking, and at first glance, it probably sounds a bit confusing.

However, we're not talking about ideas from a science fiction movie here. In reality, biohacking is, simply put, about self-improvement.

In fact, there are numerous ways to integrate biohacking methods for body and mind into everyday life. So-called biohacks promise everything from rapid weight loss to improved brain function.

However, the best results from biohacking are achieved when one is well-informed and knows exactly what is good for one's own body.

Optimization craze or healthy everyday life - What is biohacking?

What exactly is biohacking? Biohacking is often referred to as the power of self-optimization. There is no single definition for the term biohacking.

Biohacking is a DIY form of human enhancement in which one attempts to leverage, alter, or augment aspects of biology to improve health, performance, or well-being.

Some types of biohacking have been around for many years, such as intermittent fasting.

Technology-supported biohacking, for example through smartwatches, provides people with a wealth of data about their bodies, enabling them to optimize their health and improve their athletic performance.

No matter what methods or types of biohacking are involved, the goal is always human optimization.

Many people are now hacking their way to better health. In this case, these individuals are referred to as biohackers.

Biohackers experiment with techniques on themselves and collect data about the human body to find out what works best for them.

There are various reasons why people want to hack their biology, so to speak, for example, to:

• have more control over their health
• explore new and unusual ideas
• fix perceived "weaknesses"
• live a longer, fulfilling life

There are many examples of biohacking. Some are supported by the latest scientific findings, while for others, research results are not yet available.

But biohackers put these measures to the test. With the help of wearable devices and blood tests, they can track physiological changes and biomarkers in the blood that reflect physical fitness, disease risk, and life expectancy.

The 3 best-known types of biohacking

Biohacking comes in many forms. The 3 most popular forms are nutrigenomics, DIY biology, and grinders.

• Nutrigenomics

Nutrigenomics focuses on how the food you eat interacts with your genes. It also explores how a person's genes influence the body's response to food.

This popular, if somewhat controversial, type of biohacking is based on the idea that your body's entire genetic expression can be captured and optimized by testing how different nutrients affect your health over time.

Nutrigenomics also examines how different nutrients affect how you feel, think, and behave.

Researchers use nutrigenomics to learn more about diet and genes and how they can affect a person's health risks, or to find ways to prevent and treat diseases. [1]

For this, a DNA sample can be sent to a specialized laboratory where the genetic makeup is analyzed.

Based on the results, the expert team can then create an optimized nutrition plan.

• DIY Biology

DIY biology (or DIY Bio) is a form of biohacking practiced by people with training and experience in scientific fields.

These biohackers share tips and techniques that allow laypeople to conduct structured experiments on themselves outside of a controlled experimental environment such as laboratories or doctor's offices.

DIY biology encompasses various areas of biohacking, including:

• microbiology
• nutrition
• biomedical and synthetic biology

• Grinders

Grinders are, so to speak, a biohacking subculture that considers every part of the human body to be hackable.

Grinders are biohackers who see themselves as pioneers of human augmentation.

Generally, they try to become "cyborgs." This type of biohacking typically involves devices implanted under the skin and the use of technology to perform body modifications.

These "modifications" are intended to allow the body to function exactly as the biohackers want it to.

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What does science say about biohacking?

Since there are few regulations for biohacking and many people do not publish their results, it is difficult to say what percentage of biohacking is successful.

While there are large online communities of people sharing their results, there is a lack of verification and accuracy of experiments and results.

However, some current research has shown that certain types of biohacking are effective.

For example, the previously mentioned study using nutrigenomics shows that fructose alters important aspects of gene regulation, which in turn could affect how an infection leads to disease. [2]

The study also found that fructose affects the following areas:

• metabolism
• inflammation
• immune system

Another popular biohack that some people have found helpful is a coffee drink that combines organic coffee, MCT oil (a source of medium-chain fatty acids), and butter.

In moderate amounts, this coffee drink can contribute to increased satiety, prevent cardiovascular diseases, and possibly prevent certain types of cancer. [3]

What are the risks and side effects of biohacking?

Serious studies are conducted in a controlled environment. However, biohackers often do not receive ethical and scientific review and may work in private and unsafe environments.

Therefore, experts express concerns that the lack of regulation and accountability in biohacking can also pose dangers and lead to inaccurate results. [4]

Biohackers may not apply consistent safety measures or use safety equipment such as gloves or lab coats when working with hazardous chemicals and biological materials.

Lack of regulations and consequences can lead to contamination, illness, or injury.

Following unofficial health advice from unrecognized sources such as blogs, social media, or word of mouth also carries risks. [5]

If you are interested in diet, sleep, or fitness hacks, you should primarily speak to a doctor or health professional before trying any measures.

Experts advise, for example, that intermittent fasting is not suitable for underweight people, people with a history of eating disorders, pregnant women, or people with certain health problems (such as type 1 diabetes). [6]

How to start biohacking

In case you have also become interested in starting biohacking, we have a few helpful tips for you here.

You don't have to be a medical professional or a professional athlete, and devices are not absolutely necessary to integrate biohacking into your daily life. You should simply get the right information from well-founded sources and discuss it with the right experts.

Before you even choose any biohacks, you should have a blood test.

Because blood tests can provide important information for effective biohacking. They can determine the levels of various substances in the blood, such as nutrient content and cell count.

Based on the results of blood tests, you can more easily determine whether diet or supplements affect biological processes and vitamin levels.

Among other things, you can measure cognitive functions before and after taking supplements or changing your diet.

In-depth blood tests also allow you to analyze vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and cell functions. This allows you to optimize your health before an irreversible illness develops.

Biohacking in everyday life

You can apply biohacking to many areas of your organism. For example, there is biohacking for the brain, for more physical performance, but also for losing weight or biohacking for radiant skin.

Surprisingly, this often doesn't require much more than a little knowledge and discipline. You'll get the former from us below. Here are some practical tips on how to integrate biohacking into your daily life.

• Intermittent Fasting

Intermittent fasting is not a diet, but an eating pattern. And as you have probably already noticed, diet plays a major role in biohacking.

With intermittent fasting, you only eat during a certain period. Outside of this period, you fast.

Popular methods include the 16:8 or 14:10 method. There is a window of 8 or 10 hours per day to eat and 14 or 16 hours during which one should fast. Intermittent fasting helps with:

• reducing body fat
• lowering blood pressure
• reducing inflammation
• regulating blood sugar
• boosting metabolism [7,8,9,10]

• Cold Water Therapy

Cold water therapy, also known as hydrotherapy, is an increasingly popular health trend that can have various health benefits.

It essentially involves exposing oneself to low temperatures through cold water. On the one hand, you can take cold showers; on the other hand, you can also take baths or swim in open water. It is important that the water temperature is below 15°C.

A study from 2020 shows positive effects on the following:

• cardiovascular system
• immune system
• metabolism
• endocrine system
• mental health [11]

However, swimming in cold water also carries serious risks, including cold shock and hypothermia.

Individuals interested in hydrotherapy should definitely try an acclimatization program under the supervision of a trained professional.

• Heat Therapy

The counterpart to cold therapy is heat therapy. In this biohack, heat is applied to the body so that you experience the positive effects of sweating. The most common method is spending time in a sauna.

Numerous benefits of heat therapy include:

• Lowering blood pressure
• Improving cardiovascular health
• Stress reduction
• Weight loss
• Strengthening the immune system
• Reducing inflammation [12,13]

There are various ways to achieve so-called heat stress and thus enjoy the effects of heat therapy. The most well-known type of heat exposure can be found in a classic sauna.

Studies show that regular sauna use reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular disease by 50%. [14]

Another popular method for judiciously using heat stress is the use of a hot tub or steam bath. Similar to dry heat, moist heat can also relieve joint pain, for example. [15]

However, with moist heat in a hot tub and especially in a steam bath, you should pay attention to bacteria. Because in a warm and humid climate, (harmful) bacteria multiply even faster. [16]

Another option for heat therapy is the infrared sauna. Unlike a classic sauna, an infrared cabin uses light to generate heat. This is usually near-infrared, far-infrared, or a combination of both.

In addition to the effects you feel in the sauna, you can enjoy the additional benefits of infrared in an infrared sauna.

• Meditation

Chronic stress can have many negative effects on health, including inflammation, weakened immune function, heart disease, depression, and impaired digestive function. [17]

Fortunately, meditation is a simple biohack you can use to combat the effects of stress.

Meditation focuses the mind through a combination of mental and physical techniques to achieve an emotionally calm and stable state. [18]

Research shows that meditation not only helps you feel more relaxed but can also lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol and increase resilience to stressful situations. [19,20]

One study even suggests that meditation can positively affect brain and heart health. [21]

• Supplements

Biohacking and supplements often go hand in hand. Due to improper eating habits, the organism often does not receive enough nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

High-quality biohacking supplements in the form of tablets, shakes, bars, or drinks can close the nutrient gap and help boost performance, detoxify our system, and gain more daily energy.

Caffeine, for example, can help increase alertness and productivity and improve concentration.

However, caffeine should be consumed in moderation, as it can also lead to side effects such as increased blood pressure, heartburn, and headaches. [22]

Vitamin B12 and folic acid are essential for your nervous and circulatory systems and help improve your mood and increase concentration. [23]

This supplement boosts your brainpower so you can perform at your best.

The intake of sufficient protein, for example through whey protein, not only contributes to maintaining muscle mass but also supports the training effect to achieve more performance. [24]

Biohacking Gadgets for Your Healthy Lifestyle

To achieve your biohacking goals even faster, there are numerous products that can take self-optimization to a new level.

We show you what they are and how you can use them for your daily biohacking.

Fitness Watch

Did you know that every 4th person already uses a fitness app? 21% of respondents regularly use a fitness tracker and 19% own a smartwatch. [25]

So-called fitness wearables help you track your training, sleep cycles, and recovery based on heart rate variability.

In most cases, these biohacking gadgets are fitness watches or smartwatches. These help track important bodily processes and your athletic performance.

It is important to understand that this data is not always accurate. Nevertheless, it provides valuable insights and clues about your general health and fitness.

Infrared Cabin

Did you know that the high temperatures in the infrared cabin have the same positive effect on cardiovascular health as aerobic exercise?

This is because at high temperatures, the body tries to cool itself down. This happens by increasing heart rate, blood flow, and cardiac output, and lowering blood pressure. And this is exactly what has a positive effect on cardiovascular health and can also increase life expectancy. [26]

In general, an infrared sauna offers benefits like no other wellness product. For example, it helps with detoxification.

Wherever toxins or heavy metals accumulate, blood circulation is blocked due to the acidic nature of the toxins. Sweating in the sauna expands clogged capillaries and dissolves toxins in the bloodstream, where they then leave the body through sweat, urine, etc. [27]

In addition to this amazing detoxifying performance, the infrared cabin can also help with weight loss, heart problems, skin problems like acne, and many other health issues. [28,29]

Furthermore, a visit to the infrared sauna is excellent for stress reduction. Whether in the evening before going to bed or after sports to relax the muscles. [30]

In addition, Clearlight infrared cabins produce almost no electrosmog thanks to special emitter technology. This is particularly important with regard to biohacking, as electrosmog can negatively affect well-being.

Overall, the Clearlight infrared sauna is one of the most effective gadgets for biohacking.

You achieve the best results with this biohack if you use the infrared cabin at least 3 times a week for 30 minutes.

Oura Ring

The Oura Ring works similarly to the fitness trackers mentioned above. The smart ring is suitable as a fitness tracker, but it is also intended to check the level of relaxation and, above all, sleep.

Due to its size, it is less disturbing while sleeping than some large smartwatches. With regular use, the ring provides meaningful data and recommendations to improve your health and recovery.

Especially healthy sleep is often not given enough attention in biohacking. Yet the health benefits of sufficient sleep are numerous.

Research shows that 7-9 hours of sleep duration is the basic prerequisite for a healthy life. [31,32,33]

Red Light Therapy

Studies have shown that the body responds particularly well to red and near-infrared wavelengths, which are between 600 and 900 nm. [34]

This specific range of light waves is absorbed by the skin to a depth of about 8 to 10 millimeters. The mitochondrial chromophores absorb the photons, activating a series of processes in the nervous system and metabolism.

Simply put, red light therapy is an increasingly popular form of biohacking used to treat a variety of ailments.

It has been shown to relieve pain and reduce inflammation. [35] It can also provide a radiant complexion and truly rejuvenate the skin. [36]

Also interesting for sporty biohackers: red light therapy can not only shorten muscle recovery times but also lead to a general increase in performance in strength and endurance training. [37,38]

And since it is a non-invasive and non-chemical treatment, it is gentle on the body and, when used correctly, carries no risks.

With the Clearlight Red Light Tower, you can combine the soothing effects of infrared heat with the benefits of red light therapy.

The heat-resistant Red Light Tower can be used in the infrared cabin and, with innovative Variable Optics™ technology, ensures that the red light can penetrate your body from multiple angles.

This ensures maximum effect and faster results from red and near-infrared applications.

Strength Training

Strength training is a form of exercise that builds muscle through the use of free weights, weight machines, resistance bands, or bodyweight exercises.

The benefits of strength training for health and longevity are numerous. Research has found that strength training improves body composition, strength, power, endurance, and flexibility. [39,40,41]

Furthermore, it can reduce the risk of chronic diseases by improving cognitive function, heart health, blood sugar regulation, and chronic inflammation. [42,43]

Even if you've never trained with additional weights before, it's definitely worth a try. Incorporating strength training into your weekly workout routine can be a great way to prevent age-related diseases and maintain physical health for as long as possible.

For the ideal start to strength training, it is best to speak with a training expert and complete an initial session with a trainer.

Hand on heart: Does biohacking really prolong our lives?

There are several areas of biohacking that focus on slowing down or combating the effects of aging.

People interested in nutrigenomics can focus on a healthy diet, taking supplements, exercising, and meditating to pursue a healthy lifestyle.

Biohacking can also refer to more experimental and less common practices, such as blood transfusions, cryogenics, or gene editing.

Even if some biohacks show astonishingly high effectiveness, it cannot be guaranteed that they will prolong your life.

But especially easily implementable biohacks like blue or red light therapy, cardio and strength training, or the regular use of an infrared cabin can demonstrably make your daily life more pleasant.

Whether biohacks prolong your life, we ultimately don't know. But they definitely ensure a healthy lifestyle and more well-being, even in old age.

If you would like to know more about everyday health and related products such as infrared cabins, we at Clearlight are happy to advise you.