If you follow health influencers or find yourself scrolling through wellness trend videos, you have probably heard the term “biohacking.” Think of contrast therapy (cold plunging and saunas), hyperbaric chambers, red light therapy, or any other modality that helps people live longer, perform better, and feel healthier. What does biohacking actually mean, and how medically credible is it?
What Is Biohacking?
Biohacking is a broad, nonspecific lifestyle term for self-improvement. Popularized by tech people and athletes, biohacking is a DIY form of improvement to change aspects of biology. It is by no means a scientific term, nor is it an undertaking. Biohacking includes a range of different non-specific activities that have popular anecdotal evidence. Fitbits, smartwatches, and other related items provide people with a lot of bodily data, such as sleep scores, daily step counts, and so forth. That allows them to alter exercise performance, for example, to improve the data.
“Hacking” your biology is the ultimate goal to help you feel and perform better. Some changes are straightforward, such as prioritizing sleep, eating a balanced diet, and practicing intermittent fasting. On the other end of the spectrum, biohacking can include things that are not backed by scientific research.
Examples Of Biohacking And How It Works
Although biohacking is a relatively new term, it does include practices that are already well-established and researched. We will detail some examples below:
Wearable Technology
Technology in biohacking is quite popular because the devices, although costly at times, are accessible. Wearable devices make it easy to monitor heart rate, sleep quality, and physical activity. These devices can serve as motivational tools, offering features like reminders, progress tracking, and goal setting. On the other hand, these devices can cause people to obsess over biometrics, such as calories consumed or burned in a day. That doesn’t always translate to better health habits, and it can cause undue stress in certain instances.
Nootropics
Nootropics, often referred to as “smart drugs,” are a group of nonprescription supplements, tablets, drinks, and foods. These “cognitive enhancers” aim to enhance memory and boost brain function. Nootropics ostensibly work by protecting neurons in the brain from damage that results from toxins or aging. In theory, nootropics increase blood and oxygen flow to the brain, which supposedly leads to improvements in cognitive performance. Such examples include creatine, caffeine, turmeric, or reishi mushrooms.
Fasting
Fasting is far from new. In fact, people have been fasting for thousands of years. In recent years, fasting has risen to popularity, especially among people who engage in biohacking. They typically do it to improve or completely reset certain metabolic states. Other people engage in intermittent fasting to help encourage weight loss, and research indicates that it does aid weight management and blood sugar control. Although there are evidence-based benefits of fasting, there is no way to confirm that it completely resets metabolic states.
Cryotherapy Chambers And Exotic Therapies
Perhaps you found out about cold plunging on a podcast or watched a video of Wim Hof swimming in the Arctic Circle with shorts on. It is no secret that cold therapy has received more attention in recent years, especially in regards to enhancing recovery and mental health. Some evidence shows that the cold helps to relieve muscle pain and lower inflammation, but cryo-chambers and expensive cold plunges pools may over-compromise the body.
Is Biohacking Safe?
In a nutshell, biohacking is a modern term for something that humans have been doing for centuries. People have experimented, and will continue to experiment, with ways to improve health and longevity. Some aspects are scientifically-backed, while others may require more research and testing to confirm positive results. If you are curious about biohacking, start small, such as eating a balanced diet, engaging in regular exercise, and practicing stress management.
Those simple, foundational habits are the most powerful hacks and have years of data and research to back them up. Once you have a solid foundation in place, you can experiment with tools like contrast therapy, mindfulness techniques, and intermittent fasting to fine-tune your health.
Vincent Stevens is the senior content writer at Dherbs. As a fitness and health and wellness enthusiast, he enjoys covering a variety of topics, including the latest health, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle trends. His goal is to inform people of different ways they can improve their overall health, which aligns with Dherbs’ core values. He received his bachelor’s degree in creative writing from the University of Redlands, graduating summa cum laude. He lives in Los Angeles, CA.
