Biohacking: Fad or future of health?

Light therapy, cold exposure and a shot of black coffee are not everyone's idea of the perfect daily routine. But, for a small subset of the population, it's not about comfort; it's about making the most of human health.

This is biohacking – a movement for people who believe that the ways they live can all be 'hacked' to improve their health.

Whether you've heard of the trend before or are just a bit curious, we've covered all the basics from defining the various forms of biohacking to exploring popular techniques, finding out if they even work and the potential safety risks.

Before we dive in, there’s one more thing we have to say: this article is an exploration of biohacking, its aims and methods. It’s not medical advice, and we always recommend talking to your doctor before making major lifestyle changes.

What is biohacking?

At its most basic, biohacking is all about the pursuit of better living. The hacking part refers to exploring the limits of what’s possible, while bio means it’s related to biological processes (like those in the human body) [4].

The term biohacking was first used in an essay from the Washington Post in 1988. At that time, it was meant as a warning against the risks of unregulated amateur science [7].

But in the years since, it has taken on new meaning. Biohacking started gaining popularity in the early 2000s, before reaching mainstream status in the 2010s as a way to live a longer and healthier life [2].

How does biohacking work?

Most biohackers are aiming to optimise their health and wellbeing through small, incremental changes that can maximise their body’s performance [2].

But it’s more than lifestyle changes that are on the cards for serious biohackers. They use a combination of science, technology and self-experimentation to improve their body and mind [3].

For example, a biohacker might start a personalised diet plan (science), which they track using a smartwatch (technology) and attempt to enhance through various supplements (self-experimentation).

Some of the key goals of the biohacking community are improving cognitive function and physical health, sleep quality and life extension.

Personalisation is also a big part of biohacking because they know that what works for some may not work for others. Their goal is not to find the best lifestyle for all people, but the best lifestyle for themselves [3]. 

Maybe it sounds like science fiction, but there's a chance you've actually tried biohacking before. From your food choices to building a regular sleep schedule and habits for emotional health, many of these small changes could fall under the broad term that is biohacking [4].

Types of biohacking

We gave a fairly simple definition of biohacking earlier, but that’s only the beginning of this diverse movement.

The key thing to know is that most biohackers share the same goal to improve themselves or their community. But, there are multiple ways of getting there [4].

While some methods, like ice bathing, are well-known, others are a bit more radical [1]. To help clear up the difference, here are the 3 main forms of biohacking. 

DIYbio

DIYbio, or do-it-yourself biology, was one of the first biohacking groups established in Boston in 2008. It started as a community of scientists who were looking to provide greater access to biological research tools [7]. 

Today, it’s a movement around the world where amateur scientists conduct experiments in community labs [4]. There are 2 main purposes of their experiments:

• People attempting to alter their own biology with technology or medicines
• People wanting to create better healthcare access and affordability

Transhumanism

Transhumanism is a movement very much on the fringes of biohacking. It’s a place for people who believe that combining humans with technology is the future of high-performance and longevity [4]. 

A subgroup in the movement is people known as grinders. These are people with extreme body enhancements, like implanting microchips in their bodies [7].

Health optimisation

Finally, we have the most mainstream group – biohackers who focus on health and wellness. This group of biohackers are looking for any small changes they can make to their lifestyle that will improve their overall health and performance [4]. 

There are a few well-known (sometimes controversial) figures leading the movement, like American entrepreneurs Dave Asprey and Tim Ferriss. 

You might have heard of Bulletproof coffee, which is a Dave Asprey original that he claims, alongside other biohacking products, will help him live to 180 years old [1]. 

For the rest of this article, we’ll be focused on health optimisation as the main type of biohacking because it’s the most popular and uses the simplest methods.

Examples of biohacking techniques

By now, you understand the basics of biohacking – like its goals and where it came from. But what does it mean in practice? How are people ‘hacking’ their lives?

There are a lot of different ways to go about it, from conventional options, like diet and exercise, to emerging technologies, like nutrigenomics [3].

The most common areas of life that people want to improve are: exercise, nutrition, sleep and stress. Here are some examples of how they do it [2][3][7]:

• Mindfulness: stress management techniques, such as meditation, to improve mental health and clarity
• Nutrigenomics: the science of how a person’s genetics affects their nutritional needs, and vice versa
• Personalised diet and exercise plans: a diet and exercise routine tailored to the individual, which may include taking supplements
• Sleep tracking: focusing on a consistent sleep schedule and creating a sleep-friendly environment
• Technology: from mainstream tech like a fitness tracker to experimental devices like cryo-tanks and infrared saunas
• Walking barefoot: a grounding therapy that may help with lowering inflammation

Popular ways people biohack themselves

It might surprise you to know that you’ve already heard of some of the most popular biohacking methods out there. In fact, they’re verifiably mainstream.

Cold therapy

Cold therapy has always been a popular recovery technique for athletes in training, but it's now crossed the threshold into mainstream health and wellness practices.

It ranges from simple forms like a cold shower to full-on ice baths – whether that’s in the wilderness or the spa is up to you.

So, why do biohackers do it? There are lots of claimed benefits, such as [3]:

• Improve circulation
• Reduce inflammation
• Boost the immune system
• Speed up your metabolism

Intermittent fasting

Intermittent fasting is the practice of restricting your food intake to a short period of the day. It’s less about what you eat and more about when you eat [3].

It’s mostly used as a way to improve your metabolism and support weight management, but biohackers also believe it might help you live longer. There is some research to suggest intermittent fasting may help slow down ageing – though nothing is proven yet [1].

Wearable technology 

Is there a smartwatch on your wrist right now? Be honest. 

There’s nothing wrong with wearable technology; in fact, it’s a favourite of the biohacking community. Biohackers use fitness trackers, smartwatches and other wearable devices to help them monitor their health and performance [3].

It’s a good way to get real-time data that helps them test the small lifestyle changes their making; keeping the ones that work and stopping the ones that don’t [2].

Does biohacking work?

It’s basically impossible to give a simple ‘yes or no’ answer here. There are too many types of biohacking and different methods people use to make a call on the whole field.

But we can look closer at a few individual methods with research to back them up (or not).

Digital tracking for weight loss

A small study from Italy decided to try biohacking as a way to help people lose weight and reduce the carbon footprint of their diet [8].

Biohacking was chosen because of its focus on personalisation, which could help meet the food preferences and lifestyle requirements of each participant better than traditional diets. 

Using a web-based app, participants built a food diary based on their regular diet. The program then recommended small swaps that would help reduce calories and improve sustainability.

The results were mixed. While both calories consumed and the diet’s carbon footprint dropped by more than 10%, not everyone lost weight.

So, while this type of biohacking could have some benefit for some people, there’s not enough evidence yet to say it’s proven.

It’s also best done with support from health professionals – whether that’s your doctor or dietician.

Intermittent fasting for longevity

As one of the most researched biohacking methods out there, we have a lot of evidence for intermittent fasting. Key benefits to intermittent fasting include [9]:

• Reducing inflammation and oxidative stress
• Lowering risks of serious disease
• Supporting gut health
• The potential to slow down signs of ageing

Even though we’re building plenty of evidence, there’s still a lot to learn. Many of the studies so far have shown good results in animals, but we have less research that proves its effectiveness for people.

Some people also have trouble sticking with time-restricted eating patterns, which can limit their benefits.

Finally, it’s important to try this diet with help from health experts who can help make sure it’s safe and effective for your lifestyle.

Alkaline water

For every biohacking method that shows some benefit, there are probably a bunch more that don’t. A good example is alkaline water.

It was touted as the miracle product that could help slow down ageing and reduce oxidative stress in the body [6]. While research did exist showing these benefits, those studies were typically sponsored by companies that sell the product. 

An independent research review found hardly any evidence that alkaline water has positive effects on the body; aside from the obvious one – keeping you hydrated.

So, why did biohackers get excited about alkaline water? It has to do with how they see ageing.

Serious biohackers believe that ageing is not an inevitable process. It’s more like a series of ‘glitches’ in the human body that, with the right tactics, can be overcome [7].

While modern science and medicine have helped us increase life expectancies over time, we’re not really closer to stopping ageing in its tracks. It’s possible, maybe even likely, that we never will.

Is biohacking safe?

This is another tricky question to answer because it really depends on what kind of biohacking we’re talking about. So, rather than talking about whether it’s generally safe or not, we thought it would be useful to cover some of the important risk factors.

It’s a solo pursuit

One of the good things about biohacking is that it encourages people to be proactive about their health and well-being. But, it also tends to be a solo mission – with many biohackers engaging in lifestyle changes without medical support [3]. 

The safest option is to talk about biohacking with accredited health experts who can help you make decisions using real evidence and proven techniques. 

A lot of techniques lack regulation or evidence

A key argument against biohacking is that it’s somewhat of a rogue science. Most of its methods lack regulation or safety standards, since they’re often experimental [5].

For example, some biohackers aim to make modern medicines more affordable for the general public. But their DIY drugs don’t go through the same clinical trials and robust safety processes as the approved versions.

In fact, those rigorous safety procedures are actually the reasons approved medicines are more expensive to begin with.