Biohacking for a longer life: How to (almost) reverse your age

Biohacking is no longer a niche topic: from high-tech gadgets and personalized nutrition plans to infusions and neuromodulation – more and more people are trying out methods to take their health to a new level. The aim is to optimize the body and mind so that we not only live longer, but also better. Some even talk about ‘reversing’ ageing. Whether this is realistic remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Biohacking can do a lot for your wellbeing if you approach it wisely.

In this comprehensive guide, we take a deep dive into the world of biohacking. We shed light on fundamental questions such as “What is biohacking?” and “What are the pros and cons?”. We also present specific strategies and methods aimed at longevity: from nutritional concepts such as intermittent fasting and ketogenic diets to sleep biohacks, stress management tools and epigenetic approaches designed to slow down your cellular ageing. We also take into account that biohacking does not work for everyone equally and highlight topics such as “biohacking for women” and “biohacking in everyday life”. We also take a look at possible criticism and risks. Ready to take control of your life and understand your body better? Then let’s explore together how biohacking ideas can help you extend your lifespan – and what neotes has to do with it.

What is biohacking? Definition and origin

Let’s first clarify what biohacking actually means. Although the term is on everyone’s lips these days, many people have different ideas about it. Some speak of a lifestyle oriented towards high-tech devices; others see biohacking as a consistent continuation of nutritional optimization and self-experimentation.

Biohacking definition

Biohacking can be loosely translated as “hacking your own body”. “Hacking” here means using certain mechanisms in a targeted way to optimize your own body. The aim is to improve health and well-being, prevent illness and – ideally – slow down the ageing process. A wide variety of methods are used: from traditional techniques such as meditation to modern nutritional supplements (biohacking supplements) and futuristic methods such as CRISPR.

Brief historical outline

The word “biohacking” first appeared in the 2000s, but the idea of improving the body and mind with technology or targeted strategies is an ancient one. Since ancient times, much research has been done on diet, sleep and exercise to get the best out of the human body. However, with the advent of digital technologies and wearables, biohacking has taken on a new dimension. Today, a biohacking studio can look like a futuristic fitness center – equipped with cryo chambers, red light lamps and hyperbaric chambers that supposedly promote regeneration.

Biohacking and longevity: reversing age as a myth?

A central question in biohacking is: can ageing really be stopped or even reversed? Many biohackers are firmly convinced that ageing can be slowed down considerably by making targeted biological adjustments. There are indeed studies that suggest that certain interventions – such as sleep, diet or supplements – can at least improve individual ageing markers. However, biohacking is not a panacea.

Biohacking strategies for a longer life

Most biohackers combine different approaches:

• Diet: Intermittent fasting, ketogenic diet, dash diet or other concepts that keep blood sugar stable and stimulate autophagy.
• Exercise: Strength training for muscle building, HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training) for cardiovascular health or yoga for flexibility and rest.
• Sleep optimization: Through tools, apps, gadgets and targeted routines for deep sleep and REM phases.
• Stress management: meditation, mindfulness, neurofeedback and targeted breaks to reduce cortisol levels.
• Cold and heat therapy: Methods such as ice baths, cryotherapy or infrared saunas that stimulate the metabolism, reduce inflammation and promote regeneration.
• Breathing techniques: practices such as the Wim Hof method or pranayama, which support oxygenation, stress reduction and mental clarity.
• Hyperbaric chamber: Oxygen therapy in a hyperbaric chamber that increases oxygen saturation in the tissue, promotes healing and reduces inflammation.
• Light therapy: Use of red light or blue light therapy to promote cell regeneration, improve sleep and support skin health.
• Supplements: From classic vitamins and minerals to exotic substances such as coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10), fisitin or resveratrol.
• Diagnostics: Regular blood tests and biomarker analyses to monitor values such as vitamin D levels, omega-3 index, inflammation markers (e.g. CRP) or hormone levels (e.g. cortisol, testosterone). Biohackers often use tools such as glucose meters, DNA analysis or epigenetic age tests such as the Horvarth or DunedinPACE test, which measure biological age based on DNA methylation patterns, to assess the impact of lifestyle and biohacking strategies on ageing.

It is noticeable that biohacking is mostly characterized by continuous data collection. Whether you need all this depends on your lifestyle and your goals. Some people already swear by biohacking to reduce stress-related symptoms, others want to build muscle mass. Still others focus on longevity.

Biohacking for longevity: definition and concepts

When we talk about “longevity biohacking”, we are mainly talking about keeping the body young in the long term. An important aspect of this is epigenetics, i.e. the question of how genes are switched on and off. This area includes tests on cell ageing (e.g. telomere length) as well as infusions or treatments designed to stimulate cell repair mechanisms.

In this context, neotes offers high-quality nutritional supplements that target nutrients that play a role in cell metabolism, among other things. Through the combination of targeted supplements, personal coaching and regular check-ups, individual biohacking plans can be created. These can be a great help if you are looking for a structured approach.

Biohacking ideas: From DIY to high-tech

Biohacking is not a protected term, so the ideas and methods are correspondingly diverse. They range from the simple incorporation of healthy habits into everyday life to elaborate medical procedures.

DIY biohacking

The do-it-yourself version includes things that anyone can integrate into everyday life without a lot of equipment:

• Intermittent fasting: 16:8 method or 5:2 approach.
• Cold therapy: Cold showers or ice baths to stimulate the metabolism.
• Breathing exercises: Methods such as the Wim Hof technique, which influences oxygen uptake and stress levels.
• Sleep tracking via smartphone or fitness bracelet.
• Meditation and mindfulness exercises.

These approaches are usually inexpensive and have a low risk.

High-tech biohacking

At the other end of the spectrum are high-tech solutions:

• Biohacking Studio: Facilities offering cold chambers, red light therapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and more.
• Infusions: From vitamin C drips to infusions with solutions containing amino acids to support regeneration.
• Neurofeedback: Here, brain waves are measured and fed back in real time so that you learn to control your mental state.
• Gene modifications using CRISPR (still very experimental and controversial).
• AI-supported biohacking plans: Apps and coaches that use artificial intelligence to create personalized nutrition and training plans.

Whether you prefer DIY biohacking or high-tech is up to you. Many people mix both approaches.

Nutrition and biohacking: possible diets for longevity

When you say biohacking, you can’t avoid questions of nutrition. The most common nutritional models include:

1. Intermittent fasting: Helps to stimulate autophagy and stabilize blood sugar. At the same time, it can promote the release of growth hormones and thus delay age-related degradation processes.
2. Ketogenic diet: Gets the body into fat metabolism, which can regulate appetite and reduce inflammation. Some biohackers report more mental clarity and energy.
3. Paleo diet: Based on the diet of our ancestors to reduce inflammation and provide the body with high-quality nutrients.
4. Mediterranean diet: Classic, but still top: lots of vegetables, olive oil, fish and nuts are considered anti-inflammatory and promote heart health.

All of these diets have advantages and disadvantages. It is important that you test which form suits your body best. A biohacking diet plan can help you to track and optimize specific measurements (e.g. insulin sensitivity).

Sleep biohacks for longevity

Sleep is one of the central topics in biohacking. Poor sleep promotes inflammation, increases the risk of diabetes and heart disease and weakens the immune system. In short: a lack of sleep makes you age faster. This is why biohackers rely on various tools:

• Sleep tracking: Wearables, apps or special mats record sleep duration and quality, deep sleep and REM phases.
• Light management: blue light filters in the evening, red light in the early morning hours or melatonin supplements (note: consult a doctor for dosage).
• Sleep hygiene: dark, cool bedroom, fixed bedtimes, no caffeine in the late afternoon.
• Biohacking tools for better sleep: special pillows, mattresses with a cooling function, white noise devices.

Those who radically improve their sleep often notice an increase in energy levels and joie de vivre after just a few weeks. This also has an effect on longevity.

Stress management as a biohack: meditation, breathing exercises and more

Stress accelerates ageing – this is widely accepted scientifically. High cortisol levels damage the immune system, heart and brain in the long term. Biohacking therefore relies heavily on stress management:

• Meditation and mindfulness: either via app or in courses. These methods help to calm thoughts and regulate the nervous system.
• Breathing techniques: The Wim Hof method is an example of a combined program of cold and breathing exercises.
• Neurofeedback: A high-tech method in which brain waves are measured. Feedback helps to achieve a more relaxed state in a targeted manner.
• Psychedelics (with caution): In some countries or under medical supervision, people experiment with substances such as psilocybin or LSD (microdosing) to expand consciousness and reduce stress. However, the legal situation and personal suitability must be taken into account here.

Reducing stress can be the most important biohack, especially for managers and busy people.

Biohacking supplements: Which nutrients make sense?

The market for food supplements in the biohacking sector is booming. From classic vitamins and minerals to exotic substances such as alpha-GPC, NAD+ (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide) or pterostilbene. neotes also offers products in this segment that contain certain amino acids, adaptogens or antioxidants, for example.

Advantages and disadvantages of biohacking supplements

• Benefits: Can specifically balance deficiencies, reduce inflammation, boost cell energy and increase stress resistance. Some supplements are even being studied for their anti-ageing effects.
• Disadvantages: Not every preparation delivers what it promises. The quality varies greatly and uncontrolled intake without blood tests can lead to overdoses.

Personalized plans

Ideally, you should draw up your supplement plan together with a doctor, nutritionist or biohacking coach. Blood tests and biomarker analyses help to determine which substances actually benefit you. Then you can specifically pursue your goals: Muscle building, better cognitive performance or even longevity.

Biohacking for women: Gender-specific aspects

Biohacking is often perceived as a male-dominated scene. However, more and more women are discovering the topic for themselves. Intermittent fasting or ketogenic diets, for example, can have a different effect on women than on men because the hormone balance reacts more sensitively to calorie deficits. The menstrual cycle also plays a role when it comes to sleep requirements, stress resistance and athletic performance.

• Cycle-oriented training: Some biohackers adapt their training to the different phases of their cycle in order to achieve optimum muscle building and recovery.
• Special supplements: For example adaptogens such as ashwagandha or shatavari, which according to traditional medicine are supposed to support the female hormone balance.

So if you are “biohacking for women”, you should pay attention to the subtleties and develop a tailor-made plan if necessary.

Biohacking tools and gadgets: Wearables, apps and more

Wearables have made biohacking socially acceptable: smartwatches, sensors and apps make it possible to measure and evaluate vital data in real time. The advantage: you can see immediately whether a change in your everyday life has a positive or negative effect on your stress levels, sleep quality or blood sugar.

• Fitness wristbands: measure steps, heart rate and often sleep.
• Blood glucose sensors: CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitoring) for 24-hour monitoring.
• Neurofeedback devices: Portable EEG systems that track your brain waves.
• AI-powered biohacking plans: Some apps analyze your data and give personalized recommendations for training, nutrition and even supplements.

Whether you’re an ambitious biohacker or just starting out, wearables offer a convenient way to quickly capture and interpret your physical feedback.

Cold therapy, light therapy and other treatments

In addition to diet, exercise and supplements, there are a range of biohacking treatments that are mainly offered in specialized studios or practices.

Cold therapy

Whether ice baths at home or cryo chambers in the biohacking studio: cold therapy is said to stimulate blood circulation, reduce inflammation markers and even increase fat burning. Many users also report a mental boost.

Red light (Red Light Therapy)

Red or near-infrared light is said to increase cell energy (ATP production) in the mitochondria and stimulate collagen production. This is said to slow down skin ageing and promote muscle regeneration. Studies have already shown some positive effects, but the application technique is crucial.

Infusions

From vitamin C high-dose drips to “anti-ageing infusions” containing amino acids and minerals – infusion treatments are another trend. The idea: nutrients bypass the digestive tract and are directly available to the body. Some skeptics describe this as an expensive luxury, while supporters swear by the immediate energy boost.

Biohacking workouts: muscle building and cardiovascular boost

Exercise is of course a must. Biohacking aims not only for longevity, but also for functionality and performance.

• HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training): Short, intensive exercise intervals are designed to strengthen the cardiovascular system and boost the metabolism. It also saves time.
• EMS training: Electro-muscle stimulation can intensify training and address many muscle groups in a short time.
• Smart fitness apps: Some biohacking coaches offer AI-supported training plans that analyze your progress based on wearable data.

Muscle building in particular plays a major role in longevity, as muscles support the metabolism, reduce the risk of falling in old age and promote anabolic processes overall.

Latest biohacking studies and future prospects

Research into biohacking is dynamic. Some areas deserve special attention:

• Epigenetics and cell ageing: Current studies are investigating whether targeted biohacking (e.g. through diets, supplements, stress reduction) can sustainably improve epigenetic markers.
• Telomere extension: Initial trials with enzymes or drugs designed to protect telomeres are currently being tested.
• CRISPR and gene optimization: still highly controversial, but potentially a major step towards preventing hereditary diseases.
• AI-supported biohacking plans: In future, personalized data analyses could ensure that your wearables create optimal nutrition and training plans in real time.

Some trends sound like science fiction, but they are already being hotly debated in the biohacking scene. Whether or when they will be suitable for everyday use remains to be seen.

Conclusion: How can biohacking improve your everyday life?

Biohacking is nothing more than consciously engaging with your body and mind. Whether you simply optimize your sleep or venture into far-reaching interventions such as cold therapies and infusions is up to you. For many people, it is enough to change their eating habits, use supplements in a more targeted way and learn more about their own body with the help of simple tracking methods.

One of the biggest advantages of biohacking is that you can actually measure your success! Whether you want to analyze your blood sugar levels, build muscle or improve your sleep quality, you can immediately see what is working and what is not. This means you always have the opportunity to correct your course and gradually improve.

Can biohacking reverse ageing? Probably not in the literal sense. But if you manage to gain 5 or 10 healthy years of life with specific hacks, that’s an enormous gain. Ultimately, it’s about staying fit, vital and happy for as long as possible. And this is precisely the fascination of biohacking.

Practical tips for your start

1. Define your goals: Do you want to sleep better, lose weight, build muscle or reduce inflammation levels?
2. Collect data: Use wearables, blood tests or simple logs to determine your baseline condition.
3. Take small steps: Don’t change everything at once. Try intermittent fasting first, measure your success and then increase slowly.
4. Coaching or community: A biohacking coach or an online community can provide enormous motivation and helpful tips.
5. Quality over quantity: When buying supplements, look for high-quality products, such as those offered by neotes, and only take what you really need.
6. Regular reviews: Look at your data every few weeks and readjust your strategy.

Criticism and safety: the limits of biohacking

As exciting as biohacking is, there are limits and dangers:

• Over-optimization: Some people get bogged down in an abundance of data and “hacks”, but lose sight of the big picture.
• Health risks: Infusions or extreme diets are not without risk. Always seek medical advice before taking any radical steps.
• Mental stress: Constant tracking can cause stress if you are always striving for perfect values.
• Realistic expectations: Biohacking can do a lot, but not miracles. It will neither make you immortal nor guarantee an endless fountain of youth.

Always listen to your body and respect its limits. A healthy balance of optimization and joie de vivre is crucial.

Outlook: Where is biohacking heading?

Biohacking is developing rapidly. Wearables are getting smaller and smarter, AI systems are becoming increasingly accurate. In the future, genetic interventions (CRISPR) could become part of everyday life for certain groups. Collaboration with longevity medicine is also progressing, which specifically researches processes in the body that are associated with ageing. One possible revolution is the combination of personalized medicine, wearables and real-time analyses. Scenarios like the following are conceivable: Your smartphone or smart glasses telling you what to eat or how long you should sleep based on your real-time data in order to achieve your goals (e.g. better fitness, lower inflammation levels). Used wisely, such strategies could significantly improve our healthspan in the long term.

Biohacking Preps: How to get started on the road to longevity

The bottom line is that biohacking is a collective term for many methods that you can use yourself to promote your health and longevity. Whether you pick up a biohacking book, consult a biohacking coach or go to a biohacking studio, it is important that you always keep your individual needs in mind. Excessive promises to “reverse” age or eradicate all diseases should be viewed critically. Nevertheless, biohacking holds enormous potential for people who want to actively work on their future. Especially in combination with selected laboratory-tested supplements of pharmaceutical quality, you can work on your vitality step by step.

5 books about biohacking

1. biohacking – optimize yourself: Sleep better. Perform better. Be more balanced. Live longer. 2018 Max Gotzler (author).

2. biohacking for women: How to get fit effortlessly, feel beautiful and good, have more energy and unleash superpowers. 2024 Aggi Lal (Author). Link

3. biohacking for athletes: achieve the best performance and regenerate faster with heliotherapy, microcurrent and other hacks. 2022. Andreas Breitfeld (Author).

4. MEN’S HEALTH Biohacking: 22 ways to your best self – Sleep better. Eat better. Move better. Relax better. Feel better. 2022 Nico Airone (Author).

5 Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity. 2023 Peter Attia, Bill Gifford (Author).

Share your biohacking story and be part of our blog article!

Have you gained exciting experiences in the field of biohacking and would like to share them with a wider community? Take the opportunity to highlight your personal approaches, methods and successes – we will present your story in our next biohacking blog article!

Write to us at cs@neotes.care with the keyword BIOHACKERSTORY and share your insights.

Conclusion:

Biohacking is more than just a trend – it’s a movement that brings together modern science, technology and the millennia-old quest for a healthy life. If you know the pros and cons, consult reputable sources and set realistic goals, biohacking can enrich your life and support you on your path to a long, fulfilling existence.

Sources:

• Horvath S. DNA methylation age of human tissues and cell types. Aging (Albany NY). 2013.
• Jaskelioff M et al. Telomerase reactivation reverses tissue degeneration in aged telomerase-deficient mice. Nature. 2011.
• Doudna JA, Charpentier E. The new frontier of genome engineering with CRISPR-Cas9. Science. 2014.
• Topol EJ. High-performance medicine: the convergence of human and artificial intelligence. Nat Rev Genet. 2019.
• Mattson MP, Longo VD, Harvie M. Impact of intermittent fasting on health and disease processes. Ageing Res Rev. 2017.
• Wim Hof. The Wim Hof Method. Official website (various publications).
• Panossian A, Wikman G. Effects of adaptogens on the central nervous system and the molecular mechanisms associated with their stress-protective activity. Pharmaceuticals (Basel). 2010.
• Red Light Therapy Research (review article). Photomedicine and Laser Surgery. (year varies).