Biohacking - what works

9 min read

Ice baths. Red light therapy. Nootropics. Grounding. Intermittent fasting. Breathwork. The biohacking industry promises that with the right hacks you can optimize your body to levels that are not achievable with "just" training and eating. It is a billion-dollar industry built on a mix of science, marketing and wishful thinking.

The question is not whether biohacking works. The question is: what really works, what is exaggerated, and what is pure nonsense?

The basics first: the "boring" hacks that are proven to work

Before we talk about ice baths and nootropics, an honest observation: 95 percent of people interested in biohacking don't have the basics in order. And the basics are by far the most powerful "hack" that exists.

• 7-9 hours of sleep per night. One night of poor sleep lowers your testosterone by 10-15 percent, reduces your insulin sensitivity and increases your cortisol. No supplement in the world compensates for that. Sleep is the most underrated biohack
• 3-5 times per week strength training. Increases testosterone, growth hormone, insulin sensitivity, bone density, and mental health. No pill does all that at once
• Sufficient protein. 1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. For muscle growth, recovery and satiety. Simple, proven, boring - but it works
• Sunlight in the morning. 10-15 minutes of daylight within an hour of waking resets your circadian rhythm, improves your sleep in the evening and increases your alertness during the day. Free, no gadget needed

If you don't do these four things, biohacking is like decorating a house while the foundation is missing. Fix the basics first. Then we talk about the rest.

What really works: evidence-based biohacks

Cold exposure (ice baths, cold showers). Proven effect on alertness (noradrenaline rises 200-300 percent), mood and possibly brown fat activation. It is no miracle cure for fat burning - the calories you burn are minimal. But for mental sharpness and stress resilience the evidence is reasonably strong. Start with 30 seconds cold at the end of your shower. Build up to 2-3 minutes. You don't need to take an ice bath.

Light therapy. Red light (630-670nm) has some evidence for skin health and possibly muscle recovery. But the strongest evidence is for daylight lamps for seasonal complaints and sleep problems. A daylight lamp of 30 euros in the winter is more effective than a red light panel of 500 euros.

Creatine. Technically a supplement, but it deserves mention as a "biohack" because it is one of the few substances with overwhelming evidence. Improves strength, power output and possibly cognitive function. 3-5 grams per day, every day. Cheap, safe, proven.

What is exaggerated: the gray zone

Intermittent fasting. Popular, but the evidence is clear: it works no better than regular calorie reduction for weight loss. It can be useful as structure - you have fewer eating moments to think about. But there is no metabolic advantage over just eating less spread throughout the day. And if you want to build muscle mass, it is a disadvantage - you miss protein doses.

Breathwork (Wim Hof, box breathing). The breathing exercises have a demonstrable effect on stress response and pain perception. You can influence your sympathetic nervous system with breathing - that is proven. But the claims about immune system strengthening and "overcoming disease" are strongly exaggerated. Use it as a relaxation tool, not as medicine.

Sauna. Regular sauna use is associated with lower cardiovascular mortality in Finnish studies. But association is not causation - Finns who sauna regularly probably also do other healthy things. It feels good, it helps with relaxation, but it is no replacement for cardio.

What doesn't work: the nonsense

• Nootropics and smart drugs. Most evidence is anecdotal or of poor quality. Caffeine works. The rest? Mostly placebo or insufficiently researched. Some substances are potentially dangerous without medical supervision
• Grounding (standing barefoot on the earth). The theory that you "absorb electrons" from the earth has no serious scientific basis. Walking outside is healthy - because of the movement and daylight, not because of the electrons
• Detox protocols. Your liver and kidneys are your detox system. They work 24/7 and don't need a juice cleanse. "Detox" products are marketing, not science
• EMF protection. The claim that electromagnetic fields from your phone harm your health is not supported by available evidence. EMF-blocking products are a waste of money

The biohacking checklist

Before you spend money on the latest hack, go through this checklist:

• Do I sleep 7-9 hours per night? If not, fix that first
• Do I train at least three times per week? If not, start with that
• Do I eat enough protein and vegetables? If not, adjust that
• Do I drink enough water? If not, simple fix
• Do I manage my stress? If not, there is more gain there than in any supplement

Only when all these five points are in order is it useful to look at biohacks. And even then: don't expect miracles from them. The basics deliver 95 percent of the result. The hacks deliver the remaining 5 - if you're lucky.

How to evaluate biohacking claims

The biohacking industry is growing fast and new claims appear weekly. Here is a quick checklist to determine if a hack is worth it:

• Is there peer-reviewed research? Not a blog post, not a YouTube video, not "there was a study" without a source. Peer-reviewed papers in recognized journals. If those are missing, treat it as unproven
• What is the effect size? Even if something is "scientifically proven", the effect can be so small that it doesn't matter in practice. A supplement that increases your metabolism by 2 percent sounds impressive - but that is 20 calories per day. Irrelevant
• Who is selling it? If the person promoting the hack also sells the product, be skeptical. Financial interest is the biggest predictor of exaggerated claims
• Do you have the basics in order? If you sleep less than 7 hours, train less than 3 times per week or don't have your nutrition in order - invest your money and energy there. Every biohack is an optimization of the last few percent. That last percent doesn't matter if the first 90 percent isn't there

The most powerful biohack already exists. It's called: consistent training, good eating and sufficient sleep. It's not sexy, not expensive and not new. But it works better than everything you see on Instagram.