I dedicated a recent article to the subject of why self-care has become one of the most important forms of healthcare, but I mainly focused on what forms of self-care are truly evidence-based versus what forms are more speculative. In this article, I will focus on the latter category, as “biohacking” is becoming more popular and prevalent.
Biohacking, sometimes referred to as “do-it-yourself biology,” has grown into a global movement shaped by technology enthusiasts, health optimizers and influencers, and longevity seekers. At its core, biohacking is about individuals experimenting with lifestyle choices, nutrition, technology, and scientific tools in order to optimize human performance, extend lifespan, and unlock capabilities beyond what have historically been considered natural limits. While some practices remain controversial or speculative, biohackers are united by a shared curiosity: how can we engineer the body and mind to work better?
Who are Biohackers?
Lest you think that biohacking is a niche preoccupation, recent data suggests otherwise. A May 2025 survey conducted by the Sanctuary Wellness Institute of more than 1,000 American men and women (50/50 split) ages 18-99 (average age 40) found that 67% identified themselves as “biohackers.” Other findings from this survey include the following:
- 94% believe it is healthy to optimize their body’s performance through biohacking strategies.
- The top motivations for biohacking were improving mood and mental health (26%), weight loss (23%), longevity (20%), focus and mental clarity (19%), appearance (15%), energy/productivity (13%), and immunity (13%).
- Social media was reported as the leading influence inspiring wellness optimization (75%), followed by medical studies, podcasts, and blogs.
- Supplement use was the most common biohacking method (65%), followed by meditation (50%), fasting (40%), and use of prescription medications such as GLP-1 drugs (notably Ozempic and Wegovy, with about 1 in 5 respondents using them).
- The average monthly expenditure on biohacking was $214, and 82% felt that the cost was worthwhile.
The Sanctuary survey’s findings on prevalence, demographics, motivations, spending, and channels of influence confirm the mainstreaming of biohacking and its integration with tech-enabled self-care and wellness.
10 Things Biohackers Do
Based on information from multiple sources, including Medical News Today, WebMD, Better Way Health and THE WELL, following are 10 things biohackers commonly do:
1. Intermittent Fasting and Time-Restricted Eating
One of the most popular practices among biohackers is adjusting eating patterns to improve health and longevity. Intermittent fasting (IF) and time-restricted eating involve limiting food intake to certain windows during the day and over multiple days, including the following regimens:
- The 16:8 method, where fasting lasts 16 hours with an 8-hour food window.
- Alternate-day fasting, where one eats normally one day and heavily restricts calories the next.
- Extended fasts, lasting 24 to 72 hours, designed to reset metabolism and activate autophagy.
Science supports these practices to some degree. Research shows fasting may promote weight loss, regulate insulin sensitivity, and enhance cellular repair processes. It may also be linked to potential longevity benefits through reduced inflammation and improved brain health. For most biohackers, intermittent fasting is the foundational habit that improves focus, energy, and fat metabolism.
2. Tracking and Quantifying the Body
Many biohackers live by the mantra, “What gets measured gets improved.” They use wearables and advanced sensors to track nearly every aspect of health. Devices like continuous glucose monitors, heart rate variability trackers, smartwatches, and Oura Rings gather data on sleep cycles, activity levels, blood sugar, and stress responses.
This constant feedback loop allows biohackers to test lifestyle changes and see what works for them in real time. For example:
- Measuring how certain foods spike blood glucose levels.
- Using sleep trackers to test whether magnesium or blue-light blocking glasses improve sleep quality.
- Monitoring heart rate variability as a daily gauge of stress resilience.
Through extensive data collection—including regular blood testing—biohackers build personalized feedback systems that guide decision-making in diet, exercise, and mental performance. This “quantified self” approach distinguishes biohacking from traditional wellness practices.
3. Cold and Heat Exposure
Biohackers frequently expose themselves to extreme temperatures to stimulate positive stress responses, a concept known as hormesis. Two main practices dominate this field: cold immersion and heat therapy.
- Cold exposure: Ice baths, cold showers, and cryotherapy chambers are used to boost alertness, potentially strengthen the immune system, and enhance fat metabolism. Research shows cold exposure activates brown adipose tissue, which burns energy to generate heat, offering metabolic benefits.
- Heat exposure: Regular sauna use has been linked to reduced cardiovascular risk, improved blood flow, and longer lifespan in several population studies. High heat exposure can also stimulate the production of heat-shock proteins, which protect cells from stress.
In biohacking culture, alternating between cold immersion and sauna sessions has become standard practice, popularized by techniques like “contrast therapy.” Beyond physical health, many report that these sessions sharpen mental focus and resilience.
4. Nootropics and Smart Drugs
Enhancing cognitive performance is a major obsession for biohackers. Nootropics, often referred to as “smart drugs” or brain enhancers, are compounds that may improve focus, memory, or overall brain function. While some are natural supplements, others are pharmaceuticals, and their effectiveness ranges widely.
Common nootropic categories include:
- Natural supplements like L-theanine (from green tea), lion’s mane mushroom, Bacopa Monnieri, and Ashwagandha.
- Stimulants such as modafinil, caffeine combined with L-theanine, and non-combustible nicotine in the form of gum, patches, and pouches, used to improve focus and wakefulness.
- Choline-based compounds like Alpha-GPC, thought to support brain health and neurotransmitter function.
While many nootropics are experimental, biohackers often test and self-calibrate dosages, meticulously recording results. Some find improvement in productivity or reduced brain fog, while others view it as placebo-driven optimization. Regardless, the quest to master brain chemistry remains central in biohacking circles.
5. Sleep Optimization
Sleep is seen not just as rest, but as a biohackable performance-enhancing tool. Many biohackers dedicate enormous attention to engineering ideal sleep environments and patterns.
Typical strategies include:
- Blue-light blocking: Using amber-colored glasses in the evening to minimize blue light exposure, which disrupts circadian rhythms.
- Advanced sleep tracking: Monitoring REM, deep sleep, and wakefulness to test interventions.
- Environmental adjustments: Using blackout curtains, white noise machines, weighted blankets, or temperature-controlled bedding.
- Supplementation: Incorporating magnesium glycinate, glycine, melatonin, or herbal blends to improve sleep onset and quality.
The motivation goes beyond rest; sleep profoundly impacts hormone regulation, cognitive performance, immune strength, and even aging. Biohackers often view sleep not as passive downtime but as an essential investment in long-term performance.
6. Nutrigenomics and Personalized Nutrition
Biohackers often dive deep into genetic data to determine ideal dietary strategies. Through DNA testing services or full-genome sequencing, they explore how their genes may affect metabolism, nutrient requirements, and health risks.
For example:
- Those predisposed to poor folate metabolism may add methylated folate supplements.
- APOE4 carriers, associated with increased Alzheimer’s risk, may adopt lower saturated-fat diets.
- Individuals with caffeine-sensitive genetic variants may shift coffee consumption to morning hours.
This personalized approach, called nutrigenomics, goes far beyond one-size-fits-all diets. It represents an effort to match food choices with individual genetic blueprints, thereby reducing disease risk and improving performance. Often, biohackers combine nutrigenomics with continuous glucose monitoring to evaluate how both genes and real-time physiology respond to food.
7. Ketogenic Diets and Metabolic Flexibility
The ketogenic diet—high fat, moderate protein, and very low carbohydrate—has become a staple in many biohacker toolkits. The goal is to force the body into ketosis, where fat is used as fuel and ketones provide energy to the brain.
The reported benefits include stable energy levels, better mental clarity, and enhanced fat-burning capacity. Beyond ketosis, many biohackers experiment with cycling between low-carb and carb-refeed days to build metabolic flexibility, training the body to switch seamlessly between burning glucose and fat for fuel.
Tools like ketone meters and blood glucose trackers often guide these dietary choices. For some, ketogenic living is a long-term commitment; for others, it is a temporary strategy to reset metabolism or achieve specific goals, such as reducing inflammation or managing autoimmune conditions.
8. Biofeedback and Meditation Technology
Mental mastery is as crucial as physical performance. Many biohackers practice biofeedback, using technology to measure brainwaves, breathing, or heart rate and train the nervous system toward greater resilience.
Popular tools include:
- EEG headsets that can monitor brain activity during meditation, providing real-time feedback.
- Heart rate variability apps that train users to maintain parasympathetic (calm) dominance.
- Neurostimulation devices that use light or electrical pulses to modulate brain states.
Paired with more traditional mindfulness practices such as Vipassana meditation or breathwork, biohacking technologies accelerate the process of building focus, calm, and emotional balance. The rationale is that mental performance—clarity, creativity, stress resilience—is as hackable as diet or sleep.
9. Genetic and DIY Biology Experiments
Some biohackers push boundaries further by experimenting with biology at a molecular level. This ranges from advanced self-experimentation with gene expression to community bio-labs where amateur scientists tinker with CRISPR tools or engineer gut microbiomes.
Examples include:
- Moderating gut bacteria through probiotics, prebiotics, and dietary interventions while sequencing the microbiome for analysis.
- Injecting experimental gene therapies (done by fringe biohackers at great personal and ethical risk).
- Exploring stem cell therapies for regenerative benefits, often pursued through medical tourism in countries with more lenient regulations.
While highly controversial, this aspect of biohacking reflects the movement’s curiosity, acceptance of personal risk, and willingness to move beyond mainstream science in pursuit of radical longevity and enhanced abilities. Safety concerns abound, but experimentation continues to spread globally.
10. Longevity Protocols and Anti-Aging Science
Perhaps the ultimate goal of biohacking is not just better performance today but a longer, healthier lifespan. Biohackers pay great attention to tactics drawn from longevity research, including:
- Supplements such as NAD+ boosters, resveratrol, spermidine, or omega-3 fatty acids, thought to affect mitochondrial health or cellular repair.
- Caloric restriction mimetics: Compounds or diets designed to replicate the life-extending benefits of calorie restriction without extreme deprivation.
- Exercise regimens focused on maintaining muscle strength, cardiovascular health, and mitochondrial efficiency across decades.
- Regular testing including blood panels, urinalysis, biological age clocks, and preventative screenings to identify disease earlier than traditional medicine.
This longevity-oriented mindset drives many biohackers to integrate all other practices—fasting, sleep optimization, nootropics, temperature stressors—into one overarching vision: extending healthspan (years lived in good health) as much as lifespan.
Biohackers’ Routine Blood Testing
As mentioned in above, biohackers routinely get blood tests to track health, optimize performance, and intervene early on biomarkers that may signal health risks or inefficiencies. The tests and panels include those that are part of standard medical checkups (noted with an asterisk below), as well as those that are selected based on the biohacker’s personal goal(s)—be it longevity, cognition, fitness, and/or metabolic health.
Their most common blood tests include the following:
- Complete Blood Count (CBC)*: Assesses general health, detects anemia, infections, and monitors immune status.
- Lipid Panel*: Measures total, LDL, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides to assess cardiovascular disease risk.
- Liver and Kidney Function (Comprehensive Metabolic Panel or CMP)*: Monitors key organ function and detects early issues.
- HbA1C and Fasting Glucose*: Tracks long-term and immediate blood sugar control, used for metabolic and diabetes risk.
- Thyroid Panel (TSH, Free T3, Free T4)*: Screens for thyroid hormone imbalances that affect energy, weight, and metabolism.
- Inflammation Markers (high-sensitivity C-reactive protein or hs-CRP, ESR): Detects chronic or systemic inflammation, which is linked to longevity and disease risk.
- Vitamin D and B12: Ensures adequate levels for immune function, cognition, and energy.
- Prostate-specific antigen (PSA): Evaluates prostate health in men.
- Iron Studies (Ferritin, TIBC, Transferrin): Detects iron deficiency or overload that can impact mood, cognition, and energy.
- Sex Hormones (Testosterone, Estradiol, FSH, LH): Key for both men and women to optimize muscle gain, mood, and reproductive health.
- Advanced Lipid Markers (ApoA, ApoB, Lipoprotein(a), sdLDL): Used by advanced biohackers seeking deep insight into cardiovascular risk.
Additional tests used by biohackers include:
- Homocysteine: A cardiovascular and longevity risk marker.
- Cortisol and Melatonin: Evaluates stress response and circadian rhythm.
- Micronutrient Panels (Magnesium, Ferritin, B12, among others): Screens for nutritional gaps that can impede biohacking goals.
- Leptin: Quantifies the amount of this hormone, which regulates appetite, energy balance, and body weight.
- Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1): Measures the level of this hormone, which is involved in growth, metabolism, and cellular repair.
- Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL): Measures the amount of this biomarker of neuronal injury and neurodegeneration.
Many biohackers use blood tests to establish baselines and then re-test every 3-6 months to monitor interventions, adjust routines, and catch trends early.
Why Biohackers Push Boundaries
All biohackers’ common practices converge on a common theme: they want agency over their biology. Rather than passively accepting the natural course of health decline, biohackers leverage technology, discipline, and experimentation to actively shape outcomes. The movement blends ancient wisdom (fasting, saunas, meditation, grounding) with modern tools (wearables, genetic tests, drugs), creating hybrid approaches that challenge longstanding assumptions.
Critics point out that many biohacks are unproven, potentially risky, or rooted in anecdotal evidence. Advocates counter that science has always advanced through experimentation. By acting as citizen-scientists, biohackers expand the knowledge frontier—sometimes recklessly, but often with extraordinary curiosity.
Biohacking is not a single practice but a mindset. The approaches discussed above illustrate the diversity and depth of this movement. While motivations vary, the common goal is the pursuit of optimized living, sharper minds, stronger bodies, and longer lives.
The future of biohacking will likely see more integration with mainstream medicine, as practices like continuous glucose monitoring, personalized nutrition, and preventative genetic testing transition from fringe experiments to standard practice. Until then, biohackers remain trailblazers—willing to tinker with the blueprint of life in pursuit of human potential.