What is biohacking? Step-by-step to more energy and concentration

⏱ 11 min read

New year - new resolutions? If it weren't always so difficult and tedious to actually keep them.

Wouldn't it be easier to simply reprogram yourself and become an improved version of yourself? Without complaining and compromising? Can you "hack" your own body and feel more comfortable and satisfied as a result? 

Yes, you can. Welcome to the world of biohacking.

What is biohacking?

Anyone who has ever drunk coffee or black tea to make themselves more alert or listened to music to improve their mood has already tried biohacking. Because if we change the environment with food, sounds or light, we can have a positive influence on ourselves.

But if you want to hack a system, you first have to understand it. This applies to the computer as well as the human body. Only those who know their body and its needs can become the best possible version of themselves through diet, exercise and sleep and feel more energetic, productive, mentally fitter and generally more comfortable in their own skin.

How does biohacking work?

The best known and easiest way to biohack your body and mind is through your diet and daily routines. Change small things in your everyday life, give your body time to adapt and see how you feel. For example, get to know your immune system and your concentration better so that you can optimize them based on the new information you gain.

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Biohacking examples: what do studies show?

Sleep, nutrition, fitness, relaxation and cognitive abilities: researchers have tested simple biohacks for each of the five factors described further below. The table shows examples and what the studies found.

How to start biohacking: 5 steps for beginners

Biohacking does not need expensive equipment. These five steps are enough to begin with:

1. Pick one goal. More energy, better sleep or sharper concentration: decide what you want to improve first.
2. Record your starting point. Note for one week how you sleep, how much you move and how you feel. A fitness bracelet or a simple diary is enough.
3. Change one thing at a time. Put screens away before bed, set a fixed eating window or add a daily walk. If you change only one thing, you can tell what works.
4. Give your body time. Keep the change for several weeks before you judge it. Many of the trials cited in this guide ran for 4 to 26 weeks.
5. Keep what works. Keep the habits that make you feel better and then add the next one. Many small changes add up.

How safe is biohacking?

The moderate form of biohacking described here builds on sleep, nutrition, exercise, relaxation and natural substances. In the studies cited here, the natural substances were well tolerated: melatonin has a relatively benign side-effect profile (Ferracioli-Oda et al., 2013), and the safety data for ginkgo extract revealed no important safety concerns (Tan et al., 2015).

Two simple rules keep it that way: change one thing at a time and listen to your body. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, people with diabetes or another chronic condition and anyone who takes medication regularly should talk to a doctor before fasting or taking new supplements.

The extreme forms of biohacking, such as hacking one's own DNA or microchips in the body, are a different matter. They are not part of the natural approach described in this guide.

Biohacking diet: what do biohackers eat?

There is no single biohacking diet. The idea is the same as with the other factors: give your body what it needs and observe what works for you. Two building blocks come up again and again.

Part-time fasting: when to eat

With part-time fasting, also called intermittent fasting or time-restricted eating, all meals fall within a fixed window of the day. For the rest of the time, the body fasts. In a controlled trial, men with prediabetes ate within a six-hour window with dinner before 3 p.m. for five weeks. Compared with a twelve-hour eating window, this improved insulin sensitivity, blood pressure, oxidative stress and appetite, even without weight loss (Sutton et al., 2018).

Breakfast: protein and coffee

Many biohackers start the day with coffee or tea, because caffeine makes them more alert. Those who eat breakfast usually choose protein instead of sugar. In a 12-week randomized trial with 57 overweight young people, a daily breakfast with 35 g of protein reduced hunger and daily food intake and prevented a gain in body fat (Leidy et al., 2015).

For the rest of the day, the principle described under factor 2 below applies: a balanced diet with vitamins, minerals, trace elements and antioxidants.

Nootropics: natural substances for focus and concentration

Nootropics are substances that support mental performance. The best-known one is in many cups every morning: caffeine. In low to moderate doses of about 40 to 300 mg, caffeine improves alertness, vigilance, attention and reaction time (McLellan et al., 2016). Three more natural substances are popular with biohackers who want to stay focused on demanding days:

• L-tyrosine: the body uses this amino acid to make the messenger substances dopamine and norepinephrine. A review of the available studies concluded that tyrosine effectively enhances cognitive performance, particularly in short-term stressful or mentally demanding situations (Jongkees et al., 2015).
• Rhodiola rosea (rose root): this plant is one of the herbal adaptogens. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial with 60 people who had stress-related fatigue, rhodiola extract taken for 28 days had an anti-fatigue effect that increased mental performance, particularly the ability to concentrate (Olsson et al., 2009).
• Ginkgo biloba: the extract from the leaves of the ginkgo tree is one of the best-studied plant substances for the brain. In clinical trials with people whose memory and thinking were impaired, 240 mg of ginkgo extract a day improved cognition compared with placebo (Tan et al., 2015).

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How to optimize yourself:

Factor 1: Sleep

Every second woman and every fourth man in Germany is affected by regular sleep disorders. However, anyone who constantly sleeps badly suffers from chronic tiredness, concentration problems, headaches and poor performance. This wears on the nerves and increases stress levels. However, good sleep is the foundation for health and performance.

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Factor 2: Nutrition

A healthy and balanced diet with essential nutrients and energy is extremely important - also in biohacking. If you want to increase your physical and mental performance, you need to provide your body with the right nutrients. Give your body back what it has been robbed of by an incorrect or unbalanced diet. This includes vitamins, minerals, trace elements and antioxidants. Controlled fasting also improves sugar and fat metabolism and reduces inflammation in the body. This improves our health and keeps us young for longer.

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Factor 3: Fitness

Exercise is essential in biohacking. However, 60% of the world's population does not get enough exercise. The consequences are a higher risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer and premature death. Choose a sport that you enjoy. This is the only way to stay on the ball. If you exercise regularly, it will also be easier to keep going. A fitness bracelet, for example, can help you to monitor your own values.

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Factor 4: Relaxation

In order for us to be productive, we need breaks and relaxation phases to recharge our batteries. There are many ways to relax and reduce stress, for example by visiting nature or using special techniques such as meditation and herbal adaptogens. 

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Factor 5: Cognitive abilities

If you want to perform at your best, you need to take care of your brain. Especially in old age, a "trained" brain has a better ability to remember and concentrate. This requires the right nutrients.

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Conclusion

Biohacking is about getting to know your own body better like a computer system and reprogramming it by "hacking" it. The aim is to become the best possible version of yourself. Many small changes add up to making you feel better and happier overall. 

Thanks to biohacking, we feel both mentally and physically fitter and we can even reduce our risk of illness!

PS: The term biohacking is not protected. When it comes to biohacking, there are many different groups such as biotechnology, some of which can be very extreme, such as hacking one's own DNA or wearable technology (microchips) in the body. We are talking here about a moderate variant that makes sense for us, in which the body is positively influenced by natural optimizations - completely without technology.

Frequently asked questions

What are examples of biohacking?

Everyday examples are drinking coffee or tea to be more alert, putting screens away before bed, part-time fasting, regular exercise with a fitness bracelet, meditation and nutrients such as melatonin, omega-3, ashwagandha or ginkgo. All of them change the body's environment in a targeted way, so that you feel more energetic and focused.

What do biohackers eat for breakfast?

There is no fixed biohacker breakfast. Many start the day with coffee or tea, and those who eat breakfast usually choose protein instead of sugar. In a 12-week trial, a daily breakfast with 35 g of protein reduced hunger and daily food intake.

How do I biohack myself?

Start small: pick one goal, note for one week how you sleep, move and feel, and then change one thing at a time. Good first steps are no screens before bed, a fixed eating window or a daily walk. Give your body several weeks to adapt and keep what makes you feel better.

Is biohacking safe?

The moderate form described in this guide builds on sleep, nutrition, exercise, relaxation and natural substances that were well tolerated in studies. Change one thing at a time and listen to your body. Anyone who is pregnant, has a chronic condition or takes medication regularly should talk to a doctor before fasting or taking new supplements.

Does biohacking improve energy?

Yes. Good sleep, regular exercise and the right nutrients are the foundation for more energy and better performance. In studies, caffeine improved alertness and attention, and rhodiola extract had an anti-fatigue effect and increased the ability to concentrate in people with stress-related fatigue.

Sources (in English):

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