Biohacking for Business Leaders: Enhancing Performance and Longevity

I don’t know if I want to live to 100. Even so...the days are flying by far too quickly for my liking and somedays I do contemplate what it would be like to guarantee a longer life (with health intact!).

There’s just so much left to do and not enough time to do it all. I want to go trail running in Patagonia. Safari in Kruger National Park. Finally learn to skateboard. 

I also want to give my family more quality time and be a better leader for my employees. Spend time looking up at the stars. Volunteer at another charity. Get around to watching Peaky Blinders.

If you believe some of the most successful and ambitious people on the planet, living, travelling, and playing sports well past 100 may not seem too far-fetched.

There’s a rising trend called biohacking, which is transforming the way some people think about their bodies and minds.  Healthy performance enhancement could induce great results personally and professionally…but how far is too far?

Let’s dig in. 

What is biohacking?

Biohacking at its core tries to slow the ageing process and optimise human performance. It involves incremental adjustments to lifestyle, diet, and habits to “take control” of your biology. 

Some of it is rooted in hard, defined scientific research. Other parts are possible through new (and usually expensive) tech or methods with promising early results. There’s also a subsection that flies right in the face of established science, or at least has some dubious evidence of value. 

Your first thought might be Bryan Johnson, founder of Braintree, CEO of Kernal, and infamous biohacker who once underwent a transfusion of plasma supplied by his 17-year-old son. HBO’s Silicon Valley even poked fun at the “blood boy” trope, subtly (or not-so-subtly) referencing the more out-there aspects of Johnson’s “Project Blueprint” anti-ageing program. 

While there are definitely some biohackers out there promising the Holy Grail and offering a paper cup, there are also a number of legitimate techniques for enhancing performance and longevity.

Types of biohacking

Biohacking isn’t just one thing. It’s the structured combination of several different methods and paths to optimise human performance. 

Think of it like developing a new web app. 

It’s not just the back-end coding or the UX design but the iterative integration of several components that create something new. Meditation on its own isn’t biohacking (though it’s still a good idea), but it can be part of the overall plan. 

Lifestyle

First, let’s talk about lifestyle biohacking, which serves as the foundation for many other techniques. It basically boils down to decades-old advice of “eat right, get some exercise, and go to bed early.” But biohackers are trying to take that mantra as far as possible. 

Nutrition

High-quality, nutrient-dense foods can significantly affect energy levels, cognitive function, and overall health. Intermittent fasting is a core principle in many biohacking nutrition plans and has generally produced positive results when put to the test. 

Ketogenic diets have also gained popularity, but there is still a lot of discussion over their efficacy and long-term effects, especially without the proper supplementation.

Exercise

Beyond hitting the gym, lifestyle biohacking might involve targeted workouts like high-intensity interval training (HIIT) or functional strength. It is often combined with fasting or even sometimes done with electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) to achieve more effective results. 

Sleep

Another pillar is quality sleep. Biohackers will experiment with sleep cycles, optimise their environment, or even use wearables to track sleep patterns. Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman has dedicated a huge portion of his performance content to what he calls “sleep hygiene.” 

Molecular

Then there’s molecular biohacking, which attempts to dig into the very building blocks of our biology. It involves supplements, nootropics, and specific dietary interventions to optimise cellular function. 

There’s a huge variance in efficacy here, and a lot of it comes down to anecdotal results or research that has yet to survive the rigorous peer-review process. 

While almost every regimen will include lifestyle changes, supplement usage varies drastically from person to person. It often includes things like:

• Ashwagandha: A herb used to reduce stress, improve mood, and boost performance.
• Spermidine: A natural compound believed to help cell health by promoting autophagy—when your body breaks down damaged cells and regenerates new ones. 
• NAD+: A molecule that helps turn nutrients into energy and repair DNA, biohackers supplement NAD+ to support energy production and enhance overall vitality.
• Akkermansia: A beneficial bacteria, it supports overall gut health and potentially improves metabolism and immune function. 

The interesting part about molecular biohacking is that it’s also not embraced by the entire community (if you can even call it that). Jack Dorsey, founder of Twitter and vocal biohacker, only takes a daily multivitamin and vitamin C. 

Biologics

Biologic biohacking takes it a step further by incorporating more advanced interventions. This sphere is frequently rooted in cutting-edge science and sometimes involves medical procedures. 

Hormone therapy

Testosterone replacement therapy for older men or bioidentical hormone replacement for women can potentially help optimise physiological function as we get older, though they are sometimes abused by people who don’t require them. 

Stem cell therapy

Always a hot-button topic, stem cells can repair or replace damaged tissues and have become a popular method for biohackers to “turn back the clock” so to speak. 

Microbiome optimisation

Probiotics can enhance gut health, but others use personalised microbiome interventions to improve digestion, mental health, and immune function. 

Technology

Last, tech biohacking involves modern technology pushing the boundaries of what the human body can achieve. This category often appears futuristic and is met with (sometimes warranted) scepticism. 

Wearable devices to monitor health metrics like heart rate variability (HRV), glucose levels, and sleep quality are easy to understand and accept. But other, more specialised devices can be a bit confronting.

Neurofeedback and brain-computer interfaces

There is a rising market for tech that allows you to train your brain activity patterns. It is meant to enhance cognitive function and mental resilience. The effectiveness (and safety) of EEG headbands and direct brain stimulation systems isn’t clear, though some biohackers swear by them as meditation aides. 

Cryotherapy and hyperbaric chambers

Popular among elite athletes and wellness enthusiasts, these devices expose the body to extreme conditions. Cryotherapy chambers use extremely low temperatures to promote muscle recovery, reduce inflammation, and boost mental clarity.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised room or chamber to accelerate healing and enhance physical performance. 

Implantable devices

From RFID chips that provide instant access to personal biometric data to more advanced implants that can regulate internal functions or control external devices, implantable tech is fascinating—and controversial. 

Genetic mapping and editing

While still in its infancy and often subject to ethical debates, technologies such as CRISPR hold incredible potential for modifying genes to enhance physical and mental capabilities. Personalised genomic studies can reveal dispositions to certain health conditions, allowing for more tailored and precise biohacking interventions. 

Smart drugs and nootropic stacks

Beyond traditional supplements, nootropics (sometimes called “smart drugs”) could be customised based on individual DNA analysis and other personal metrics. Research into the impact of these cognitive enhancers is still extremely thin and will require years of robust study to ensure its safety and efficacy.

Final thoughts

I wouldn’t mind buying back time, or even buying more time (only the functional kind, mind you). But I’m not entirely sold on what biohackers are selling. For now, I’ve limited myself to lifestyle changes and will approach the rest with a strategic, evidence-based mindset. 

Eat better. Sleep well. Exercise daily. Meditate. That seems pretty good right now. I might give journaling another crack.

It’s silly to dismiss everything else out of hand. There will be technological and scientific advances that help us add some time to our clock or maximise each tick. I’m going to keep an open mind, and re-evaluate as more data and research becomes available. You?