Brain and body Biohacking

Is it possible to pump yourself at home and what does science think about it

Daria Shipacheva, Inc.

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Biohacking is perhaps one of the most mysterious topics in medicine in recent years. Is there a secret knowledge, thanks to which you can live longer and have more time? How to measure the parameters of your body correctly and then what to do with the mountain of this data? And is real biohacking really available only to very wealthy people? We answer these and other questions with the help of scientific research.

The term "biohacking" was introduced to the general Russian public back in 2017 by the infamous entrepreneur Serge Fage: then he wrote a voluminous column about how he spent $200 thousand to improve his life with the help of tablets and gadgets. In 2021, he was arrested in Domodedovo while trying to smuggle prohibited substances, including those included in his biohacking program. So this area of science has become something of a joke for Russians - many perceive biohacking as fun for the rich or a hobby for hypochondriacs. Let's figure out with the help of scientific research what biohacking really is and what proven working tools for pumping yourself exist today.

Real biohacking

Many, saying "biohacking", mean any kind of healthy lifestyle — from a contrasting shower in the morning and taking vitamins to interval fasting and preparing for a marathon. In fact, this term has a clear definition: biohacking is body changes that are carried out with the participation of technology. Technologies here can mean both hard technology — chips, sensors, prostheses, wearable gadgets — and various software that allows you to process data and use them to work with your body.

One of the biohacking tools of the future is BioStamp. This "electronic tattoo" was released back in 2016, but is not yet available to the mass user — the technology has not yet passed all the necessary stages of clinical research. BioStamp looks like a small transfer tattoo, its possibilities are huge: the gadget measures the work of the heart, muscles, motor activity, can be used to assess sleep and breathing. Due to the fact that the sensors fit snugly to the body — literally like a "second skin" — you can get more accurate data than from classic fitness trackers.

Biohacking is a very promising direction for development. Most likely, in a couple of decades we will see bionic eyes, prostheses that can do much more than the human body, organ transplants printed on a 3D printer, and much more. Even this text would not have to be typed by hand in the near future — a special chip would count the electrical impulses in the brain and display the finished letters on the screen.

In 2019, singer Grimes, the ex—girlfriend of Elon Musk, shocked subscribers by (according to her) replacing the upper layer of the cornea with a special polymer that filters blue light - so she allegedly planned to fight seasonal depression. Scientists, however, quickly refuted this information: not only are such operations not being carried out yet, getting rid of blue light is not only unnecessary, but also harmful — in reasonable doses it is necessary for the human body. And in order to avoid harm from the excess of blue glow produced by gadgets, it is enough not to use them a couple of hours before bedtime or at least put on glasses with yellow glasses / switch the screen to night mode.

So, biohacking is not only and not even so much about healthy lifestyle. This is a story about how the body, combined with technology, can do more, and health problems can be solved faster, more efficiently and with a personalized approach to everyone.

What does the science of biohacking say and what proven methods for pumping the brain and body can you try at home?

Body. Omix profile

Collecting data from a fitness bracelet and trying to study it using an Excel spreadsheet is yesterday. Stanford University professor Michael Snyder used big data processing technologies to analyze 40 thousand indicators of his body: it included both data from external sensors and test results down to the DNA level. What did the professor find out?

He called his system of assessing the human body the "omix profile". To form this profile, it is necessary to collect information about the body at different levels: genome, epigenome, transcriptome, proteome, cytokine, metabolome, antibody, microbiome. You are probably familiar with only a couple of these concepts, and there is nothing surprising in this — the decoding of human data in these slices began only recently and so far practically does not go beyond the scientific circles. An ordinary person can find products for genome and microbiome analysis on the market — the results of such tests can give certain hints for more effective biohacking, but not as high-quality as a complete omix profile.

For example, decoding the genome will tell you that you are prone to poor absorption of vitamin D. Does this mean that you urgently need to buy an additive with this trace element? No, because propensity is not equal to 100% probability.

The analysis of the epigenome and transcriptome will clarify this point: in this section, the molecules that are responsible for the activation and expression of certain genes are studied. An even more accurate answer to the question of whether or not to drink vitamin D will be given by studying the metabolome: at this level, we look at traces of metabolism in the blood — including 25-OH vitamin D, the main metabolite of vitamin D. Analysis of trace trace elements in the blood, along with all the other information, will show the full picture, and then you can decide whether an additive is needed. Moreover, monitoring the omix profile for a long time will allow you to track seasonal fluctuations: for example, in the summer you absorb enough incoming vitamin D, and in winter you should take it additionally.

In the considered example, we observed only one parameter and the associated indicators of the organism. In reality, there are thousands of them — that is why the creation of an omix profile is currently available only to scientists in laboratories. Michael Snyder, for example, conducted his experiment for 57 months — during this time he did tests and measurements 91 times. He managed to identify two interesting things. The first is a tendency to type 2 diabetes mellitus: a scientist noticed it when his glucose level jumped twice after a cold, which was shown by an analysis of his metabolome. Then the usual tests did not portend any problems, he was not obese and the doctors threw up their hands. Doctors confirmed the diagnosis much later, when blood sugar began to constantly exceed the norm. The second finding is that Snyder diagnosed tick—borne borreliosis in himself only by a quickening of the pulse and a drop in the level of oxygen in the blood. This disease was also later confirmed by routine tests.

Snyder's laboratory conducts various studies using omix profiling. For example, they found out which cellular markers predispose a person to severe covid. We studied how different types of fiber affect not only the microbiome, but also other "ohms". Other studies include profiling people prone to diabetes, cancer, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. In 2021, scientists released a scientific article about the Personal Health Dashboard (PHD) system they developed, into which you can upload data from wearable gadgets, test results and decryption of "ohms" in order to receive personalized health recommendations. At that time, the system worked with insulin resistance and early diagnosis of covid, but, undoubtedly, its functionality will expand.

Ten years ago, decoding the genome cost thousands of dollars, and today even a Russian with a median salary can afford a simple custom DNA test. So there is every chance that in the near future both omix profiling and personal medicine based on it will become something quite commonplace.

Brain. Transcranial stimulation

Biohackers pay special attention to the brain. They tried to strengthen his abilities in a variety of ways, but perhaps the only scientifically proven one today is transcranial (literally, through the skull) stimulation. It comes in two main types: magnetic and electric.

In medical practice, the method of transcranial magnetic stimulation, or TMS, has received the greatest application. There is already a fairly large amount of data that allows us to assert that TMS really affects brain cells, neurons, and makes them either get excited or, conversely, slow down their activity.

Thus, scientists have been able to fight many mental illnesses — in particular, depression, anxiety and panic disorders. This avoids more invasive methods, such as electroconvulsive (shock) therapy, in cases where pills do not help. But what about using TMS for biohacking?

So far, there is not enough data on the effectiveness of such stimulation for a healthy brain.

Scientists believe that such attempts to pump the brain are a zero—sum game: you can temporarily improve the functioning of neurons in one zone, but the other will definitely suffer.

For example, when the subject's brain was affected while memorizing numbers, this process was easier — but then it turned out to be harder to remember and name these numbers than without such stimulation.

Magnetic brain stimulation equipment is expensive and massive. Transcranial electric current stimulation (tDCS) devices are much more compact. The effect is presumably about the same, but the device can be used at home. This is used, for example, by neuroscientist Timofey Glinin, the creator of the Brainstorm neurostimulator. He claims that the device helps him to learn English more effectively and write scientific articles more concentrated.

But science, alas, is not on the side of Glinin. A 2015 meta-analysis showed that of the 42 indicators examined in 59 experiments, tDCS had no significant effect on any. This applies to various parameters of the brain: language, speech, memory, performing the necessary tasks.

Although there are some scientific papers in which brain stimulation has proven to increase its capabilities, but it is necessary to approach such biohacking carefully. Most scientists agree that it is relatively safe. But, first of all, do not forget about the "zero sum" effect. Secondly, the ethical question arises: what is the norm? And whether it is mandatory to pump the brain to everyone, for example, in schools and universities — how we pump muscles in physical education lessons. And when is "enough" already? These are questions that — along with the question of the effectiveness of transcranial stimulation — scientists have yet to answer.

And what to do with all this?

Let's say you have analyzed your body at the deepest level available to science today. And what to do with this knowledge? According to Serge Fage, it is urgent to buy dietary supplements for thousands of dollars and make a special training plan (after all, regular ones are not biohacking). But do you really need it?

In short, no. The most valuable part of biohacking is constant measurements of many parameters of the body, on the basis of which the doctor (and only he) can draw conclusions about which disease in your body can be caught and stop its development in the bud, without waiting for complications. So, for example, it often happens with type 2 diabetes mellitus, which, due to a sedentary lifestyle and poor nutrition, has become a scourge of modernity. To notice the prerequisites for its development, some biohackers measure blood glucose levels daily. You can do this at home with a regular glucose meter and record indicators, or you can use modern technologies, for example, a FreeStyle Libre device with a sensor that allows you to read glucose indicators contactlessly. Then you can upload them to the application and monitor the dynamics depending on nutrition, activity, etc.

Sometimes prediabetes manifests itself in insulin resistance: blood sugar is still normal at this moment, but the sensitivity of cells to insulin is already decreasing. Because of this, the body is forced to produce more insulin. Over time, insulin sensitivity may become so low that the body will no longer be able to keep glucose within the right limits — then diabetes will develop.

If you find that insulin or glucose begin to exceed the norm, you need to consult a doctor who will determine whether it is prediabetes or already the onset of diabetes, and prescribe treatment if necessary. In any case, even before going to the doctor, you can start changing your habits: more physical activity, less fast carbohydrates in food. This is exactly what Michael Snyder did when he discovered prediabetes using an omix profile. He developed diabetes later anyway, but he manages to keep his sugar normal, which is what is important so that the disease does not give long-term complications like problems with the cardiovascular system, kidneys, etc.

With the diagnosis in the early stages, everything is clear, but what about the handful of pills that some biohackers drink to run and think faster? And here we come to the most disappointing moment of this text.

There are no magic pills, potions and substances that will make the body stronger without harm to the body. At least, proven by science.

We have already written that healthy people do not need vitamins, and in some cases they can lead to disastrous consequences for the body. Supplements to improve brain function and preserve its functions over the years, as meta-analysis shows, do not work. Even the famous omega-3, judging by the latest data, does not prolong life, and taking antioxidants does not improve its quality. In general, although there are individual studies on the benefits of some supplements, there are no reliable major scientific papers proving their benefits within the framework of biohacking.

The second part of the "Phage biohacking" that has gone to the people is a specially thought—out program of physical training under the supervision of a coach, or better yet several. This myth will also have to be dispelled: nothing special and at the same time effective in this part has not been invented. All we have is a classic healthy lifestyle, following which your body will be able to do more than without it. However, there is little of technology here, so it can be called biohacking with a big stretch.

The parameters of the generally accepted healthy lifestyle are known and available absolutely free of charge: at least 150 minutes of physical activity per week, seven to nine hours of sleep daily, a balanced protein, fat and carbohydrate diet with a calorie content of 2-2.5 thousand kcal per day, of which no more than 25-50 grams is sugar.

Training is even easier: anything that makes your heart beat a little faster and your breathing speed up will help. If you can talk, but you can't sing a song, that's it. Even a walk at a fast pace or a bike ride to work, if they regularly appear in your life, will bring a lot of benefits: this is the prevention of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, cancer, depression, dementia, general prolongation of life.

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