BioHacking: With This Trend, You Increase Your Performance And Energy

Biohacking promises increased performance and self-optimization. Organic . what? We explain the trend and how you can become a biohacker yourself.

For many, the new trend from the USA may sound like stealing sensitive information from the digital world. Not even close. What a biohacker wants to decipher is not code from the World Wide Web but his own body. To do this, he sometimes uses exciting methods to optimize his performance and well-being. Two experts who have long since integrated biohacking into their everyday lives explain how this works and how you can become a biohacker yourself.

What Does Biohacking Mean?

If you divide the word into two parts, you first have the abbreviation “Bio.” That stands for “biology,” more specifically: one’s biology. And “hacking” means “understanding” in this context. “Biohacking is a process in which you analyze and understand your biology, your own body, and then make this knowledge usable for yourself”.

Why Should I Bother With Biohacking?

“As a human being, striving for self-optimization is nothing new. It is in our nature. We constantly try to get the best out of ourselves,” explains Schröder. So why not try to find out what your health depends on and use biohacking as a tool for self-actualization? “This tool is nothing more than a means to an end: it leads to self-determination,” said the expert.

How Do You Become A Biohacker?

“A biohacker not only knows himself and his body well, but he is also characterized by the fact that he is active himself and looks for individual solutions,” explains Schröder. To a certain extent, a biohacker is already in you without you perhaps being aware of it. For example: do you usually close the curtains or shutters before going to bed? They know full well that you sleep better when it is dark in the bedroom. That’s already a mini hack that you’ve used! You know your body and therefore act in such a way that you benefit from your knowledge. But real biohackers go far beyond that.

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Which Levers Are The DIY Biologists Turning?

Biohackers could also be called do-it-yourself biologists. They analyze and optimize every aspect of your life. Some examples:

1. Diet: You constantly come across new trends that promise quick weight loss and eternal youth. It is understandable that you quickly lose track of what is good for your body now. As a biohacker, you don’t have this problem: You have found out how certain foods and diets affect your body, and in this way, you can make better nutritional decisions, explains the experienced biohacker Max Gotzler in his book ,A classic tool used by experienced biohackers is, for example, the so-called “biohacker coffee.”

2. The recipe for a biohacker coffee:

• Ingredients: 220 ml freshly brewed, high-quality coffee, one tablespoon unsalted butter (preferably pasture butter), 1-2 tablespoons C8-MCT oil (this is a ketogenic energy source in which the energy is obtained from fat instead of sugar), liquid Vitamin D3, tailored to individual needs
• Preparation: Boil your coffee and pour it into a blender or solid container. Then add butter, C8 MCT oil, and vitamin D3. Beat or stir vigorously in a blender, with a milk frother or hand blender.
• What can coffee do? Together, coffee, butter, MCT oil, and vitamin D3 ensure that you stay full for a long time, absorb beneficial fats for metabolism, and strengthen your immune system.

3. Sleep: What many people do not know is that healthy sleep can also be trained. Regularity has a top priority. It doesn’t matter whether you go to bed at 10 p.m. or after midnight. Johannes Schröder emphasizes: “It is much more important that you keep your bedtime so that your body can get used to a fixed wake-sleep rhythm.” Another biohacker tip from Gotzler: If you have trouble sleeping through the night, take one or two teaspoons of natural honey before going to bed, either in tea or straight.

4. Exercise: Did you know that sitting too long stiffens your muscles, slows your metabolism, and increases blood sugar? A biohacker’s tip: Make a goal to get up every 20 to 40 minutes. If you have to, set an alarm clock. You can also turn a taller work surface like a counter or stacked books into a standing desk.

5. Relaxation: You are probably already familiar with the Power Nap. In his biohacking book, Gotzler explains the so-called ” coffee nap “: Since it takes a few minutes for the caffeine to reach the receptors and develop its full effect, biohackers recommend drinking a cup of coffee before taking a nap. The timing is critical. To experience a strong performance and energy boost after the rest, you should not lie down for more than 20 minutes after the coffee, even if you do not sleep deeply during that time.

6. Focus: The day only has 24 hours, so it is all the more important to be productive at the right moments. Biohacker tip from Johannes Schröder: Limit your working hours. Many of the best performers work at 90-minute intervals. After an hour of unbroken concentration, you can already feel a drop in energy and attention. So limit the time you work and plan regular breaks for some exercise.

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This Is How Biohacker Max Gotzler Optimizes His Life

In an interview, the experienced biohacker Max Gotzler revealed to our editor-in-chief Arndt Ziegler how much the trend can make everyday life easier and improve performance – and what drastic measures a real biohacker is ready to take:

Everyone is talking about biohacking. What is it exactly?

“The answer is obvious, or rather in the name: I see it as a tool to understand one’s life – organic – and to decipher things – hacking,” said Gotzler.

Do you hack yourself? You have to explain that in more detail

“Hacking means the physical and mental optimization on a biochemical level. The aim is to decode your body and adapt it to your individual needs. Everyone should ask themselves: What do I want to achieve, what screw can I turn to optimize myself. These can be different goals, for example, sleep better, less stress, live healthier. ”

It sounds like any problem can be solved with biohacking

“Wait a minute. I didn’t say that! Of course, biohacking is not the answer to all problems, but it provides many solutions and ideas for self-optimization – like a box with different tools from which everyone can then choose the right one.”

In which areas of life can biohacking be used?

“I have divided my findings through biohacking into six areas that flow into one another and influence mental and physical well-being. These areas of life are nutrition, exercise, relaxation, balance, focus, and the environment. While you can expect the first three .. . ”
… balance, focus, and environment require explanation.

“Balance is about methods to specifically reduce stress, relieve the mind, become more relaxed. On the subject of focus: The human brain has the annoying quality of postponing things and wasting a lot of energy on what is essential and what is not. Therefore, biohacking tips on focus aim to use your time sensibly and productively to create as much space as possible for the finer things in life. ”

That leaves the environment

“Biohackers deal with the influence of artificial light and temperature on our biological structure – and provide tips on how to counteract these often damaging influences in a meaningful way.”

What hacks do you use on yourself?

“If I list them all now, it is beyond the scope of this interview. But to breathe consciously, for me, this is one of the most effective tools from the biohacking toolbox that everyone has; ideally in combination with the cold – my tip: ice bathing! -high-quality nutrition and enough sleep. I also find it appealing about biohacking to keep trying out new, sometimes crazy things – only skiing in underwear, for example. ”

What? Half-naked on skis?

“The renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Jack Kruse gave me the idea. He told me that I should wear my underpants and ski down the mountain to get the total amount of sunlight and the positive effects of the cold. Da thought I just: Okay, why not? It was freezing then – and good. A great biohack! ”

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