In January, fitness experts and gym owners named biohacking as one of the top wellness trends of 2024. But 10 months later, there are still very few centers offering personalized biology enhancements. One gym that offers this is Reto 48 on Calle Velazquez in Madrid. The question that arises is, have the forecasts leveled off?
The answer depends on what is considered a biohack. Using smartwatches, practicing intermittent fasting, and even meditation are considered biohacks. However, if biohackers, like Real Madrid and FC Barcelona soccer players, train with hypoxic masks or undergo cryotherapy (i.e., being placed in a room with circulating air at minus 195 degrees Celsius for three minutes) For LeBron James and many others, the answer is that these treatments are still used by celebrities and elite athletes. This means that it is the area of
Biohacking encourages you to experiment with strategies to optimize your health and well-being. The goal is to hack your biology to feel better. ”
Reto 48 Fitness & Biohacking Center
Proponents of biohacking claim that these techniques can produce the same effects in minutes as hours of intense training.
biohacking
“Imagine your body as a machine. Biohacking is a set of techniques to improve the way machines work. Rather than accepting your body’s functions, biohacking is a way to improve your health and well-being. We encourage you to try different strategies to optimize. Its main purpose is to hack your biology and make you feel better,” reads a Reto 48 press release. The rewards of implementing a personalized training program, adopting a functional diet, and following a “series of aesthetic sessions” are attractive. We aim to exercise throughout your life, slow down aging, and enjoy a high quality of life.
The question is, will it work? Opinions are also divided on this matter. In general, a significant portion of personal trainers believe that so-called biohacking is nothing more than marketing, if not smoke and mirrors. Marcos Flores, director of home personal training platform estarenforma.com, says it’s an umbrella term and it’s difficult to separate the chaff from the wheat. “When we talk about biohacking, the combination of rest and nutrition is more important than exercise itself,” said Flores, a U.S.-trained physical activity science graduate and professor in Spain at the American Council on Exercise. points out.
The second question is whether strategies to improve biological performance make sense for gray-haired people who are not elite athletes or millionaires. “It seems like we have to introduce artificial intelligence into our training programs at all costs because it’s cool now and it’s going to become even more trendy soon,” Flores criticizes. Flores is skeptical that biohacking machines can achieve the same effects in 21 minutes as after a two-hour intense workout, a whole-body electrical stimulation device that almost no one remembers today. mention what happened.
AI is super cool and will soon become more of a trend, so it seems like we need to incorporate it into our training somehow. I’m skeptical…”
marcos flores personal trainer
Infrared saunas use light to generate heat that “can cleanse your body of toxins.”
Reto48
Tom Elliot, a spokesperson for BioSpa, the company that owns Reto 48’s existing biohacking machine, has a very different opinion. “Biohacking can help anyone improve their physical health, mental state, and quality of life, whether they are an elite athlete or not,” he flatly asserts. “The core idea behind biohacking is to achieve maximum reward with minimum effort,” he summarizes.
It would be interesting to know what Ground Zero was for Elliot in relation to biohacking. He said his interest started “when I turned 30 and started gaining weight and feeling tired.” With this in mind, “After discovering the Paleo diet and learning how what you eat affects how you feel, look, and sleep, I dug deeper into the science of self-optimization,” he says. Continue. explain.
The next step is to contact experts like Tim Ferriss, Dave Asprey, and Ben Greenfield to understand how cryotherapy and infrared saunas can improve your quality of life. did. “I contacted them in Madrid and was disappointed to find that there was no one there,” he explains. “Knowing that this trend would inevitably spread to Spain, we thought it most prudent to establish the first biohacking center.In fact, since we started, we have seen an increase in interest. I get it,” he explains.
However, just as the Paleolithic diet is not supported by existing scientific knowledge or globally recognized organizations (some footballers have privately practiced it, this diet The same holds true for many of the postulates of biohacking (although several of the books I’ve discussed have become bestsellers). In fact, slowing down aging and enjoying the best possible quality of life (the two main hypotheses of biohacking) remains, as far as is known, a combination of regular exercise and a truly healthy diet. , relying on “primitive” advice such as managing stress and staying healthy. Getting enough sleep, maintaining healthy relationships, and not smoking or drinking alcohol.
I realized this when I turned 30 and started noticing that I was getting fat and tired. The core idea is to get maximum reward with minimum effort. ”
Tom ElliotBioSpa spokesperson
Hypoxia is a technique aimed at reducing the amount of oxygen that muscle fibers receive
Reto48
In this scenario, one of the aspirations of biohacking is to become the interface between cutting-edge artificial intelligence and personal biological enhancement programs. The program is created from technology that scans every millimeter of your body to determine your biological age and suggest an appropriate age. Guidelines. “AI is already being used in endurance training machines that automatically adjust resistance based on the user’s maximum effort. It can reach maximum muscle capacity in just 30 seconds and train the whole body in 20 minutes. It means we can do it,” Elliott quantified.
Another question is whether tips and tricks drawn from biology, genetics, neuroscience, or nutrition to improve well-being are supported by empirical evidence. Biohacking has a reputation for being ahead of science, which means it proposes personal enhancement systems that have not yet been approved by sufficiently extensive clinical research.
At the same time, hypoxia is becoming increasingly common among elite athletes to promote muscle recovery (e.g. Ramin Yamal was spotted wearing a strike mask this summer) ). There are also other methods, such as sound therapy based on specific frequencies, which can be customized depending on your health goals. The same goes for “scalar energy,” a concept that only the most holistic coaches understand.
technology wellness
Status symbol, Oura smart ring
Cristiano Ronaldo waves from his car and wears Oura ring
GTRES
“Today’s customer profile is diverse,” comments Tom Elliott. On the other hand, there are also “young athletes striving to perform at their best while avoiding injury.” In addition to these, there are also “middle-aged adults looking for new ways to supplement their health habits.” Finally, we need to consider the large number of people who are faced with health problems that cannot be solved by conventional medicine and are drawn to alternative treatments. ”
Although biohacking has not yet reached a mainstream audience in Spain, its seeds can already be seen in many professional athletes and quite a few celebrities. In fact, few doubt that the health of technology will continue to grow. For example, Oura’s smart ring (a device that Elliott says more people are buying in the U.S.) is a new device worn by Prince Harry, Larry Page (founder of Google), and Jack Dorsey (co-founder of Twitter). It has become a status symbol. -Founder), Steve Chen (YouTube), Kevin Lin (Twitch), Will Smith, and many NBA athletes, as well as many Spanish celebrities. It may be just the beginning of a trend that may eventually have its moment, but for now it continues to be delayed.
Biohacking machines go beyond traditional exercise to improve recovery, minimize downtime between sessions, and focus on caring for yourself holistically. The most requested ones are:
Star Machine 1 Hypoxia. Training in hypoxic conditions forces the body to work harder, strengthening the cardiovascular system and improving physical performance, especially in endurance sports. “It also increases basal metabolism and promotes fat burning, so it can be used to lose weight and improve sleep quality,” claims Elliott. According to the expert, the effects are noticeable after 10 to 12 sessions (a hypoxic session costs around 60 euros, but it’s a little cheaper if you buy a voucher). 2 Infrared sauna. By using light to generate heat, “we can cleanse the body of toxins, which is not possible in a traditional sauna,” says Elliott. The Mayo Clinic notes that several studies have found evidence that such saunas may benefit patients with heart failure, high blood pressure, and Alzheimer’s disease. “However, larger and more precise studies are needed to confirm these results,” said the organization, known for its cutting-edge research. 3 float tank. “After just one session, you’ll feel as if you’ve completed a master course in meditation, and you’ll feel visibly lighter, happier and more inspired afterwards. “That night, you’ll enjoy the best sleep you’ve had in years,” Elliott predicts. 4 Hypobaric chamber. Since it was popularized by Real Madrid captain Raul González Blanco, it has been used by countless elite athletes. Its main advantage is the ability to breathe pure oxygen at a pressure lower than atmospheric pressure. “Hyperbaric oxygen improves the supply of oxygen to injured tissues, promoting rapid and effective healing,” claims this expert. Similarly, “it can kill bacteria and increase the effectiveness of antibiotics, making it very useful in treating serious or chronic infections,” he claims. 5 Cryotherapy. This involves exposing the body to temperatures ranging from -110 degrees Celsius to -160 degrees Celsius. “The body has to increase its calorie expenditure to compensate for the cold, which leads to weight loss,” claims Elliott. Additionally, it “regenerates damaged skin, releases endorphins, and improves mood,” he reports. 6 Vasper. For Elliott, it’s the “Ferrari of biohacking machines” because it “stimulates growth hormone and anabolic hormones while reducing the stress hormone cortisol.” “This is why NFL teams, NHL teams, the US Navy SEALs, and even NASA consider Vasper one of their secret weapons,” he resolves. “You’ll start seeing results within a month,” says Elliott.
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