5 Ways to Biohack Your Health and Fitness
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The faster the world seems to move, the more optimally you want to power up your body so you can be the superwoman everyone knows you are. But what if you're already at 100? How do you squeeze an extra 50% when you need it? Science has your back. With a few simple tests and habit adjustments, our experts in genetics, fitness, and wellness will show you how to get more out of life daily.
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Genetic testing has evolved beyond Oprah Winfrey tracing her ancestral roots on TV. The most well-known DNA-testing company is 23andMe (23andme.com). For $199 and your saliva sample, it can trace your ancestral heritage, test your risk for certain diseases, and determine whether it's in your genes to hold on to fat or gain muscle. You can also take these results to a functional medicine practitioner, who can then further analyze the data using free sites like Genetic Genie (geneticgenie.org) and pinpoint key influences like your nutrient absorption rate, stress management, mood tendencies, and more. Functional physicians are trained to look beyond blood work to tailor a food and supp regimen that's specific to you and your genetic code.
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What's even cooler than knowing all that genetic info? Learning how it affects your fitness, of course. Started by training-studio-owner-turned-medical-doctor Dan Reardon, M.D., FitnessGenes also uses a simple saliva test you can take at home. “Genetic testing allows you to make health decisions in an informed way,” says Reardon.Using peer-reviewed research and academic collaborations, FitnessGenes gives an in-depth picture of your true health. Research shows “there are certain genes that give information about how an individual's workouts should be structured, including how much volume, rest between sets, rest between workouts, cardio, and HIIT,” he says. Plus, you learn optimal “macronutrient ratios, meal timing, meal frequency, or whether intermittent fasting is a good idea, or if supplements are worth using, given your genetic makeup,” Reardon adds.
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“To biohack your body you have to be willing to try things you've never tried before,” says Emily Kiberd, D.C., founder of Urban Wellness Clinic. “I like to incorporate one thing at a time so there are not multiple factors to track, and you know how your body is authentically feeling about the changes you are incorporating.”She recommends the following apps:Zero. For time-restricted eating, which research shows can improve your circadian rhythms that influence your metabolism, tissue function, and cellular aging, among other things. Plus, it may help reduce breast cancer risk, according to JAMA Oncology.Spire. To track your breathing and stress levels.Sleep Genius or Sleep Cycle. For tracking sleep, which can affect your biomarkers (or notifiers within us that indicate disease, infection, or environmental toxin exposure).
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Stepping into an infrared sauna regularly to elevate your core body temperature “is a form of a hormetic stressor,” Kiberd explains. What does that mean? “Low doses of an agent like heat can actually improve health, stress tolerance, and longevity. Dynorphin [the counter to endorphins] helps cool the body down during heat stress, but it also changes the way the brain responds to endorphins by triggering certain receptors to become more sensitive, so that when endorphins are triggered you feel better for longer,” she says. Plus, it improves heart health, activates stem cell tissues, and boosts a longevity gene.
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An off-kilter gut can derail even the best-laid health plans. Created by National Institutes of Health-funded by researcher Mahmoud A. Ghannoum, Ph.D.-the Biohm Gut Report ($180) is your fast track to a happier belly and body. His research shows that fungi in the gut can act in cahoots with bacteria to form harmful plaque colonies. So unlike other gut test kits, Biohm sequences both bacteria and fungi for a complete picture. The Biohm Gut Report is sold alongside an advanced probiotic that also includes healthy fungi in its formulation (biohmhealth.com/pages/gut-report).
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One quick FitnessGenes test and two weeks later, deputy editor Cat Perry had an astonishing amount of actionable info: “Detailed explanations of my genetic variants revealed I have a tendency toward muscle strength but not bulk, lower oxygen delivery to muscles, lower fat loss/breakdown, slightly high IGF1 levels, and greater sprint/power abilities. Plus, I got an accompanying muscle-building workout plan and saw new leg definition in just a couple of weeks.” The kit is $199; or choose a kit that comes with a multiweek workout plan, starting at $229. (fitnessgenes.com)
Back to introThe faster the world seems to move, the more optimally you want to power up your body so you can be the superwoman everyone knows you are. But what if you're already at 100? How do you squeeze an extra 50% when you need it? Science has your back. With a few simple tests and habit adjustments, our experts in genetics, fitness, and wellness will show you how to get more out of life daily.
Genetic testing has evolved beyond Oprah Winfrey tracing her ancestral roots on TV. The most well-known DNA-testing company is 23andMe (23andme.com). For $199 and your saliva sample, it can trace your ancestral heritage, test your risk for certain diseases, and determine whether it's in your genes to hold on to fat or gain muscle. You can also take these results to a functional medicine practitioner, who can then further analyze the data using free sites like Genetic Genie (geneticgenie.org) and pinpoint key influences like your nutrient absorption rate, stress management, mood tendencies, and more. Functional physicians are trained to look beyond blood work to tailor a food and supp regimen that's specific to you and your genetic code.
What's even cooler than knowing all that genetic info? Learning how it affects your fitness, of course. Started by training-studio-owner-turned-medical-doctor Dan Reardon, M.D., FitnessGenes also uses a simple saliva test you can take at home. “Genetic testing allows you to make health decisions in an informed way,” says Reardon.
Using peer-reviewed research and academic collaborations, FitnessGenes gives an in-depth picture of your true health. Research shows “there are certain genes that give information about how an individual's workouts should be structured, including how much volume, rest between sets, rest between workouts, cardio, and HIIT,” he says. Plus, you learn optimal “macronutrient ratios, meal timing, meal frequency, or whether intermittent fasting is a good idea, or if supplements are worth using, given your genetic makeup,” Reardon adds.
“To biohack your body you have to be willing to try things you've never tried before,” says Emily Kiberd, D.C., founder of Urban Wellness Clinic. “I like to incorporate one thing at a time so there are not multiple factors to track, and you know how your body is authentically feeling about the changes you are incorporating.”
She recommends the following apps:
Stepping into an infrared sauna regularly to elevate your core body temperature “is a form of a hormetic stressor,” Kiberd explains. What does that mean? “Low doses of an agent like heat can actually improve health, stress tolerance, and longevity. Dynorphin [the counter to endorphins] helps cool the body down during heat stress, but it also changes the way the brain responds to endorphins by triggering certain receptors to become more sensitive, so that when endorphins are triggered you feel better for longer,” she says. Plus, it improves heart health, activates stem cell tissues, and boosts a longevity gene.
An off-kilter gut can derail even the best-laid health plans. Created by National Institutes of Health-funded by researcher Mahmoud A. Ghannoum, Ph.D.-the Biohm Gut Report ($180) is your fast track to a happier belly and body. His research shows that fungi in the gut can act in cahoots with bacteria to form harmful plaque colonies. So unlike other gut test kits, Biohm sequences both bacteria and fungi for a complete picture. The Biohm Gut Report is sold alongside an advanced probiotic that also includes healthy fungi in its formulation (biohmhealth.com/pages/gut-report).
One quick FitnessGenes test and two weeks later, deputy editor Cat Perry had an astonishing amount of actionable info: “Detailed explanations of my genetic variants revealed I have a tendency toward muscle strength but not bulk, lower oxygen delivery to muscles, lower fat loss/breakdown, slightly high IGF1 levels, and greater sprint/power abilities. Plus, I got an accompanying muscle-building workout plan and saw new leg definition in just a couple of weeks.” The kit is $199; or choose a kit that comes with a multiweek workout plan, starting at $229. (fitnessgenes.com)
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