Why I Hate Biohacking (5 disturbing examples)
Вставка
- Опубліковано 20 січ 2024
- There are two main reasons I dislike biohacking, then I’ll explain what to do instead to prevent disease and maximize your energy levels.
For weekly health research summaries and extra sights, sign up here 👉 drstanfield.com/pages/sign-up
💊 Supplements I Take: drstanfield.com/pages/my-supp...
💊 MicroVitamin (multivitamin & mineral that I take): drstanfield.com/products/micr...
📜 Roadmap - how to look young & feel strong: drstanfield.com/pages/roadmap
✔️ Twitter: / bradstanfieldmd
✔️ Patreon: / bradstanfieldmd
Here are the links to the research papers referenced in the video:
www.nature.com/articles/s4159...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih. gov/pmc/articles/PMC4594298
www.researchgate.net/publicat...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
diabetesjournals.org/care/art...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Vit...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15557412
www.cochrane.org/CD000980/ARI...
www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/...
ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Exe... www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31486...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31095...
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31869...
www.phc.ox.ac.uk/team/nicola-...
wchh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/...
• Should you wear a Cont...
The links above are affiliate links, so I receive a small commission every time you use them to purchase a product. The content contained in this video, and its accompanying description, is not intended to replace viewers’ relationships with their own medical practitioner. Always speak with your doctor regarding the content of this channel, and especially before using any products, services, or devices discussed on this channel.
Want to know how to be healthy and prevent disease, rather than relying on biohacks? Follow Roadmap here: drstanfield.com/pages/roadmap
💊 MicroVitamin (multivitamin & mineral that I take): drstanfield.com/products/microvitamin
🩸 Wonderful CGM review: wchh.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pdi.2475
Really appreciate your consistent lack of audience capture Dr. Could you do a followup with UV light exposure devices, nootropics, and vitamin d super dosing, I'm guessing some of these have beneficial sides too.
I generally like Dr Brads videos. But this one isn’t well thought out.
The whole problem with Dr Brad is he’s a medical Doctor and has no real philosophy to understand holistic natural medicine.
One minute he’s taking NMN and advocating metformin next he’s not and then he’s doing long fasts and now he’s unturned again.
Folks find what works for you and be sensible and follow natures path of eating seasonally.
*This is a very humpty-Dumpty video Dr Brad and then you fell down*
I can't work out how biohacking has been defined. Is it the use of techniques or medicines that are normally used to cure or address a disorder or disease you don't have?
The main problem is he thinks a 5yr study or cohort study is "evidence", there is no evidence in longevity unless you do a 50yr study, the only extended data is correlation like blue zone etc but that's not proof of anything, I rather go with anecdotal and trial-and-error, for example you might have a 5yr study on Carnivores and Vegans and both might say they have better results than baseline, but if you extend the study to 50yr, 90% of the Carnivores might have premature death from cardiovascular disease, so tell me again what longevity data do we really have?
Wim did an interview with a cancer survivor. He was Stage 4 Liver cancer, the doctors told him he would not live beyond a few months. It was too advanced to remove surgically.
He started Wim Hoff breathing and ice/cold therapy, and jogging every day through the pain. And on his check-up his Doctors were flabbergasted. He reversed his cancer back down to Stage 3, small enough to do surgery and remove.
IMO there is definitely something to Wim Hoff method.
I have been taking cold showers and doing cold water immersion when possible as part of my morning routine, for about 2 years now. It is the single most powerful factor in managing my anxiety and depression. I feel calm for several hours after that. I am ok if it blunts the positives of weight training, the control it gave me over my anxiety is amazing. The SSRIs that were prescribed to me had weird side effects. I am off meds and in control, thankful to Dr Huberman
Yeah, I have to agree with you on the cold water exposure therapy. I feel great and energised afterwards.
There's a window after working out that you want to wait but after that cold shower should be fine. Light cardio to warm up, high intensity balance based activity with low reps, (stretch, sauna, meditate 1.5 hr), rinse -> massage -> cold shower -> BUFFET . Amazing results and you're on cloud 9; you're welcome.
It has also helped me tremendously
Could be placebo effect. I did cold plunges and showers, for a couple of years. Felt mentally good at the time, but I realize now it was more placebo as I feel just as good, if not better, without my 15 - 30 minute daily cold plunges. You keep doing you, but it seems to be more placebo.
A lot of people that get good results from hot cold mainly are getting aid from improving their Vagal tone. So if you're on of these people take a step further in a much superior way to address the vagus and autonomic endocrine with a Vagas modulator like Nurosym
Been taking a cold bath before bed and it’s something can’t live without. Helps calm me down and helps me get better sleep. I honestly could not stop. I feel so much better.
Cold showers are awesome ! Feeling so alive and up after a good morning cold shower. Exercise after if not straight to work, but never cold shower after a workout.
Why do I always find myself watching these clips late at night while I'm stuffing my face with sandwiches?
Hi brad, love your channel and vids. But wanted to come back on 2 things. I'm a UK NHS Doc and practice cold exposure. In terms of cold exposure - I agree there is a limited body of evidence - but the evidence that is there indicates it's an effective anti-inflammatory. I agree that therefore you should avoid it post strength training. And professional athletes use it when at their limits for post-game for recovery. I think it likely has effects on vagal tone and vascular tone, but this study was not well designed to investigate this. 15 days is barely enough time for any intervention, even exercise. And reading the study their cold water exposure was frankly laughable:
Participants were instructed to take shower in cold water for a set period of time, starting with 30 s, and increase the time each day by 5 s as they become acclimated. The participants received an MP3 file that emitted a sound every ten seconds to keep track of the time. Furthermore, clear instructions were provided to the participants regarding the duration and specific body parts to be exposed to the cold. They began by showering their feet and legs (front and back) for 10 s, then their torso (front and back) for 10 s, and finally their entire body, including their head, for 10 s or the remaining time.
Almost all of the studies prior to this use CWI (Cold water immersion), and state what temperature etc. For a proof of concept study, you need your intervention parameters to be spot on. What you can get from this study is it takes longer than 10 seconds per body part, likely longer than 15 days, to see an effect. I think it's a powerful form of hormesis which will help with BAT, vascular tone, vagal tone. But agree it needs more studies, and studies done well!
I love your channel however I do take issue with your critique of WHM.
I have personally experienced significant health benefits from my practice and many of my friends and family.
When I do my practice, I get significant increases in my hrv results, mental t energy levels.
I admit there could be a massive placebo effect in play. However, it is a no cost trigger to get these benefits.
Furthermore, a recent Huberman podcast with goggins he mentions doing activities that you do not enjoy or like (non dangerous of course) increases the size of the anterior midcingulate cortex.
I believe there is more complexity to this, and it deserves further thought.
Still love your work Brad!
I think I started "intermittent fasting" when I was around 15, before I knew that it was a thing. I've just never felt like eating right after waking up. Moreover, I find it impossible to learn efficiently after breakfast. Eating a low-carb breakfast doesn't solve it. I just have to be fasted. So that's the main reason I do it, but in addition, I do believe that I'm healthier when eating in a shorter window. Is it universal? I don't know, I may be in a genetic minority here. But I think it's important that we don't scare people away from experimenting to find out what works best for them by making breakfast-skipping into a younger sibling of smoking. It's not. I'm not saying this is THE only valid way of eating, but it is A valid way of eating and it should be acknowledged as such.
He's never going to acknowledge it because he thinks skipping breakfast will deteriorate his muscles regardless of what anyone says he thinks breakfast is the most important meal of the day
@@JohnnytNatural Muscles are important, but so are other things. Using your brain is important too, and for me learning requires an empty stomach. There are some people out there who only care about mice studies showing that suppressing mTOR extends lifespan - and so they want to drive mTOR chronically to the ground, completely disregarding the importance of muscles in human health. I do believe that is a mistake - just as I believe that it is a mistake to disregard any intervention that doesn't optimize muscle growth.
Eat when you are hungry. Some days that will be when you wake up, other days at 4 in the afternoon.
Well said, I’ve observed a friend in his 60’s working with intermittent fasting. He’s strong as an ox and works 12-16 hours a day, incredible power and looks like he’s 30. He eats in one window of time a day and hasn’t had a problem with muscle, his job depends on it actually.
I'm on an extremely low carb lifestyle. I do 16 to 18 hours fasting. But when I eat I do not count calories. I eat until I get full. I do weight lifting and my coach is SURPRISED how I've been developping muscles. One thing for sure about fasting, is that I never ever got sick again after I started doing it. So no, it's not just you, it is the way we humans are designed to do and more than 90% of doctors will never recognize this.
You’ve failed to mention the 2-3 times dopamine and noradrenaline increase from cold exposure which is why people with depression/adhd and humans in general feel a lot better for 3-5 hours following cold exposure. This benefit is surely enough to justify it for people that enjoy it. A fair amount of people also stack cold exposure with sauna use which we all know has proven cardio benefits , would have been nice to see a mention of that stack! Keep up the vids! 😊
I am also somewhat surprised by these results. The research supposedly has no impact on your psychology/health, but like you said a lot of people seem to feel uplifted/more awake from this. I wonder if any depressed/adhd people were included in the study. Previous research also showed increased cortisol levels in participants. That has to have some effect.
Yes it’s strange, the wim hof vice documentary actually shows him repel bacteria in hospital in a crazy study purely from breathing, go check it it’s insane!
Cold exposure since 7 years....never got cold cough ...sleep improved...no anxiety...
A variety of studies show the opposite, that cold exposure weakens the immune system even down to the mucocilliary action inside our noses. For centuries people have known that going out in the cold is often a precursor to getting an infection.
do you have kids in this time? how are your hormones?
Been doing the WIm Hof Method for about 7 years and it has been a net positive for me. I rarely get colds, have more energy and just feel better overall. There are plenty of studies that show benefits, how about an in depth look at those as well. Thanks!
Nobody is saying use ice baths immediately after exercise, experts have said to wait at least 4-6hours afterwards
The main takeaways from this which rings true, are:
1) If you are otherwise healthy, don't do extreme stuff to become "more" healthy.
2) Don't do stuff just because it's trendy on UA-cam and people are pushing it like it's going to give you superpowers, or help you live to 150.
3) Don't do extreme stuff if you haven't even hit the "low hanging fruit" of a good diet, exercise, sleep, etc.
4) Don't do extreme stuff because, well, extreme stuff carries real proven risks to your health and few if any proven benefits.
#3 is key. Changing diet is key esp. the older you get
Diet, exercise and socializing!
Why use the word "hate"??
I also have to disagree about ice bath- it has helped me a lot with my chronic pain
Really great video!!
Dr. Stanfield obviously doesn't understand biohacking. I'm doing biohacking and consumed a lot of infos about it. For example: How many percent of biohackers take metformin? I estimate it's 1 percent or less. Same with high amount of antioxidants.
Of course, since biohacking is not clealy defined, some people do some weird and harmful things. But that's not a reason to "hate" biohacking as such.
"We want to be healthy so we can live our life... We don't want to live to be healthy". I needed to hear that, thank you, doctor.
Informative video. Thank you
This is my favorite channel for up to date, non bias information on health and human performance. This goes hand in hand with my own experiences.
🤔🤔🤔 Regarding the Wim Hof Method and the Swiss study results:
I find it puzzleing that they did not find any beneficial effects from meditation.
Meditation is know to be effective in reducing anxiety & stress.
This study contracticts these results and leaves me puzzeled...
It does not mean that it will increase lifespan
@@60-Is-The-New-30 No the study does not relate to aging in this case but it says that it has no effect on anxiety and stress.
Please watch the citation in the video again.
@@toom2141 I see what you mean
@@helena_5456 maybe. There's much more to lifespan than stress.
Good point.
Couldn't start the day without a cold shower! Been doing it since teens and long before I heard of the Hoffman
Questionable Bio-hacks:
Cold plunge
Metformin
High antioxidants
Intermittent fasting
(Skipping breakfast is no good and lack of protein)
Continuos glucose monitors
I cannot comment on all of these, but usually people just focus on underlying mechanisms and extrapolating from a single mechanism that it is a good or bad. They frequently also make use of animal studies to support their claims.
Maybe intermittent fasting or cold plunged have some benefits, but they have to be contrasted with personal perceived disadvantages. For instance, what is the outcome variable of interest when doing IF?
If it is weight loss, it can certainly be helpful for some, but it may not be. It may also be counterprodutive for muscle hypertrophy.
Finally, it is important not to exaggerate certain advantages of whatever strategy one is employing!!
Rapamycin (Unwanted side effects of Irritable Bowel disease preventing regrowth of the intestinal lining)
Skipping BREAKFAST IS REQUIRED to lose weight and not muscle. WTF
What about the supposed dopamine and cortisol increases (without crashes) from short term cold exposure? The whim hoff stuff always seemed dangerous imo. Also what about analysis without that breathing technique?
This is exactly why I love this channel!!
Great video! Thank you for being a source for truth!
Amazing. Well done
What about contrast showers vs cold showers? Most people aren't really doing ice baths/cold water immersion. Using contrast showers to minimize post-workout soreness has been a common technique for decades.
I don't have the answer to that one but I do know this: The soreness comes from inflammation and it's the inflammation that signals the body to produce more muscle tissue.
Anything that reduces post-exercise soreness will likely reduce muscle gain.
What about "Cryotherpay"?
I use a CGM once a year. I don't care about the spikes. I use it essentially to have my average glucose (more accurate that the a1c estimate) and average fasting glucose (more accurate than a one time blood test)
Very nice and eye opening information
Why didn't you mention any of the benefits of ice bathing?
The blunting effect of ice baths can easily be mitigated by doing them on your off days
What blunting affects?
@@t5396 Cold water immersion attenuated long term gains in muscle mass and strength. It also blunted the activation of key proteins and satellite cells
Thanks, Brad! At one point I remember you were doing semi-regular 5-7 day fasts (if I remember right, for the sake of autophagy.) Did you stop? If so, what changed your thinking?
I think Dr Brad changed his thinking when UA-cam decided to follow WHO guidelines for health. Couldn't help thinking he was protecting his channel/income by going mainstream.
5 to 7 days fasting hasnothing to do with intermittent fasting, those are two different things.
@@TheMountainBeyondTheWoods Don't recall claiming they were the same. You just looking for your bicker fix, or what?
@@scottk1525I thought you were questioning about the benefits of longer fastings
@@TheMountainBeyondTheWoods I was. But I never said longer fasting is the same as IF. So I'm not sure what you're on about?
Excellent information. I wonder if you could do a video about the merits/myths of drinking keto coffee. Not the keto diet entirely, but just the practice of drinking coffee with butter and C8 coconut oil as a method of increasing focus during work and increasing endurance during exercise. I've been doing this to help with ADHD and to aid in exercise and have ave noticed improvements in both but am suspicious of the placebo effect. This video reminded me of this particular biohacking technique.
Ghee in coffee.
The vitamin e increasing mortality was with alpha tocopherol which is an isolate. You have to use mixed tocopherols as occurs naturally in food. Other studies show vitamin e protects against oxidized polyunsaturates. But it's better to just avoid deep fried and get vitamin e from food than supplement.
Avoid salt? I do not agree. I started using oryx kalahari desert salt a while back and it changed my life and that of my clients
this video thumbnail is hilarious
Thanks for the effort making it.
Bro, don't spread hate. Spread understanding! (You may not like the term, but you shouldn't criticize the whole community. And you definitely shouldn't "hate" anyone.)
"Force yourself"? It makes it sound like a cold shower someting awful. After a week when you are used to it, the discomfort is minimal, because that's the point of the showers, to become resistant towards the cold.
Exercise is hard/uncomfortable too, but that doesn't make it bad, by the opposite. Avoiding the cold makes you weak against the cold, just like not exercising makes you weak. You also save money not needing to take warm showers. Cold baths are part of my culture here in Scandinavia, and they are great.
He said dont do it close to exercise - he did not say do not do them altogether
Actually... there's some evidence that you get a tolerance to the health-benefits if you do it continuously without a break - so, 1-2 weeks of shower, and then a week without it, seems reasonable. (source: Dr. Susanna Søberg's research and talks on Huberman's podcast)
This is much needed. Thank you for bringing sanity to the biohacking and longevity discussion.
The Wim Hoff study on researchgate seems a bit shaky IMO: is the sample not a bit small to come to firm conclusions(test and control are each roughly 20 people)? The confidence intervals on a lot of these variables are huge. I see improvements in the study, but they aren't statistically significant. Couldn't the outcomes have become significant with larger study groups?
I think the doctor you interviewed understates the dangers of glucose spikes. I've gone carb free for 3 years now, and I use a CGM 2-3 times a year to see if there are any changes and what different foods do.
I think her view that there is nothing wrong with glucose spikes is understating the issues that can be raised. My doctor tells me that the insulin spike that follows the glucose has some negative impacts as well.
The concept of cold baths or showers blunting/attenuating muscle protein synthesis makes very good sense, indeed! It's very much similar to the research (limited) on the concept of consuming antioxidants after a workout. The body's natural response is to swell after inflammation. The natural way to build muscle and ADAPT to the inflammation from working out would then, logically, be to AVOID REDUCING INFLAMMATION after a workout.
It's certainly something to think about... and we need more studies and research for sure... but I will continue to moderate any chilling of my tissues after a purpose-built inflammation session (resistance training with weights). And I will also continue to try and avoid overdoing the antioxidants in close proximity to a workout!
Fascinating topic!
LOL oops, watch the WHOLE video before posting, oohwha... I just got to the part about antioxidant supplementation 🤣🤣
Been doing daily breathing exercises for 2 years. No more atrial fibrillation. Been doing 4 cold plunges a week....there IS something to it despite this podcast.
And why do people appear to get results with cold water immersion? Those that would do this, like myself, may be somewhat obsessed with eking out any performance gains they can and are not the norm. It would appear to be effective by other people.
II am wondering if lap swimming in a somewhat cold pool has a negative effect. I prefer it to warm pools. Any thoughts?
Thanks for this informative channel. I watch it often
I never felt like I received any benefit from taking cold showers. I think all of the things that people claim it does for them can be better achieved by pushing yourself hard in the gym.
@@andrewrivera4029 My philosophy is that you can practice mind over matter in a cold shower and be miserable or you could practice it in the gym and get jacked.
@@legendarygigolo823 The gym (be it cardio or weight training) is a lot less stressful and unnatural for our body than getting into a 5°C bath for a few minutes. Cardio effects are much closer to sauna than cold plunges.
No, I am convinced that there is real - not placebo - benefit from cold showers for SOME people. Cold showers might just let you cold because you don't suffer from the conditions that they help with.
I get ischias like symptoms from cold shower, it shows up the day after
Thanks for this sensible and insightful video! I was wondering if you might talk about what supplementation would be beneficial for vegetarians and vegans specifically. I know we benefit more from creatine, B12 and omega-3, but I am wondering if there are any other supplements we should pay attention to that the general population might not need to. I think it'd make a good video!
I am neutral in my opinion of Dr. Stanfield in general, however after meeting many many people who have practiced Wim Hof methods over months to years, the benefits have been MASSIVE, on every scale the practitioner was focusing on. I would propose, that like many lifestyle practices, it’s only relevant to look at long term studies. If you take a smoker and study them after they quit a month, or a non-smoker a month after they started smoking, it’s unlikely to find any major changes. With any lifestyle effort, it’s the cumulative affect which occurs over years usually and forms a habit which brings the profound results. I hope you Dr. Stanfield, will not critique something that has helped so many due to a lack of data and self-experience. All the best and thank you for encouraging humans to be healthier!
if the benefits have been MASSIVE why aren't we seeing that in the research?
As I noted above, results for a lifestyle change take time. Where are the studies looking at people’s wellness changes 6-12-18-36 months into using Wim Hof? I’m not talking about my own expertise with WHM here, I’m personally familiar though, with lifestyle systems and observe their impacts. For instance, I met a young man (over 20) who struggled with being active. It would literally take him a minute to go from one side of a room to the other. After 6 months of the WHM he’s a changed man, has started a new career, and has taken charge of his life in a completely new way. WHM was the only change he made for that, and he had been working to boost his energy with supplements and a dozen other things prior. This signals to me there’s something here, but it’s not a short term change. The research needs to reflect that new lifestyles aren’t a “fast” modifier.@@TheMountainBeyondTheWoods
In two more years Brad will be back to the food guide and questioning exercise.
😂👍🏼
Good video but disagree on CGM. It’s still a useful tool to use once or twice. Just because someone over reacts to it doesn’t mean it is not useful.
The only one of those I partake in is cold showers and when learning about them (like most people probably from Andrew Huberman) it was noted to not do it too close to resistance workouts. I generally leave it a couple of hours at least after weights before doing it so hopefully that's fine. I'll often have a cold shower immediately after a cardio session (I'm much more sweaty!) but I don't think there's an issue there. Certainly I'm in complete agreement about the issues you raise through the video. This is pretty important stuff.
The CGM quackery also applies to the therapeutic guidelines/recommendations used in management of gestational diabetes (in Australia). My experiences have seen some very dated and horribly inaccurate information being disseminated to women with marginal glycemia (after a single OGTT). Hearing that UA-camr describing the patients experience- with needlessly stringent 'guidelines' and the proclivity for OCD-like behaviors with the ridiculously narrow target glycemia concentrations really does seem familiar.
I've been doing intermittent fasting, 16/8, for years and have had no problem building muscle and increasing strength. They key for me has been to make sure that both the last and first meals around the fast are very high in protein, to make sure I get all my calories in and to lift weights 3 times week.
Fasting is only catabolic if you do it for too long, don't strength train and don't eat enough protein.
Dr. Layne Norton from biolayne agrees with you.
Could you go over the research for NEU5GC found in red meat and its potential effect on arteriosclerosis and cancer? What about bovine collagen? Thx
I am happy to embrace the state of the science and am also happy to accept that none of these things are proven. The fact that it was proven that cold showers have no positive effects, and even negative ones, was new to me. I mostly see it as a stoic exercise myself, and I think I'll continue doing it (although the large scale study does give me pause).
However, with fasting, I think the case you make is a little misleading, if I am honest (and I say this as someone who takes much of your advice). Most of the groups from the studies you've cited have very small groups, and the largest one (n=110, still not huge) does not claim that eating late makes you fat, but that having a late circadian rhythm correlates with obesity (so the other way around).
I fast because I get sleepy if I eat breakfast and lunch. Skipping breakfast works for me to stay alert during the day. I am not obese. I may well be wrong, but I don't see any science that convinces me that this is unhealthy.
Yeah I keep hearing about the negative effect on blood sugar spikes etc but then I keep hearing people saying it doesn’t matter so I’m glad you included that one. Is Zoe one of the companies to stay away from?
I'm no expert, but Zoe makes its money from selling AI generated recipies after extensive personal testing. I distrust them because I have the impression that personalized medicine is not very advanced and because AI is often a hint for billshit. People have different opinions about this, but the grey haired Zoe expert also advertised boasters for the disease I don't want to name because I never know if that might keep my comment in the shadows.
Your advice on not doing icebaths if you don't like them is likely wrong. The neuroscience of today shows a big increase in dopamine from doing things we don't like to do. And in fact we strengthen the part of our brain association with will power from doing difficult things we don't want to do
Great point. Plus he omitted several studies showing the positive effects of the WH method, cherry-picking what suited him. Plus he takes several supplements, i.e. biohacking himself.
@@hotbit7327 Yep. Brad's into selling vitamins that by the way......contain vitamin C.
Any advice that is based on evidence is not wrong.
Advice based purely on opinion, often is.
Can you see the difference?
@@antonystringfellow5152 Maybe Brad can explain why the king of longevity, David Sinclair, takes metformin and does not have diabetes or pre-diabetes.
You sound like you're just repeating what you've heard on Huberman, the king of bro science.
Dr. Stanfield, Are you still taking Glycine and NAC at 1.5 G daily. and later at 55 twice a day? Or has things changed regarding these compounds?
I consider taking supplements and certain dietary practices to actually be biohacking .However have to agree that non diabetics taking metformin could be counterproductive also the anti oxidants taken in large quantities are suppressing oxidants that are required for optimum immune function I have to agree with Dr Brad on that.
Why take professional football Players Icebaths after a match, if there is no benefit?
I believe, per Dr. Mike Israetel, cold immersion can reduce soreness in athletes. So, if one has a tournament with back to back games or playing several days in a row, it can help them stay at their best.
But it also reduces the adaption response, so it’s best not to do it when trying to put on muscle or become more cardiovascular fit (less sure on this).
Professional athletes often prioritize their performance and recovery, sometimes at the expense of other factors.
Anyone who tries to convince me NOT to get into a bathtub full of ice cubes is A-Okay in my book!
🎯 Key Takeaways for quick navigation:
00:00 🚫 *Biohacking can have marginal gains at best and can potentially damage the body.*
02:16 ❄️ *Cold water immersion, like ice baths, may not offer significant cardiovascular or cognitive benefits and can blunt the positive effects of exercise.*
03:12 💊 *Taking Metformin for lifespan or health span benefits in non-diabetic individuals doesn't align with research findings and may blunt exercise benefits and lower testosterone levels.*
04:22 💊💊 *Antioxidant supplements like vitamin C or E may not have overall benefits and can potentially disrupt the positive effects of exercise.*
05:16 ⏳ *Intermittent fasting in otherwise healthy individuals may have questionable benefits and could potentially worsen blood sugar control and insulin responses if not balanced properly.*
06:13 📊 *Continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) for non-diabetics can lead to misinterpretation of data and unnecessary dietary restrictions, potentially causing anxiety and unhealthy food choices.*
Made with HARPA AI
What is the Doc opinion about dry sauna?
My man Brad hitting us with facts.👊Respect
I would say stick to traditional diets. Would you say 200 years back and further we were consuming this much sugar? My feeling is people went without food for some periods and it did not cause people to die, just starve slightly which many animals go through.
Interesting content. I think some ideas are based on a wrong definition of biohacking, tho. Actually, it also includes the mentioned topics at the end. What you do inside yourself, outside, in your environment etc. And all those more "extrem" biohacks like cold plunges, CGMs etc. can be used to one's advantage, if done in the right amount, context and with proper timing.
I think it's important to take the advice from a knowledgeable person, certified lifestyle expert etc. and not blindly following the newest on size fits all fad thing online.
Dr. Stanfield, will you please review some of the recent research that has been published on LDL cholesterol having little association with heart disease? These studies seem to contradict your stance, and I would like to hear your perspective on it. Thank you.
Ice baths fixed my raynaud's
Regarding ice baths, look at how that increases testosterone an hour before exercise. Yes i agree after training not a good idea but before has been show to increase testosterone
link to meta analysis please?
Hey! I have a question, so doing Cold water plunging before exercise wouldn't affect our hypertrophy?
@raziques.1821 no. In fact I have been icing my balls to boost test before exercise as well as before bed and have had amazing results in terms of raising my t levels and also having much harder elections. So I would either do the cold exposure an hour before training or ice my balls 30min prior
Thanks!
I'm well over 50 and doing cold showers and breathing for over 4 yrs gave me immune strength I never had. I was not sick ever since, but before I had 3-5 serious influenzas yearly with fevers going to 40C. That's the most important study for me!
Cold 🥶 showers saved my life because it chanced my perception of what’s possible and overcome fear so I don’t need a study sometimes try & error is the best game that you can play it’s not that i don’t trust hard working scientists but for every opinion exist an opposed opinion I have to trust myself and my ability to find the truth by figuring it out what’s good for me.
Good luck with that!
Me, I trust science, not my feelings. I'll stick with that one.
I'll never forget a study where healthy lab mice were given Metformin along with another drug to see if they could improve the benefits. The treated group were leaner and showed increased grip strength and stamina. Though we coudn't ask them, I guess they must have felt pretty good.
End result: Their lifespan was reduced 30%
Feeling good does not necessarily equate to improved health or longevity.
Overcome fear? If you have a problem with fear, why not address the circumstances that give you fear, rather than make one up?
“Unbiased” scientific studies can be dishonest/misleading in so many ways that I don’t care to go into right now. Not saying they all are, but we shouldn’t take something to be the truth just because one or two studies came to the same conclusion.
Trial and error really is the best method. Good luck friend and keep doing what works for you!
@@TheBigJawn So you're saying you should "reinvent the wheel?" Should you build your own hadron collider in your backyard? How do you choose what to experiment with? Is drinking bleach good for you? Where does one get the idea of ice baths or cold showers? Did they think of it on their own or did they hear it from someone else?
It's sad what poor education is doing to our society. People seem unable to make reasonable judgements about reality. Science is about skepticism and uncertainty, not about absolutes. Show me a study claiming to be "unbiased." It's likely one claiming some extreme diet like the carnivore diet is the most healthy diet.
I also believe in trying stuff as long as effort and risks are limited. Listening to your body works most of the time, and in the exceptional cases, there are usually helpful warnings available.
So the biggest problem here with Dr Bads video is his advice is based on one study and if you watch this channel you will see that Dr Bad often changes his advice based on the next study - for example, NMN . I have been taking cold showers for 6 years now and since then I have never had a single cold or flu. It's not a study but I have heard the same thing from many people.
How lazy is it to discourage biohacking when each thing contained within the biohacking category has its own set of pros and cons. This is a stupid video imo meant to clickbait people who seek healthy habits@@ralfhum
Science changes based on evidence… he’s literally following the science.
I like that cold shower method but boy is it tough for me, maybe I should give it another try, and by cold I'm assuming it has to be 100% cold, which is quite tough because in the summer the cold faucet isn't even that cold
cold shower is very different from extreme ice bath/full body immersion such as the wimhof method mentioned in this video, i've seen people add salt into their ice water to make it even colder.
Biohacking is not some well-defined term with an exact meaning. Biohackers can do anything from making sensible health choices based on their biomarkers to implementing all kinds of questionable health practices that vary from debunked to ones with limited evidence. The title of this video should have been "Why I'm Against Unproven Ways of Biohacking," but that would have probably meant fewer clicks.
I have a CGM and I am completely aware that there are very few guidelines / pointers on interpreting the data. This is either in the app or across the many podcasts that discuss their benefits.
Couldn't the same be said for potassium supplements which you recommend and include in your own multivitamins - which you heavily promote, presumably for your own financial gain?
I looked into adding potassium after you covered it in a recent video but then saw the many headlines about the many health risks of too much potassium. That plus the fact that a big proportion of people (if not most) already have good levels of potassium makes me wonder why you recommend it and why you seem to be pushing it so hard on people who not only don't need it but could be harmed by it.
If I've misunderstood anything please do explain further...
There is a benefit of vitamin C supplements for those with iron deficiency, as it lowers hepcidin and thus fascilitates absorption of non-heme iron supplements beyond what would otherwise be possible.
I'd venture that naturally derived vitamin C would be more efficacious than ascorbic acid (which was probably used in the trials).
@@travisn346 Not for the stated purpose. Especially if you are taking a lot of iron to remedy a deficiency you'll just not get enough AA via the natural route.
You seem to refute all new concepts. My take away is you feel that medical advice from 30years ago is all we need to know and listen to our doctor.
You didn't discuss my favorite bio-hacking activity - saunas. I think the reserach surrounding heat shock proteins is pretty robust, too strong to call it a scam, wouldn't you say?
Come on he is not citing all the data and only what he wants to show. This is called misdirection. For Whimhoff he doesn’t mention the lymphatic benefits, the release of cold shock proteins from the liver, the norpinephrine and dopamine benefits.
Obviously if you high dose any antioxidants you will upset a balance.
Intermittent fasting creates many other benefits besides autophagy. How about growth hormone, more efficient mitochondria etc. Brad over the last year has flipped and is obviously on Big Pharma’s payroll and has become their Stooge.
Cold baths do nothing for cardio? Ok. But what about immunity and anti-inflammatory functions? The exact thing that blunts strenght excercise results is anti-inflamatory effect, is it not?
This is the only Video of Dr. Brad Stanfield 🎉
You do you bro! We aren't all the same. These hacks work for many.
Trouble with Dr Brad is that he doesn't take into account the carnivore diet. IF works great for me and I get plenty of protein !
I really appreciate this vid Brad. TY.
Loved this video doc! I have personally tried most of these after reputed podcasts such as Huberman and Peter Attia - with zero impact. I've come to realise that our bodies are genius and cannot be hacked. Only supported. The body will find a way to do it's thing and these fringe theories are placebo at best. I'm SO glad you made this video.
going crazy about the protein with autoimmune disease was the worst thing I was doing with my health. Two of my worst flares triggered at the times when I was worrying so much about my protein intake and chugging down things to meet 1.5grams/kg weight it is not possible with a stable health. 40-50 grams was enough. Now whenever I see a protein maniac I automatically assume "Oh here is an ignorant person" & who cares what he thinks..
Yes Brad has created a protein supplement I believe. 1.5 g per kilogram is a large amount of protein if you're eating other foods like fats and cards. Especially if youre not exercising.
We myst remember that channels like these are to a degree about self promotion.
I thought cold immersion was about shivering which would stimulate more mitochondria leading to more brown fat, not about the cardiovascular system?
What is your opinion on the new weight loss drugs like Wegovy?
Another danger of biohacking, not mentioned here, is that most biohackers seek to reverse all age-related changes without first looking for evidence of whether each one is pathogenic or adaptive (adaptive changes are protective).
Many age-related changes are, in fact, adaptive. Try to reverse them and you will likely adversely affect your lifespan and/or healthspan.
It is essential to determine which is which before trying to change them. Also, you can't do that by theorizing or seeing which changes make people feel better. For example, if you're over 50 and you inhibit all the CD38 in your body, you'll likely have more NAD+, more energy and, as a result, feel much better. You'll also likely die younger... from cancer. The reason being:
Senescent cells and cancer cells produce CD38
CD38 is an enzyme that breaks down NAD+
NAD+ is needed for energy
Cancer cells have a higher energy requirement than healthy cells
That's one example, I'm sure there will be many, many others.
If any particular age-related change is actually pathogenic, this should be demonstrated by data showing that reversing the change increases healthspan and/or lifespan. If you can't find data that shows this, attempting to reverse that change is a pure gamble - with your life.
Why would someone inhibit these enzymes? Wtf
I agree with you. I for example use supplements like glynac, collagen, D3 and K2 because they are deeply studied and go down by aging. I just want to keep these values in a healthy norm. Inhibiting enzymes is really whacky in comparison.
its not for everyone but ive been doing it waay before wim hoff made it popular and yes it does mess with your mental health sometimes but it also helps so it aint no silver bullet but its a nice perk to pick up.
Question: would replacing all vegetables in diet with broccoli sprouts slathered in mustard also count as "biohacking"? Because it feels like it belongs up there.
As usual Brad looks at the data and takes a "common sense" approach to the subjects and gives his opinion in a brief understandable manner...well done and thank you!
Keep it up!
Thanks for this, Dr. Stanfield!
A CGM by itself is a just a measurement device as is, for example, a balance. Does Dr. Stanfield consider he is hacking his body when he weighs himself?
The analysis on intermittent fasting is simply wrong....There is overwhelming evidence of the benefits, largely in terms of disease prevention, autophagy, cleansing, stem cell, growth hormone and BDNF enhancement....and a big one....the leveling of insulin levels and resulting increase in insulin sensitivity....And, of course, in maintaing a healthy body mass ratio etc. And, on personal, anecdotal level, and having practised IF (and time restricted feeding - missing breakfast in my case) for 20 years now - and now at 70 years old and still lean, muscular and atheletic - I can attest to its benefits.
Intermittent fasting is a scam and it causes more harm than good. For starters, it slows the metabolism
The Wim Hof community can be quite questionable and cultist, and they tend to claim all kinds of unproven benefits, but there was a study in the Netherlands on cold exposure with 3000 subjects which found a 30% decrease in sick days in the group that did daily cold showers.
Before I read the study and tried it out myself, I was also rather sceptical, but started taking cold showers mainly in hopes to get more used to the cold (I'd start feeling cold at temperatures below 20°C and hated the cold in general) and thought if it also helps the immune system, that would be a nice benefit. Turned out both worked, I haven't worn any extra layer even in Winter since I started with the cold showers, I guess it's partly physiological adaptation but also a big part mental stubborness, and my sick days were reduced indeed by about 30%, a typical cold that would have lasted around 10 days before would last then around 7 days with the peak days feeling less severe.
What it did not help much was with feeling more "energized" or any of the typical other claims.
Thank you, that's interesting. Both, that there is this study and your personal experience. My immune system might have improved slightly after half a year of cold showers, but I am not sure yet. I feel relexation for a few hours after a cold shower and I am in need of that.
Nothing wrong with IF, I've been doing it for 25yrs it's the best method for caloric restriction or caloric maintenance, otherwise if you're eating 3-5 times a day, it's very difficult to maintain, for example a 2000 calories IF intake I eat 1000 calories for "lunch" and 1000 calories for "dinner", very simple and disciplinary
@@Joseph1NJ intermittent fasting is time restricted eating by definition...
@@Joseph1NJ There are 2 main IF strategies, the most popular is eating for 8 hours and fasting for 16 hours, e.g. eating between 12pm and 8pm -- and the second is gradually reducing the eating window, e.g. eating during a 4 hour window and fasting for 20 hours, e.g. eating between 2pm and 6pm. There are no explicit calorie restrictions, it's just time window for when you can eat just about anything. Many find this easier to follow than explicit calorie restriction.
Exactly, For me it's natural doing it, i tried to reintroduce breakfast, basically forcing myself to eat and it didn't work, less energy throughout the day and I was actually more hungry and I was eating more! I also eat only at launch and at dinner and that's it.
I absolutely hate the way I feel after eating breakfast, and it’s no matter what I eat.
Once I break the fast I have hunger spikes throughout the day and I end up eating way more than I should or at best I tend to think about food much more often which annoys me as well.
Add to it sleepiness, brain fog, etc.
I like the way I feel when fasted. If feeling a bit hungry then I will drink water or tea. I suplement magnesium, potassium and add salt to the meals.
Usually I eat my first meal about 6 PM. Last around 9 PM.
It's always been accepted that IF is a good way of restricting calories. The debate is about whether it has extra benefits on top of that as many advocates of it claim.
I agree on the metformin and or other supplements. There are so many supplements touted on the net for dubious benefits. On the other hand, the cold shower and Intermittent fasting are great ways to keep healthy, mentally and physically. Maybe those studies didn't focus on their benefits, was looking into the wrong parameters or the study was set up poorly. As for IF, there are so many ways to do it and most experts agree that you shouldn't skip breakfast.
Why should we avoid saturated fats when they are less oxidized?
When I was in my late teens I used to take cold showers in the morning - so I was ahead of Wim Hoff. However, my fingers would go blue and it would take hours for the circulation to come back. It was misery. And that experience was enough to teach me it's not good. We have to be careful of the "experts" and the "gurus". I think listening to your own body is the best thing we have in the interim - it's not always right but I think it is most of the time.
Listening to your own body is THE most important thing. I personally do not respond well to many mainstream “biohacking” advice and supps even Dr. Brad is giving. Just one example creatine gives me weird heart palpitations, anxiety and sleepless nights as a side effect to the positive effects. I have a few others too. Unless we have hard data on ourselves to tell us otherwise, how we feel is the more important factor in any intervention we undertake than to blindly follow what is advised for the general population.
I totally agree with you. I think it is going to be a while though before we get the hard data and also it can be complicated - like you said, a supplement can give positive and negative results. All the best. @@MrCoffis
@@MrCoffiscreatine can give you issues if; you have kidney problems or you have specific MTHFR mutations.
@@campersruincod6134 Interesting never heard of that mutation🤔 Thanks, I’ll look into it. Just skimming through you might be on to something, though I imagine there are enough other mutations that could potentially have similar effects or a combination of. I guess I’ll have to do a DNA test now, to be sure. I do react non conventionally on B vitamins and even get inflammation on my eye lids if I take for a prolonged time. I even had to remove a growth (chalazion) from there that was induced by B vitamin supplementation. So there’s definitely something going on there.
@@MrCoffis glad I could help :)
Sorry but I am fan of peptides, hormone replacement therapy, sarms, etc. im subscribed to an Anti Aging/Hormone Replacement Therapy clinic and its the best decision I have made. Didn't help when the FDA decided to ban most peptides but that is because of Big Farma and them wanting to make money of the next big thing which peptides, Bioregulators, and more.
Peptides are cool, but you're playing with fire with the rest of it.
Hormone replacement therapies are in the preventative care clinical guidelines. When used correctly and as per the clinical guidelines, they can be wonderful treatments and I prescribe them in my clinic with oversight from our hospital endocrinologists.
My point in this video is that following biohacks likely offer minimal (if any) benefits and are possibly harmful. Far better to follow the latest preventative care guidelines
@@theyetti90 How so?
@@DrBradStanfield excellent. thank you for clarifying and sorry for misunderstanding.