Biohacking is a loose label. Some of it is solid physiology, some is early research and some is marketing. We rank each item by the quality of the evidence in people, not by how exciting the claim sounds.
Strong
Regular sleep, at least 7 hours
A joint consensus statement of two sleep societies says adults should regularly sleep at least 7 hours a night for good health. A steady schedule matters too.
Tools: Sleep timing · Social jetlag · Recovery score
Strength training and enough protein
A large meta-analysis found that protein supplementation added to resistance training increased muscle gains, with the benefit leveling off around 1.6 g per kg of body weight per day.
Tools: Protein target · Protein from food
Caffeine timing
In a trial, 400 mg of caffeine taken six hours before bed cut total sleep time by more than an hour. Moving your last coffee earlier is a free upgrade.
Tools: Caffeine clock
Creatine monohydrate
A sports nutrition society position stand calls creatine one of the most effective supplements for strength and lean mass, at 3-5 g a day. Any plain monohydrate works.
Tools: Creatine dose
Vitamin D, if you are low
A large pooled analysis found vitamin D supplements modestly reduced respiratory infections, mostly in people who were deficient. A blood test tells you if that is you.
Tools: Supplement checker
NuviaLab Immune
Per the seller’s page: about 50 µg (2,000 IU) of vitamin D and 10 mg of zinc per two capsules, plus vitamin C, quercetin and elderberry.
Check price and availabilityConsult your doctor before use, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Moderate
Magnesium and calming herbs for sleep
Magnesium may shorten the time to fall asleep in older adults, and valerian shows mixed results. Habits come first; these are a small extra.
Tools: Sleep timing
NuviaLab Relax
Per the seller’s page: valerian, lemon balm, passionflower, hops, rhodiola, B vitamins and about 100 mg of magnesium.
Check price and availabilityConsult your doctor before use, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Collagen peptides for skin
A meta-analysis of randomized trials found hydrolyzed collagen improved skin hydration and elasticity. Many trials were funded by manufacturers, so the effect size is uncertain.
Collagen Select
Per the seller’s page: Verisol hydrolysed collagen peptides with vitamins A and C, biotin, zinc, copper, niacin and riboflavin, as a drink.
Check price and availabilityConsult your doctor before use, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Caffeine and nootropic herbs for focus
Caffeine reliably improves alertness. A meta-analysis of Bacopa trials found some cognitive benefit, mainly after 12 weeks or more, with varied results. Theacrine has very little human data.
Tools: Caffeine clock
Brain Actives
Per the seller’s page: 150 mg of caffeine and 125 mg of theacrine per two capsules, plus bacopa, rhodiola, gotu kola, B vitamins and magnesium.
Check price and availabilityConsult your doctor before use, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Early
Time-restricted eating
In a randomized trial, a 16:8 eating window did not beat normal eating for weight loss. It can still work as a simple structure for some people.
Tools: Eating window planner
NAD+ boosters
Small trials show some NAD+ precursors raise NAD+ in the blood, and one small study in prediabetic women improved muscle insulin sensitivity. Nobody has shown that they slow aging in people.
EnduNAD
Per the seller’s page: fenugreek, L-tryptophan, chamomile, green tea extract, resveratrol, alpha-lipoic acid, niacin and vitamin B6.
Check price and availabilityConsult your doctor before use, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication. Contains 250 mg of niacin per daily serving, well above the 35 mg upper limit set for supplemental niacin, so do not combine it with other niacin products. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Testosterone and muscle blends
Ingredients such as shilajit and phosphatidic acid have a few small human trials. Many others in these blends have only animal data. Sleep, training and body weight matter more.
Tools: Lab unit converter
Shilajit Extreme
Per the seller’s page: shilajit extract with D-aspartic acid, rhodiola, saffron, zinc, selenium and vitamin B6.
Check price and availabilityConsult your doctor before use, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Testolan
A supplement marketed for male vitality and testosterone support. See the seller’s page for the full ingredient list and serving size.
Check price and availabilityConsult your doctor before use, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Mass Extreme
Marketed for muscle building. Per the seller’s page it combines fenugreek, GABA, D-aspartic acid, phosphatidic acid, vitamin B12 and maca. Amounts are not listed there.
Check price and availabilityConsult your doctor before use, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Green tea and “fat burners”
A Cochrane review found green tea gave no meaningful weight loss. Concentrated extracts have been linked to liver injury at high doses.
Tools: Real TDEE finder
Matcha Extreme
Per the seller’s page: matcha with spirulina, prickly pear extract and acerola, as a drink mix.
Check price and availabilityConsult your doctor before use, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Night Mega Burner
Per the seller’s page: theanine, ashwagandha KSM-66, green tea extract (40% EGCG), lemon balm, saffron, magnesium and more.
Check price and availabilityConsult your doctor before use, especially if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, have a medical condition or take medication. Stop and see a doctor if you notice yellow skin or eyes, dark urine or severe stomach pain. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.
Our rule
We only call something strong when it holds up in human trials. Everything labeled Early is a bet, not a promise. Start with the strong items, then add one thing at a time and see how you feel.
Sources
- Watson NF et al. Recommended amount of sleep for a healthy adult: a joint consensus statement of the AASM and SRS. Sleep 2015. Find on PubMed
- Morton RW et al. Effect of protein supplementation on resistance training-induced gains in muscle mass and strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med 2018. Find on PubMed
- Drake C et al. Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. J Clin Sleep Med 2013. Find on PubMed
- Kreider RB et al. ISSN position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. J Int Soc Sports Nutr 2017. Find on PubMed
- Martineau AR et al. Vitamin D supplementation to prevent acute respiratory tract infections: individual participant data meta-analysis. BMJ 2017. Find on PubMed
- Mah J, Pitre T. Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults. BMC Complement Med Ther 2021. Find on PubMed
- de Miranda RB et al. Effects of hydrolyzed collagen supplementation on skin aging: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Int J Dermatol 2021. Find on PubMed
- Kongkeaw C et al. Meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials on cognitive effects of Bacopa monnieri extract. J Ethnopharmacol 2014. Find on PubMed
- Lowe DA et al. Effects of time-restricted eating on weight loss and other metabolic parameters: the TREAT randomized clinical trial. JAMA Intern Med 2020. Find on PubMed
- Yoshino M et al. Nicotinamide mononucleotide increases muscle insulin sensitivity in prediabetic women. Science 2021. Find on PubMed
- Joy JM et al. Phosphatidic acid enhances mTOR signaling and resistance exercise induced hypertrophy. Nutr Metab 2014. Find on PubMed
- Jürgens TM et al. Green tea for weight loss and weight maintenance in overweight or obese adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2012. Find on PubMed
Links open a PubMed search for each paper so you can read the abstract and full citation. Always check the original study.