Biohackers normally focus on improving their physical health and wellbeing in the hope of a longer life, but some of these ideas can also work for athletes.
Biohacking is all the rage. People are coming up with all sorts of ways, using all sorts of technologies to find ways of living longer, healthier lives. However, as this grows there is a strange convergence with the world of athletics. That’s because one happy side-effect of some of these ideas is that they can improve your physical performance.
However, this is a bit of a wild west world. Many of the ideas under discussion are experimental and some of the people plugging solutions are charlatans. So it can be difficult to sort of what works from what doesn’t.
However, here are a few ideas which can not only help you to live longer but will also improve your physical performance.
Take a walk
Everywhere you look you’ll see people going for high intensity workouts burning the calories like there is no tomorrow. However, many athletes are not as invincible as they look from the outside. High impact sessions such as running, sprinting, and cycling are not always good for your body. That’s because they aren’t natural. Your body isn’t designed for high intensity work outs, long distance runs or heavy lifting. It’s designed to produce movement for movement’s sake.
Professional athletes often find their bodies breaking down on them. Take a look at Andy Murray and his reconstructed knee, destroyed by years on the professional tennis circuit.
Instead, one of the best forms of exercises is taking a long walk. It’s low intensity and it exercises in a way in which we’re designed to work. When you walk your body uses fat stores to burn energy which is why walking is one of the best exercises for losing weight. It will also build up your muscles in your legs and your endurance rather than damaging joints and eroding cartilage.
Supplements
There are many supplements which can boost your athletic performance. For example, some people use performance enhancing supplements such as AltRed to help them perform at high intensity for longer. One of the benefits of AltRed is that it buffers lactate acid helping your muscles to keep going stronger for longer.
Others such as TruNiagen help boost levels of NAD. These drop by up to 90% from the moment we are born to the moment we die. Retaining levels of NAD in our bodies can help us to live longer, but also helps us to perform at our best.
Herbs and vitamins for focus
Many people take herbs or vitamin supplements throughout the day to try and improve energy levels and focus. However, it can also come in handy for exercise regimes. Boosting levels of certain vitamins within the body can be crucial to improving your attention span, boosting energy levels and helping you stay focused during high intensity interval training.
It keeps the mind sharp as well as the body. This can be a major problem for athletes and sports people. With physical fatigue comes mental exhaustion. You’re more likely to make a costly mistake playing sports if you’re physically tired. Your focus can dip and your attention can wonder. Keeping your body well stocked with vitamins gives your brain the fuel it needs.
Technology
Biohackers love technology and there is a huge amount of it about. One of the best is the Whoop fitness tracker which can track many different metrics counting towards physical performance. This fitness tracker requires a monthly subscription which can be quite expensive, but it provides a huge amount of information about your personal regimes and routines which you can use to improve your health and wellbeing.
Whoop sleep goals.Source: Whoop
This includes a heart sensor which shows how much strain certain exercises are putting on your heart as well as tracking recovery times. It can also offer modes which help you analyse your rest and exercise regimes. It can tell you how much sleep you need to be healthy and help you map out exercise routines.
Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) helps you optimise your metabolism and fitness management by reporting your blood sugar levels; popular platforms include FreeStyle Libre CGM and Levels.
These are just some of the outstanding biohacks around which can help you become faster, stronger and fitter. They provide you with the information you need to hone your exercise as well as the fuel your body needs to go harder, faster and longer. As with most biohacks, they can help you live longer healthier lives, but they will also help you to become more effective athlete into the bargain.
