Biohacking: Performance Breakthrough or Wellness BS?

What if you could fine-tune your body like a high-performance engine? That’s the promise of biohacking—a trend that’s exploded across wellness circles, performance labs, and social media feeds alike. But as with any buzzword, it begs the question: is it grounded in science or simply clever sales and marketing

Let’s break it down.

What Is Biohacking?

At its core, biohacking is the art and science of optimising your body and mind using techniques outside of conventional medicine. Think of it as self-experimentation with the goal of enhancing energy, cognition, recovery, longevity, and overall performance. It ranges from the simple (sleep tracking, intermittent fasting) to the more extreme (implantable chips, gene editing, or ice baths at 5am while downing mushroom coffee).

Biohacking Techniques: What Actually Works?

Not all biohacks are created equal. Some are rooted in physiology and backed by evidence. Others—well, they belong in the “Instagram Reels for likes” category. Here are some common techniques:

1. Sleep Optimisation

• Biohack: Using sleep trackers (like Whoop, Oura, or Garmin) to monitor sleep stages, recovery, and HRV.

• Science: Solid. Sleep is foundational. Without it, performance tanks—mentally and physically.

2. Cold Exposure (Cryotherapy, Ice Baths)

• Biohack: Reduces inflammation, boosts mood, supports recovery.

• Science: Evidence supports short bouts of cold exposure post-training—but not immediately after strength sessions, as it may blunt adaptation.

3. Red Light Therapy

• Biohack: Claimed to aid cellular recovery, skin health, and testosterone.

• Science: Some promising early data, but research is still young and devices vary wildly in quality.

4. Supplements and Nootropics

• Biohack: Includes peptides, creatine, magnesium threonate, L-theanine, and “smart drugs.”

• Science: Context dependent. Some (like creatine) are well-supported. Others are overstated or unregulated.

5. Breathwork and HRV Training

• Biohack: Used for nervous system control—improving focus, recovery, and sleep.

• Science: Strong support for controlled breathwork (e.g., box breathing, diaphragmatic techniques) reducing sympathetic nervous system dominance.

6. Intermittent Fasting

• Biohack: Claimed benefits range from fat loss to cellular repair.

• Science: Caloric restriction is effective for weight loss. Benefits beyond that depend on the individual, context, and adherence.

Where It Gets Murky: Marketing vs Reality

Biohacking isn’t nonsense—but it’s also not a miracle shortcut. A lot of the hype comes from clever branding. Cold showers become “cryotherapy.” Supplements become “nutraceutical stacks.” Basic physiology becomes “hacks.”

Influencers sell blue-light blocking glasses and IV drip memberships with more conviction than your average surgeon. But more gear doesn’t mean more gains.

If you’re sleeping 5 hours a night and smashing caffeine all day, no red light panel is saving you. Fundamentals first.

Our Take at Poseidon Performance

We’re not anti-biohacking. In fact, we use many of these tools—sleep tracking, HRV monitoring, cold exposure, and targeted supplementation—with our clients. But we prioritise the basics:

• Strength and aerobic capacity

• Quality movement and mobility

• Recovery protocols based on actual load

• Nutrition that supports goals, not trends

Biohacking should support training, not replace it.

If you’re curious about integrating some evidence-based tools into your training, we’ll show you what’s worth your time—and what’s just shiny noise.

Final Thoughts

Biohacking isn’t BS—but the way it’s sold often is. Start with the big rocks: training intelligently, sleeping enough, eating real food, and managing stress. Then layer in the tools that complement your lifestyle, goals, and physiology.

Want to know what works for you? Come train with us.