The Power of Biohacking: Optimizing Health and Performance

Joe Rogan sits down with biohacking expert Gary Brecka to discuss the latest science and techniques for optimizing human health and performance. They cover a wide range of topics including nutrition, supplements, exercise, recovery, and longevity.

Some key points from their conversation:

Nutrition and Supplements

The Problem with Seed Oils

Brecka explains the harmful effects of processed seed oils like canola oil:

"Rape seed, canola is you know a plant we essentially you put it in a commercial press and it will come out gummy and so to de gum it you use something called hexane and hexane if you go to National Institute of Health or National Library of Medicine you'll see that that is a known neurotoxin it's classified as a neurotoxin same as fluoride right which is actually florosyic acid we'll get to that later but uh so so we de gum it with hexane and then you take this deg rancid i mean there's no mechanism on Earth for temperatures to reach that much especially plants to encounter those kind of temperatures so now it denatures it turns rancid so now you um it's putrified and it smells so now you have to deodorize it so we deodorize it with sodium hydroxide so we degum it with a powerful neurotoxin we heat it to 45 degrees and turn it rancid and then we deodorize it with a very powerful carcinogen and then in some cases we bleach it and bottle it and put it on the shelf."

He argues that these oils cause inflammation and contribute to many chronic health issues. Brecka recommends replacing seed oils with healthier options like olive oil, avocado oil, and animal fats.

The Cholesterol Myth

Brecka challenges the conventional wisdom around cholesterol and statins:

"I spoke out about the the simple LDL hypothesis of cholesterol saying that there is no correlation between elevated levels of LDL cholesterol on its own and cardiovascular disease you had to have corresponding increases in triglyceride you had to have inflammatory factors you usually had to have other metabolic factors like um hyper triglyceridemia hyperinsulinemia and um um and and yet everybody you know would really come after me for that and now we're starting to see that the data on statins is really falling apart you know I mean big data is starting to tell us that the the extension of life is is near zero um but the extension of all-c cause mortality is near zero and then the complications downstream which we never study."

He argues that cholesterol itself is not the problem, but rather inflammation and other metabolic factors. Brecka believes the widespread use of statins is misguided.

Essential Nutrients

Brecka emphasizes the importance of getting essential nutrients through diet and supplementation:

"All human beings need the same things we need two essential fatty acids essential means they're essential for life um you need nine essential amino acids so you can supplement with the nine essential amino acids in the morning you can supplement with the two essential fatty acids omega-3 fatty acids like uh black seed oil or good omega fish oil you can supplement with the minerals so many of us are mineral deficient and we don't realize the expression of mineral deficiency."

He recommends supplementing with:

• Essential amino acids
• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Minerals (through sea salt)
• Methylated multivitamin
• Vitamin D3

Exercise and Recovery

Cold Plunge Benefits

Brecka explains the benefits of cold plunge therapy:

"First you get this peripheral vaso constriction um and then you get a uh a release of of something called cold shock proteins and if you ever really want to have some fun just Google around about cold shock proteins look at LIN 28A and LIN 28B these are cold shock proteins that are being actually researched for their impact on insulin sensitivity improving insulin sensitivity um and then uh you know you activate a very special type of fat called brown fat which essentially exchanges a calorie for a measure of heat so it takes a calorie and turns it into heat and that's a very good thing if I'm taking calories and turning them into heat you know there's a cost to raising your thermostat and you think if you're in let's say 50°ree water and you get out of 50°ree water and you're standing in a 70°ree room how's your body go to 98.6 right how do you actually not only how do you exceed the the temperature of the room you're in well your metabolism is raised largely because of the activation of brown fat and there's a cost to that the cost is calories so anybody tells you that cold plunging is not good for burning fat I think is missing the the breath of the of of the science and then the final thing you get is you get this spike of dopamine which lasts hours."

The key benefits include:

• Activating brown fat and boosting metabolism
• Releasing cold shock proteins
• Improving insulin sensitivity
• Providing a dopamine boost

Sauna Use

Brecka recommends using the sauna after workouts:

"One thing is beneficial though post-workout is sauna right in beneficial for muscle growth yes and also as a static cardio correct cuz your heart rate's already elevated i like to go in literally the moment I put the weights down I get right into that 196° the 20th minute's tough though bro the 25th minute's even tougher."

He suggests 20-25 minutes in the sauna post-workout for muscle growth and cardiovascular benefits.

Strength Training Approach

Rogan describes his strength training approach based on Pavel Tsatsouline's methods:

"I do what's called when I'm not doing endurance training I do the strong first protocol so Pavle Tatselene he developed this kettle bell protocol where so a lot of people like to work to failure um I don't work to failure ever but I do the same amount of reps so like say if I have uh a 70 lb kettle bell right and I'm doing cleans and presses if I can do I could probably do 20 reps to failure by cleans are you pulling it just to your chin are you talking about all the way up so one arm kettle bell swing press yeah down clean press like if I go to failure I don't know i probably could do like 20 reps with 70 pounds but I don't do 20 reps i do 10 and then I put it down and then I wait like several minutes and then I'll do my left side and then I wait several minutes more and then I'll do my right side again so I am completely rested by the time I do my second set."

This approach focuses on quality reps with full recovery between sets, rather than working to failure.

Biohacking Technologies

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy

Brecka discusses the benefits of hyperbaric oxygen therapy:

"Some of the research that's coming out of um uh Israel especially on cognitive function um using 60 days at uh two atmospheres of pressure and then reducing the pressure over time um you know the the improvement in mitochondrial density uh the improvement in blood flow um cognitive scoring uh reduction of neural inflammation um you know I know uh you can't say treat or cure but they they use these to modulate uh autism um all kinds of neurinflammatory conditions Parkinson's Alzheimer's uh which is really linked to type type three diabetes which is insulin resistance in the brain but the The byproduct of that is this neural inflammatory cascade so reducing neural inflammation um you know there are a lot of benefits to hyperbaric tissue recovery postsurgical wound repair postsurgical recovery."

Key benefits include:

• Improved cognitive function
• Increased mitochondrial density
• Better blood flow
• Reduced neural inflammation
• Faster wound healing and recovery

Red Light Therapy

Both Rogan and Brecka report improvements in eyesight from red light therapy:

Rogan: "Mine stopped deteriorating and start It improved slightly it's definitely were the point where I could look at my phone i don't need glasses cuz I was using reading glasses all the time when I was looking at my phone and now I don't need them at all anymore."

Brecka explains the mechanism: "Red light therapy is extraordinarily good for vasa motor circulation why why do you think it improves your skin the collagen the elastin the fibbrin why do you think it reduces fine lines and wrinkles why does it improve um why can it improve uh our eyesight because it restores healthy vasa motor activity."

Hydrogen Therapy

Brecka is a big proponent of hydrogen therapy, both drinking hydrogen-infused water and bathing in hydrogen-infused water:

"Hydrogen gas i mean this is probably my favorite biohack in the world because it'll cost you about a dollar a day um these are called H2Tab um you can get them at drink h2tab.com you can actually read the science on it i think there's two two people in the world now i mean those that have read the science and take hydrogen gas drink hydrogen water and those that don't um or or just haven't read the science because hydrogen gas first of all is a it's it's the lightest element in the universe it's also the most prevalent element in the universe 10% of your body weight is hydrogen."

He explains that hydrogen acts as a selective antioxidant, reducing inflammation and improving circulation throughout the body.

Conclusion

Rogan and Brecka's wide-ranging conversation highlights the cutting-edge world of biohacking and how various nutritional, exercise, and technological interventions can be used to optimize human health and performance. While some of the approaches discussed are still emerging and controversial, they represent an exciting frontier in our understanding of how to unlock human potential and extend healthspan. As always, individuals should consult with qualified medical professionals before making major changes to their health and fitness regimens.

Article created from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhC8lLPpGl4