New to biohacking? Start with what the evidence supports.

Biohacking for Beginners: What's Worth It, What Isn't

Reviewed 2026-11-07 · 7 sources · By Anthony Falcone

The short answer: Start with the free basics that have the strongest evidence: bright light in the day, dim light in the evening and a dark bedroom, and getting fitter, which large studies link to about half the risk of early death. If you want supplements, creatine has the most research behind it and caffeine helps exercise when it is kept well away from bedtime. Popular extras such as NMN have not shown clear benefits in human trials yet, and supplements sold for weight loss, sex or muscle building are the ones most often found to contain hidden drugs.^{1,2,3,4,5,6,7}

Before you start

Talk to your doctor before taking any supplement if you take prescription medicines, are pregnant or breastfeeding, are under 18, or have kidney, liver or heart disease or high blood pressure. Hidden drug ingredients found in some supplements can interact with medicines and health conditions.⁷
Ask a doctor before using caffeine for training if you have a heart rhythm problem, anxiety or trouble sleeping, and before starting hard exercise if you have chest pain, breathlessness or dizziness on exertion.
If poor sleep, low mood or tiredness lasts for weeks, see a doctor. These habits can support your health, but they are not a substitute for finding out what is wrong.

250 lux minimum melanopic light at eye level recommended through the day by an international expert consensus; at most 10 lux from 3 hours before bed and 1 lux in the bedroom¹
0.47 hazard ratio for death from any cause with high versus low cardiorespiratory fitness, in an overview of 199 cohort studies and over 20.9 million observations²
3–5 g of creatine monohydrate a day keeps muscle stores raised, according to the International Society of Sports Nutrition³
6 hours 400 mg of caffeine taken at bedtime, 3 hours or 6 hours before bed all disturbed sleep compared with placebo⁵
15 trials of NMN in adults, pooled in a 2026 meta-analysis: no effect on body weight, fasting glucose, HbA1c or blood fats⁶
776 supplements that the US FDA found to contain unapproved drug ingredients from 2007 to 2016⁷

How to judge a biohack

Biohacking is a loose name for changing your habits, surroundings or supplements to feel and perform better. For any biohack, ask one question first: has it been tested in people, and what did it change? Many popular ideas start in animals. The authors of the NMN review covered below put it plainly: animal and mechanistic results cannot be taken as proof that something works in humans.⁶

Being on sale proves little. In the US, supplements are regulated as a kind of food, so they do not go through the safety and effectiveness testing that drugs need before they reach the shelf.⁷

That is why this guide sorts the common starting points by the evidence: an expert consensus or large studies for light and fitness, position stands built on many trials for creatine and caffeine, and a meta-analysis of human trials for NMN.^1,2,3,4,6

Worth it: bright days, dim evenings, dark nights

In 2019 an international workshop of light, sleep and circadian researchers agreed the first expert recommendations for daily light exposure. They are given in melanopic EDI, a measure of how strongly light acts on the light-sensitive cells in the eye that set the body clock. Through the day they recommend at least 250 lux at eye level, ideally from daylight.¹

From at least 3 hours before bed they recommend at most 10 lux, and in the bedroom at most 1 lux: as dark as possible. Keeping the same light-dark pattern every day is likely to help the body clock further.¹

The evening target is easier than it sounds. Evening light at home is commonly around 30 lux, and many ordinary warm white LED bulbs (2,700 to 3,000 K) already meet the 10 lux target at that brightness. Getting outside or close to a window in the day is the simplest way to reach the daytime level.¹

The recommendations are based on studies in healthy adults aged 18 to 55 with regular daytime schedules, and the authors note that children, older people and shift workers may need different advice. Our guide to morning sunlight goes into the details.¹

Worth it: getting fitter

A 2024 overview pooled 26 systematic reviews covering 199 cohort studies and more than 20.9 million observations. People with high cardiorespiratory fitness had about half the risk of dying early compared with people with low fitness (hazard ratio 0.47), and every 1 MET of extra fitness went with 11% to 17% lower risk.²

These are observational studies, so they show a strong link rather than proof that raising your fitness adds a set number of years. The authors rated the certainty from very low to moderate, mainly because most of the studies included only men. Our VO2 max guide explains how fitness is measured and which training raises it.²

Worth it: creatine

Creatine is one of the most studied supplements there is. In its position stand, the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) counts more than 1,000 studies since the early 1990s and describes weight gain as the only side effect consistently reported.³

The ISSN gives two ways to take it. The quickest is about 0.3 g per kilogram of body weight a day for 5 to 7 days, then 3 to 5 g a day to keep muscle stores up. Taking 3 to 5 g a day from the start also fills the stores, over 3 to 4 weeks. Loading can hold on to roughly 0.5 to 1.0 litres of extra water for a short time.³

The ISSN found no convincing evidence that creatine monohydrate harms healthy people, in studies of up to 30 g a day for up to 5 years. Our creatine guide covers timing, loading and who it suits.³

Worth it, with timing: caffeine

The ISSN's caffeine position stand finds that 3 to 6 mg per kilogram of body weight consistently improves exercise performance, and that as little as 2 mg per kilogram may work. Very high doses, such as 9 mg per kilogram, cause many side effects and do not seem to be needed. It is most often taken 60 minutes before exercise, with the biggest and most consistent benefit for endurance.⁴

The cost is sleep. In a home study, 400 mg of caffeine taken at bedtime, 3 hours before bed or 6 hours before bed all disturbed sleep compared with a placebo. The authors concluded that people should avoid substantial caffeine for at least 6 hours before bed. We read only the summary of that study.⁵

The ISSN adds that people differ in how they respond, partly because of genes and how much caffeine they usually have, including in its effects on sleep and anxiety.⁴

Not yet worth it: NMN and other NAD+ boosters

NMN (nicotinamide mononucleotide) is sold to raise NAD+, a molecule involved in energy metabolism and DNA repair. A 2026 meta-analysis gathered 15 randomised trials in adults, at doses of 250 to 2,000 mg a day for 14 days to 24 weeks. NMN did not change body weight, BMI, fasting glucose, HbA1c, blood fats or systolic blood pressure.⁶

Diastolic blood pressure fell slightly, by 2.43 mmHg, but blood pressure was not the main outcome of most trials and the certainty was rated low, so the authors call it a signal to test, not an established effect.⁶

On safety, 10 trials with 383 people found no rise in side effects or liver enzymes in the short term. The authors stress that the trials were small and short, so rare or long-term risks cannot be ruled out. Well tolerated for a few weeks is not the same as useful.⁶

Is biohacking safe? Watch the supplements

Supplements can contain things that are not on the label. Researchers analysed the US FDA's warnings from 2007 to 2016 and found 776 supplements containing unapproved drug ingredients, from 146 companies. Most were sold for sexual enhancement (45.5%), weight loss (40.9%) or muscle building (11.9%), and 20.2% contained more than one hidden ingredient.⁷

The hidden drugs were most often sildenafil in sexual enhancement products, sibutramine, a drug taken off the US market in 2010 because of heart risks, in weight-loss products, and synthetic steroids or steroid-like ingredients in 89.1% of the muscle-building products. Of 28 products warned about more than once, 19 contained new unapproved ingredients the second or third time.⁷

From 2014 to 2016, 38.6% of these products were found by sampling online sellers and 34.3% in international mail. So the products to be most careful with are those promising sex, weight loss or muscle, bought online or shipped from abroad.⁷

What to do with this

Get bright light, ideally daylight, in the day, keep lights dim and warm for the 3 hours before bed, and make your bedroom as dark as you can.¹
Work on your fitness: in large studies, high fitness went with about half the risk of early death compared with low fitness.²
If you want one supplement for training, creatine monohydrate at 3 to 5 g a day has the most research behind it.³
Use caffeine for exercise if it suits you, but stop at least 6 hours before bed.^4,5
Skip NMN for now, and be very wary of any supplement sold for weight loss, sex or muscle building, especially online.^6,7

How sure is this?

The light targets are an expert consensus built mainly on laboratory studies, not results of trials of the targets themselves, and the authors say the real-world benefits are hard to put a number on. Several of them declared research funding or consulting from lighting companies, including Signify (formerly Philips Lighting) and Lutron.¹
The fitness findings are observational and come mostly from studies of men; the certainty ranged from very low to moderate.²
Industry ties: the creatine position stand was written at the request of the Council for Responsible Nutrition and the ISSN, and its authors declared industry research grants and advisory roles with companies that sell creatine. Several authors of the caffeine position stand advise sports-supplement companies, and the ISSN has received grants from companies that sell caffeine products.^3,4
We read only the summary of the caffeine and sleep study. The NMN trials were small and short, used different doses and products, and included people from healthy adults to hospital patients; the review's authors declared no conflicts of interest and no outside funding.^5,6
The supplement analysis covers only FDA warnings and only the drugs the FDA tested for, so it cannot say how common hidden ingredients are across all supplements, and it is US data.⁷

Common questions

How do I start biohacking?

Start with the free basics that have the best evidence: daylight in the day, dim light in the evening and a dark bedroom, and regular training to raise your fitness. Add supplements only after that, and only ones tested in people.^1,2

Is biohacking safe?

Supplements can contain things that are not on the label: the US FDA found unapproved drugs in 776 supplements from 2007 to 2016, mostly ones sold for sex, weight loss or muscle building.⁷

What supplements are worth it for biohacking?

Creatine has the most research for training, at 3 to 5 g a day, and caffeine reliably helps exercise performance. NMN has not shown clear benefits in human trials so far.^3,4,6

Does NMN actually work?

Not clearly. In a 2026 meta-analysis of 15 trials in adults, NMN did not change weight, blood sugar or blood fats; it seemed well tolerated in the short term, and only a small drop in diastolic blood pressure remains to be confirmed.⁶

How many hours before bed should you stop caffeine?

At least 6. In a home study, a large dose taken 6 hours before bed still disturbed sleep compared with a placebo.⁵

How much light do you need during the day?

Experts recommend at least 250 lux of melanopic light at eye level through the day, ideally from daylight, and at most 10 lux in the 3 hours before bed.¹

Sources

Brown TM, Brainard GC, Cajochen C, Czeisler CA, Hanifin JP, Lockley SW, et al. Recommendations for daytime, evening, and nighttime indoor light exposure to best support physiology, sleep, and wakefulness in healthy adults. PLoS Biology, 2022. Position stand. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001571
Lang JJ, Prince SA, Merucci K, Cadenas-Sanchez C, Chaput JP, Fraser BJ, et al. Cardiorespiratory fitness is a strong and consistent predictor of morbidity and mortality among adults: an overview of meta-analyses representing over 20.9 million observations from 199 unique cohort studies. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2024. Meta-analysis. doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2023-107849
Kreider RB, Kalman DS, Antonio J, Ziegenfuss TN, Wildman R, Collins R, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: safety and efficacy of creatine supplementation in exercise, sport, and medicine. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2017. Position stand. doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0173-z
Guest NS, VanDusseldorp TA, Nelson MT, Grgic J, Schoenfeld BJ, Jenkins NDM, et al. International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and exercise performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 2021. Position stand. doi.org/10.1186/s12970-020-00383-4
Drake C, Roehrs T, Shambroom J, Roth T. Caffeine effects on sleep taken 0, 3, or 6 hours before going to bed. Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine, 2013. Randomised trial. doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.3170
Yang W, Huang J, Tang Z, Chen C, Sun Y. Safety and metabolism-related outcomes of oral nicotinamide mononucleotide supplementation in adults: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrients, 2026. Meta-analysis. doi.org/10.3390/nu18142251
Tucker J, Fischer T, Upjohn L, Mazzera D, Kumar M. Unapproved pharmaceutical ingredients included in dietary supplements associated with US Food and Drug Administration warnings. JAMA Network Open, 2018. Survey / forum study. doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2018.3337

The Supplement Stack Protocol keeps to the four supplements with real evidence (vitamin D, magnesium, omega-3 and creatine), with doses and timing inside EU limits, what not to buy, how to choose independently tested products, and interactions and who should ask a doctor first. The Morning Protocol adds a morning light routine with the expert light targets and caffeine limits with the 6-hour cut-off, and the Deep Sleep Protocol an evening light and screen plan and the CBT-I rules sleep clinics use. Supplement Stack Protocol · Morning Protocol · Deep Sleep Protocol