The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance

Most people try to fix brain fog and focus issues with caffeine or nootropics, but those approaches only mask the problem.

This video explains that brain fog begins when the brain’s energy system—its mitochondria—starts to fail, long before any obvious signs of aging appear.

Modern stress, poor sleep, artificial light, toxins, and blood sugar swings quietly drain this energy and reduce the brain’s ability to repair itself.

It then explains how methylene blue, a well-studied compound with a long medical history, works inside brain cells to improve energy production, protect neurons, and support lasting clarity when used correctly and safely.

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Resources:
• Get My 2026 Biohacking Trends Report: https://daveasprey.com/2026-biohacking-trends-report/
• Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today.
• Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15
• My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off)
• Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off)
• Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com
• Dave Asprey’s New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated
• Join My Substack (Live Access To Podcast Recordings): https://substack.daveasprey.com/
• Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This episode covers:

• Microplastics Are Destroying Male Fertility and Metabolism
New research is putting microplastics in a category most men still are not taking seriously: direct reproductive and hormone risk. A 2024 study detected microplastics in every human testicle examined, with polyethylene and PVC among the most common polymers. PVC is especially relevant because it’s often tied to chemical additives that can disrupt endocrine signaling. The broader body of evidence points to micro- and nanoplastics crossing barriers like the blood–testis barrier, driving inflammation and oxidative stress in the testes, and showing associations with impaired sperm quality and hormone disruption. The longevity move here is reducing overall load: better water filtration, less plastic food contact, no heating food in plastic, fewer packaged foods, and taking indoor dust and air quality seriously, especially for men thinking about fertility now or hormone resilience over decades.
• Sources:
– Study (PubMed): https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38745431/
– Coverage: https://people.com/microplastics-in-every-human-testicle-infertility-8651215

• Fear of Aging Is Linked to Faster Biological Aging
A new study ties aging anxiety to measurable acceleration in biological aging using DNA methylation clocks. People who reported more worry and negative beliefs about aging showed faster epigenetic aging signals, and the molecular differences clustered around stress and inflammatory pathways. In plain terms, chronic threat-mode thinking around aging maps onto biology that looks older on the clocks. For a longevity audience, this is a practical reminder that mental inputs affect physiological outputs. If your day-to-day mindset is constant pressure and decline narratives, that can show up downstream in stress biology and inflammatory tone. A smarter play is building a longevity framework around function, strength, purpose, and community, alongside the usual pillars like sleep, training, and metabolic health.
• Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-older-links-health-faster-epigenetic.html
• Additional source: https://www.nyu.edu/about/news-publications/news/2026/february/aging-anxiety.html

• Retatrutide, the Triple-Agonist Weight-Loss Drug Pushing Bariatric-Level Results
Retatrutide is a triple agonist that targets GLP-1, GIP, and glucagon receptors, and the weight-loss numbers being reported are massive. In a 68-week study in people with obesity and knee osteoarthritis, the highest dose group averaged about 28.7% body-weight loss, along with meaningful improvements in knee pain and function. This is the next phase of incretin medicine: multi-agonist drugs that can move body weight by a quarter or more. For biohackers, the performance and longevity angle is implementation: preserving lean mass through resistance training, hitting protein targets, monitoring micronutrients, and building a maintenance plan that doesn’t collapse the moment the drug stops. The upside is cardiometabolic risk reduction at scale. The key is running it with structure.
• Sources:
– Eli Lilly release: https://investor.lilly.com/news-releases/news-release-details/lillys-triple-agonist-retatrutide-delivered-weight-loss-average
– Coverage: https://nypost.com/2026/02/18/health/people-dropped-out-of-retatrutide-trial-for-losing-too-much-weight/
– Background: https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/02/whats-next-for-glp-1s/

• AI Can Predict 130 Diseases From a Single Night of Sleep
Stanford’s SleepFM project shows how much long-horizon health information is encoded in sleep. Researchers trained a foundation model on roughly 585,000 hours of clinical polysomnography data from about 65,000 people. From a single night of sleep study signals, the model could estimate risk for 130 conditions, including dementia, heart attack, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, stroke, atrial fibrillation, and all-cause mortality, and it generalized across cohorts better than simple demographic baselines. The big implication is that sleep architecture and micro-patterns (stage distribution, fragmentation, breathing stability, micro-arousals) function like a dense biomarker stream for systemic aging and disease risk. Expect better sensors and more validated risk dashboards over time. Right now, this is another reason to treat sleep as a core diagnostic pillar, not just a recovery habit.
• Sources:
– Stanford Medicine: https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2026/01/ai-sleep-disease.html
– Paper (Nature Medicine): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-04133-4

• Living at High Altitude May Protect Against Diabetes by Turning Red Blood Cells Into Glucose Sinks
For years, population data has suggested lower diabetes rates at higher elevations. New mechanistic work is pointing to a surprising driver: red blood cells changing how they handle glucose under low oxygen conditions. In hypoxia, red blood cells can behave like glucose sinks, pulling more sugar out of circulation and improving glucose tolerance, which may help explain the protective association seen at altitude. The downstream potential is a new class of altitude-mimetic approaches that target erythrocyte metabolism as a glucose lever, separate from appetite suppression or classic diabetes pathways. For biohackers, it expands the metabolic toolkit and reinforces that oxygen environment and blood physiology matter more than we’ve given them credit for.
• Source: https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-red-blood-cells-sugar-high.html

• Dietary Supplement Regulatory Uniformity Act and the Future of Supplement Access
A proposed bill is aiming to stop states from layering extra rules on dietary supplements beyond federal law, creating one national standard instead of a patchwork of state-by-state restrictions. Industry groups are supporting it as a way to reduce confusion and compliance chaos, especially as some states explore age limits or special labeling requirements for certain supplement categories. The strategic implication for biohackers is that regulation shapes access. Uniformity can stabilize availability, but it also raises the stakes of federal decisions on controversial ingredients. This is one of those policy stories that quietly determines what stays on shelves, what disappears, and how much innovation survives in the supplement space.
• Sources:
– NutritionInsight: https://www.nutritioninsight.com/news/npa-crn-supplements-us-fda-legislation.html
– Congressional release: https://langworthy.house.gov/media/press-releases/congressman-langworthy-introduces-dietary-supplement-regulatory-uniformity-act
– NutraIngredients: https://www.nutraingredients.com/Article/2026/02/05/new-bill-aims-to-end-state-supplement-regulations/

All source links are provided for direct access to the original reporting and research.

New episodes every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday.

Keywords: microplastics male fertility, microplastics testosterone decline, blood–testis barrier toxins, endocrine disruption plastics, sperm count microplastics, epigenetic age acceleration, fear of aging methylation, biological aging mindset, stress inflammation aging, retatrutide triple agonist, GLP-1 GIP glucagon weight loss, incretin drugs obesity treatment, muscle preservation on GLP-1, SleepFM AI model, sleep disease prediction, polysomnography risk scoring, dementia risk sleep data, altitude diabetes protection, hypoxia glucose metabolism, red blood cells glucose uptake, altitude mimetic therapy, Dietary Supplement Regulatory Uniformity Act, supplement regulation federal preemption, FDA supplement policy, biohacking news longevity, metabolic health optimization

Thank you to our sponsors!
- HeartMath | Go to https://www.heartmath.com/dave to save 15% off.
- BrainTap | Go to http://braintap.com/dave to get $100 off the BrainTap Power Bundle.

Resources:
• Get My 2026 Biohacking Trends Report: https://daveasprey.com/2026-biohacking-trends-report/
• Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today.
• Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15
• My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off)
• Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off)
• Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com
• Dave Asprey’s New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated
• Join My Substack (Live Access To Podcast Recordings): https://substack.daveasprey.com/
• Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com

Timestamps:
0:00 – Intro
0:19 – Story 1: Microplastics in Testicles
1:44 – Story 2: Fear of Aging Accelerates Aging
3:30 – Story 3: Retatrutide Weight Loss Drug
4:42 – Story 4: Sleep Predicts Disease Risk
6:34 – Story 5: High Altitude & Diabetes
7:57 – Story 6: Supplement Regulation Bill
9:16 – Weekly Summary
10:51 – Outro
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Meet a man who makes miracles happen. Today, we revist my conversation with Hal Elrod, author of the international bestseller The Miracle Morning and his newest book, The Miracle Equation. After overcoming multiple near-death experiences and financial hardships, Hal channeled his adversity into helping others overcome their own challenges. His Miracle Morning approach has impacted millions of lives.

On today’s episode, Hal tells us all about his updated version of The Miracle Morning. He explains SAVERS, the six foundational practices that will transform your morning and change your life. We also talk about tips for hacking your sleep, productivity, and relationships.

Hal shares the stories of his devastating car accident and rare cancer diagnosis, and the superpowers he gained from coming back to life. We explore how these near-death experiences changed his perspective on life and what he values most. He also tackles some tough questions… Should we try to help everyone? What does it mean to be a “man”? And what does it take to truly serve others? There’s so much to take away from Hal’s refreshing and optimistic perspective.

You’ll Learn:
• What the SAVERS morning routine is and how to customize it from 6 to 60 minutes for any schedule
• How Hal Elrod survived cancer with a 20-30% survival rate by combining chemotherapy with holistic practices
• Why affirmations fail when done wrong and the 3-part formula that actually programs your subconscious mind
• How emotional optimization meditation works, choosing your optimal mental state before meditating instead of just clearing your mind
• Why the Miracle Morning doesn't require waking up early and how shift workers can do it at any time
• What the SLUMBERS evening routine includes for better sleep: blue light blocking, natural supplements, and bedtime affirmations

Thank you to our sponsors!
• AquaTru | Go to https://aquatruwater.com/daveasprey and save $100 on all AquaTru water purifiers.
• BEYOND Biohacking Conference 2026 | Register now at https://beyondconference.com/
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Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade brings you the knowledge to take control of your biology, extend your longevity, and optimize every system in your body and mind. Each episode delivers cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, biohacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.

New episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (BONUS). Dave asks the questions no one else will and gives you real tools to become stronger, smarter, and more resilient.

Keywords: miracle morning updated edition, hal elrod cancer survival, SAVERS routine explained, emotional optimization meditation, SLUMBERS evening routine, how to do affirmations correctly, flexible morning routine, shift worker morning routine, holistic cancer treatment, combining chemo and holistic practices, valerian root sleep, blue light blocking glasses, masculine feminine energy balance, daveasprey hal elrod, miracle morning new book

Resources:
• Hal Elrod’s Website: https://halelrod.com/
• Get My 2026 Biohacking Trends Report: https://daveasprey.com/2026-biohacking-trends-report/
• Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today.
• Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15
• My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off)
• Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off)
• Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com
• Dave Asprey’s New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated
• Join My Substack (Live Access To Podcast Recordings): https://substack.daveasprey.com/
• Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com

Timestamps:
• 00:00 — Introduction
• 02:35 — Coffee and The Miracle Morning
• 08:38 — Accountability and Habit Apps
• 13:44 — Vegan Journey and Diet Shifts
• 20:58 — Near-Death Experience
• 22:04 — Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment
• 29:41 — Spiritual Insights
• 33:12 — Helping Others
• 43:09 — Masculinity and Partnership
• 53:33 — The SAVERS Framework
• 56:19 — Evening Routine and SLUMBERS
• 1:03:06 — Intimacy and Energy
• 1:09:01 — Emotional Optimization
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Your gray hair, thinning lashes, brain fog, and that low energy feeling after 30 might all trace back to one thing: falling NAD and stressed mitochondria. This episode breaks down what actually happens inside your cells as NAD declines, and what you can do about it using specific compounds from mushrooms, olive oil, and even chocolate.

-Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience: https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR
-Wonderfeel is gifting a 7-day Youngr™ supply (mini pouch) with every Youngr™ order. The code is DAVE, and the campaign will be active throughout the month: https://getwonderfeel.com/dave/?utm_source=Dave&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=episode2

Host Dave Asprey sits down with Baran Dilaver, CEO and co-founder of Wonderfeel Biosciences, to unpack the real science behind NAD, mitochondrial energy, and long-term longevity. Baran is an entrepreneur and inventor who previously led multiple start-ups as CEO and COO, collaborated with leading scientists and medical experts, and developed award-winning products. A UC Berkeley economics graduate and former scholarship athlete, he now focuses on translating cutting-edge bioscience into practical tools that enhance people’s lives.

They break down how NAD powers mitochondria, why your body strategically allocates cellular energy away from peak cognitive performance as you age, and how stress accelerates that decline. You’ll hear the differences between niacinamide, NR, and NMN, the FDA confusion around NMN, and why raising NAD is about cellular repair, resilience, and metabolic function, not just “more energy.”

The conversation goes deep on hydroxytyrosol, the powerful olive oil polyphenol that acts as a CD38 inhibitor, and ergothioneine, a mushroom-derived antioxidant with its own receptor in the human body that can accumulate in damaged tissues. Baran shares the origin story that pushed him to research ergothioneine, along with anecdotal observations from long-term users reporting improvements in sleep, focus, energy, thicker hair, reduced gray hair, and even eyelash regrowth.

You’ll also hear Dave’s practical take on ketosis, fasting, supplements, and metabolism, why he prefers NAD precursors over IV NAD for most people, how methyl donors affect NAD IV tolerance, and why Wonderfeelbuilt a creatine chocolate bar sweetened with allulose to stay keto-friendly and diabetic-friendly. This is biohacking grounded in mechanism, from mitochondria and neuroplasticity to anti-aging strategy and smarter supplementation.

You’ll Learn:
• What NAD does in the body and why oral NAD itself is not effective
• How niacinamide, NR, and NMN compare as NAD precursors
• Why mitochondria control energy allocation, cognition, and resilience
• How hydroxytyrosol may support NAD longevity through CD38 inhibition
• What ergothioneine is, why it comes from mushrooms, and why the body has a receptor for it
• What long-term users commonly report: better sleep, clearer thinking, stronger energy, and cosmetic shifts
• Why Dave prefers supplements over NAD IVs in most cases
• How allulose differs from other sweeteners and why it matters for metabolism
• Why creatine supports brain energy and how heat changes absorption strategy

Thank you to our sponsors!
• MASA Chips | Go to https://www.masachips.com/DAVEASPREY and use code DAVEASPREY for 25% off your first order
• Branch Basics | Get 15% off at https://branchbasics.com/DAVE15 with code DAVE15
• Timeline | Go to timeline.com/Dave for 20% off
• OneSkin | Try OneSkin at https://www.oneskin.co/DAVE and use code DAVE for 15% off

Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade brings you the knowledge to take control of your biology, extend your longevity, and optimize every system in your body and mind. Each episode delivers cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, biohacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living.

New episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (BONUS). Dave asks the questions no one else will and gives you real tools to become stronger, smarter, and more resilient.

Keywords: NAD supplementation, NMN benefits, NR vs NMN, nicotinamide mononucleotide, mitochondrial function, CD38 inhibition, hydroxytyrosol olive oil, ergothioneine mushrooms, mushroom antioxidant benefits, Alzheimer’s prevention strategies, brain fog after 30, mitochondrial energy production, anti aging supplements, longevity compounds, fertility mitochondrial health, NAD IV vs oral NMN, creatine for brain health, allulose sweetener benefits, keto friendly chocolate, GLP 1 natural support, biohacking longevity, neuroplasticity support, metabolism optimization, fasting and NAD levels, ketosis and mitochondria, supplement regulation FDA, functional medicine longevity, Dave Asprey biohacking, Wonderfeel NMN

Resources:
• Wonderfeel is gifting a 7-day Youngr™ supply (mini pouch) with every Youngr™ order. The code is DAVE, and the campaign will be active throughout the month: https://getwonderfeel.com/dave/?utm_source=Dave&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=episode2
• Get My 2026 Biohacking Trends Report: https://daveasprey.com/2026-biohacking-trends-report/
• Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today.
• Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15
• My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off)
• Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off)
• Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com
• Dave Asprey’s New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated
• Join My Substack (Live Access To Podcast Recordings): https://substack.daveasprey.com/
• Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com

Timestamps:
00:00 - Introduction
01:13 - What Is Wonderfeel
05:31 - NAD and NMN Explained
09:41 - FDA Status of NMN
13:50 - Supplements vs Pharmaceuticals
16:48 - How NAD Powers Mitochondria
25:46 - NAD Benefits and Effects
30:57 - Hydroxytyrosol
35:03 - Ergothioneine
41:55 - Alzheimer’s and Brain Health
44:10 - Vitamin D and K2
46:15 - Sustainable Packaging
49:26 - Creatine Bars
51:43 - Allulose Deep Dive
59:28 - Inflammation Research
01:02:15 - Supplement Regulation
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

https://truedark.com/discount/DAVETUBE

Most people believe testosterone declines simply because of age. That explanation is easy, familiar, and wrong. Testosterone is not primarily controlled by how hard you train, how clean you eat, or how stressed you feel during the day.

It is controlled by what happens in your brain at night. This video explains how sleep architecture works, why deep sleep is the foundation of hormone production, and how common nighttime habits flatten testosterone signals at the source.

It also walks through practical ways to restore proper sleep timing, protect deep sleep, and rebuild the hormonal rhythm the body depends on.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Why testosterone decline is not just about aging
01:12 - When testosterone is actually made in the body
01:37 - Deep sleep explained (slow-wave sleep / N3)
02:14 - “Fake aging”: why you feel older than you are
03:35 - Why 8 hours of sleep can still fail you
05:39 - How to protect deep sleep
09:45 - How light at night confuses your brain’s clock
12:11 - How to protect your eyes and sleep at night
14:20 - What happens when sleep is finally fixed

Thank you to our sponsors!
Screenfit | Get your at-home eye training program for 40% off using code DAVE at https://www.screenfit.com/dave.
EMR-Tek | https://www.emr-tek.com/DAVE and use code DAVE for 40% off.

Resources:
• Get My 2026 Biohacking Trends Report: https://daveasprey.com/2026-biohacking-trends-report/
• Dave Asprey's Latest News | Go to https://daveasprey.com/ to join Inside Track today.
• Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15
• My Daily Supplements: SuppGrade Labs (15% Off)
• Favorite Blue Light Blocking Glasses: TrueDark (15% Off)
• Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com
• Dave Asprey’s New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated
• Join My Substack (Live Access To Podcast Recordings): https://substack.daveasprey.com/
• Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.