Crafty companies are building supplement “stacks” that claim to boost memory, focus, and learning. But before popping these pills or swilling those potions, be sure to weigh the very real risks.
It’s a frosty Monday evening in New York City. In the back of a dingy café, a group huddles around a small black box – the US$160 (R2 200) ApeX Type A brain stimulator, with its retro-looking meter and dial and two electrodes. It’s supposed to bolster learning by delivering a mild electric current to the brain. The guy who’s been experimenting with it for a week notes that the only thing he’s noticed is a metallic taste in his mouth. “I hope I don’t fry my brain,” he half-jokes.
But there’s a surprising lack of scepticism in the room. That’s because this is a weekly meet-up of amateur biohackers. Positivity is one of their ground rules. Members share experiences with ketogenic diets, biofeedback apps, sensory-deprivation tanks, and, lately, a class of smart drugs known as “nootropics”. Their primary obsession is brain enhancement.
The US nootropics industry was valued at more than $1.3 billion (R18 billion) in 2015, and is projected to reach $6 billion (more than R80 billion) by 2024. This growth is due in part to slick marketing from biohacking “experts” such as Dave Asprey (founder of Bulletproof) and Dr Josiah Zayner (CEO of the Odin), who’ve built big social-media and podcast followings as well as customer bases. At the grassroots level, there are meet-ups across the country like the one in NYC, plus a vibrant online community. Forums including reddit.com/r/Nootropics/ have more than 140 000 subscribers discussing products with names like Orange Brainwash and GodMode.
This story is from the August 2019 edition of Men's Health South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the August 2019 edition of Men's Health South Africa.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
INSTANT PROGRESS THE 28-DAY PULLUP PLAN
JUST 10 MINUTES A DAY FOR A MONTH CAN PUSH YOU FROM PULLUP ZERO TO YOUR FIRST GREAT REPS.
THE MH INTERVIEW STARTER MUSCLE
THE FIRST STEPS ON A NEW FITNESS JOURNEY ARE OFTEN THE TOUGHEST. BUT WITH A FEW TWEAKS TO YOUR THINKING, PT AND PART-OWNER OF MOTLEY CREW CROSSFIT TYRON HATCH WILL SHOW YOU HOW TO STRIDE TOWARDS THE LOFTIEST GOALS.
15 SMART WAYS TO GET AHEAD IN LIFE (BY DOING LITTLE THINGS BETTER)
Self-improvement needn't be a slog. You can make gains-both marginal and meaningful-simply by approaching your day-to-day tasks with a little extra know-how. We raided the MH archives to compile these truly life-enhancing tips from our expert contributors. It's time to level up.
LOVE & LIKES
WHEN DOES SOCIAL-MEDIA FLIRTING BECOME CHEATING? LET’S TALK IT OUT.
FORCE OF NATURE
THE SAS SOLDIER TURNED TV SURVIVALIST HAS MADE OUTDOOR ADVENTURE HIS BUSINESS. BUT WHAT LESSONS DO HIS METHODS HOLD IN OUR INCREASINGLY URBANISED AND ONLINE WORLD?
COLOGNE BUT WITH
YOU BUY COLOGNE TO STAND OUT. SO WHY NOT REALLY STAND OUT? THESE BOLDER SPRITZES SMELL AWESOME AND LAST LONGER, WHICH MEANS YOU CAN USE LESS. OUR PICKS LEVEL UP IN INTENSITY AS YOU MOVE ALONG THE SPECTRUM.
THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO RUNNING LAPS AROUND THE ECONOMY
CATCHING UP WHEN INFLATION IS ALWAYS OUT TO SET A NEW PB CAN FEEL IMPOSSIBLE. PUT THESE 11 EXPERT-APPROVED LESSONS INTO ACTION TO DUCK AND WEAVE AROUND YOUR MONEY WOES
WHY 30-MINUTE WORKOUTS WILL WORK FOR YOU
LESS IS MORE WHEN IT COMES TO EXERCISING FOR FITNESS, STRENGTH AND HEALTH.
UNFREEZE YOUR MIND
ALL MY LIFE, I THOUGHT I WAS A COWARD. THEN I DISCOVERED THAT THE REAL NAME FOR WHAT I'D BEEN FEELING WAS ANXIETY- AND I WAS IN GOOD COMPANY.
DARK PLACES
For any surfer, taking on the monster waves at Nazaré in Portugal is a death-defying risk. For Matt Formston, there's another consideration: he's blind.