The Insightful Supplement Habits of Top Biohackers

I often get asked 'what supplements do you take?' And my answer always seems to vary.

Still I am constantly surprised by how people are fascinated with supplements. When I was bodybuilding I would get asked the same question. I go to health expos and again the question comes up.

And of course in Biohacking circles supplements are are the subject of Keynote presentations - so everyone wants to know what the experts are taking.

So in todays article, I want to do something a little different.

I have interviewed some very passionate health and biohacking 'experts' about their supplement protocols.

Even better, these people (myself included) all make up the AlexFergus.com team. 

You see, everyone that is hired by AlexFergus.com is hired because they share common passions, so what better people to ask about personalised supplement stacks!

 

The AlexFergus.com Team Share Their Supplement Stacks

Read on to see a very diverse range of answers (and also meet the team behind AlexFergus.com)

I'll start with myself:

Note: Some of the links below are affiliate links. I have also shared discount codes for certain supplements. Though the website may earn a commission on some sales, you won't pay an extra cent (and may even save money yourself!)

Alex Fergus

 

• What do you do at AlexFergus.com?

 Everything! 

• Any current health/biohacking/performance goals you are focusing?

I have a lot on my plate at the moment – I’m a new Dad, I have moved onto a small farm, I have one website exploding with opportunities and a new site in development. So pretty much my health focus is simple – stay as healthy as possible given the amount of things happening in my life.

Fortunatley I have addressed all my serious health issues (read about that journey HERE), so from a health point of view it’s more of a management protocol instead of improvement. Focusing on mitochondrial health is a biggy.

Performance goals have all but disappeared at the moment! But they will return.

As a result of being time poor, using my vast range of Biohacking gadgets and tricks and techniques I have up my sleeve has become very useful!

 

• Daily supplement stack: What are you taking each day?

I drastically cut back on my supplement routine after testing my nutrient intake (read more HERE).

70% of the food I eat I grow, raise or catch myself, and what isn’t from my farm is organic. So I know my diet is great. But I still do take a few supplements.

Here’s what I take daily at the time of writing:

1. Seed Pro+ Prebiotic on an empty stomach in the morning (Use discount code ALEX15) For gut health. I'm very impressed with the Seed product (and research team - having spent a lot of time picking their brains on all things microbiome health). I am working on a detailed review of their pro and prebiotic so stay tuned for that. Their capsule within a capsule product not only includes beneficial bacteria, but also the food these bacteria need to thrive - prebiotics.
2. Alpha Dynamics Activate mushroom extract (Use discount code ALEX10). Taken with my Seed capsules in the morning. I like the idea of getting nutrients and minerals from food sources instead of synthetic vitamins, this is why I include mushroom extracts in my protocol. 
3. 1t Creatine. I take this with food at breakfast (usually in a smoothie). I cover why I take this in my article on creatine here. 
4. Thorne Zinc Picolinate - taken with a meal as I don’t have much seafood in my diet at the moment. Plus it's great for keeping testosterone levels high!
5. COQ10 with PQQ (for mitochondrial support). Also taken with food. (Use discount code BHS654 for iherb purchases)
6. Vitamin C (2x 1000mg capsules). Taken as an all round anti-oxidant support. I take these with food. 
7. Magnesium - Taken for sleep and to ensure I'm not deficient in magnesium as it's a difficult mineral to consume naturally in todays diet. I take this in the evening. 

 

• Anything else that you take infrequently but are still in your regular supplement shopping list?

I was tempted to include Qualia Mind (I go with their caffeine free version, use code FERGUS to save) in my daily stack.

I usually  include this in my regular intake, but I have stopped taking that for a while as I experiment with the Anti-Aging formula Eternus which is made by the same company (I’m told you can take them both at the same time, but I was curious to see how Eternus would make me feel without the awesome benefits Qualia Mind has on my cognitive function).

I also take Glutathione whenever I’m under a lot of stress, feeling run down or travelling.

 Every now and then I take Iodine. Iodine is a supplement I’m still really confused about. Some recommend extremely high doses (I have done urine tests and shown to have really low levels), others recommend a regular small dose and others nothing at all.

I still need to figure this out.

I also take Toco-Sorb Vitamin E whenever I’m eating out (to protect against the toxic PUFA oils) or if I have food with a lot of Omega 6’s (i.e. a big serve of bacon). 

 

• If you could only take one supplement for physical performance what would you take?

I toss up between creatine and caffeine. Caffeine would come out on top if you only wanted a big boost every now and then, creatine for the ongoing benefit (without the side effects of caffeine).

Why? I have covered that in great detail in this article - 19 Reasons Why You Need To Supplement With Creatine

 

• If you could only take one supplement for cognitive performance what would you take?

 Sleep. Oh wait that’s not a supplement…

Qualia Mind?! But then technically that’s a supplement blend not a single ingredient. But Qualia Mind has had the biggest impact on my cognitive function (I wrote about that in detail HERE) so I will stick with this choice.

 

• If you could only take one supplement for sleep what would you take?

Magnesium. It’s the only supplement I take for sleep these days (the exception been when I travel, in which case I take an assortment of supplements).

 

• If you could only take one supplement for general health what would you take?

It depends. For most people, with common health issues and eating a standard diet, if they could only take one supplement have to suggest a quality multi-vitamin such as Thorne Research Basic 2 a Day. I actually have these in my cupboard and pack it with me when I go travelling.

Multi-vitamins are not the perfect approach (Bart does a great job of explaining why in THIS article), but it’s better than nothing.

For myself, I would probably go with Magnesium. I’ve covered the reasons for this in my 2 articles:

• Why You Should Be Supplementing With Magnesium
• What You Need To Know About Supplements

 

• Any supplements you’re excited about but haven’t tried yet?

Like I mentioned, I have just started taking Eternus. It has some great ingredients and looks promising, but it is really expensive and I do wonder if the benefits will be hard to quantify.

I also have a bottle of Tru Niagen sitting here that I want to try out , but I’ll try this after my Eternus runs out (you can read why I’m interested in this in my article on Nicotinamide here).

 

• Anything else you want to mention?

It’s very easy to get caught up in the world of supplements. It’s a huge industry and with the right marketing any supplement can look like a ‘must have’.

I know I have been sucked into scams in the past! So always keep an open mind.

And supplements should never be a replacement to a good quality diet with a solid lifestyle.

Sure if you are looking for a boost or a hack or a fix to a problem, then supplements can be very useful. But I think too many people simply take supplements thinking their health is in order and they can eat and live however they please.

I’m also a big believer in testing – find out what you are working with. Do a gut test to check your gut health is in order before ingesting a heap fo expensive supplements.

Do some DNA testing to see if you have issues around vitamin synthesis or absorption.

And do some lab testing to see your current vitamin and mineral status – you may find you don’t need those supplements after all!

• Where can people find you?

Right here at AlexFergus.com. Or on Instagram @alexfergus_coach

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 David Baker

• What do you do at AlexFergus.com?

 

I geek out on biohacking devices and supplements, helping Alex with a lot of reviews and also his sound and video editing. 

• Any current health/biohacking/performance goals you are focusing?

Currently, I’m focusing on optimizing my cognitive abilities, increasing longevity (lifespan) as well as optimizing my mitochondrial functioning.

 

• Daily supplement stack: What are you taking each day?

 

1. Codeage A-D-K vitamin formula One capsule AM for cardiovascular, immune and bone support.

 

2. Jarrow PPQ/ Ubiquinol One softgell at noon containing 100mg Ubiquinol and 10mg PQQ. Ubiquinol is a form of Q10 that aids in cardiovascular and cognitive functions. The PQQ promotes mitochondrial biogenesis (new mitochondria).

 

3. Nutrivein Liposomal vitamin C One 700mg capsule AM, one 700mg PM. I prefer to take a liposomal version of vitamin C due to the high amount per day I take. Vitamin C in the ascorbic acid form can cause stomach upset. I take vitamin C for immune-boosting properties.

 

4. Fulvic/Humic trace minerals One 1ml (14 drops) containing 395 mg of humic & fulvic acids each AM. The humic/fulvic supplement contains over 70+ trace minerals that are powerful antioxidants and free radical scavengers. The humates act as electrolytes, helping to give a natural boost of energy.

 

5. NatureBell Phosphatidylserine Two 400mg capsules PM before bed. Most people take phosphatidylserine for the a cognitive boost, but I take it at night to lower my levels of cortisol, in an attempt to get a better night’s sleep.

 

6. Nutrivein Liposomal Glutathione Two capsules of 300mg each AM. Glutathione is considered the body’s “master antioxidant”. I take glutathione for cellular protection and reduce and protect against oxidative stress.

 

7. Curcu-Gel Ultra BCM-95 Curcumin One 650 mg softgell at noon. There are many forms of curcumin on the market, but I’ve found that the BCM-95 formulation seems to be the most effective for me. Curcumin is found in turmeric, a component of many curry powders. BCM-95 Curcumin isolated from turmeric has powerful anti-inflammatory abilities and is the reason I include it in my daily stack.

 

8. EpiCor® 500 mg capsule at noon. Epicor is a novel fermented yeast product with immunoprotective properties. The product was actually discovered by accident when a company’s health insurance agents noticed the workers at a particular animal food plant never seemed to get sick. The story itself is quite fascinating! Epicor works in part by modulating the mucous membranes of cells important to the immune system. I take this daily to basically top off my immune system.

 

9. Pure & Essential Pure EPA Omega-3 Concentrate One 500 mg softgell AM, one 500 mg softgell PM. I try to get as close to pure EPA (omega 3) as possible for its cholesterol-lowering and cardioprotective abilities. Omega-3’s have also been shown to increase serum testosterone.

 

10. Avmacol (sulforaphane) One tablet AM, one tablet PM. Sulforaphane is found in broccoli, and Avmacol is a broccoli-based extract product. Sulforaphane has been shown in studies to be useful in the prevention of cancers (1,2,3) Sulforaphane from broccoli sprouts also activates Nrf2, which is a protein that regulates the own body’s expression of antioxidant proteins.

 

11. Vita-Age Nutrition NMN with Astaxanthin Two 125 mg capsules containing 4 mg of Astaxanthin in the PM. NMN is a precursor to NAD+, which declines in our bodies as we age. I am currently experimenting with NMN to raise my levels of NAD+, and the product I chose also has the added benefit of containing a dose of the potent anti-inflammatory Astaxanthin.

 

12. Nutricost N-Acetyl L-Cysteine (NAC) One 600 mg capsule at noon. NAC is a precursor to glutathione. In addition to supplementing with glutathione directly, I want to also give my body the needed building blocks to produce the antioxidant myself. NAC is a powerful detoxifier and can help with environmental toxins and heavy metals. NAC can also help improve dopamine levels in the brain.

 

13. Jarrow L-Carnosine One 500mg capsule AM, one 500 mg capsule PM. Carnosine is found in red meat, and has been shown to reduce oxidative damage, and increase levels of superoxide dismutase (SOD). Carnosine may also be a protective, anti-aging peptide.

 

14. Athletic Greens Ultimate Daily, Whole Food Sourced All In One Greens Supplement One 8oz serving each morning. Athletic Greens is my “catch all” to round out any deficiencies in minerals or vitamins that I may have. Athletic Greens has over 75 vitamins, minerals and whole food ingredients. It literally covers all the major bases for a healthy lifestyle with one daily serving.

 

15. Seed Daily Synbiotic Two capsules each AM. Seed’s daily synbiotic contains strain-specific probiotics that have been studied to confer benefit in humans. Seed is unique in that it’s one of the very few probiotic products that is strain specific and includes prebiotic substances (food for the probiotic bacteria), making Seed a ‘synbiotic’. I like how much research Seed has put into their product, and their scientific advisory board is a who’s-who of the microbial and microbiome world. For me, probiotics help with digestion, energy levels, mental sharpness, clearer skin, and markedly improved mood.

 

• Anything else that you take infrequently but are still in your regular supplement shopping list? 

I’d like to start including olive leaf extract into my daily stack. The two biggest risks and causes of death are heart disease and cancer. Olive leaf extract has been shown in studies to lower blood pressure and have cardioprotective effects. There is also evidence that olive leaf extract may also exhibit anti-cancer effects as well.

I like to keep systemic enzymes on hand for increased recovery from injuries. I keep a bottle of New Serra-125k Serrapeptase Enzyme on hand in case of muscle sprains/strains and general wound healing.

I’m currently testing Qualia Mind against Onnit’s Alpha Brain to see if either respected cognitive enhancer seems to pack a bigger punch. Stay tuned for that review!

 

• If you could only take one supplement for physical performance what would you take?

 When it comes to physical performance, the world of supplements is awash with possibilities. I like to keep things simple and basic, sticking with proven supplements that give the most bang for the buck. If I had to take only one supplement, or recommend one to a friend or family member, it would be a quality creatine supplement. This assumes of course that this is used in combination with a solid diet and workout routine.

Creatine has been heavily studied and isn’t considered a banned substance for athletes. It’s naturally found in the foods we eat and has a wide range of benefits for athletes, power lifters, and those playing sports.

Creatine is also very cost effective, with a year’s supply from Optimum Nutrition costing about $42.00 USD.

I’m currently not engaging in any intense physical training, so I haven’t added this to my daily stack. Later this year and into the new year when I do, I’ll be adding a quality creatine into rotation.

 

• If you could only take one supplement for cognitive performance what would you take?

If I had to pick only one supplement for cognitive performance, I’d probably have to choose something from the racetam family. Racetams have been studied for decades and have proven their safety even in high does, conferring cognitive enhancement and neuroprotective benefits. While certainly not the most potent cognitive enhancers available, they are not restricted/scheduled, and inexpensive.

 

• If you could only take one supplement for sleep what would you take?

 I’ve never suffered from sleeping problems, so for me I’d probably end up choosing a natural supplement like melatonin. Because melatonin is naturally produced in the brain, you aren’t introducing anything foreign to the body.

 

• If you could only take one supplement for general health what would you take?  

The one supplement for general health if I could take only one would be the Athletic Greens. There’s simply so many ingredients and bases that it covers. If I couldn’t take anything else, I’d know that the most important parts of my supplementation were covered by the formula it contains.

 

• Any supplements you’re excited about but haven’t tried yet? 

Various mushroom extracts and powders are something I’d excited and interested in trying. I’ve heard a lot of very positive things about Lion’s Mane mushroom and neurogenesis (brain growth). Studies are showing that Lion’s Mane exhibits a positive increase in NGF (nerve growth factor) in the brain. It also seems to reverse mild cognitive impairment as well.

 

• Anything else you want to mention?

I think having a diet consisting of quality food that works for you is probably the single most important thing before considering supplements. Supplements are just that – they are supposed to supplement or augment an existing diet.

 

• Where can people find you?

 I am publishing a few articles in the 'Reviews' section at AlexFergus.com and will continue putting out videos for the AlexFergus.com YouTube channel so you can find me in those places.

Otherwise I'm in Instagram @alaskavoiceover 

 

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Camilla Rønhovde

• What do you do at AlexFergus.com?

I help Alex stay connected with the world, and show the world some insights into his weird, wacky and wonderful life in remote New Zealand (in other words, I run manage his social media!)

• Any current health/biohacking/performance goals you are focusing?

Improving some joint/muscle issues caused by old injuries & Fibromyalgia that I am still trying to improve (get rid off) since 2012.

I'm 70% better since then if I should make a guess. All this is a result of big changes in my lifestyle since 2011-2012.

 

• Daily supplement stack: What are you taking each day?

1. Mushroom blend. Homemade self harvested Chaga dual tincture. Om lions mane - I normally put my mushrooms in my fat coffee. Powdered in that one.
2. PQQ Jarrow formulas with Ubiqonol. 1-2 capsules a day (in the morning) pqq has been my first go to since I got fibromyalgia. It really has been a game changer for me - it has had a noticeable impact on my alertness, mood and energy.
3. Rhodiola around lunch time (homemade) tincture. Because it's an amazing adaptogen that calms and focuses me.
4. Drinkhrw hydrogen water before coffee. 4 - 6 tablets a day. Taken in the morning, midday, before dinner and before bedtime. It lifts my mood and my workout improves.
5. Nadovim. Because when I research health, it always comes back to NAD, gallbladder/ skin (PMLE) / fibromyalgia connection.
6. In the evening I take magnesium bisglycinate to calm down the muscles and get ready to sleep. 300 mg.
   

 

• Anything else that you take infrequently but are still in your regular supplement shopping list?

I take a rhodiola, chaga, tincture plus added turmeric if I have some pain. 2 capsules. Natures bounty.

Rosita oil sometimes. I experimented a bit with Keto Before 6 from Quicksilver Scientific and Nadovim. As well as Alphabrain and C60 oil too - just to see if they make my joints feel better any faster (I've just started on this)

I always have some liposomal glutathione with me on travels or if I feel like I'm catching something. I occasionally use Primed with some peptides. And always travel with activated charcoal.

 

• If you could only take one supplement for physical performance what would you take?

Simple - Perfect Keto performance range.

 

• If you could only take one supplement for cognitive performance what would you take?

PQQ baby! I've been taking it for years and I can notice when I don't have it. It really makes me feel a lot better.

 

• If you could only take one supplement for sleep what would you take?

Magnesium Bisglycinate. It has a noticeable relaxation effect and has helped me with my sleep. 

 

• If you could only take one supplement for general health what would you take?

Alphabrain because of the broad range of adaptogens, herbs and other essentials vitamins and minerals. 

• Any supplements you’re excited about but haven’t tried yet?

Lots!

Qualia Mind (I've tried a few samples and had great results).

Tru Niagen looks really promising.

Troscroptions is very interesting.

What else - Seed. Alphadynamic. Beet-elite. Trubrain... where do I stop?!

• Anything else you want to mention?

As long as I have my PQQ and my mushrooms I'm happy. And of course my own homemade tinctures. Rhodiola and Chaga

• Where can people find you?

 Instagram @cameronzx Twitter: @camelx Facebook: Camilla Rønhovde

 

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Bart Wolbers 

• What do you do at AlexFergus.com?

I'm the Chief Science Writer and also Coach of the Health Reset Program

• Any current health/biohacking/performance goals you are focusing?

I’m keeping my routine very, very minimalistic. I only take vitamin E and K2 right now, nothing else. Oh yes, and creatine because I’m not eating raw meat / fish every day!

Lastly, I take magnesium, in the magnesium glycinate and chloride forms.

In the past, I used to include all kinds of pre- and post-workout supplements with 5-10 (science-backed) ingredients.

Now, my goals are more health and brain performance related.

• Daily supplement stack: What are you taking each day?

A few milligrams of vitamin K2, from the Kuinone product of Idealabs (great company!) And 1 big vitamin E capsule maybe 2-3 times a week.

 I try to get most of my nutrients through food.

• Anything else that you take infrequently but are still in your regular supplement shopping list?

I love Qualia Mind and finds it works really well for my physiology.

Phenibut works really well when taken occasionally.

Caffeine is horrible for me, but leads to a great short-term boost. I’m a slow metabolizer of caffeine so even taken the stuff in the morning lowers my sleep quality. And yet I still take it...

• If you could only take one supplement for physical performance what would you take?

Magnesium, for relaxation, anti-stress, blood sugar control, greater energy production, etc. 

• If you could only take one supplement for cognitive performance what would you take?

Magnesium here as well. As a sympathetic dominant person, I become really stressed-out / anxious without certain minerals.

Magnesium and calcium really help me calm down – I get the calcium from A2 milk products.

If I could take one stack? Qualia Mind.

 

• If you could only take one supplement for sleep what would you take?

Magnesium once again – reason is that it’s one of the best-proven sleep supplements. My estimate is also that 40% of people are severely magnesium deficient, and 80% of people in total, in developed countries.

• If you could only take one supplement for general health what would you take?

You guessed it, magnesium.

And just put some nuance in the discussion: I’m not one of those people who claims that magnesium supplementation is the cures for all health problems.

For example, if your circadian rhythm is disrupted, or you’re continually breathing in poor air, or you’re exposed to nnEMF all day, then taking more magnesium is not the solution to that problem.

• Any supplements you’re excited about but haven’t tried yet?

Many – probably hundreds that I haven’t tried! But, I did test most of the “bang for your buck” supplements that have lots of scientific backing, so I’m happy.

I’m very cautious of any narrative that pushes supplements before having looked into how you life your life and what you environment looks like.

 

• Where can people find you?

Hanging around reference section on the blogs at AlexFergus.com

I'm also on Facebook.

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Fascinating Huh?!

Such a diverse range of supplement stacks.

Though it is clear there are some overlaps.

Magnesium is the obvious one.

Qualia Mind seems to be the favourite cognitive booster.

And creatine for performance.

There's also a common theme - food sources are the preferred option, but they're not always available.

What did you think? 

I'd love to hear what your current supplement stack is! Please leave it in the comments section below.

 

Found This Interesting? Then You Might Like:

• Why Multi-Mineral Supplements Are Terribly Overrated - And What To Use Instead 
• Qualia Mind Review—Extraordinary Deep Sleep And Cognitive Benefits
• Megadosing Nicotinamide Riboside Or Nicotinamide Mononucleotide: Dangerous Or Smart?
• Confused About What's Healthy And What's Not? Read This
• What You Need To Know About Supplements