In this episode, Rachael delves into the intriguing and controversial world of the "Rejuvenation Olympics." Discover how the world's wealthiest tech entrepreneurs are competing to reverse aging at the cellular level. Explore the biohacking trends, extreme lifestyle regimens, and massive investments driving this anti-aging revolution. Learn about strict protocols and the broader implications of this high-tech race on the future of longevity science. Tune in for practical tips on optimizing your healthspan without a millionaire's budget. Subscribe now for more insights into living your next act with gusto!
Chapters
00:00 The Billionaire Race to Reverse Aging
01:09 The Rejuvenation Olympics and Anti-Aging Biohacking
03:30 Massive Moves by Entrepreneurs to Invest in the Longevity Economy
04:58 Age Reversal and Life Extension Still Remain Out of Reach
06:58 The Anti-Aging Olympics: An Infinite Game of Eternal Youth
08:01 Optimizing Health Longevity Starts with Simple Lifestyle Changes
15:08 Let the Billionaires be Anti-Aging Guinea Pigs and Stay Tuned
Welcome back to Next Act Ninjas, the #1 podcast for mastering your lifestyle longevity. I'm your host, Rachael Van Pelt, retired healthspan scientist turned Realtor and coach. Today, I'm diving into a topic that is both intriguing and controversial; the billionaire race to reverse aging, also known as the anti-aging Olympics.
What do you envision when you think about the world's wealthiest tech entrepreneurs? Maybe you picture rocket launches, massive yachts, private islands. And of course, to build that wealth, you know they are a competitive bunch. But did you know that there's a new exclusive competition among the ultra-rich called the Rejuvenation Olympics? It's all about who can age the slowest, not physically, as in having fewer wrinkles, but biologically, at the cellular level.
This unique contest was launched by tech millionaire Bryan Johnson. Participants are not competing in traditional sports, but in a game where they try to slow down their biological age through the latest biohacking trends. They obsess over supplements, fasting protocols, exercise routines, while constantly testing their biological age. The goal of this contest is to age so slowly that it's almost as if they're reversing the clock. According to Bryan Johnson, you "win by never crossing the finish line".
There are many notable competitors from the biohacking world participating in the Rejuvenation Olympics, but anyone can join as long as they're willing to spend hundreds on biological testing a few times a year. Bryan Johnson himself, currently in fourth place, is supposedly aging at an average rate of 0.67 or 33% slower than his chronological age. This number is based on extensive DNA methylation analysis, which predicts biological age based on what we call an epigenetic clock. To achieve this slow rate of aging, Johnson follows an incredibly strict lifestyle, reportedly consuming 70 pounds of pureed vegetables a month, getting blood transfusions from his teenage son, taking up to 100 supplements. Sounds extreme, doesn't it? And it is, but his latest book, Don't Die, and his proprietary supplement stack, Blueprint, have definitely sparked a movement.
This race isn't just about being healthy, it's about optimizing every aspect of one's health with laser precision. Johnson supposedly spends at least $2 million annually on his anti-aging efforts. He claims to be the "most measured man in human history", subjecting himself to constant blood tests, body scans, experimental treatments. And he's not alone in this obsession. His pursuit of longevity and eternal youth has become one of the hottest trends among Silicon Valley entrepreneurs.
In just the past three years, apparently more than $17 Billion has been invested in longevity-related companies. You see tech giants like Yuri Milner and Jeff Bezos backing companies focused on cell and tissue regeneration and gene editing. You see OpenAI founder Sam Altman investing $180 million in a company aiming to extend human lifespan by a decade. You see longevity advocates like Peter Diamandis, along with Tony Robbins, launching FountainLife, a company that offers what they call "country club precision diagnostics". In other words, the high tech anti-aging race is on full throttle.
And this race is not just in the US, it's global. This year alone, there are at least three longevity clinics set to launch in Switzerland, Germany, and Sweden. And clinics like these, they're attracting a significant amount of investment dollars. They're becoming a major part of the longevity economy. If you want to go to one of these clinics, you can expect to pay anywhere from a few thousand to tens of thousands of Euros for the privilege to stay there a week undergoing a variety of experimental and anti-aging therapies.
But as with any emerging trend, there's a lot to be skeptical about. The science still has a long way to go. While some research, like the study of epigenetics, show promise, the ability to completely reverse aging is still out of reach. I covered the reasons for this a few weeks ago in episode 18 when I talked about the hallmarks of aging. I highly recommend going back and listening to that episode if you want to learn more about the complexity of aging and the current state of anti-aging research. Aging is not an easy problem to solve.
We're making strides in many areas, but there is as yet no magic fountain of youth. There isn't even a scientifically proven blood or DNA marker that definitively tells us our biological age, at least not one that is universally accepted. While the average aging rate number that puts someone on the leaderboard at the Rejuvenation Olympics is a great metric for inspiring competition, it does not mean that a person will necessarily live longer. Just because Bryan Johnson appears to be aging 33% slower than his chronological age does not translate to a 33% longer life expectancy. He has not actually turned back the clock. But his biomarkers do generally look better.
That being said, as a scientist, I would love to follow the Rejuvenation Olympic competitors for the next few decades. It would be incredibly informative to continue to track all of their health metrics over time, including lifespan. It's quite possible that they're on to something, but for right now, it's more faith than fact. The anti-aging Olympics feels like just another high stakes competition for the wealthy, doesn't it? But I think it also reflects a broader desire to invest heavily in longevity science.
The ultra rich, they're not just investing in cutting edge science and unproven treatments in the hopes of staying youthful. They're playing the infinite game of defying death and growing their wealth, of course. They're banking on the fact that we'll reach Longevity Escape Velocity sometime in the near future. That's the point at which medical advances are extending life expectancy faster than we age chronologically. And if that happens, being a player in this infinite game of life extension could pay off for many decades, couldn't it? And then suddenly paying $50K to a longevity clinic to rejuvenate your cells might seem like a massive bargain. Okay, maybe we're not there just yet, but what can we learn from this trend?
Most of us do not have millions to spend on experimental anti-aging treatments. But the principle of optimizing your health is something that everyone can benefit from. And all it takes is consistent lifestyle changes to increase the number of healthy years that you have left. You may not actually increase the number of years you live, but you most certainly can have a dramatic improvement on your quality of life. As we say all the time here at Next Act Ninjas, it's about extending healthspan, not lifespan.
So how do we do that without needing a millionaire's budget? First, begin to optimize your diet. Nourish your body. Picture your meals brimming with vibrant vegetables, succulent fruits, lean proteins, healthy fats. These whole, unprocessed foods are rich in the nutrients that your body craves. Think of every meal as a chance to nourish, Think of every meal as a chance to nourish yourself deeply. You might also explore things like intermittent fasting or balanced eating schedules. Those things can really help you regulate your metabolism and your energy levels. I'll talk about those in a future episode. The bottom line is you want to fuel your body with the best that nature has to offer and watch how your vitality flourishes.
And the second thing you want to do is embrace the power of regular physical activity. Our bodies were made to move. Sedentary lifestyle is not our natural state of being. Our bodies work better when we keep moving. Use it or lose it, right? All that time that we spend sitting in our cars, at our computers, watching TV, scrolling social media, can be as bad as smoking. You want to minimize the time that you're sitting and aim for a mix of cardiovascular exercise, strength training, core mobility workouts every single week. Every step, every lift, every stretch contributes to a healthier, more youthful you.
Third, never underestimate the magic of good sleep. Aim for 7-9 hours of high quality sleep each night. This is crucial for cellular repair and rejuvenation. Routine's your friend when it comes to sleep. Going to bed at the same time, waking up at the same time every day makes it much easier for your hormones and your metabolism to get into a rhythm that promotes recovery. This is good for all the cells in your body, but especially your brain. Create a peaceful bedtime routine that encourages your body to wind down each night. This includes turning off screens an hour before bed, dimming the lights, maybe reading a good book or practicing mindfulness before your head hits the pillow. Whatever you do, avoid overstimulating TV programming, work emails, heavy conversations with loved ones a couple hours before bed. These things can be as bad as drinking a shot of espresso right before you go to sleep. And if you wake up in the middle of the night and you're struggling to fall back to sleep, use meditation and breathing techniques to quiet your monkey mind. Just like training for a marathon, we have to train our bodies to sleep so that our body fully rejuvenates every single night.
Fourth, make sure to manage stress. Chronic stress can take a toll on your body and your mind over time. It ages you prematurely. And it's sneaky too. At first stress can feel energizing because we're running on adrenaline. But over time we become desensitized to that adrenaline and we start needing more and more of it to get the same energetic boost. Before you know it you need external chemicals like sugar, caffeine, antidepressants to keep you going during the day, and alcohol or sleep aids to unravel at night. All of which does nothing to reduce stress. It only serves to worsen our sleep, which just makes it harder to handle the stress during the day. So instead, try sprinkling in stress-reducing self-care throughout your week. That's gonna allow you to manage an acute bout of stress before it becomes chronic (or persistent). Experiment with things like prayer and meditation, deep breathing exercises, nature walks, yoga, anything that helps you switch from the sympathetic fight-or-flight mode to the parasympathetic rest and digest mode. Picture yourself finding a quiet moment in the middle of a stressful day to sit in stillness, breathe deeply, let go of whatever fear or anxiety is creeping in. Envision the calm washing over you, restoring your balance and peace, allowing you to approach life's challenges with a clear and composed mind. If you can manage your stress well, you are going to add years to your life and life to your years.
Lastly, keep the lab testing and supplements minimal. Stay on top of your health with regular checkups, but you don't need to fork over hundreds of dollars for an executive wellness screening, at least not yet. Most traditional labs and scans that your PCP are gonna run are sufficient. While most of those so-called precision screening labs are unproven, unreliable, and completely unnecessary so far. That could change really soon, but for now, focus on building the foundation of good health. You don't need a bunch of supplements either. Certain supplements like omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, protein shakes to support your muscle mass, those things can support your overall health. But if you're eating a lot of nutrient-dense foods, you should need very few added supplements to fill in nutritional gaps and support your body's natural processes.
By adopting this simple strategy, you can massively improve your healthspan, making the most of your Next Act without breaking the bank. In fact, my guess is that all of the top competitors in the anti-aging Olympics are making most of these changes in conjunction with those fad supplements and treatments that they're trying. It's probably what gets them most of their results.
I think we can let the billionaires be the guinea pigs, taking their hundreds of supplements, running thousands of lab tests. Who knows? They might stumble onto something by chance. Unfortunately, if they do, we're not going to know exactly what the magic formula is because they're manipulating far too many variables at the same time. In which case we're still going to need to wait for good systematic science to tease out what really works and what doesn't. That being said, stay tuned because I think the science of longevity is about to start moving incredibly fast, as AI explodes exponentially. We're going to see massive growth in this area, and I'll keep you posted on that.
That's all for today. I'm Rachael Van Pelt. Thank you for joining me for another episode of Next Act Ninjas. If you're passionate about mastering your lifestyle longevity, be sure to subscribe to this podcast and share it with someone else who wants to live their Next Act with gusto. Let's build a fun community where we can all make sure that our next decades are the best yet. In the meantime, live well, love more, age less, my friends.