Bryan Johnson's Longevity Protocol - Your Thoughts?

[RapAdmin]

I am a big fan of quantified self types of efforts - so I appreciate that Bryan is doing all this work and tracking the numbers/results very closely and being very open about them. I suspect that he’s getting 90% of his benefit from the healthy diet & exercise, plus rapamycin and acarbose (not all the supplements) but who knows…

I also think its very interesting to get an in-depth look at the fitness / longevity protocol of a very health-oriented person who basically has unlimited financial resources. Many of his approaches are things that we here are already doing, sometimes with equal or better results. Its good to see that we can do many of the things that this guy with $800 million can do (though that may be changing given the pace of longevity biotech advancements).

What are your thoughts? (ignore the hype by the marketing guy Max Hertan and his talk about a “world record” epigenetic age reduction - we have a number of people beating that in our list of rapamycin users here).

The key longevity drugs that Bryan Johnson is taking are:

• Rapamycin (13mg every two weeks at this point in time)
• Acarbose (200mg with every meal)
• Metformin (500mg ER, with every meal)

Some details below, but visit his website for full details: blueprint

Longevity Supplements and Medications

A typical Blueprint morning / Nov 2021

Monthly Blueprint cost = $2,224.50
Daily Calories = 1,977

Food Costs
$62.91 / day (vary by geography)

• The Green Giant: $9.91

• Super Veggie: $17

• Nutty Pudding: $17

• Third meal: $17

• Other: $2 (i.e. extra virgin olive oil, Brazil nuts)

Supplements Costs
$11.24 / day

• Morning: $5.76

• Dinner: $5.48

Kitchen Readiness Costs
(one time cost)
Total approx ~$500

• High speed blender

• Food scale

• Storage/Transport

  • Glass (small, large), $100

  • Stainless steel, $200

Initial Test Costs
(every 3 to 6 mths)
Total: ~$1,250

• Blood panel $350

• Specialty tests

  • NAD ($248)

  • Epigenetic clock ($500)

Daily Calories
1,977 daily calories

• Green Giant - 150

• Nutty Pudding - 310

• Pea Protein - 260

• Super Veggie - 379

• Olive Oil - 240 (2 Tbsp daily)

• Dark chocolate - 138

• Third meal - 500

Max Hertan

Andrew Steele’s take on his protocol:

Can ‘Blueprint’ make you biologically younger?

Morgan Levine’s take on it:

Morgan Levine

Morgan Levine

Morgan Levine

Morgan Levine

Morgan Levine

Morgan Levine

Morgan Levine

Morgan Levine

Morgan Levine

[RapAdmin]

I do like his exercises:

Exercise

Daily routine
Designed by Jefferson Johnson | Watch a Blueprint workout (Oct 21)

1. Backwards Sled, 10 min
2. Stretches

• kneeling shin
• pancake
• hip flexor
• couch

3. Poliquin step ups, 6x10, each leg
4. Slant board squats, 3x10
5. ATG Split squats, 3x10
6. Face pulls, 3x10
7. Butterfly, 3x10
8. Tricep extensions, 3x25
9. Band pull apart (back muscles), 3x10
10. Nordics, 3x10
11. Reverse Nordics, 3x10
12. Tibialis raises, 3x20
13. IsoTib ankle rotations (each), 3x10
14. Pull ups, 3x10
15. Leg raises (for abdomen), 1x50
16. Obliques (each side, on a hyperextension), 1x50
17. Back extensions (on a hyperextension), 1x25
18. Seated calf raises, 3x25
19. 10 min HIIT (M,W,F)
20. Hiking on weekends

A Blueprint workout / Oct 2021

And some good ideas on sleep optimization:

Sleep

Perhaps the most important health/wellness practice, I’ve been working on achieving consistent, high quality sleep for years (Sleep is the new coffee). These are the things that work for me. You are likely different.

Markers I focus on (using Whoop):

• total sleep time
• minutes awake at night (WASO)
• time to fall asleep

Sleep hygiene

• Blacked out room
• In bed at the same time every night
• Temperature controlled bed (eight sleep)
• Targeted liquid intake (amount + time of consumption) to avoid nighttime restroom
• Bluelight blocking on computer, phone and w/glasses
• No morning alarm (consistency of routine creates predictability of rising)
• Finish eating by ~noon
• When my resting heart rate is ~46bpm before bed, high likelihood I’ll have a restful night.

Fitness scores (ref: ACSM). Currently scoring as equivalent to top 10% of 18 year olds in the following:

• Bench press single rep max, 235lbs.
• VO2 max 53.6 mL/(kg·min)
• Leg press, single rep max. 780 lbs
• Push ups, continuous, 60
• YMCA sit and reach, 26.5 inches. Equivalent to age 18.
• Grip strength (dominant hand) 60 kg, above the age related peak that occurs in men at age 32.5 (Jamar Dynamometer Corporation reference data)

Measurements
. Heart age/health (Mobilograph)

• Resting bilateral triple brachial systolic, diastolic and pulse pressure are at 114, 76 and 37 mmHg, equal to age 25 and 33 (max reduction equivalent)
• Resting bilateral triple central systolic and pulse pressure are at 102 and and 24 mmHg at age 25 and age 40 (marker reduction can’t go lower than age 40, therefore max reduction equivalent)
• Resting bilateral triple central brachial pulse pressure amplification ratio at 1.6, with max reduction at age 25
• Resting bilateral triple augmentation index and pressure at 2.8% and 2.3 mmHg both at age 20 max reduction gender matched equivalent

New maxHR of 183 bpm , = to age 37, 5% improvement in 90 days. 8% increase (from 169 bpm) in 12 months (originally age 60). 23 year age reduction to date. Exciting because we couldn’t get maxHR to budge for over 12 months. Neither could we find any research showing maxHR increase was possible. Measured w/ Polar H10

Improved HRV by 2%, 55 from 54 (Whoop 7 day average rMSSD deep sleep 5 min HRV)

Waist circumference measurement 82.8 cm, average for a 25 year old (maximum age reduction)

BIA scale body fat% 21-23 ave BMI, = to age 16 (max reduction)

Skin

Our skin biological age calculations include a full-body, 60+ point measurement system using Merz, Visia, and autofluorescence imaging. The April 2021 biological age score is an approximation because the full suite of measurements were not yet completed.

Skin measurements

• Autofluorescence with new high accuracy protocol, excluding confounding factors this time round, triple ventral forearm measures scoring at 2 AU and age 49 equivalent, down from age 91

• Autofluorescence
• VISIA Skin Analysis
• Skin quantification: we are researching and starting to implement skin rejuvenation interventions using devices and custom formulations. Building a layered measurement protocol to track progress including:
  • A) Resolution imaging (Sony a7riv 61 megapixel w/ 85 mm Sigma lens)
  • B) Biopsy (without scarring, researching .33mm micro-biopsy)
  • C) Multi-point positioning images with overlays to capture UV damage, age spots, and wrinkles.

[RapAdmin]

His background, etc.

CNS Summit 2020: Keynote Conversation with Bryan Johnson

and

Bryan Johnson: Kernel Brain-Computer Interfaces | Lex Fridman Podcast #186

[DeStrider]

Damn. He looks amazing for his age. Almost too good.

Gotta get to the gym…

[RapAdmin]

Yes - and we know what we need to do to get in as good a shape as him… he’s posted his workout routine:

Bryan Johnson New workout protocol (Dec. 1, 2021)

Designed by Jefferson Johnson.

Monday A:

A: Sled ROKP x 5 min

B: Poliquin Step-Ups, 5 x 20

C1: Dead Squats, 10 x 10

C2: SL Back Extension, 5 x 10, then Eccentric Nordics, 5 x 5

Monday B:

A: Sled ROKP x 5 min

B: Poliquin Step-Ups, 5 x 20

C1: Reverse Nordics, 5 x 5

C2: Eccentric Nordics, 5 x 5

D: SL Back Extension, 5 x 10

Tuesday:

A: Sled Push-Pull x 100 yards

B1: Incline DB Press or Dip, 10 x 10

B2: Incline DB Row or Chin-Up, 10 x 10

HIIT 15 min

Wednesday:

A: Sled ROKP x 5 min

B: Standing Leg Lifts, 3 x 10

C: Loaded Butterflies, 3 x 10

D: QL Flexion, 3 x 10

Stretch! Wherever you need the most work.

Thursday:

A: Heavy Sled Drive x 100 yards

B: ATG Split Squats, 10 x 5

C1: Rounded Back Extensions, 5 x 20

C2: Jefferson Curls, 5 x 5

C3: L-Sits or Garhammer Raises, 5 x 10

HIIT 15 min

Friday:

A: Sled ROKP x 5 min

B: External Rotation, 5 x 5

C: Powell Raise, 5 x 5

D1: Cross Bench Pullover, 5 x 10

D2: Trap-3 Raise, 5 x 5

E: Shrugs, 5 x 10

Saturday:

A: Sled Push-Pull x 100 yards

B1: IsoTib Raises, 4 x 25

B2: Seated Calf Raises, 4 x 25

C: IsoTib Ankle Rotations, 3 x 60 seconds

D: Straight Leg Calf Raises, 5 x 15

Stretch! Wherever you need the most work.

HIIT 15 min

Sunday:

Stretch! Wherever you need the most work.

Stretches:

90/90 External Rotation Stretch x 3 min

Posterior Hip Capsule Stretch x 3 min

90/90 Internal Rotation Stretch x 3 min

Hip Swivels x 1 min

Ankle Inversion Stretch x 2 min

Plantar Fascia Stretch x 2 min

Tib Stretch x 2 min

Gastroc Stretch x 2 min

Soleus Stretch x 2 min

Slant Jefferson Stretch (flex tib and quad) x 2 min

Elephant Walk (flex quad) x 60

Couch Stretch x 2 min

Hip Flexor Stretch x 2 min

Standing Pancake x 2 min

[Agetron]

Hmmm… at age 45 years he is more shredded… but actually looks a lot rougher, older to me. Looked better and healthier 3 years earlier.

And, that hair? Definitley could use my skunk works tonic for a more natural look. Solid black dye doesn’t help him

In 2018

Looking rough at 45 years - that hair.

Me at almost 65 years - ummm Brian is 20 years younger? He needs rapamycin - me thinks! Oh? He is on it…hmmmm.

[DeStrider]

He does take Rapamycin too. He takes 13 mg biweekly. He is more shredded, but his lifestyle is definitely modifying him. He looks much different than before. His face looks different too. More lean? I should watch a video from a few years back to compare.

[RapAdmin]

He is down to 6% bodyfat. He is definitely in great shape. But his face has lost some if its boyishness. And yes, he is already taking rapamycin, acarbose and metformin.

Click on the first image in this thread and you can see his full list of supplements and longevity drugs.

[Agetron]

Okayyyyy! Maybe too lean… hahaha.

Get my DEXA next week let’s see what my body fat numbers look like.

I wish I had taken pics of my varicose veins prior to Rapamycin. They were twice as bad as in these pics… I took a pic when I really noticed them going away a year ago… and pics yesterday.

Pic from 2021

Pic from 2022 this week

Pic from 2021

Pic from 2022 this week

[DeStrider]

I think I know what may be up with his hair. His new company involves brain scanning through very high emissions of photons through your scalp. All those photons at such a very high level may be affecting his hair.

[DeStrider]

The varicose veins could be the Rapamycin or it could be the collagen. Bases on where they are, I am leaning towards the collagen. Either way, it’s great having those suckers disappear!

Sometimes it’s hard to determine which supplement has which effect. But whatever you are doing @Agetron, keep it up!

[Agetron]

I never did collagen until this month. And improvement predates that… so my money is on rapamycin for opening veins.

[desertshores]

The guy looks incredible, but my BS meter is starting to register.
The morning stack “Upon wakening” would be more than most people’s stomachs could tolerate, certainly more than mine. Also, many of the supplements on the list are not recommended on an empty stomach. This is a shotgun approach, not a thoughtful one.
Many of the supplements he is taking have no proof they do anything for a healthy person.
His lifespan may prove to be longer than mine, but maybe not. I certainly don’t plan on changing any of my habits to mimic his lifestyle.

[DeStrider]

Those supplements are a lot, but not uncommon. I take close to that many each morning and am considering the ones in his stack that I currently don’t take. Also, I take some supplements that he doesn’t. So I would say it isn’t BS. I don’t think his stomach would have a hard time tolerating that load. However, I do take my supplements with breakfast. His is probably healthier than mine as he takes Acarbose and I don’t (yet).

[LaraPo]

I think it is Rapamycin because I almost don’t have varicose veins - when I started Rapa 12+ years ago I didn’t have them and they haven’t developed by now (67.5 yo). Don’t have another explanation.

[KarlT]

Definitely taking more supplements than he needs.

I’d be curious what his numbers did, if he stopped all the supplements but kept exercising like he does.

[Bicep]

The only mistake I see is the split dose of NAC 3.6 grams and no glycine. That could cause trouble.

I was going to say 300 mg of melatonin before bed was bold and possibly brilliant, then I noticed it was 300 mcg. Lol, why bother? Your body makes it all over the place, adding that amount should do exactly nothing.

He has a huge budget, therefore a long list of things he’s been sold. Most of them look positive to me. The Lysine is done right.

I would avoid the pea protein.

Thanks for this list, fun.

[RapAdmin]

@Bicep

He has a huge budget, therefore a long list of things he’s been sold.

You know, its interesting. He’s got to have a doctor he’s working with to develop his protocol - with all the supplements and longevity drugs (rapamycin, acarbose and metformin). I wonder who the doctor is. From the list of supplements I have to believe its not Peter Attia, as he is pretty much a minimalist on the supplements. So the question is, who’s “selling him” on this protocol? That is what I’d like to know.

[desertshores]

Personally, I have been trying to reduce my supplement list to ones that have been proven to actually do something in otherwise healthy people. Once, my list was as long as yours, but I was never taking turmeric, for instance on an empty stomach. It certainly isn’t my plan to tell others what to take, but you might want to check out the website Examine.com. They have no axe to grind and will give you what amounts to a meta-review of the most common supplements.

Two of the people whos’ opinion I value: Michael Lustgarten, Ph.D. and Dr. Blagosklonny. Each take less than 5 supplements as much as I can determine. My goal is less than 10. I’m not quite there yet.

Where old supplements go to die:

Examine: nutrition and supplement information you can trust

[RapAdmin]

Yes - Examine.com is good, as is https://labdoor.com/ and consumerlab.com

Definitely want to do your research on supplements you are considering taking.