The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance

Host: Dave Asprey
Episode: 10-Minute Weekly Update : 1335
Date: September 26, 2025

Episode Overview

This rapid-fire 10-minute weekly update from host Dave Asprey covers three major domains in the biohacking and longevity space: the current state of rapamycin research and senolytics, the rise and risks of artificial intelligence in healthcare, and new angles in longevity science including forest bathing, social connection, and cutting-edge dental regeneration. Asprey’s goal: keep listeners up to speed on evolving science, actionable tips, and how to navigate the shifting health and medical landscape with intelligence and agency.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Rapamycin & Senolytics — “Hype Check”

[01:11–04:46]

• Rapamycin: Animal vs. Human Evidence

  • Dave highlights a review from Agingus.com (Sept 24), emphasizing the gap between promising animal data and a lack of convincing clinical evidence in healthy adults.
  • Safety flags: Calls for longer, better human trials before mainstream or “off-label” use.
  • Lifestyle levers—fasting, protein timing, and smart training—target the same pathways with fewer unknowns.

  “MTOR is powerful, rapamycin is interesting. But lifestyle levers hit the same pathway with fewer unknowns. Fasting, protein timing, intelligent training. Use data, guys, not dogma.” – Dave Asprey [01:37]

• Senolytics: Precision Over Blanket Use

  • New data (Sept 23) shows that “senescent cells aren’t one thing, they’re a zoo,” meaning their response to senolytics depends heavily on subtype and timing.
  • Imprecise use of senolytics is like "swinging a baseball bat in the dark"; targeted, intermittent dosing is emerging as best practice.
  • Dave offers practical guidance: intermittent dosing (“hit and run, not daily drip”), add autophagy and membrane support, and always change just one variable at a time.

  “Clear the right [senescent] ones and you free up recovery capacity. Clear the wrong ones and you stress healthy cells. Or you just waste time and money. Precision beats carpet bombing. Always.” – Dave Asprey [02:17]

  “My take: this is the turning point from senolytics kind of work sometimes to senolytics work when targeted.” – Dave Asprey [03:45]

2. AI in Healthcare — Promise and Peril

[04:47–06:51]

• Growth and Skepticism

  • AI in healthcare is predicted to become a $100B+ market by 2030.
  • While there’s “huge upside” in personalization and freeing doctors from administrative burdens, 70% of surveyed doctors still don’t trust AI for diagnoses.

• AI in Medicare Prior Authorization

  • Recent federal pilot could let algorithms approve or deny coverage, potentially escalating existing delays, with new risks of algorithmic opacity and lack of human oversight.
  • Key risk: if not transparent and appealable, “the algorithm becomes a financial bouncer at the clinic door.”

  “If the ruleset isn't transparent, explainable and appealable, the algorithm becomes a financial bouncer at the clinic door. You won't even know which variable kicked you out. Age code, zip, or some proxy for low value.” – Dave Asprey [05:41]

• Protecting Patient Agency

  • Dave lays out three “guardrails” for AI in healthcare: plain English explainability, a fast human override, and auditable logs.
  • Action steps: anyone on Medicare should start documenting everything and demand transparency.

  “AI should be a co pilot that flags fraud and speeds approvals for obvious wins. Not a black box that quietly labels your therapy low value while your condition worsens.” – Dave Asprey [05:59]

  “Edge cases are where innovation lives. The people who benefit most from unconventional care are the first to get squeezed by one size fits all models.” – Dave Asprey [06:30]

3. Longevity Science: Three Angles to Watch

[08:01–09:48]

• Forest Bathing

  • Renewed interest for simple, accessible interventions: lowering blood pressure, boosting heart rate variability, and reducing cortisol.

• Superager Research

  • Studies from Northwestern highlight the combination of social connection and unique brain structure—“think mitochondria plus community”—as key factors in healthy aging.

• Teeth Regeneration Trials

  • Human trials are underway on antibody therapies to regrow natural teeth, potentially making age-related tooth loss reversible.

  “I like this mix because it pairs free wins with real frontier tech.” – Dave Asprey [08:52]

Action Steps for Listeners

[08:52–09:48]

• MTOR Modulation
  • Fast for 14–16 hours on non-training days; cluster protein post-lifting.
  • If curious about rapamycin: only use with clinical oversight and pre/post labs.
• AI in Personal Health
  • Treat AI as an assistant for data, not the final authority—always confirm with your clinician.
• Advocacy in Medical Coverage
  • For Medicare: document everything, keep all records, and insist on transparent appeals.
• Low-Tech Longevity Wins
  • 20–30 minutes daily of natural green space, ideally in the morning.
  • Schedule routine social interaction (“Superager brains aren’t accidental”).
  • Stay alert for developments in regenerative dental tech.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Senolytics:
  “If you don’t match the senolytic to the senescent subtype and timing, you’re swinging a baseball bat in the dark.” – Dave Asprey [01:55]

• On AI and Medical Freedom:
  “AI should widen access, not narrow it. Make it transparent. Keep humans accountable. Protect the right to pursue care at the edges.” – Dave Asprey [06:49]

• On Action Planning:
  “Superager brains aren’t accidental, and keep an eye on the 2:3 growth trials as they progress.” – Dave Asprey [09:38]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:11] – Rapamycin: critique of current evidence and safety concerns
• [01:47] – Senolytics: specificity and why blanket protocols fail
• [04:47] – AI in healthcare: market growth, skepticism, Medicare policy risks
• [06:51] – Action steps for insureds, especially Medicare users
• [08:01] – Three new longevity angles: forest bathing, superagers, tooth regrowth
• [08:52] – The week's actionable summary: fasting, protein timing, advocacy, and simple longevity wins

This summary distills the essential science, actionable guidance, and empowering intent of Dave Asprey’s 10-minute update. For the full depth and nuance, listen to the original episode.