NMN supplements typically show noticeable effects, such as increased energy and focus, within a few days to weeks, while long-term benefits like improved metabolism and anti-aging effects may take months.
Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint: Inside the Ultimate Longevity Experiment
Related Product
$149.99 – $649.99 — or subscribe and save 15%
We all say we want to live healthily, but we don’t take it seriously. We still eat junk food, stay up late at night, and fall for all sorts of addictions. Bryan Johnson takes this to the extreme, admitting that he isn’t the best judge of his own lifestyle choices.
His proposed solution is a data-driven longevity Blueprint that, through expensive testing and measurements, outlines a longevity routine to follow. It has earned quite a few headlines and even a Netflix documentary. Bryan Johnson’s protocol requires extreme investments to develop, but could its findings be implemented by anyone who wants to live longer?
Key Takeaways
- Bryan Johnson is a multimillionaire on a quest to reverse his biological age.
- Project Blueprint is a strict regime Brian follows that includes rigorous measurements, diet, exercise, and sleep regimes anyone can follow.
- Blueprint reduced Bryan’s speed of aging, increased NAD levels and physical performance.
- Developing the project costs around two million dollars a year, but most essential parts can be followed for a couple of thousand dollars per month.
Who is Bryan Johnson?
Bryan Johnson is a 47-year-old venture capitalist, business executive, and writer from Utah. He earned his wealth through founding the payment processing company Braintree and its later sale to PayPal. With the capital raised from the sale, Bryan began investing in businesses related to health sciences and longevity.
In 2014, he founded the OS Fund, which invests in various early-stage science and technology companies traditionally avoided by venture capital firms. In 2016, Bryan Johnson started Kernel, a company developing brain activity monitoring and recording devices. Both companies were initially funded by his own capital.
As Bryan himself reports, the first three decades of his life were marked by an unhealthy lifestyle. A poor childhood and overworking while building companies were followed by a decade of chronic depression. Johnson was determined to turn his life around and make the most meaningful impact on humanity as possible.
This led to Bryan Johnson authoring a book titled “Don’t Die” and founding a community of the same name dedicated to combating death and its causes. Central to this effort is his Blueprint protocol, which details the daily steps he takes to extend his lifespan.
The main things he talks about are sleep quality, mental health, and longevity. Some of Huberman’s research and discussions focuses on how essential fatty acids and sleep supplements affect our brain and cognitive function.
Through his podcast, he shares practical ways to support cognitive function, improve mood regulation, and optimize testosterone levels naturally.
What is the Blueprint?
One man cannot change the habits of whole humanity, but he can outline a path for others to follow. That’s what Bryan Johnson is doing with Project Blueprint, a sort of STEM for longevity. Through rigorous measurements and trials, he aims to find the lifestyle regime to extend his chronological age as much as possible.
Project Blueprint is exploring the future of being human, where all lifestyle choices are data-based and fully automated. The aim is to create an “automated self”, as Bryan puts it, that allows the body itself to dictate optimal diet, supplements, sleep and exercise routine, as well as occasional medical and cosmetic treatments.
If the body is measured thoroughly, it will tell you what you need to do to live longer. That’s why Bryan Johnson claims to be “the most measured person in human history” using all the newest technologies and longevity research available. Here are some of the routine measurements Bryan takes.
- Body Composition: weight, body fat, muscle mass, body water, BMI, waist circumference.
- Sleep Metrics: heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), deep sleep, REM sleep, respiration rate, body temperature.
- Vital Signs: waking body temperature (ear), blood oxygen levels (SpO2) while sleeping, blood glucose levels.
- Imaging: whole body MRI, whole body ultrasound, vein health evaluation via ultrasound.
- Biofluids Analysis: blood, stool, urine, saliva.
- Physical Fitness: VO2Max, Fitness tracking.
- Sensory Health: Hearing, eye health, sensory nervous system measurements.
- Organ Health: kidney function and structure, thyroid volume, prostate volume.
- Cardiovascular Health: maximum heart rate (maxHR), pulse wave velocity.
The list is far from complete as Bryan constantly tests new methods, such as gene therapy or the controversial blood plasma transfusion from his 17-year-old son, that also require measurements. It should still give an idea on how much effort project Blueprint requires.
Johnson hires a team of longevity experts and invests millions into his home equipment to track the effects of the methods to reverse his biological age. The costs are only expected to grow in the future as new technologies and routines will be tested on the project blueprint.
The Daily Blueprint Plan
We’ll focus on the three main parts of Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint routine that can be achieved for up to a couple of thousand dollars per month. Following the daily plan outlined below will provide you with the basis for reversing your biological age
Diet & Nutrition
The Blueprint protocol strikes as unconventional right from the start. Bryan Johnson eats three meals per day, starting from around 6 am to 11 am. That’s it. For the rest of the day until going to sleep, he doesn’t eat, yet manages to acquire the needed 2,250 calories per day.
- Super Veggie – a combination mainly of vegetables like black lentils, cauliflower, mushrooms, garlic, and ginger roots.
- Nutty Pudding – various nuts (Macadamia, walnuts, Brazil nuts) with chia seeds, cocoa powder, and other ingredients.
- The third meal varies each day and might include dishes such as stuffed sweet potatoes, Buddha bowl, chickpea curry, beet poke, and similar options.
- Extra snacks include drinking 45 milliliters of virgin olive oil, eating an avocado or nut butter, and 15 grams of dark chocolate daily.
Note that the dishes Bryan eats each day are vegetarian, but it isn’t a necessary requirement to follow the Blueprint program. While he is a vegetarian by choice, his son follows the same Blueprint diet while adding meat.
Your caloric intake might also differ, since the 2,250 calories were calculated specifically for Bryan Johnson. What’s much easier to adapt is the range of longevity supplements he takes. Many of them are quite well-known and easily accessible at low prices.
With the exception of 300 mcg of melatonin before bed, all the supplements are taken with meals.
Category | Morning | Dinner (at 11 am) |
Vitamins and Minerals | B Complex (0.5 pill, twice a week) | Vitamin B12 methyl cobalamin 1x/week |
Antioxidants and Phytonutrients | Astaxanthin 12 mg | Brocco Max 17.5 mg |
Amino Acids and Proteins | Lysine 1 g | L-Lysine 1 g |
Specialty Supplements | Acarbose 200 mg (Rx) | Acarbose 200 mg (Rx) |
Other | Rapamycin (Rx) (weekly dosage varies) |
Depending on how you count, Bryan Johnson takes close to a hundred pills every day. This can be quite overwhelming, both financially and otherwise, if you’re just starting your longevity journey. A good strategy is to change your diet and adapt supplementation to your body gradually.
Exercise & Recovery
Brian Johnson’s protocol outlines a fitness program involving at least one hour-long training session six days per week. The 25 exercises include cardio, strength, and flexibility training, targeting all muscle groups while hitting different heart rate intensity levels throughout the week.
- Low intensity (88-105 bpm) for ~1 hour
- Moderate intensity (106-159 bpm) for 4 hours 30 minutes
- High intensity (159+ bpm) for 90 minutes
This program aligns with general recommendations for physical activity, but the intensity and muscle group targeting should depend on your current physical form. Bryan himself stresses that it’s more important to listen to your body, progress gradually, and create a habit of exercising.
Category | Exercises |
Warm-Up | Backwards Sled, 2 min |
Upper Body | Tricep extensions, 1×25 |
Core | Back extensions (on a hyperextension), 1×25 |
Lower Body | Poliquin step ups, 3×10 (each leg) |
Stretches | Kneeling shin |
Cardio | 10 min HIIT (M, W, F) |
The recommended recovery period is also quite active, as seen in the suggested weekend activities such as hiking, basketball, tennis, swimming, and others. In general, Johnson recommends moving as much as possible and staying active after every 30 minutes of sitting.
Sleep Optimization
Bryan Johnson claims that sleep is perhaps the most important wellness practice without which all other longevity gains are impossible. He criticizes the conventional sleep routines society imposes on us and systematically works to optimize it. Blueprint for sleep includes:
- Blacked out room
- Same bedtime window daily – in bed between 8:45 pm and 9:30 pm
- Sleeping alone consistently for 7-9 hours each night
- Wearing blue light-blocking glasses from 7 pm
- One hour of downtime before bed
- Temperature controlled mattress
- Melatonin before bed
Some of the more experimental suggestions include temperature-controlled mattresses, meditation before bed, avoiding morning alarms, ingesting CBD oil a few times per week, using a deep wave sound machine, and others. Bryan also uses various tracking devices to monitor sleep stages, heart rate, and body temperature throughout the night.
He has achieved up to a 157% increase in deep sleep with Blueprint methods, some of which require costly equipment. Even without the expenses, it’s hard to imagine everyone implementing such a sleep routine due to lifestyle factors. Yet, Project Blueprint’s sleep schedule still relies on the usual seven to nine hours per day.
Potential Benefits & Side Effects of Blueprint
Project Blueprint is a one-man endeavor to reverse biological age and outline a path for others to follow. The results and possible side effects are bound to vary when different people try it.
The best way to generalize the health benefits from the Blueprint program is to look at what Bryan Johnson has been able to achieve by following it. Here are some of his published biomarkers:
- Speed of aging: 0.57 (Top 1% of 20-year-olds)
- Testosterone: 769 (equivalent to a 33-year-old)
- NAD levels: 52.6 (equivalent to a 30-year-old)
- Muscle volume: 18.02 Liters (top 1%)
- Body fat: 6.9% (equivalent to a 16-year-old)
There are many more biomarkers available, each more impressive than the next. It’s safe to say that the Blueprint is working as intended for Bryan Johnson. Whether it will work for everyone else is a different question, which requires considering the possible side effects before building your own version of Project Blueprint.
- Possible allergies and supplement interactions. Taking over a hundred different supplements and medications might incur some unknown interactions or side effects. Bryan Johnson himself has stopped taking some supplements, such as Rapamycin, because of side effects.
- Experimental treatments. The full Blueprint regime includes some treatments, such as gene therapy and blood plasma transfusions, which are criticized in the scientific community. This is often highlighted by Project Blueprint critics who point out the risks of such longevity methods becoming more popular.
- Lack of transparency. Despite the many measurements and tests that Bryan Johnson and his team have conducted, critics want more rationale behind certain choices. There is a worry that certain foods, supplements, and equipment are chosen due to affiliate deals. The issue becomes most apparent once you try to replicate the Blueprint program yourself.
How Much Does Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint Cost?
We must distinguish between the cost of developing the Blueprint project and the costs of following it. Bryan Johnson claims that he spends at least two million dollars a year on various products and tests. Not to mention the initial investments in buying various equipment and finding longevity experts.
However, following the Blueprint protocol doesn’t require you to be a millionaire or implement all the newest science to follow it. The program itself is completely free, with dietary, exercise, and sleep plans fully accessible on the Internet.
The Blueprint for anti-aging can be followed, at least in part, on a modest budget of up to a couple of thousand dollars per month, including groceries. Most supplements, equipment, and tests will be accessible to you if you live in a developed country.
Is the Blueprint Stack Worth It?
Following the Blueprint program fully requires extreme changes to your lifestyle and major financial investments. Only a few can afford to follow the steps of Bryan Johnson, but we shouldn’t fall for the fallacy that improving your life at least a bit isn’t worth the effort. Everybody has to start somewhere.
Finding the right balance between what you want to sacrifice (financially or lifestyle-wise) is your own choice. Bryan takes it to the extreme and shows what’s possible if you go all in on living forever, but you don’t need to follow him fully to reap the benefits.
Most of the strategies and supplements the Blueprint suggests are scientifically proven, and only some extreme ones are debated. The Blueprint is a great start if you aren’t already ready for the alternative to visiting a nutrition specialist, gym coach, and a bunch of other experts needed to optimize your life.
How to Apply Blueprint Principles to Your Life
The best strategy when implementing Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint is to approach it gradually. It will be easier to form good habits and avoid possible health risks. Basic measurements and tests can be done by your local physician. What follows then are the three basic parts of diet, exercise, and sleep.
Start with the essentials like Omega-3 fatty acids and other nutrients that your body might lack. NAD supplements are a good contender since it’s known that NAD levels decline for everyone over thirty. Then, observe what has a positive effect and work your way from there.
Your fitness plan does not need to be as intense as Bryan Johnson’s since he has a high muscle mass and constantly monitors his vitals with various fitness trackers. Some specific adjustments should also be made for women since exercise recommendations, especially for strength training, differ.
Most importantly, the underlying approach of making sleep a priority and becoming a “pro sleeper,” as Bryan Johnson puts it, is something that everyone should strive to implement. There’s no need to start buying costly equipment, but a regular schedule and some melatonin can do wonders.
Conclusion
Whether you like his longevity experiment or not, Bryan Johnson is an inspiration for many to lead a healthier life. Yes, sometimes he takes it to the extreme and certainly profits from affiliations, but the underlying idea of listening to your body, refraining from addictions, and adhering to a healthy regime is something to admire.
Explore Products
Related Articles
Resveratrol, a powerful phytochemical found in foods like red grapes and dark chocolate, supports heart health and longevity, with its benefits amplified when combined with NMN to boost NAD+ levels in the heart and muscles.
This blog post discusses the FDA's recent decision to no longer classify NMN as a dietary supplement, examining the implications for its availability and safety in the market.
When you combine NAD and resveratrol, a bunch of things happen that benefit your body. Resveratrol activates SIRT1, which is a gene that tells your body to make more NAD+. And more NAD+ means your cells work harder, better, and in-line with your anti-aging goals.
Together, they can help with:
- Energy metabolism. You may feel more energetic throughout the day as your cells will be able to produce more energy and do it more efficiently.
- Cellular repair. Higher NAD+ levels help your body fix damaged cells, potentially slowing down aging.
Muscle recovery. If you’re trying to stay active as you age, the combination of NAD+ and resveratrol could help your muscles recover faster and work better.
