Lab of One — evidence-based biohacking

This series treats the body the same way the rest of Factnetize treats software: as a system you can measure, understand, and improve. The approach is simple — take an intervention with support in the published research (some of it strong, well-replicated evidence, some of it early or preliminary), apply it to a single subject (me), measure the result with bloodwork and wearables, and document what actually changed. No hype, no supplement-of-the-month, no claims that outrun the data.

It’s an honest N=1. That means being upfront about confounders, freezing variables long enough to get clean readings, and treating every blood panel as a decision point rather than a victory lap. Some interventions work, some won’t, and the failures get written down too.

Series overview

1. I ditched seed oils — here’s what the research actually says — The peer-reviewed evidence on oxidation, omega-6 ratios, ultra-processed food, and GMO soy — and the practical changes I made in my own kitchen.
2. The dangers of fake sugars: what the science really says — Why not all sweeteners are the same, and what the latest research says about cancer, cardiovascular, and cognitive risks across the three types — plus a word on who funds the science.
3. Correcting vitamin D deficiency fast — and where I overshot — What actually drives vitamin D absorption, why my target number came from sources that fell apart when I checked them, and how careful execution still took me to 118 ng/mL.
4. HRV by age: normal ranges from peer-reviewed research — What the published research actually says about normal HRV values by age and sex, why the decline flattens after 55, and why your wearable’s number will never match the charts.
5. How to improve HRV: what worked for me (with data) — Three months of nightly HRV data, an average that climbed from 32 to around 40 ms, and the honest reckoning of which lifestyle changes moved it — including a paradox at 3,400 metres.
6. Acetaminophen vs ibuprofen: what painkillers actually do to your body — Why the occasional pill was never the problem, how acetaminophen’s safety margin turns out to be far narrower than ibuprofen’s, and why NAC won’t protect your liver from either.
7. Collagen supplements: what actually works, and what I take — Cutting through the marketing to the real evidence — strong for joints, surprising for bone, weak for muscle — plus my own protocol: 5 to 15 g a day with whey and vitamin C around training.
8. The minimal health stack, ranked by evidence: an S-to-C tier list — Every supplement in my stack ranked by how strong the human evidence actually is, from S-tier (protein, creatine, vitamin D3 when deficient) down to C-tier, with dose and caveats first and trial details underneath.
9. Protein intake by age: how much you really need (and what happens to the rest) — From 0.8 to 2.2 g/kg, why older muscles need more per meal, protein sources ranked by quality, the soy and vegan myths checked, and what actually keeps your gut calm on a high-protein diet.

More parts are in the works. This list grows as new articles are published.

What this series covers

• Sleep and heart-rate variability as primary signals
• A supplement stack chosen on evidence, dose, and form — not branding
• Strength and cardio training, measured against recovery data
• Nutrition and protein as system inputs
• Bloodwork as the checkpoint that validates or kills each decision

New parts are added as they’re published. Bookmark this page to follow along.

Featured image by Enzo B on Unsplash.