A new contest pits competitors against each other in a race to biological youth
This week, I officially signed up for an unusual competition. One that rewards competitors for getting younger.
A competition called Younger challenges 500 participants to lower their biological age over six months. Biological age measures how old a person's body feels based on health markers, unlike chronological age, which is simply the number of years since birth. The contest, created by neuroscientist and physician Christin Glorioso, founder of NeuroAge Therapeutics, offers prizes for the greatest reduction in biological age and the largest gap between biological and chronological age. Participants submit blood samples, cognitive tests, physical measurements, and selfies to estimate organ-specific ages, including the brain, heart, and face. The goal is to gather data on aging and test low-risk interventions like red-light masks or saunas. The event starts in January 2024, with 120 people already registered.
Biological age is an estimate of a person's health and aging process, derived from markers like chemical changes on DNA (epigenetic clocks), blood proteins, or organ function. These tools, called aging clocks, are used by scientists to study aging but are not yet precise enough for individual use. The Younger contest uses multiple clocks to measure biological age across 11 organ systems, including the brain and heart. For example, TruDiagnostic’s test analyzes DNA chemical groups to provide an overall biological age and pace of aging. Another tool, from Harvard, estimates face age by analyzing selfies. While these tests can be insightful, their accuracy varies, and results may not reflect true health improvements.
Christin Glorioso aims to create the world’s most comprehensive dataset on biological aging through the contest. She hopes the data will help scientists understand what each aging clock measures and improve their accuracy. The contest also tests low-cost interventions, such as red-light masks or saunas, which partner companies sponsor. Glorioso sees this as a public health initiative, noting that even slowing aging by one year could save the U.S. economy $38 trillion. Participants like Hillary Lin, a longevity-focused physician, are already tracking their biological age and adjusting habits like sleep, diet, and exercise. However, Lin notes that six months may not be long enough to see significant changes in aging markers.
As of now, only seven participants have logged baseline measurements on the Younger leaderboard. Most show biological ages below their chronological ages, but one 47-year-old competitor has a biological age of 68.1, with particularly poor scores in physical mobility (biological age of 100 for standing from a chair). Christin Glorioso’s initial tests showed her biological age was 10 years below her chronological age of 40, while competitor @Fred leads with a biological age 28.8 years younger than his. The contest includes both standard ($999 entry) and ultra ($4,499 entry) packages, with ultra competitors receiving additional tests like MRI and DEXA scans.
Participants in the *Younger* contest are encouraged to adopt lifestyle changes to lower their biological age. Glorioso has reduced added sugar and fried foods, and uses Korean sunscreens to improve her *face age*. Hillary Lin, who follows a high-protein, low-carb diet and exercises daily, plans to enhance her sleep and sauna use. The contest includes interventions like red-light masks or saunas, which partner companies provide to gather data on their effects. While some participants, like Lin, are skeptical about the six-month timeline’s ability to show significant changes, others are optimistic. The contest aims to inspire public interest in aging research and highlight the potential economic benefits of slowing aging.
