A Model for Standardizing Self-Experimentation
August 01, 2022
The world is filled with information regarding nutrition, sleep optimization, exercise, and other tips and tricks to improve quality of life. So many different blog sites and YouTube channels are aimed at presenting the best combination of drugs and hacks to improve your life, but most fail to properly demonstrate quality self-experimentation techniques. With all of this information, people tend to start piling on changes one after another, and if things go smoothly or badly, they attribute that to all of the changes they have made. The truth is that a single ingredient in a nootropic stack can cause someone to have a terrible reaction, and if the subject did not properly document and plan a method for introducing a stack, the subject may have just lost hope in all optimization protocols. An example of this would be nearly anyone going to the gym for the first time. They look up videos and see a list of supplements they should take. One of them is creatine monohydrate (or HCL), a whey protein powder and a pre-workout supplement. The subject starts all three of these new products on Monday, as well as an intense workout routine. By Friday, the subject was experiencing heightened anxiety and stomach issues. Is it the pre-workout product, protein powder, creatine, or exercise regiment? There are too many variables to evaluate now and to make matters worse, the pre-workout powder contains 10 ingredients alone. With this overwhelming truth, the subject gives up their hopes of getting into shape and ditches all of these new changes.
Self-experimentation should be documented, written, and, most importantly, rigorous. These rules apply to self-experimenters at all levels, including experts. Not even an expert could have told a subject which exact ingredient was causing the subject’s anxiety to become worse with all of the changes the subject made the previous week. The importance of proper control groups are inexpendible in both research and self-experimentation. This short blog aims at providing a model for self-experimentation using a self-experiment of my own.
Self-experimentation can be extremely flawed, with a small sample size and oftentimes a major placebo effect. However, when used correctly, self-experimentation can be used to create major shifts in the quality of life. An example of this would be using self-experimentation to find which nootropic works best for me and at what dose. Drugs are not one-size-fits-all; they must be properly tested on each individual. Time is a major flaw in this technique. People aren't ready to make a single change in their lives and wait 12 weeks to see if it worked. People usually want to make a lot of changes in a short amount of time. Unfortunately, this self-experimentation takes time, but the benefits far outweigh this single disadvantage. Some advantages of this self-experimentation method are safety, efficacy, sustainability, and most importantly, verification of efficacy.
Standardization of this self-experimentation technique is required to draw validated information about one’s response to a change in their environment. Each experiment should be written in a manuscript format, thus portraying a consistent experimental design, hypothesis, and background information throughout. Everything, except the testing variable, should be the same and controlled, from daily habits and routines to dieting. This allows the experimenter to properly assign the result to the testing variable. The methods section should be rigorous and detailed, thus allowing other individuals to replicate the experiment and come to their own conclusions. However, with a negligible sample size of 1, any statistical analysis should be avoided. Instead, graphs portraying properly throughout measurements should be constructed so that a trend can be observed easily.
Self-experimentation is not informative to the public but serves the owner. Since there is no control group, blind, or randomization, it is extremely flawed. However, when used properly, it can improve an individual's life unimaginably. The remainder of this blog serves as a template for self-experimentation, where there is a clear purpose, method, and measurement. This template is not complete because the experiment has not concluded. A full paper will be written as a manuscript and published at a later date. However, the background information and methods sections are complete to give the reader a solid understanding of the requirements for self-experimentation.
Model
"Ketogenic Diet & Acute Cognitive Enhancement"
Self-experimentation should be documented, written, and, most importantly, rigorous. These rules apply to self-experimenters at all levels, including experts. Not even an expert could have told a subject which exact ingredient was causing the subject’s anxiety to become worse with all of the changes the subject made the previous week. The importance of proper control groups are inexpendible in both research and self-experimentation. This short blog aims at providing a model for self-experimentation using a self-experiment of my own.
Self-experimentation can be extremely flawed, with a small sample size and oftentimes a major placebo effect. However, when used correctly, self-experimentation can be used to create major shifts in the quality of life. An example of this would be using self-experimentation to find which nootropic works best for me and at what dose. Drugs are not one-size-fits-all; they must be properly tested on each individual. Time is a major flaw in this technique. People aren't ready to make a single change in their lives and wait 12 weeks to see if it worked. People usually want to make a lot of changes in a short amount of time. Unfortunately, this self-experimentation takes time, but the benefits far outweigh this single disadvantage. Some advantages of this self-experimentation method are safety, efficacy, sustainability, and most importantly, verification of efficacy.
Standardization of this self-experimentation technique is required to draw validated information about one’s response to a change in their environment. Each experiment should be written in a manuscript format, thus portraying a consistent experimental design, hypothesis, and background information throughout. Everything, except the testing variable, should be the same and controlled, from daily habits and routines to dieting. This allows the experimenter to properly assign the result to the testing variable. The methods section should be rigorous and detailed, thus allowing other individuals to replicate the experiment and come to their own conclusions. However, with a negligible sample size of 1, any statistical analysis should be avoided. Instead, graphs portraying properly throughout measurements should be constructed so that a trend can be observed easily.
Self-experimentation is not informative to the public but serves the owner. Since there is no control group, blind, or randomization, it is extremely flawed. However, when used properly, it can improve an individual's life unimaginably. The remainder of this blog serves as a template for self-experimentation, where there is a clear purpose, method, and measurement. This template is not complete because the experiment has not concluded. A full paper will be written as a manuscript and published at a later date. However, the background information and methods sections are complete to give the reader a solid understanding of the requirements for self-experimentation.
Model
"Ketogenic Diet & Acute Cognitive Enhancement"
Introduction & Background
The ketogenic diet (KD) has gained notoriety for being a treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy in children. Recently, the KD has been showcased on social media for its impact on weight loss and potential for cognitive enhancement. Understanding what the KD is and how it works is important for adherence and troubleshooting individual problems. The KD is a nutritional plan that consists of high lipid intake, adequate protein intake, and low-carbohydrate intake. When a KD is first initiated, the subject’s blood glucose levels remain stable. This is because the body is breaking down glycogen, a storage form of glucose. Glycogen is found primarily in the liver and skeletal muscles, where over the course of a 36-48 hour fast, most of the liver’s glycogen is broken down. Of course, individuals may deplete their glycogen stores sooner or later, depending on their metabolic health and body mass index (BMI). When converting to a KD, carbohydrate intake is limited, thus forcing the body to break down glycogen, and eventually, when this glycogen is depleted, the body will convert lipids into a fuel source. The liver’s job at this time is to convert free fatty acids into ketone bodies, which can travel in the bloodstream and provide fuel for cells, including neurons in the brain.
It is well known that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is correlated with the inability of the brain’s neurons to use glucose as a form of fuel, with some people referring to AD as type 3 diabetes mellitus. Glucose travels around in the blood and enters a cell through the glucose transport proteins (GLUT), and certain cells can contain different GLUT subtypes. For example, skeletal muscle cells express GLUT4 while neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) tend to express GLUT3. Once inside the cell, the glucose molecule can be broken down into ATP by glycolysis, and the product, pyruvate, can be converted to acetyl CoA. Acetyl CoA can then enter the citric acid cycle and provide molecular for the electron transport chain and mitochondrial respiration, thus providing many ATP molecules for the cell to use as an energy source. In the case of AD, the initial phase of this process is impaired significantly, so an alternate fuel is required. Since the body usually relies on glucose as a fuel, it rarely produces ketone bodies in the presence of adequate glucose intake or glycogen. The absence of an alternative fuel source for the neurons can cause neuronal death, thus leading to many of the symptoms associated with AD, such as memory loss and cognitive impairment.
While the body does make ketones on a standard diet, while on a KD the brain burns more ketone bodies as fuel, thus possibly alleviating the stress caused by the lack of glucose as in AD. The question then becomes, does a KD improve cognitive function in a healthy person? The term "healthy" here means that the subject is not experiencing cognitive delays and their neurons can still utilize glucose as a primary fuel source. Thus, since neurons have a high affinity for ketones, increasing ketone levels by way of a KD may indirectly increase neuronal nutrition. This increase in the neuron’s fuel source could possibly lead to better synaptic connectivity, reactivity, or growth. Thus, a valid hypothesis may state that a 6-week KD may provide acute cognitive enhancement in a healthy individual.
Methods
A single subject experiment involving a male at the age of 21 years old engaged in a 6-week KD experiment to evaluate the effects on cognition. Prior to this experiment, the patient was eating 2,000 calories a day and was not tracking macro-or micronutrient intake. The patient was engaged in 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per day and weight training for 1 hour, 6 times a week. A work week of 60 hours was consistent both before and during the trial, with Monday through Friday at 9/10 hours a day, and Saturday and Sunday at 6/7 hours a day. Supplementation of multiple compounds stayed consistent both before and during the trial and included the following: vitamin C (2,000 mg), vitamin A (10,000 IU), vitamin D3 (5,000 IU), ferrous gluconate (27 mg), magnesium glycinate (400 mg), L-theanine (500 mg), caffeine (550 mg), L-citrulline (4,000 mg), malate (2,000 mg), creatine monohydrate (5,000 mg), L-taurine (2,000 mg), vitamin K (100 mcg), zinc picolinate (66 mg), and tadalafil (5 mg). All other herbs and drugs were stopped at least 3 weeks prior to baseline recordings.
Diet
Prior to the trial, the patient followed a standard western diet of 2,000 kcals for at least 5 weeks. Baseline calories were measured by weighing foods and logging them using the cronometer app. A 6-week diet model was established using the cronometer app and consisted of 2,000 kcals with a 99% nutritional profile completion rate. The diet can be found in the supplemental materials section. Adherence to the diet will be calculated per calorie so that non-planned calories will be factored into the total caloric calculation at the end of the trial. Diet journaling will also be performed, as well as diet tracking using the cronometer app. Journal entries are required to contain a rating from 1 to 10 on satisfaction, a rating from 1 to 10 on cravings, and a rating from 1 to 10 on the impact of diet on life. All journal entries are found in the supplemental materials section.
Weight
All weights are recorded upon waking before any fluid intake using a MPBeking Scale. A baseline weight on day 0 will be compared to the final weight on day 42. Daily weight recordings will be journaled and graphed to visualize a trend in weight fluctuation. All weight recordings will be provided in the supplemental materials section.
Reaction Time
Reaction time will be recorded using an online reaction test. Both measurements on days 0 and 42 will be conducted 2 hours upon waking with no food intake. The day 0 mean score will be compared to the day 42 score.
IQ Test
A simple intelligence test will be used to evaluate the cognitive fluctuations from the KD. An online intelligence test will be used to determine a given number of correct choices out of 10 and a range of IQ scores. The tests will be performed 3 hours upon waking on days 0 and 42 with no food intake. While these online tests do not accurately assess IQ, nor are IQ tests are useful in a general sense, they have a purpose for this experiment in assessing general cognitive function.
Memory Test
To assess memory changes due to dietary intervention, an online memory test will be performed on days 0 and 42. Both tests will be performed within 1 hour of waking and without any food intake.
Urinary Ketone Levels
Urinary ketones will be measured bidaily upon waking and prior to sleeping using keto mojo test strips. Measurements on days 0 and 42 will be compared to assess the state of ketosis. All remaining measurements will be graphed to assess a visual trend in urinary ketone levels over time.
Other
To assess the quality of life, an online test will be used to compare scores at 0h and 96h. To evaluate sleep quality, an online test will be used to compare scores at 0 and 96 hours. Data from the watch will also be used to track sleeping hours. The data will be graphed to visualize a trend.
The ketogenic diet (KD) has gained notoriety for being a treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy in children. Recently, the KD has been showcased on social media for its impact on weight loss and potential for cognitive enhancement. Understanding what the KD is and how it works is important for adherence and troubleshooting individual problems. The KD is a nutritional plan that consists of high lipid intake, adequate protein intake, and low-carbohydrate intake. When a KD is first initiated, the subject’s blood glucose levels remain stable. This is because the body is breaking down glycogen, a storage form of glucose. Glycogen is found primarily in the liver and skeletal muscles, where over the course of a 36-48 hour fast, most of the liver’s glycogen is broken down. Of course, individuals may deplete their glycogen stores sooner or later, depending on their metabolic health and body mass index (BMI). When converting to a KD, carbohydrate intake is limited, thus forcing the body to break down glycogen, and eventually, when this glycogen is depleted, the body will convert lipids into a fuel source. The liver’s job at this time is to convert free fatty acids into ketone bodies, which can travel in the bloodstream and provide fuel for cells, including neurons in the brain.
It is well known that Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is correlated with the inability of the brain’s neurons to use glucose as a form of fuel, with some people referring to AD as type 3 diabetes mellitus. Glucose travels around in the blood and enters a cell through the glucose transport proteins (GLUT), and certain cells can contain different GLUT subtypes. For example, skeletal muscle cells express GLUT4 while neurons in the central nervous system (CNS) tend to express GLUT3. Once inside the cell, the glucose molecule can be broken down into ATP by glycolysis, and the product, pyruvate, can be converted to acetyl CoA. Acetyl CoA can then enter the citric acid cycle and provide molecular for the electron transport chain and mitochondrial respiration, thus providing many ATP molecules for the cell to use as an energy source. In the case of AD, the initial phase of this process is impaired significantly, so an alternate fuel is required. Since the body usually relies on glucose as a fuel, it rarely produces ketone bodies in the presence of adequate glucose intake or glycogen. The absence of an alternative fuel source for the neurons can cause neuronal death, thus leading to many of the symptoms associated with AD, such as memory loss and cognitive impairment.
While the body does make ketones on a standard diet, while on a KD the brain burns more ketone bodies as fuel, thus possibly alleviating the stress caused by the lack of glucose as in AD. The question then becomes, does a KD improve cognitive function in a healthy person? The term "healthy" here means that the subject is not experiencing cognitive delays and their neurons can still utilize glucose as a primary fuel source. Thus, since neurons have a high affinity for ketones, increasing ketone levels by way of a KD may indirectly increase neuronal nutrition. This increase in the neuron’s fuel source could possibly lead to better synaptic connectivity, reactivity, or growth. Thus, a valid hypothesis may state that a 6-week KD may provide acute cognitive enhancement in a healthy individual.
Methods
A single subject experiment involving a male at the age of 21 years old engaged in a 6-week KD experiment to evaluate the effects on cognition. Prior to this experiment, the patient was eating 2,000 calories a day and was not tracking macro-or micronutrient intake. The patient was engaged in 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise per day and weight training for 1 hour, 6 times a week. A work week of 60 hours was consistent both before and during the trial, with Monday through Friday at 9/10 hours a day, and Saturday and Sunday at 6/7 hours a day. Supplementation of multiple compounds stayed consistent both before and during the trial and included the following: vitamin C (2,000 mg), vitamin A (10,000 IU), vitamin D3 (5,000 IU), ferrous gluconate (27 mg), magnesium glycinate (400 mg), L-theanine (500 mg), caffeine (550 mg), L-citrulline (4,000 mg), malate (2,000 mg), creatine monohydrate (5,000 mg), L-taurine (2,000 mg), vitamin K (100 mcg), zinc picolinate (66 mg), and tadalafil (5 mg). All other herbs and drugs were stopped at least 3 weeks prior to baseline recordings.
Diet
Prior to the trial, the patient followed a standard western diet of 2,000 kcals for at least 5 weeks. Baseline calories were measured by weighing foods and logging them using the cronometer app. A 6-week diet model was established using the cronometer app and consisted of 2,000 kcals with a 99% nutritional profile completion rate. The diet can be found in the supplemental materials section. Adherence to the diet will be calculated per calorie so that non-planned calories will be factored into the total caloric calculation at the end of the trial. Diet journaling will also be performed, as well as diet tracking using the cronometer app. Journal entries are required to contain a rating from 1 to 10 on satisfaction, a rating from 1 to 10 on cravings, and a rating from 1 to 10 on the impact of diet on life. All journal entries are found in the supplemental materials section.
Weight
All weights are recorded upon waking before any fluid intake using a MPBeking Scale. A baseline weight on day 0 will be compared to the final weight on day 42. Daily weight recordings will be journaled and graphed to visualize a trend in weight fluctuation. All weight recordings will be provided in the supplemental materials section.
Reaction Time
Reaction time will be recorded using an online reaction test. Both measurements on days 0 and 42 will be conducted 2 hours upon waking with no food intake. The day 0 mean score will be compared to the day 42 score.
IQ Test
A simple intelligence test will be used to evaluate the cognitive fluctuations from the KD. An online intelligence test will be used to determine a given number of correct choices out of 10 and a range of IQ scores. The tests will be performed 3 hours upon waking on days 0 and 42 with no food intake. While these online tests do not accurately assess IQ, nor are IQ tests are useful in a general sense, they have a purpose for this experiment in assessing general cognitive function.
Memory Test
To assess memory changes due to dietary intervention, an online memory test will be performed on days 0 and 42. Both tests will be performed within 1 hour of waking and without any food intake.
Urinary Ketone Levels
Urinary ketones will be measured bidaily upon waking and prior to sleeping using keto mojo test strips. Measurements on days 0 and 42 will be compared to assess the state of ketosis. All remaining measurements will be graphed to assess a visual trend in urinary ketone levels over time.
Other
To assess the quality of life, an online test will be used to compare scores at 0h and 96h. To evaluate sleep quality, an online test will be used to compare scores at 0 and 96 hours. Data from the watch will also be used to track sleeping hours. The data will be graphed to visualize a trend.
Closing Remarks
The introduction and methods section of this self-experiment manuscript investigating the effects of a KD on cognition are completed. Upon conclusion of the 6-week dietary intervention, the results and discussion section will be written, and the completed manuscript will be published. The completed manuscript will serve as a template for standardizing self-experimentation, thereby improving the ability to optimize our lives.
Meet The Author
Hello everyone,
My name is Joshua Giblin. I am a post-bachelor researcher/research technician at USC. My interests range from nutrition to nanomedicine and also practical science to improve everyday life. Through this blog, I aim to communicate practical scientific research and present it to curious individuals so that an educated decision can be made. Thank you for reading the blog and showing your support.
Editors
A special thanks to the people involved behind the scenes. Without them, these informative and influential posts would not be what they are.
Anna Richardson
Undergraduate
Undergraduate
Molly Giblin
High School Student
