Is Cyprus ready for biohacking?

From cold plunges to longevity clinics: why more Cypriots are giving them a tryCold plunges, sleep tracking, personalised nutrition, high tech therapies. These are all things that were exclusive to professional athletes but tech gurus have become part of a broader shift towards “health optimisation”. This practice falls under the term biohacking and promises better energy, enhanced recovery and long-term wellbeing. However, with the global trend catching on internationally, the question remains: has it reached Cyprus? The term itself has been gaining wider recognition over the past years, thanks to the rise of podcasts and social media personalities, as well as increasing worldwide fascination with longevity. Celebrities, entrepreneurs, and athletes have shared their personal experiences with cold showers, fasting, sleep monitoring and wearable technology. The global longevity industry has expanded rapidly with private clinics, wellness retreats and health tech companies increasingly marketing services aimed not only at treating illness, but at extending ‘health span’. There are indeed early signs that it has reached us. According to Pagoc Health, a Cyprus based company producing cold immersion baths, there has been a significant spike in demand over recent years. Part of the appeal lies in the sense of control these practices appear to offer. In a period increasingly shaped by stress, burnout, and growing awareness around chronic disease, biohacking is often presented as a more proactive approach to health. This has contributed to rising interest not only in performance enhancement but also in sleep quality, stress management, energy levels and healthy ageing. What lies beneath the term ‘biohacking’, however, might be less revolutionary than you might expect. “From a scientific perspective, biohacking can be understood as a proactive effort to optimise biological function through lifestyle, nutrition and emerging technologies,” says bioinformatics and computational biology researcher and CEO of Stremble Ventures Dr Athos Antoniades. He says that at its core, biohacking reflects growing scientific interest in health span and ageing, particularly the importance of prevention, personalisation and understanding how different systems in the body interact. Many of the techniques associated with biohacking have, in fact, been proven scientifically: regular exercise, quality sleep, proper nutrition, and aligned circadian rhythms have all been shown in numerous studies to decrease the chances of developing diseases later in life. “A common misconception is that health optimisation can be achieved through isolated interventions, specific supplements or extreme diets,” Antoniades says. “In reality, biological systems are interdependent, and interventions often have cascading effects.” Moreover, he warns of the dangers posed by trends fuelled by social media where information often lacking proper verification or evidence can become popular very rapidly. “Some interventions are not supported by robust evidence, and in certain cases may disrupt physiological balance rather than improve it,” he says. As interest in health optimisation grows, some clinics in Cyprus are beginning to approach these ideas through a more structured medical framework. “In a clinical context, biohacking is the structured use of data, lifestyle interventions and medical guidance to improve performance, recovery, and long-term health,” says Dinos Xydas, Co-Founder and Chief Medical Officer at Swissmed Health – a clinical longevity and personalised medicine centre in Cyprus. He observes that such services are rising in popularity. “We are seeing growing interest in Cyprus, both from local residents and international clients,” he says, adding that emphasis is moving from spa wellness to energy, prevention and healthy ageing. There is growing demand from people seeking a more proactive and personalised approach to their health, whether through prevention, recovery, performance or healthy ageing. While newer techniques attract all the attention, he reiterates that it is the basics that still matter most. “The most evidence-based practices are often the least glamorous. Sleep optimisation, exercise prescription, nutrition, metabolic health improvement, stress regulation and targeted correction of deficiencies remain the foundations,” says Xydas. He also cautions against highly commercialised approaches marketed as quick fixes. “The most misunderstood areas are those marketed as universal shortcuts,” he says. “A therapy that works for one person may be inappropriate for another.” In terms of medicine, the dangers cannot be overlooked. “The biggest risk is when people self-prescribe based on social media or copy protocols that are not designed for them,” he adds. Although the practice remains relatively niche at this point, Xydas believes Cyprus has the potential to develop further. While Cyprus does not yet have dedicated ‘biohacking’ centres, elements of the movement are increasingly appearing within gyms, recovery spaces and wellness focused services, particularly through practices like cold immersion. “When we started, cold exposure was still a niche concept, mostly associated with athletes,” say the founders of Pagoc Health Phedias Demou and Andreas Chrysochos. “Over the past couple of years, awareness has grown considerably. The conversation has shifted from ‘what is this?’ to ‘how do I get one?’” While athletes were among the earliest adopters, cold immersion is increasingly attracting wellness focused individuals seeking stress relief, recovery and improved sleep. “Recovery after training is the most common entry point,” they note, adding that many individuals also report improved sleep and general resilience. Moreover, they highlight that exposure to cold environments has become more recognised as an aspect of a wider movement towards health optimisation that combines performance, prevention and lifestyle. Ultimately, experts suggest that a lot of what is described as biohacking reflects long-established principles of health applied with great levels of personalisation, tracking and data. And while the trend is only beginning to emerge in Cyprus, the challenge may lie less in finding the next optimisation technique and more in distinguishing between what is evidence based and what is simply well-marketed.