The Limitless stack
Our own software for body and brain, built from what the best paid apps do and what's free on GitHub. Researched 16 Oct 2026.
There's no NZT pill. The closest real thing is a loop: measure everything, change one thing, measure again, keep what works. Paid apps charge $199–699 a year for that loop. We can build our own: about $190 for the blood test, and the software is free.
1 MeasureBlood every 6 months, Fitbit every day, a 3-minute brain test every morning
2 ScoreBiological age, plus each result against its range
3 Pick one changeThe weakest number, from the evidence table below
4 Test it2–4 weeks, one change at a time, same tests
5 Keep or dropThe AI compares before and after and updates the plan
1. The software, layer by layer
Wearable
Fitbit → Google Health API →
google-health-mcp (MIT, updated 8 Oct). Claude can read sleep, HRV, resting heart rate, steps and VO2max directly. The old Fitbit API shuts down this month, so we build on this one.
Blood
The lab PDF → AI pulls out every value with its standard lab code → one private database.
get-based (146★, updated 5 Oct) already does labs + wearables + genes locally. It's the closest thing to the whole stack, so use it as the blueprint.
Bio age
BioAge (194★) calculates the PhenoAge biological age from a normal blood test. It's the headline score Superpower and Function sell.
Extra sauce: add ALP (alkaline phosphatase, about 25k VND) to the Excelab order. It's the one PhenoAge input missing from the list.
Brain
A 3-minute reaction-time test (PVT) every morning, built in
jsPsych. It's the lab-validated test for sleep loss and focus. Our "am I sharp today" number.
DNA
Sequencing.com whole genome (~$399) →
PharmCAT shows how your genes process caffeine and medicines. Optional, one-off.
The AI
Claude with all of the above connected. Each morning: last night's sleep, HRV, reaction time, and the one thing to do today. Every 6 months: blood re-test and a before/after report.
2. What actually works (ranked by evidence)
| Lever | Evidence | What it does |
|---|
| Cardio fitness (VO2max) | Strong | The single strongest link to living longer (122,000-person study). Also a small boost to attention and processing speed. |
| Consistent sleep | Strong | Sleep loss shows up straight away in the reaction test. Same bed and wake time every day. |
| Fix real deficiencies | Strong if low | Vitamin D, B12, iron and folate help only if your blood says you're low. That's why we test first. |
| Creatine 3–5 g/day | Moderate | Memory up a small-to-moderate amount (16 trials). Cheap. Also builds muscle. |
| Caffeine + L-theanine | Moderate | Sharper alertness and attention for a few hours. Short-term only. |
| Bright light in the morning | Moderate | More alert. Easy in Da Nang: outside before 9am. |
| Meditation | Low–moderate | Less anxiety and low mood (47 trials). Focus gains are weaker. |
| Less alcohol | Low–moderate | Better sleep and HRV, which you'll see on the Fitbit the next morning. |
| Lion's mane, racetams, alpha-GPC | Weak / none | No good evidence in healthy people. Skip. |
| Omega-3 for brain | None shown | No cognitive benefit in healthy adults (Cochrane review). |
| Modafinil (the "real NZT") | Prescription | Prescription-only. Doctor decision, not part of this stack. |
3. Blood result → what the AI suggests
| If this is off | First move | Doctor? |
|---|
| Vitamin D low | D3 with food, then re-test | If very low |
| Ferritin low | Iron-rich food first | Yes, before iron tablets |
| B12 borderline / homocysteine high | Follow-up test (MMA), folate | Yes |
| ApoB / LDL high | Diet, cardio, weight | Yes, for anything beyond lifestyle |
| Insulin / HbA1c creeping up | Cardio, strength, less sugar | If in range for diabetes |
| Testosterone low | Sleep, strength training, zinc/vitamin D if low | Yes, always |
The AI shows patterns and options. A doctor reads anything flagged.
4. Stolen from the paid apps
| App | Price | Feature we copy |
|---|
| Superpower | $199/yr | Biological age plus simple scores per area, and an AI to chat with about results |
| Function Health | $365+/yr | Re-test every 6 months and show the trend line |
| Oura Advisor | $99 per blood panel | Blood results shown next to daily sleep and readiness |
| InsideTracker | ~$699 per test | An action plan tied to each off result |
| Levels / Lingo | sensor subscription | Glucose sensor showing which meals spike you. We still need to check whether a Libre sensor can be bought in Vietnam. |
5. Build order
- Fitbit arrives: connect google-health-mcp. Day one, Claude reads your sleep and HRV.
- Blood draw: Excelab 34 tests + ALP + Medlatec extras. PDF → database → biological age.
- Daily: 3-minute reaction test + morning brief from the AI.
- First experiment: creatine 5 g/day for 4 weeks, watching the reaction and memory scores.
- Month 6: re-test blood, before/after report, pick the next change.
Not on GitHub yet, so we build it: a proper "test one supplement on yourself" tool with stats, and a lab-PDF reader. That's the SISO Health edge.