you might have one of the most underrated baseline performance optimizers in your medicine cabinet right now.
aspirin.
a few cents per dose, and it's doing things that many $$$$ supplements foolishly try (and fail) to emulate.
dr. ray peat spent decades on this. here's what he found.
but let's get this out of the way; it's not a pain drug. it's a metabolic drug.
aspirin stimulates mitochondrial respiration; the process by which your cells actually generate energy.
it activates both glycolysis and mitochondrial function simultaneously, shifting your metabolism toward efficient oxygen use.
this mirrors the actions of thyroid hormone.
it's pro-thermogenic. it counters the hypothermic, low-energy state that chronic stress, aging and modern life push you into.
the anti-fever reputation is misleading.
aspirin doesn't suppress metabolism; it enhances mitochondrial oxygen consumption while reducing pathological inflammation.
those are 2 different things.
and the anti-inflammatory picture goes deeper than most people think.
looksmaxxers, lock in.
by inhibiting COX enzymes, aspirin lowers prostaglandins and free fatty acid release; two of the primary drivers of puffiness, water retention, and tissue breakdown.
it protects against lipid peroxidation, guards DNA and proteins from free radical damage, AND it reduces oxidative stress linked to heart disease and neurodegeneration.
it's also anti-estrogenic.
it blunts aromatase activity and has mild anti-prolactin effects. it lowers cortisol's visible impact on tissue.
for anyone thinking about their hormonal environment, aspirin could quietly tilt it toward regeneration.
epidemiological data consistently shows reduced risk of breast, colon, and prostate cancer with regular low-dose use.
it inhibits abnormal cell division while leaving normal cellular growth intact.
neurologically, it enhances mitochondrial energy production in the brain, protects against excitotoxicity, and inhibits prostaglandin synthesis linked to neuroinflammation and wakefulness.
peat specifically noted its potential as a safeguard against alzheimer's progression.
taken at bedtime, it can improve sleep quality by reducing inflammatory prostaglandins that drive age-related insomnia.
for bone health: aspirin improves calcium retention while preventing arterial calcification. supporting bone density and vascular integrity simultaneously.
how to actually use it; the peat protocol
dose: 325 mg (one regular aspirin) daily is a solid starting point. take with food and/ or caffeine (ideally black coffee).
some go daily at lower doses (100-200 mg), and some go higher and dose every 4-6 hours.
dr. peat himself used it regularly but not at high doses chronically.
timing: with food. bedtime dosing has specific advantages for sleep and overnight inflammation reduction. morning dosing favors the metabolic and energy benefits throughout the day. experiment with both, but don't take on empty stomach.
cycling: aspirin doesn't require strict cycling but taking 1-2 days off per week is sensible for long-term use.
it's not a compound that demands a full on/off protocol.
aspirin is not something you take in isolation - ideally, you need some friends:
vitamin k2: aspirin affects clotting factors. k2 keeps calcium in bones and out of arteries. always stack these.
magnesium: supports the metabolic and mitochondrial effects. also protective on the GI tract.
gelatine / glycine: supports collagen integrity that aspirin is protecting. synergistic for skin and connective tissue.
bioflavonoids: vitamin c with bioflavonoids amplifies aspirin's antioxidant and chemopreventive effects. peat often paired them.
fruit / orange juice: peat's framework emphasizes adequate sugar alongside aspirin for the metabolic boost to actually land. fructose supports liver glycogen and thyroid conversion.
the looksmaxxers angle -
- lower prostaglandins = less puffiness, less water retention, better vascular tone.
- lower cortisol impact = less skin thinning, less inflammation visible in the face. collagen protection + reduced oxidative stress = structural integrity over time.
the cheapest looksmaxxing protocol that exists is aspirin + vitamin k + magnesium + adequate fruit.
lowered inflammation, improved metabolic rate and efficient use of carbs are all in line with performance. this is baseline enhancement.
aspirinmaxxing.
P.S. it's highly synchronistic with tadalafil and meldonium. just keep your blood pressure in check. meldonium + aspirin are used together clinically in eastern europe for cardiac ischemia, and a 2019 study by Bayraktar & Albayrak has shown that combining low-dose aspirin with tadalafil is significantly more effective for vascular health (read your dick) than either alone.
studies:
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PM...
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31230261...
