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Guide

The Longevity Stack, Ranked by Evidence

The popular longevity moves ranked by what human evidence actually shows, from strong outcome data down to early lab-marker signals. Graded and cited.

Nearly every row here is observational: large groups watched over time, not people randomly assigned. Fit, regular, non-smoking people differ in many ways, so these are strong links, not proof that one thing caused the other. The one genuinely randomised trial on this list, on rapamycin, missed its main target. That honest signal is the point of this page, not a footnote.

Intervention Human evidenceReal outcomeLarge effectCosts nothing Cost Grade
Cardiorespiratory fitnessTop pick
The strongest link on the list. In a 122,000-person study the least fit had roughly five times the death risk of the most fit, outranking smoking and diabetes. Source
 ✓✓✓✓ Free A
Not smoking
Nothing here beats not smoking. In a 50-year study, quitting by around age 30 avoided almost all of the excess risk. Source
 ✓✓✓✓ Free A
Sleep regularity
Steady sleep and wake times tracked lower death risk, and predicted it better than how long people slept. Source
 ✓✓✓✓ Free A
Strength training
Clearly linked to lower mortality, but the certainty is low and the benefit flattens after about an hour a week. Source
 ✓✓~✓ Free B
Supplement stacks
One good trial nudged a lab measure of biological age by a few months. The authors say they do not yet know what that predicts. Source
 ✓✕✕✕ $$ C
Longevity drugs
The most studied option, rapamycin, missed its main target in its first year-long human trial. Informational only, not a recommendation. Source
 ✓✕✕✕ Rx C
✓ meets it~ partial✕ falls short

Everyone wants the longevity protocol, and most of the attention goes to the expensive end: supplements, biological-age tests, off-label drugs. But the strongest human evidence sits on the cheap, boring end. This page ranks the popular longevity moves by what the research in people actually shows, from strong outcome data to early lab-marker signals. You do not need 27 supplements. You need the first few, done consistently. This page is educational and not medical advice, and decisions about any medication or major change belong with your doctor.

What matters most for longevity?▾
In the human data, cardiorespiratory fitness carries the strongest and most consistent link to living longer, ahead of any supplement or drug. In a 122,000-person study the least fit had about five times the death risk of the most fit.
Do longevity supplements work?▾
The best current trial moved a lab measure of biological ageing by a few months over three years, and its own authors say the real-world meaning is unknown. That is a promising early signal, not proof of a longer life, which is why supplements sit in the lowest tier here.
Is rapamycin proven for longevity in humans?▾
No. The first year-long randomised human trial, PEARL, missed its main target. It is a prescription drug studied off-label. This page is informational and not medical advice; decisions about any medication belong with your doctor.
How much exercise do I actually need?▾
For the mortality benefit, the strength-training curve flattens after roughly an hour a week, and any regular activity beats none. More is not automatically better.
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