Protocol comparison

Blueprint vs. the field: How do the major longevity protocols compare?

Bryan Johnson's Blueprint is the most documented, but it's not the only serious longevity framework. Here's how it stacks up against Peter Attia's approach, Andrew Huberman's supplement stack, and David Sinclair's protocol — scored by evidence.

Bryan Johnson
Blueprint

4.1/5
Evidence Score
35+ interventions. Most documented public protocol. Strong foundation, speculative edges. Heavy measurement emphasis.

Peter Attia
Outlive Framework

4.4/5
Evidence Score
Exercise-first, fewer supplements, conservative on unproven interventions. Strongest emphasis on VO₂max and strength. Most evidence-conservative public voice.

Andrew Huberman
Supplement Stack

3.2/5
Evidence Score
Neuroscience-heavy. Many supplements with moderate evidence. Strong on sleep and light exposure protocols. Weaker on longevity-specific endpoints.

David Sinclair
NAD+ Protocol

3.0/5
Evidence Score
NMN/resveratrol-centered. Strong mechanistic narrative. Weaker on definitive human outcome data. Most commercially invested of the four.
Intervention overlap and evidence gaps
Intervention Blueprint Attia Huberman Sinclair Evidence
Exercise
Zone 2 cardio✓ (primary)High
Strength training✓ (primary)High
VO₂max focus✓ (central thesis)High
Flexibility/mobilityModerate
Diet & Fasting
Caloric restriction✓ (~1,977 cal)Careful (not dogmatic)✓ (advocates)High
Plant-heavy diet✓ (near-vegan)Moderate (flexible)High
EVOO heavy useHigh
Time-restricted eatingCautiousModerate
Supplements & Compounds
RapamycinInterested, cautiousHigh (animal)
MetforminSometimes (varies)High
NMN / NRSkeptical✓ (NMN)✓ (central)Moderate
Resveratrol✓ (central)Weak
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA)High
Vitamin D3High
CreatineHigh
AshwagandhaModerate
AG1 / greens powder✓ (sponsor)Weak
Sleep & Recovery
Strict sleep schedule✓ (8:30pm)✓ (primary)High
Cool sleeping tempHigh
Morning light exposure✓ (primary)Moderate
Advanced / Speculative
Biomarker tracking✓ (100+ markers)✓ (extensive)SomeSomeHigh
Blood plasma exchangeWeak
Red light therapyMixed
What the comparison reveals

The foundation is the same. Every serious longevity framework converges on exercise, sleep, and basic nutritional quality. The disagreements are at the edges — supplements, fasting protocols, and speculative interventions. If you took only the interventions where all four agree, you'd already have a strong evidence-based protocol.

Attia is the most evidence-conservative. His framework emphasizes the interventions with the deepest human outcome data (exercise, sleep, metabolic health) and is notably cautious about supplements without strong RCT evidence. If evidence-grade matters most to you, Attia's framework scores highest because it takes fewer speculative swings.

Blueprint is the most comprehensive. Johnson tests more interventions, measures more biomarkers, and publishes more data than anyone else. The tradeoff is that comprehensive means speculative edges (plasma exchange, collagen) drag the average evidence score down. But the measurement system itself is valuable — it makes Blueprint adaptive in a way the others aren't.

Huberman is neuroscience-first, longevity-second. His stack is optimized for cognitive performance, stress resilience, and sleep — with longevity as a secondary benefit. Many of his supplement recommendations have moderate evidence for their stated purpose (focus, cortisol, sleep quality) but weaker evidence for lifespan extension specifically.

Sinclair's protocol has the weakest human longevity evidence. The NMN + resveratrol core has strong mechanistic rationale and impressive animal data, but the human outcome evidence is thinner than the other three frameworks. Sinclair's commercial relationships with the supplement industry also create conflict-of-interest concerns that the others largely avoid.

The real insight: No single protocol "wins." The smartest approach is to build from the shared foundation (exercise, sleep, diet quality, key supplements with strong evidence) and then make deliberate, evidence-graded choices about what speculative layers to add. That's exactly what the audit tool is built to help with.

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