Mark Hyman: How to Set Yourself Up for Quality Longevity

Peak performance doesn’t necessarily set you up for longevity. That line from Dr. Mark Hyman stopped me in my tracks. It’s a truth few in health, fitness, and biohacking like to admit. The same intensity that drives elite performance can, over time, run the systems that sustain it to the ground.

“High performers, including professional athletes, often appear metabolically fit but operate under chronic sympathetic dominance, running their bodies in constant fight-or-flight mode,” said Dr. Hyman. Functional medicine physician and co-founder and chief medical officer of Function Health told Muscle & Fitness that “this cognitive and physical overload drives mitochondrial fatigue, increases oxidative stress, and elevates cortisol, fueling inflammation, hormonal imbalances, and slower tissue repair.”

Many of those changes, including mitochondrial decline and inflammation are among the 12 hallmarks of aging. The paradox of being fit yet physiologically depleted is one Dr. Hyman sees often. He cites that 50–80% of retired athletes experience chronic pain or joint issues, and up to half face long-term health problems after their careers end. “Peak performance doesn’t guarantee long-term well-being,” he highlights again, adding that “addressing this starts with understanding the body’s biochemical profile.”

That understanding is now expanding into the world of elite sport. Earlier this year, Function Health announced a landmark partnership with the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), becoming its official Biomarker Partner. The collaboration gives both active and retired players access to more than 100 advanced lab tests covering heart health, hormones, inflammation, toxins, and more.

“While athletes are often seen as the pinnacle of physical fitness, there’s always an opportunity to enhance their game-day performance and overall well-being,” Dr. Hyman said. “Our partnership with the NBPA is transformative, giving players the tools to perform better, reduce injury, improve recovery, and extend their careers — ensuring they thrive both on and off the court.”

The Aging Toll Of Emotional Stress

In one of his recent videos on Instagram, Dr. Hyman described broken heart syndrome as not just a metaphor, but a real physiological response that can trigger serious health issues. So I had to ask, “Can emotional distress speed up aging?” He says that emotional stress is one of the most overlooked accelerators of biological wear and tear.

“Unresolved trauma may ‘biochemically embed’ itself into the body, reinforcing cycles of inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and accelerated cellular aging,” he explained.

He described how prolonged activation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis elevates cortisol and suppresses DHEA (a hormone tied to balance of testosterone and estrogen), fueling systemic inflammation and oxidative damage. “At the mitochondrial level, that means less efficient energy production and more free radicals,” Dr. Hyman explained. “Those signals can alter gene expression and accelerate biological aging.”

Hence, the goal at Function Health is to make invisible stress visible, and then actionable. Members have access to testing for cortisol, DHEA, thyroid function, sex hormones, and key mental health biomarkers, alongside nutritional assessments for B12, Omega-3s, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, and others. “These insights allow for targeted interventions, including diet, supplementation, hormone therapy, and detoxification, that support resilience, reduce inflammation, optimize mitochondrial function, and ultimately slow the biochemical processes of aging linked to emotional stress,” Dr. Hyman explained.

For Hyman, the future of performance medicine is about integration. Recovery, nutrition, hormones, emotional balance, and even purpose are part of the same biological network. “It’s about moving from information to transformation, helping people not only live longer, but live better, together,” he said.

Meet Dr. Hyman at Eudēmonia

That same integration is the main theme at Eudēmonia, the health and longevity summit returning to West Palm Beach from November 14-16. Dr. Hyman will take the stage alongside 150 thought leaders, innovators and advocates including Andrew Huberman and Halle Berry for both keynote talks and panel discussions.

What makes this gathering stand out, he says, is that it’s an experience centered on connection, purpose, and actionable insight combining cutting-edge diagnostics and data with the wisdom of community and lifestyle. “It bridges the best of science and technology with the human side of health,” Hyman told Muscle & Fitness, echoing his view that longevity depends as much on relationships and recovery as on biomarkers and labs.

Dr. Hyman also said he is looking forward to high-level keynotes and panels as well as investigating how diagnostics and modalities like hyperbaric oxygen therapy, PEMF, and contrast treatments may fit within functional medicine protocols.

Why You Should Care

Whether you train for a competition or your next big life event, longevity is a conversation we can’t ignore. Amidst the noise of performance hacks and wellness trends, Eudēmonia brings together the voices in the industry who are at the cutting-edge of what it means to have a life well-lived.

In a culture that celebrates nonstop output, Dr. Hyman’s call for recovery and downshift feels almost counterintuitive, yet it may exactly be what’s missing. ”Autonomic [nervous system] recovery is critical, including structured rest, sleep optimization, parasympathetic activation through breathwork or low-intensity movement, and nutrition that supports mitochondrial health.”

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