The Ultimate Influencer: Gary Brecka 

Gary Brecka ’94  is one sought-after human.

Trying to schedule an interview with the Frostburg State University alum turned human biologist turned biohacker turned social media megastar was a task worthy of an iron-man work-out. But it’s no wonder.

Brecka’s fame as a “longevity guru” has exploded over the past three years to 3M followers on Instagram, over 1M subscribers on YouTube and 250K on Facebook. He has become a top health advisor to A-list celebrities including podcaster Joe Rogan, actor Mark Wahlberg, singer Jelly Roll and he can even be seen in an episode of  The Kardashians administering IV drips to Kendall Jenner and Hailey (Mrs. Justin) Bieber.

His platform – The Ultimate Human – is the launching pad for Brecka’s health and wellness brand which includes podcasts, virtual workshops, newsletters and links to order supplements, genetic testing, powders, tablets, clothing, cold plunge tubs, hydro-baric chambers, organic mattresses and more.

Being such a high-profile and vocal critic of America’s poor health habits doesn’t come without its backlash and critics. And now Brecka has been thrust into the national spotlight as Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., tapped him to co-chair the MAHA (Make America Healthy Again) movement, to reform the American healthcare system. He has been criticized on everything from his credentials to his business sense and even his personal character.

“They can't attack my message, so they have to attack the messenger,” Brecka said over a Zoom call from his offices in Miami, Fla., wearing his signature, skin-tight black t-shirt with the words “Ultimate Human” stamped across his chest.

Seeing Brecka now in his “ultimate” glory is a far cry from the tall, lanky boy who grew up on a tobacco farm in Lothian, Md., in the southern part of the state. When it came time to choose a college, Brecka, uninterested in larger schools, looked to Frostburg to study biology.

“Frostburg gave me a great foundation in the sciences. I had some amazing professors,” he said.

A photo in a 1993 edition of  The Bottom Line campus newspaper when Brecka ran for Homecoming king lists his co-curricular activities as intramural sports, Delta Chi Fraternity (Greek Man of the Year), sexual harassment committee and president of the Interfraternity Council. He may have lost the Homecoming king bid but gained much more from his FSU days – including lifelong friends that he still gets together with to this day.

“Frostburg fostered such a sense of community and connection,” he said. “By the time you graduate there, you know the administration, you know your teachers, you are family with your friend group.”

Brecka compared life at Frostburg to his Blue Zone studies – in which he identifies regions with individuals who live past 100 years old. While there is no continuity between the regions’ diets, all regions do possess similar community values.

“Those three things – connection, community, sense of purpose – I got all of those from Frostburg,” he said. “I would put my college experience up against the college experience of any Division I school. Bigger is not necessarily better.”

“I was just fascinated by the human body -- its form, its function and how to optimize it.”

Brecka took his knowledge and skills and applied them to mortality-modeling in the insurance industry. Based on medical records and demographic data, Brecka could predict an individual’s lifespan to the year and month. He performed this niche skill for 20 years before he realized he could help people by shifting his focus from dying to living. Brecka recalled his “aha moment.”

Brecka, a biology major, was heavily involved in Greek Life and intramural sports during his days at Frostburg.

“I had all this knowledge. I read medical records for a living. Patterns start to emerge. People get on systemic medications and never get off them,” he said. “I realized I did not want to spend the rest of my life predicting death. I wanted to spend the rest of my life helping people live healthy, happy, long, fulfilling lives.”

When Brecka left his community in Frostburg with his biology degree in hand, he headed to the National College of Chiropractic and received a degree in human biology to get a deeper understanding of physiology.

Brecka then co-founded 10X Health System, a company that focused on health optimization through personalized data, and started securing big-name clients including Dana White, CEO and president of UFC. White credits Brecka with increasing his life expectancy from 10 to 37 years. Other high-profile clients followed, and the company (and Brecka’s reputation) soared. He separated from 10X Health after a public dispute with his partners and founded Ultimate Human.

But success doesn’t come without controversy and naysayers. Critics continually attack Brecka’s self-proclaimed “biohacker” status with his FSU biology degree often caught in the crossfire.

Over Zoom, Brecka held up a printed copy of a recent “hit piece” and confirmed that Frostburg was mentioned in the article as they questioned the authenticity of his degrees. Brecka then reached off-camera and brought two framed diplomas -- including his Frostburg degree -- into view of the screen. “Look, they’re on paper,” he joked, rolling with the punches.  

“When I joined the MAHA movement, the hate came in droves. I don’t care. My father used to say, ‘If you don’t’ stand for something, you stand for nothing.’ I will drive my stake in the ground on that.”

Brecka cited that 74 percent of military-aged adults don’t qualify for military service because of poor metabolic health and 42 percent of America’s children wrestle with chronic diseases.

“The United States is the number one spender on healthcare worldwide. We are the sickest, fattest, most disease-ridden nation in the world,” he insisted. “The system is broken.”

While his work with RFK, Jr., to “flip the food pyramid on its head” and “stop the war on saturated fats and proteins” has been met by critics, Brecka insists the MAHA initiative isn’t partisan.

“I consider it an apolitical movement. It’s not a Democrat or Republican movement. It’s not a progressive, liberal or conservative movement. This is a humanitarian movement.”

And Brecka’s Ultimate Human train is moving full steam ahead. He’s now partner in 23 operating companies in the health and wellness space with plans to open over 600 “longevity centers” world-wide with motivational speaker Tony Robbins. Brecka’s children have also gotten “the bug for health and wellness” and are now involved in the business developing chemical-free skincare/active wear and hydrogen tabs.

“Now the Ultimate Human is the largest media platform in the world for wellness and longevity.”

Despite the white-hot media spotlight and his top-selling products, Brecka said he can simplify his overall message of wellness and longevity to his followers.

“I realized that the foundation of a long, healthy, happy life was good sleep, a whole food diet and exercise. And then you could layer on top of that -- a sense of community and a sense of connection,” he said, giving a quick nod to his alma mater. “Which is why I think the foundation of Frostburg was so important.”  🐾

Follow Gary Brecka: @garybrecka / @theultimatehuman / @ultimatehumanpod.