Michael Brandt has spent years at the intersection of nutrition science and high performance, building HVMN and its flagship product Ketone-IQ into one of the most talked-about names in the biohacking space. When Michael Brandt joined Sean Kelly on the Digital Social Hour, the conversation went well beyond supplement marketing — it became a wide-ranging exploration of how the body and brain can be fueled at a fundamentally different level.
Equal parts science briefing and entrepreneurial story, the episode traces Ketone-IQ's journey from a niche research concept to a product used by military units, professional athletes, and everyday people looking for a cleaner source of energy and focus.
About Michael Brandt
Michael Brandt is the co-founder of HVMN, the health-optimization company behind Ketone-IQ — a ketone ester supplement designed to deliver on-demand metabolic fuel without relying on caffeine or sugar. His work draws on research originally developed for special operations soldiers and elite endurance athletes, and he has dedicated his career to making those performance tools accessible to a broader audience.
Beyond the product itself, Brandt is a vocal voice in the biohacking and longevity communities, exploring how targeted nutrition can influence not just athletic output but brain health, cognitive resilience, and long-term wellbeing. His perspective bridges rigorous science and practical application in a space that can easily drift toward hype.
What Michael Brandt and Sean Kelly Talked About
- How ketones provide an alternative metabolic fuel source for both the brain and the body
- Michael Brandt's explanation of how Ketone-IQ works and why the formulation matters
- The limitations of caffeine as a daily energy strategy and what ketones offer differently
- How military units and professional athletes have incorporated ketone supplementation into their routines
- The science behind ketones and brain health, including potential applications for concussion recovery
- Why the energy drink market may be on the verge of a meaningful shift toward cleaner alternatives
- What Brandt's personal experience with extended fasting revealed about metabolism and energy
- His outlook on where ketone science and biohacking are headed over the next decade
Why This Conversation Matters
At a moment when the performance nutrition market is crowded with stimulant-heavy products, Michael Brandt offers a scientifically grounded counternarrative. This episode is worth watching for anyone curious about how emerging research on metabolic fuels translates into real-world performance — and how one entrepreneur built a company around that idea before the mainstream caught on.
▶ Watch the full episode on YouTube
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About Sean Kelly & the Digital Social Hour
Sean Kelly is an entrepreneur and the host of the Digital Social Hour, one of the fastest-growing interview podcasts in the world, where he sits down with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and cultural voices for candid, long-form conversations. The show draws over 100 million views a month across platforms. Explore more guest features on SeanKelly.io.
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