WHOOP: Tips & Tricks For Unlocking Human Performance

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Hey Friends,

I believe that as education and technology continue to ascend, all humans will eventually demand a deeper understanding of their bodies through analytics.

It’s already happening to a degree. I started wearing a WHOOP several years ago, and people almost always asked me what it was or why I was wearing it.

But today, WHOOP is valued at more than $4 billion. Many of the world’s best athletes (Patrick Mahomes, Rory McIlroy, and others) wear it 24/7 to optimize the way they recover, train, and sleep, and hardly anyone stops me anymore with confusion.

So for today’s newsletter, I’ve asked WHOOP CEO Will Ahmed to break down some of the top tips and tricks that he has seen over the years to enhance sleep & recovery.

If you want more information on WHOOP, I wrote about the company and released a podcast with Will last year — both were extremely popular, and I recommend checking them out.

Otherwise, let’s get right to it. Enjoy!

The mission at WHOOP has always been to unlock human performance. We believe every individual has an inner potential that you can tap into if you can better understand your body and your behaviors. We’ve built the technology across hardware, software, and analytics to be designed to continuously understand you.

I got into this space because I was always into sports and exercise myself. So many people overtrain, undertrain, and don’t necessarily understand the importance of recovery or sleep. I was certainly one of them.

I used to overtrain almost every season, which is the ultimate betrayal. You’re putting so much effort into getting fitter and stronger, and then you fall off a cliff because you’ve just pushed your body well past what it’s capable of. So I got very interested in what I could measure about my body to prevent me from doing that.

Our members have shown the ability to make demonstrable changes in their lives with the new data they have access to. Here are some of the top tips and tricks for people looking to improve their sleep and recovery:

Tips For Sleep

1. Sleep Consistency - We all know that the amount of sleep you get is important but going to bed and waking up at the same time will help improve the quality of your sleep. Throughout all our research we’ve seen improvement in both quantity and quality of sleep when members prioritize sleep consistency.

2. Sleep in a cool room – Ideally 68 degrees or less. Your body temperature will need to drop before falling asleep, and bringing down the temperature in the bedroom will help to expedite that process. Alternatively, being hot and sweaty is also terrible for sleep.

3. Avoid afternoon caffeine – Many people realize that an after-dinner coffee will keep them up at night, but the sleep-inhibiting effects of caffeine can actually linger in your system for 4 hours or more.

Tips For Recovery

1. Good Nutrition at the Right Times - It’s no surprise that a healthy, balanced diet will help improve your recovery but we’ve also seen that additionally, not eating close to bedtime (within 3-4 hours) will improve the quality of your sleep by allowing your body to focus on other restorative processes instead of digestion.

2. Properly Hydrating - The more liquid you have in your system the easier it is for blood to circulate and deliver oxygen and nutrients to your body. Drinking close to an ounce of water per each pound that you weigh is a good daily goal. When WHOOP members log that they are sufficiently hydrated their HRV increases.

3. Don’t Drink Alcohol (or limit the amount you consume) - We’ve found that when WHOOP members report consuming alcohol, their HRV drops by an average of 22 milliseconds the next day. Additionally, our research has discovered that the lingering effects of alcohol in your system may continue to suppress your heart rate variability for 4-5 days.

The beauty of WHOOP is that it’s completely personalized to your body so what might impact someone negatively might not impact your data in the same way. The only way to know is to start collecting data for yourself.

Thanks to all new hardware and software updates, we’ve made that collection even easier. With the new WHOOP 4.0, we’ve dramatically improved the overall technology. WHOOP 4.0 now has additional sensing for heart rate monitoring, pulse oximetry, skin connectivity, skin temperature, and respiratory rate. The product is 33% smaller, while still boasting a five-day battery life - plus now it can be worn throughout the body.

I became fascinated with the human body and the impact my everyday choices can have on it. I hope you feel the same and start to experiment with how to become your best self.

If you want to try WHOOP for yourself, they are a long-term partner of mine and have offered all Huddle Up readers 15% off their order. Just go to WHOOP.com and use code “JOE” at checkout — I’ve been wearing one for 3-4 years, and I think you’ll love it.

I hope everyone has a great day. We’ll talk tomorrow.

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