On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by author Christine Yu. Christine is an award-winning journalist focusing on the intersection of sports science and women athletes. Christine is here to discuss her new book UP to SPEED: The Groundbreaking Science of Women Athletes and the state of women’s health and wellness in today’s society. Kristen and Christine will discuss Christine’s journalism career (2:55), the biggest inequities in h...
Jun 21, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 227
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by WNBA star Lexie Hull. Before Lexie was selected 6th overall in the WNBA draft by the Indiana Fever, she was a collegiate standout and 2021 National Champion at Stanford. During her collegiate career, she was a three-time All Pac-12 selection, and most recently, Lexie was named Defensive Player of the Year for Athletes Unlimited’s 2023 Basketball season. Kristen and Lexie will discuss Athlete...
Jun 14, 2023•50 min•Season 1Ep. 226
On this week’s episode, WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by Matt Mullenweg the founder and developer of WordPress, the web platform powering over 40% of the sites on the internet. As the founder and CEO of Automattic, Matt is working to democratize publishing and commerce. Automattic is structured like a holding company, currently valued at over $7.5 billion, and is behind brands like WordPress.com, Tumblr, WooCommerce, Jetpack, Longreads and more. Will and Matt discuss how Matt starte...
Jun 07, 2023•48 min•Season 1Ep. 225
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by health expert Dr. Gabrielle Lyon. Dr. Lyon is the founder of the Institute for Muscle-Centric Medicine and is a nationally recognized speaker and media contributor specializing in brain and thyroid health, lean body mass support, and longevity. Kristen and Dr. Lyon will discuss a patient’s story that unlocked Dr. Lyon’s research (3:15), where things start to go wrong for people’s health (6:3...
May 31, 2023•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 224
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by former U.S. Navy SEAL officer Mike Sarraille. After 20 years of service, including 10 combat deployments, Mike began to focus his energy on leadership and human performance. He was a member of the Triple 7 Expedition which was a record-breaking skydiving journey that completed 7 skydives across 7 continents in 7 days. Kristen and Mike will discuss Mike’s time in the service and the transitio...
May 24, 2023•1 hr 10 min•Season 1Ep. 223
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by author and endurance coach Paul Laursen. Paul is the Co-Founder and CEO of HIIT Science, the Co-Founder and Head of Product for Athletica, and co-host of the Training Science Podcast. Not only has he published over 150 scientific manuscripts and had his work cited more than 15,00 times, but he’s also competed in 17 Ironman triathlons. Kristen and Paul will discuss how Paul got started traini...
May 17, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 222
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by author James Nestor. James is an international bestselling author and journalist known for his book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art. Breath has sold over 2 million copies worldwide, was translated into 35 languages, and was an instant bestseller in the New York Times. Kristen and James will discuss the research that inspired the work for Breath (3:20), how breathing is linked to perfor...
May 10, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 221
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Guy Winch. The licensed psychologist and author is a relationship and emotional health expert with one of the industry's most highly regarded TED Talks. His TED Talks have been viewed over 30 million times and his books have been published in 28 different languages. Kristen and Dr. Guy will discuss how Guy began studying emotional health (3:15), the approach and skills involved with emot...
May 03, 2023•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 220
This week’s episode is all about the newest feature on WHOOP, Strength Trainer. WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by WHOOP Chief Technology Officer Jaime Waydo to give an in-depth look at the science behind the new feature that tracks exercises, reps, and weight to calculate the load you put on your musculoskeletal system. With Strength Trainer, that muscular load is now going to be factored into your overall strain, giving you a more comprehensive view of the demands you place on your ...
Apr 26, 2023•32 min•Season 1Ep. 219
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by WHOOP Senior Sport Scientist Chris Chapman. Chris is also the Lead Strength & Conditioning Coach of the Big Air / Slopestyle Team for Freestyle Ski Canada. Kristen and Chris discuss how Chris got into Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and how he applies it to training (3:40), how to assess training readiness in athletes (7:35), components of a strength training program (12:30), what is HRV an...
Apr 19, 2023•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 218
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Andy Galpin. Dr. Galpin is a professor of kinesiology at California State University, Fullerton and an expert in exercise science. He is also the Director of the Center for Sport Performance at CSU Fullerton where he conducts kinesiology and human performance research. Dr. Galpin and Kristen will discuss how to Dr. Galpin describes strength training (3:00), getting started on a program (5:45), neural adaptati...
Apr 12, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 217
On this week’s episode, WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by ultramarathoner and data scientist John Kelly. John is fresh off his completion of one of the most grueling endurance races in the world, the Barkley Marathons. He has won numerous endurance races, competed in multiple Ironmans and triathlons, holds a Guinness World Record, and a PhD from Carnegie Mellon focused on brain-computer interfaces. Will and John discuss how John got into ultramarathons and endurance competitions (3:5...
Apr 05, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 216
On this week’s podcast, WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by WHOOP Chief Technology Officer Jaime Waydo to dive deep into the new Stress Monitor feature. Stress Monitor measures your stress levels in real time and helps you manage them with scientifically-backed breathing interventions developed in partnership with Dr. Andrew Huberman. Jaime is a product and technology executive with over 20 years of experience leading companies including Alphabet, Apple, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Labor...
Mar 29, 2023•45 min•Season 1Ep. 215
On this week’s podcast, WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by sports medicine expert Dr. Kate Ackerman. Dr. Ackerman is the Founder and Director of the Wu Tsai Female Athlete Program Boston Children’s Hospital and Biennial International Female Athlete Conference and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School. The sports medicine expert focuses her research on female athlete health and is currently the chair of the US Rowing medical commi...
Mar 22, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 214
This week WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Principal Scientist, Kristen Holmes is joined by Dr. Allison Brager. She is a neurobiologist with expertise in sleep and circadian rhythms who works to examine the mind and body’s resilience to extreme environmental stress. She serves as a member of the WHOOP Scientific Advisory Council and wrote a popular science book entitled Meathead: Unraveling the Athletic Brain . Kristen and Dr. Brager will discuss the NCAA handbook and sleep trends for NCAA stude...
Mar 15, 2023•55 min•Season 1Ep. 213
This week WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist Dr. Stacy Sims. Dr. Sims is a leader in the women’s health space who has directed research programs at Stanford, AUT University, and the University of Waikato, focusing on female athlete health and performance and is pushing the dogma to improve research on all women. Kristen and Dr. Sims will discuss the differences in strength between men and women (5:10), how coaches and parents...
Mar 08, 2023•51 min•Season 1Ep. 212
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by OB/GYN and women’s health expert Dr. Jessica Shepherd. She is the Chief Medical Officer for Verywell Health. She is the founder and CEO of Sanctum Med + Wellness, a wellness concierge practice. Dr. Shepherd is also a member of the WHOOP Scientific Advisory Council and is also the founder of Her Viewpoint, an online women's health forum that focuses on addressing taboo topics in a comfortable setting. Kristen and ...
Mar 01, 2023•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 211
On this week’s episode, our VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by health expert Dr. Kyle Gillett. Dr. Gillett is a dual board-certified physician in family medicine and obesity medicine and an expert in optimizing hormone levels to improve overall health. He leads the Gillett Health clinic where he preaches a holistic approach to health and believes each person requires precise attention to their body, mind, and soul to achieve optimal health. Kristen and Kyle will discuss Dr. Gi...
Feb 22, 2023•58 min•Season 1Ep. 210
On this week’s episode WHOOP Founder and CEO Will Ahmed is joined by Bryan Johnson, entrepreneur, venture capitalist, writer, author, and the Founder and CEO of Kernel. Through his research, Bryan has become obsessed with slowing down the pace of aging. He has personally been following a daily regimen to increase his endurance, optimize his heart health, and even improve his skin – all in an effort to reverse aging. Bryan and Will discuss why Bryan is passionate about health and wellness (4:25),...
Feb 16, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 209
On this week’s episode, Founder and CEO of WHOOP Will Ahmed is joined by training expert Bobby Stroupe. Bobby is the CEO and Founder of Athlete Performance Enhancement Center (APEC) and is the trainer of Super Bowl Champion Patrick Mahomes. Coach Stroupe and his team have worked with and supported over 300 professional athletes across 6 different sports including World Series Champions, Super Bowl Champions, and first-round picks in both the NFL and MLB. Ahead of this weekend’s Super Bowl, Will ...
Feb 08, 2023•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 208
This week’s episode focuses on the recovery benefits of cold therapy and cold plunges. Winter swimming expert and best-selling author Dr. Susanna Søberg joins WHOOP VP of Performance Science, Kristen Holmes, for a discussion around one of the top growing recovery behaviors. She has a Ph.D. in metabolism, is the founder of the “Søberg Institute,” and is the leading mind behind the #SøbergPrinciple. Susanna and Kristen will discuss what happens to the skin during cold exposure (4:00), how to best ...
Feb 01, 2023•1 hr 12 min•Season 1Ep. 207
This week’s episode is all about nutrition and learning how to create a diet plan that works for your body. WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by Co-Founder and CEO of Whole30, Melissa Urban. Melissa is a recovered addict, nutritionist, and a seven-time New York Times bestselling author who realized she needed to change her habits and her life in order to maintain her recovery – which caused her to examine her relationship with food and its impacts on her body. The two will...
Jan 25, 2023•57 min•Season 1Ep. 206
We’re at the mid-way point of January and this week’s episode is a compilation of tips and tricks to stick to your goals. It takes 21 days for a new behavior to become a habit so we have 21 minutes of insight and expertise on how you can set yourself up for success and achieve your January Jumpstart resolutions. WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes sets the stage by explaining the Goldilocks Rule (0:51), author and endurance athlete Rich Roll explains the importance of taking a leap of...
Jan 18, 2023•21 min•Season 1Ep. 205
On this week’s episode, WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by Sharecare Chief Medical Officer Dr. Jud Brewer. Dr. Jud shares his insight on psychology and neuroscience to discuss the difference between anxiety and stress (4:03), what our mind is doing in a moment of anxiousness (6:02), how to approach habit change and habit loops (12:40), becoming aware of your habit loops (15:29), finding a way to be okay with our own thoughts and stresses (19:36), vices that cause worryin...
Jan 11, 2023•56 min•Season 1Ep. 204
We are kicking off the new year with a show that will help you get a jump start on your resolutions. Our VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by behavioral scientist and WHOOP Scientific Advisory Council member Dr. Gina Merchant to share her insights on behavioral change. Dr. Merchant and Kristen discuss creating the framework for change (3:18), intrinsic and extrinsic motivations (7:38), how core values can impact changing habits (11:08), the science behind behavior change (16:08)...
Jan 04, 2023•1 hr•Season 1Ep. 203
During 2022 we spoke to Olympic champions, Hall of Fame athletes, and leading experts in various fields of research and human performance – and this week, we’re sharing our favorite conversations. It’s an episode that’s equal parts education and inspiration. Throughout our Best Of episode, you’ll hear from Emily Capodilupo on alcohol’s effect on the body (2:41), Andy Blow on hydrating to prepare for a night of drinking (5:55), Dr. Hazel Wallace on creating better nutritional habits (8:48), Dr. M...
Dec 21, 2022•47 min•Season 1Ep. 202
On this week’s episode, Emily Capodilupo SVP of Data Science and Research at WHOOP joins the show to take a deep dive into the year that was 2022. Will and Emily will unpack 2022’s top trends, behaviors, and activities across the WHOOP Community. They’ll discuss sleep trends throughout the WHOOP community (2:05), the cities that slept the most and the least (8:10), nap statistics within the WHOOP community (9:50), the recovery trends from 2022 (10:45), the top positive and negative behaviors aff...
Dec 14, 2022•52 min•Season 1Ep. 201
This week’s episode is all about unlocking the exercises to improve long-term cognitive function and brain health. WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by neuroscientist Dr. Tommy Wood to discuss his background in neuroscience and pediatrics (2:50), the mind-body connection (4:38), the framework for optimal brain health (6:40), the importance of committing to sleep (10:58), how nutrients affect overall brain health (16:00), the effect of creatine and creatinine (20:15), how g...
Dec 07, 2022•51 min•Season 1Ep. 200
This week, we are diving deep into the science behind circadian rhythms and shift work. WHOOP VP of Performance Science Kristen Holmes is joined by sleep expert Dr. Greg Potter. Dr. Potter is here to shed light on the secrets of regulating circadian rhythms and his research around sleep, nutrition, and metabolism. Kristen and Dr. Potter discuss the risks of shift work on the body (3:50), the optimal timing for employers to schedule shift work employees (8:55), the process of sleep homeostasis (1...
Nov 30, 2022•59 min•Season 1Ep. 199
This week Kristen Holmes, VP of Performance Science at WHOOP, is joined by author and nutritionist Dr. Hazel Wallace for a conversation around a holistic approach to nutrition and women’s health. The two discuss Dr. Wallace’s latest book The Female Factor (1:43), nutrition’s impact on health (4:09), the biggest misconception around nutrition (6:42), how to start creating better nutritional habits (8:44), the potential risks of disease and poor nutrition habits (10:59), how to manage cholesterol ...
Nov 16, 2022•54 min•Season 1Ep. 198
