Dr. Bill von Hippel

You'll have learned that from lots of guests previously on the show. And so I get this really cool job where we just dive into our data all the time to try to answer these fundamental questions.

You'll have learned that from lots of guests previously on the show. And so I get this really cool job where we just dive into our data all the time to try to answer these fundamental questions.

So these aren't published data yet, and so what that means is the caveat on them is that we could be wrong, right? I could be telling you stuff that I'm going to send it to a journal, and they're going to laugh in my face and say, you're forgetting the Fosdick effect. That's total nonsense, right? That could happen.

So these aren't published data yet, and so what that means is the caveat on them is that we could be wrong, right? I could be telling you stuff that I'm going to send it to a journal, and they're going to laugh in my face and say, you're forgetting the Fosdick effect. That's total nonsense, right? That could happen.

So going with, you have to understand the caveat here that these are raw data that we've just discovered that we haven't vetted yet in the scientific community. But let me give you an example. One of the quite remarkable things that we're finding at WHOOP is that exercise amplifies other behaviors.

So going with, you have to understand the caveat here that these are raw data that we've just discovered that we haven't vetted yet in the scientific community. But let me give you an example. One of the quite remarkable things that we're finding at WHOOP is that exercise amplifies other behaviors.

And so if I do something that's good for me, even if it's got nothing to do with exercise, and I exercise that day, it's better for me. If I do something that's bad for me, and... even if it's got nothing to do with exercise, it's worse for me on a day that I exercise. Give me an example.

And so if I do something that's good for me, even if it's got nothing to do with exercise, and I exercise that day, it's better for me. If I do something that's bad for me, and... even if it's got nothing to do with exercise, it's worse for me on a day that I exercise. Give me an example.

Yeah, so if I drink, we know that alcohol, every alcoholic drink that I have raises my resting heart rate by, I think it's about a beat, beat and a half if I remember right, and lowers my HRV by like three points if I remember right. I could be getting those numbers a little bit off. It's that kind of magnitude. And every drink just, it's this linear effect up to at least 10 drinks.

Yeah, so if I drink, we know that alcohol, every alcoholic drink that I have raises my resting heart rate by, I think it's about a beat, beat and a half if I remember right, and lowers my HRV by like three points if I remember right. I could be getting those numbers a little bit off. It's that kind of magnitude. And every drink just, it's this linear effect up to at least 10 drinks.

We see that in our data with thousands and thousands of people. If you have those drinks on days that you're basically sedentary, you did almost nothing, their effect is smaller than if you have those drinks on days where you exercised.

We see that in our data with thousands and thousands of people. If you have those drinks on days that you're basically sedentary, you did almost nothing, their effect is smaller than if you have those drinks on days where you exercised.

And the same holds for good things. I know, it's ridiculous. I don't understand the physiology at all, but this is what we're seeing.

And the same holds for good things. I know, it's ridiculous. I don't understand the physiology at all, but this is what we're seeing.

Exactly. On days that you're going to misbehave, and it's probably not just alcohol. That's just one of the ones I've analyzed. On days that you're going to misbehave, be relatively sedentary. Now, the thing is, it also works the other way. So if you sometimes wear blue light blocking glasses... late in the evening, or you dim the lights late in the evening.

Exactly. On days that you're going to misbehave, and it's probably not just alcohol. That's just one of the ones I've analyzed. On days that you're going to misbehave, be relatively sedentary. Now, the thing is, it also works the other way. So if you sometimes wear blue light blocking glasses... late in the evening, or you dim the lights late in the evening.

You're conscientious about getting ready for bed. That has a bigger positive effect on your recovery on days that you exercise, even though blue light and exercise have nothing to do with each other. So it doesn't seem to matter what the behavior is. If it's positive, it has a bigger positive effect on days you exercise more.

You're conscientious about getting ready for bed. That has a bigger positive effect on your recovery on days that you exercise, even though blue light and exercise have nothing to do with each other. So it doesn't seem to matter what the behavior is. If it's positive, it has a bigger positive effect on days you exercise more.

If it's negative, it has a bigger negative effect on days you exercise more. Which is super cool. I have no idea why. We're obviously going to write it up and tell the world about it. And when we do, maybe I made a mistake and we'll discover what I did wrong and what I just told you isn't true. But for now, I believe that's true.

If it's negative, it has a bigger negative effect on days you exercise more. Which is super cool. I have no idea why. We're obviously going to write it up and tell the world about it. And when we do, maybe I made a mistake and we'll discover what I did wrong and what I just told you isn't true. But for now, I believe that's true.