The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka
125. Kristen Holmes: WHOOP’s Principal Scientist Reveals Game-Changing Research
24 Dec 2024
Could sleep consistency, not duration, be the hidden key to elite performance? In this conversation with WHOOP's Global Head of Performance & Science, Kristen Holmes, we uncover revolutionary findings that are reshaping our understanding of sleep science. Together, we dive deep into data from over 35,000 individuals that challenges conventional wisdom about what makes sleep truly restorative. This isn't just another conversation about sleep - it's a masterclass in human performance optimization that could change your life. Watch now and discover why some of the world's top performers are abandoning traditional sleep advice in favor of this revolutionary approach. Connect with Kristen Holmes: Instagram: https://bit.ly/41MYiIK LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3ByxiCl 00:00 Intro of Show 02:49 Kristen Holmes on Coaching and Big Data in Athletics 05:00 Shift from Training Sessions to Full-Day Readiness 13:00 The Role of Sleep & Circadian Rhythms in Health 15:55 Impact of Consistent Sleep Schedules 20:00 Sleep Research and Behavioral Interventions 23:26 Psychological Perceptions of Stress and Performance 26:04 Big Data and Its Future in Medicine and Wellness 29:18 Kristen’s Work at WHOOP and Personal Health Metrics 32:25 Ice Baths and Recovery: Insights from Big Data 41:45 The Role of Hormonal Cycles in Women’s Health 44:06 Potential of Technology in Personalizing Health 50:00 Athletics and the Importance of Individualized Training 54:52 Big Data in Athletic Performance 1:00:00 Gary’s Clinical Observations and Technology in Recovery 1:07:42 Kristen’s New Book - Coming Soon 1:08:50 Final Question: “What does it mean to you to be an Ultimate Human? GET GARY’S WEEKLY TIPS ON HEALTH AND LIFESTYLE OPTIMIZATION: https://bit.ly/4eLDbdU EIGHT SLEEP - SAVE $350 ON THE POD 4 ULTRA WITH CODE “GARY”: https://bit.ly/3WkLd6E BODY HEALTH - USE CODE “ULTIMATE20” FOR 20% OFF YOUR ORDER: http://bit.ly/4e5IjsV BAJA GOLD - 91 ESSENTIAL MINERALS PER PINCH! 10% OFF USE CODE "ULTIMATE10": https://bit.ly/3WSBqUa ELEVATE YOUR WORKOUTS WITH THE ULTIMATE HUMAN STRENGTH TRAINING EQUIPMENT: https://bit.ly/3zYwtSl THE COLD LIFE - BOOST RECOVERY & WELL-BEING WITH THE ULTIMATE HUMAN PLUNGE: https://bit.ly/4eULUKp WHOOP - GET 1 FREE MONTH WHEN YOU JOIN!: https://bit.ly/3VQ0nzW MASA CHIPS - GET 20% OFF YOUR FIRST $50+ ORDER: https://bit.ly/40LVY4y PARKER PASTURES - GET PREMIUM GRASS-FED MEATS TODAY: https://bit.ly/4hHcbhc SHOP GARY’S TOP-RATED PRODUCTS & EXCLUSIVE DEALS: https://theultimatehuman.com/amazon-recs Watch the “Ultimate Human Podcast” every Tuesday & Thursday at 9AM EST on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3RPQYX8 Connect with Gary Brecka: Website: https://bit.ly/4eLDbdU Instagram: https://bit.ly/3RPpnFs TikTok: https://bit.ly/4coJ8fo Facebook: https://bit.ly/464VA1H X.com: https://bit.ly/3Opc8tf LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/4hH7Ri2 SUBSCRIBE TO: https://www.youtube.com/@ultimatehumanpodcast https://www.youtube.com/@garybrecka Download the “Ultimate Human Podcast” on all your favorite podcast platforms: https://bit.ly/3RQftU0 The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The Content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Full Episode
sleep regularity was a bigger predictor of all-cause mortality than sleep duration. Folks who perceived their day as really challenging actually had better night's sleep the prior night. People who perceive stress are gonna have lower stress.
Wow, I love that.
But they didn't. Oh, they didn't. Circadian misalignment, in my view, is the biggest problem in modern society. I did a sleep challenge a few months ago with WHOOP. What was astounding to me was that most people actually had no sleep routine at all.
What was really interesting is ice bath, regardless of when you do it, is sleep promoting. And basically what we saw, the fitter you are, the more you ice bath, the less good it is for your recovery. Big data. combined with artificial intelligence, is going to absolutely lead the charge.
We're getting so close to not having to guess. When we take this back to our original conversation with my athletes, I didn't want to have to guess, right? I just wanted to be able to keep them healthy. I wanted them to be able to thrive. If we want to manage load over the course of a season and keep athletes healthy, you need that data.
For someone that is genuinely interested in optimizing their health, where do they start? What kind of actionable steps could they take? If we really want to optimize our health, the place to start is...
Hey guys, welcome back to the Ultimate Human Podcast. I'm your host, human biologist, Gary Brekka, where we go down the road of everything anti-aging, longevity, biohacking, and everything in between. And as you know, we have a very, very special guest on today, Kristen, who is the Global Head of Human Performance and Science at Whoop, and I am a huge fan of Whoop.
And, you know, before the podcast started, when you got to the house today, I was telling the team, I'm so excited because we have very different but very similar backgrounds, big data backgrounds. I come from a big data background, so I have like a ton of questions for you. And it's also the first time I'm showing off my illustrious Colorado beard. It's working for you.
It's working for me. My family sort of split over it. My daughter's like, no, dad, you got to shave it. My son has a beard. So he's like, I like it. So we're going to run it for this podcast. But Kristen, I'm so excited to have you on the podcast today. Thank you for taking the time to come here. Thank you for having me.
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