WHOOP: Metrics with a Meaning

The amount of sleep you receive each night plays a fundamental role in so many facets of your life. Everything from brain function and mood to metabolism and weight is dependent on a good night’s rest. With so many obligations in both the day and night, how is it possible to attain an optimal level of sleep, and how do you know if you’re achieving your personal needs? 

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the average adult, ages 18-64 years old, needs about seven hours of sleep. This number is a basic recommendation and does not consider existing health conditions or energy expenditure of the previous day. The Whoop goes beyond this basic metric and creates personal advice for every individual. Height, weight, age, sex, and daily strain are all taken into account when calculating the user’s daily sleep need. 

The Whoop Membership gives you access to a water-proof strap showing daily analytics through the application and an accompanying charger with a five-day battery life. The support, knowledge and style of the Whoop is available in 18, 12, and single month memberships, all of which are offered at rates competitive to the Fitbit and Apple Watch. 

Whoop is a fantastic tool that provides tangible data on your body’s current ability to recover and perform. Straps are offered in a variety of colors and styles, and charging is made easy with an on-the-go snap-on gadget. 

The application is divided into four user-friendly categories showing overview, strain recovery and sleep. The overview provides fast information summarizing your daily strain, recovery percentage, and duration of sleep. The Strain category includes your daily strain along with a short description expanding upon your number. This number is calculated on a scale from 0-21 based on your maximum heart rate, average heart rate, and calories burned. The bar graph representing your recovery is composed of three different colors, all representing different levels. Red equals 0-33% recovery, yellow shows 34-66% recovery, and green indicates optimal recovery at 67-100%. At the bottom of this bar chart, a seven-day average of your recovery, HRV, RHR, and respiratory rate is calculated. Sleep Performance is broken down into a percentage, and then into a baseline. The percentage is used to dictate your energy expenditure for the day. Your baseline is the amount of sleep necessary before adding daily strain, and sleep debt. After clicking out of the sleep needed category and swiping down, a seven-day average breakdown of your sleep is displayed. 

This data can also be an indicator of current health issues. It is said that if your respiratory rate skyrockets one night and your HRV gets into the 10s/the 20s, it can be a sign you are asymptomatic with COVID-19. The recovery percentage allows the user to train according to their previous daily strain, not overwork themselves, and be well-informed about their current respiratory health. 

Become in-tune with your body by viewing your sleep trends, meeting your personal sleep and strain coach, knowing your body’s readiness, and tracking your weekly activity, all with one contemporary strap and it’s extremely user friendly app. 

Image Source Here

How to calculate when you should sleep. (2020, July 19). Healthline. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep/sleep-calculator#sleep-needs

Whoop. (n.d.). Whoop. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://www.whoop.com