WHOOP

WHOOP is an American wearable technology company based in Boston, Massachusetts. It uses a fitness tracker and mobile app to help people understand their relationships between physiology and performance.

The company was founded in 2011 by Will Ahmed a student athlete who wanted to understand more about how his body was reacting to his training program. He partnered with mathematics student John Capodilupo to help look for a way to generate and then analyse the data.

After extensive research it became clear that monitoring key metrics like heart rate and how heart rate varies during a 24hour period could not only help optimise a person's training program but also help offer multiple other health and mental well-being benefits.

The pair set about designing and refining appropriate sensors and monitors that would then capture the data and reveal the nuances of human physiology. This eventually led to the release of the first incarnation of the WHOOP fitness tracker in 2015. It has since gone through another three incarnations with the latest being the WHOOP 4.0 which was launched in 2021.

One of the key features of WHOOP compared to other wearable tech on the market is that it has no screen or buttons. The wrist band houses a couple of sensors that are in contact with your skin and monitor your blood flow and the technology soon begins to understand your own unique parameters. All the relative information is then viewed by pairing to a smartphone via the WHOOP mobile app.

WHOOP offers an annual membership plan that users can sign up to and receive a built in coaching plan, regular performance reports and personalised insights.

2015 - First WHOOP released
Launch of WHOOP's wristband that collects data about a user's heart rate variation, resting heart rate and respiratory rate to help them know if their body is properly recovered after training or whether they need rest

2021 WHOOP 4.0 debuts
With an increased battery capacity, removable knit strap and waterproof battery that can be charged while on the body, WHOOP's technology improves

2023 WHOOP Coach released

Powered by OpenAI the Coach function is designed to provide personal health and fitness coaching. Members can interact with with the program to retrieve personalised advise and get a tailored health and training structure.

Teams
Alpecin-Deceuninck
EF Pro Cycling
USA Cycling

© Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images

Team EF Education EasyPost use WHOOP to help their riders in the pro peloton