WHOOP Podcast

This week on the WHOOP Podcast, WHOOP Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist Dr. Kristen Holmes sits down with  five-time Olympian and 12-time Olympic medalist Dara Torres. While most athletes experience a relatively short window at the top of their sport, Dara Torres proved that you can redefine your position in sport past 40. Across five Olympic games, Dara continually reinvented herself and her longevity in the sport by embracing the changes she needed to make to perform at her best. As her body evolved so did her training, recovery, mindset, and even her definition of success, allowing her excellence for decades of her career. Dara gives an exclusive insight on the lessons she learned during her career and starting a new career at 57 as Head Coach of Boston College Swimming & Diving. This episode explores what longevity is ultimately about in all areas of life, from elite sport to leadership, coaching, and everyday life. 

(00:49) Dara Torres, 12-time Olympic Medalist
(03:11) Dara’s Journey to 5 Olympic Games
(03:30) 1984 Olympic Debut 
(05:01) Feeling Pressure During Career Highs
(06:45) Going For More: 1992 and 2000 Olympic Games
(09:12) Motherhood and Medals: Inside Dara’s 2008 Comeback 
(12:12) Training For An Olympic Games at 41 Years Old
(16:25) A Different Look At Recovery
(22:13) Competing in Your Own Lane
(24:51) Maintaining Resilience in a High Pressure Sport
(26:18) From Athlete to Head Coach
(29:26) Challenges of Collegiate Coaching 
(32:19) Dara’s Coaching Philosophy to Build Confidence and Prioritize Recovery
(38:47) Are Individualized Training Programs Worth It?
(40:42) Life After Sport: Maintaining Identity and Purpose
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Welcome back to the Science of Human Performance Series. This week on the WHOOP Podcast, WHOOP Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist Dr. Kristen Holmes and WHOOP Staff Research Scientist Dr. Greg Grosicki unpack what really happens physiologically when you’re under stress. Dr. Holmes and Dr. Grosicki explore the physical, mental, and emotional ways stress can manifest, and how not all stress is actually bad. This episode helps you to understand the way stress can be perceived, and the habits that can help you manage it better. From building in small moments of rest to breath work to intentional wind-down time, this conversation will help you improve sleep and overall recovery by improving how your body responds to stress.

(01:51) Stress vs. Strain: What Are The Differences
(02:35) WHOOP Stress Monitor: How It Works
(04:05) Defining Good Stress and Bad Stress
(06:09) Anxiety and Worry: Defining Threats In Daily Life
(09:21) Understanding The Stress Scale
(10:59) Workouts, Workdays, and Stress Load
(12:34) Does High Stress Mean Low Recovery?
(14:32) Understanding Stress as an Opportunity
(20:05) Winding Down From High Stress Activities
(22:53) Alcohol’s Impact on Stress Levels
(24:11) Breathwork for Deep Sleep and Higher Recovery
(29:08) Finding Challenges for Stress Profile
(32:21) Finding Moments for Rest
(36:09) The Best Buffer for Stress

HRV: Heart Rate Variability
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On this week’s episode of the WHOOP Podcast, WHOOP Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist Dr, Kristen Holmes and WHOOP Staff Research Scientist Dr. Greg Grosicki unpack the latest WHOOP study about alcohol’s impact on the body. The two unpack why the effects of alcohol extend beyond what you feel on a hangover. Drawing from research spanning millions of nights of data, Dr. Holmes and Dr. Grosicki how exactly alcohol impacts WHOOP metrics like HRV, heart rate, sleep, recovery, and overall performance. Alcohol not only impacts you based on how much you drink, but is variable based on age, sex, exercise levels, and sleep performance. Alcohol carries numerous physiological costs even when you don’t notice the symptoms, this episode will give you greater visibility to make informed decisions of how much and often you choose to drink.

Check out the WHOOP Research Publications Below:

Real-world effects of alcohol on heart rate, sleep, and physical activity by age and sex

Alcohol Use Trajectories During the First 72 Weeks of WHOOP Wearable Platform Membership: Observational Cohort Study

(00:51) WHOOP Research: What Millions of Nights Reveal About Alcohol
(01:58) Alcohol’s Impact on Your Brain
(03:39) What Happens Physiologically When People Drink
(07:56) The Hidden Costs of Alcohol
(10:14) What Happens During Sleep 
(16:41) Impact of Age on Recovery
(21:19) You Can’t “Work Off” A Night of Drinking
(24:51) Impact of Drinking on Women’s Health
(29:57) Alcohol Tolerance and WHOOP Metrics
(30:27) Can You “Sleep Off” A Hangover
(36:01) 3 Tips To Reduce The Effects of Alcohol
(37:41) The WHOOP Effect: WHOOP Users’ Relationship to Alcohol
(52:26) Focus on Moderation 
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On this week’s episode of the WHOOP Podcast, WHOOP SVP of Research, Algorithms and Data, Emily Capodilupo sits down with Philosopher and AI Researcher Aleksandra Przegalińska to explore what happens when humans and AI collaborate. Drawing on her research on human-AI interaction, Przegalińska examines how AI can reshape productivity, creativity, education, and the future of work. This episode addresses real concerns over AI establishing diminished creative ownership, growing sameness of content, and skill atrophy in the way we work and communicate. Przegalińska illustrates the human-AI connection as something that has the potential to grow everyday capabilities, but warns that it doesn't necessarily mean less work or stress. The conversation makes a case for the use of AI by keeping humans at the center through thoughtful delegation of tasks, allowing organizations to embrace AI while keeping that important human touch. 

(00:39) Aleksandra Przegalińska and the Philosophy of AI
(01:54) Defining the Human AI Interaction
(05:42) Research on The Human Experience of AI
(07:37) Trust, Rebellion, and Adopting AI
(12:11) The Productivity Paradox of AI
(16:08) How To Keep Human Joy In Your Workflows 
(17:16) The Founder Study: Ideation vs Execution with AI
(19:39) Researching AI Development and Pace of Adoption
(22:44) The Skills That Need To Stay Human
(25:23) AI Rebellion: Why Teens Are Pushing Back Against AI
(30:03) Writing with AI: Concerns About Authenticity
(32:41) AI Use Case for Non-Native English Speakers
(38:52) Importance of Human Judgement and Review of AI 
(41:05) Advice For Leaders: Is AI Beneficial For Growth? 

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In this episode of the WHOOP Podcast, WHOOP Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist Dr. Kristen Holmes sits down with Boston Red Sox stars Willson Contreras and Wilyer Abreu to talk about October Baseball. Contreras and Abreu fill our audience in on the trust, resilience, and team-first mentality behind the Red Sox’s remarkable season. Contreras reflects on the leadership lessons he’s carried from winning a championship in 2016 and the importance of creating a clubhouse where every player feels valued. Abreu shares how the team stayed connected through an early-season struggle, ultimately finding its rhythm into a historical 15 game win streak. This episode gives an exclusive look at the intensity of playing in Boston, the mindset required to perform in October, and why preparation, sleep, recovery, and consistency are critical to sustaining success across a long season. From navigating pressure and adversity to building a winning culture, Contreras and Abreu offer their expertise on what it takes to perform and recover at the highest level.

(00:46) Meet The Red Sox: Willson Contreras & Wilyer Abreu
(02:05) A Winning Culture Starts With Teamwork
(04:20) A Slow Start To The Red Sox Season
(09:26) The Pressure of Playing in Boston
(10:54) The Sweep: Season Turnaround in June
(14:19) Winning Starts In The Clubhouse
(17:16) Longevity Throughout The Season
(20:23) Abreu on His Trade and Red Sox Debut
(24:41) Contreras on Leadership and Work Ethic
(25:50) What To Look Forward To In October
(31:22) Sleep and Recovery’s Impact on Team Culture
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