The Science of Women's Health with Dr. Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo

On this week’s episode of the WHOOP Podcast, WHOOP Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist Dr. Kristen Holmes and WHOOP SVP of Research, Algorithms, and Data Emily Capodilupo take a deep dive into the science of women’s health. The two define the importance of understanding how a woman’s physiology changes across the lifespan. Dr. Holmes and Emily define the various phases of the menstrual cycle and how each influences sleep, recovery, thermoregulation, fueling, and exercise performance. This episode challenges the idea that women need to completely restructure their training around their cycle. Instead, Dr. Holmes and Emily explain how understanding your individual patterns can help you make small, informed adjustments to strain, sleep, and recovery that better support your body.The conversation examines the menstrual cycle as an important signal of overall health, establishing your own physiological baseline, and how changes in those patterns can provide useful information throughout different stages of life. Dr. Holmes and Emily discuss the extensive research WHOOP has conducted across women’s health, including pregnancy, fertility, and menopause, exploring how wearable data can help reveal changes that might otherwise be difficult to recognize. Ultimately, this episode highlights how better data, more research, and a more personalized understanding of female physiology can give women greater agency over their health and performance at every stage of life.Buy the new Meridian band(00:00) Trailer(01:02) WHOOP Research: The Importance of Studying Women’s Health(03:23) Recovery Through The Menstrual Cycle(06:01) Using Science-Back Research to Develop WHOOP Features(09:12) Menstrual Cycle Variability Insights(12:16) Fuelling Tips for High Performing Women(19:27) Viewing Your Menstrual Cycle as a Vital Sign(21:49) Signs of RED-S and Misalignment(24:17) Early Signs of PMOS and How To Screen For It(28:28) What Your Body Is Trying To Tell You(29:49) What Women Need To Know About Tracking Their Cycle(20:10) How To Advocate For Care(30:56) Importance of Knowing Your Normal (31:22) Early Warning Signs of Perimenopause(32:54) WHOOP For Symptom Tracking(40:26) Sleep Hormone Feedback Loop(43:11) What Male Partners Need To Know(46:44) Pregnancy Research Gaps: What We Know About Pre-Natal Training(53:32) Maternal Care & Recovery(56:12) Exciting New Leads in Women’s HealthSupport the showFollow WHOOP:Sign up for WHOOP Advanced LabsTrial WHOOP for Freewww.whoop.comInstagramTikTokYouTubeXFacebookLinkedInFollow Will Ahmed:InstagramXLinkedInFollow Kristen Holmes:InstagramLinkedInBuy Aligned by Dr. Kristen Holmes: Follow Emily Capodilupo:LinkedIn