I've been wearing a WHOOP band on my wrist for three weeks now, because measuring is knowing. Right?

It's been a while since I sent a newsletter, but today I want to share something I was curious about myself: data about my health.

Over the past few weeks I was approached several times by 'coaches' who wanted me to sell a supplement, often linked to a dried blood spot test.

You guessed it: almost everyone's Omega 3 level turned out to be too low. Measuring is knowing, I heard them say. And luckily they had the perfect supplement to “correct” it…

Would I then also like to bring in other people so I would get a discount and commission? No thanks. That's not what I stand for.

My search: measuring without radiation (and without the madness)

When I exercise I use a Garmin, purely for distance, heart rate and time. I rarely wear it during the day, and never at night. But my curiosity won: I wanted to go a step further, but without a watch and without constant Bluetooth.

I looked into two smart rings: the Oura Ring and the Ultrahuman Ring. Both around €300. Oura also requires a subscription, and Ultrahuman always has Bluetooth active, a no-go for me, especially at night.

So… no ring. Then I came across the WHOOP band. The first month is almost free (shipping costs only), and you can send it back if you cancel. So for less than €25, a month of insight. I decided to give it a try.

My honest opinion

The WHOOP is a band without a screen that you wear day and night. Fewer distractions, they say. But as soon as you connect the app, it starts: notifications when you close the app, when you take it off for a moment, or when you sleep without a connection. It feels as if you have to keep measuring, otherwise it no longer “adds up”.

You don't even have to take it off to charge it, you just slide a battery over the band. Handy, you would think. But sometimes you just don't want to wear the band. No measuring for a while. A bit of peace. But then you get notifications again or you miss data. That made me feel trapped.

At night you constantly have a red or green light directly on your skin, on your vein. For your biological clock and melatonin production that is far from ideal. And it actually woke me up when I lay on it. Just… not nice.

My sleep score was between 98–100% every night, while I clearly felt a difference myself. So I couldn't get much out of that. My heart rate? Fine. But that doesn't surprise me. What did seem interesting: the HRV measurement.

HRV and Bluetooth

HRV (heart rate variability) is the variation in time between heartbeats and says something about your recovery, resilience and nervous system. The higher, the better. But mine was unexpectedly low…

I looked into it: WHOOP only measures HRV during deep sleep, and only when Bluetooth is active. But I switch everything wireless off at night. So that HRV measurement? Probably incomplete or not measured at all.

WHOOP in a nutshell

Pros:

• User-friendly app with clear data
• Charging without taking it off (for those who find that handy)
• Cheap to try for the first month
• No screen = fewer distractions during the day

Cons:

• Uncomfortable to wear while sleeping
• Constant notifications and pressure to “track”
• HRV is inaccurate without Bluetooth (which I switch off at night)
• The light on your skin disturbs your biological clock
• A sense of losing control rather than being in charge

Measuring is knowing… but feeling is wisdom

Measuring is useful. But for me, feeling remains the most powerful. The catch: feeling can also mislead you. After a few beers you feel good too, right?

So feeling with knowledge?

Living by the wisdom of age-old principles, such as sunlight, water, cold and natural rhythms, gives you a deeper sense of balance. And when you stray from it, you notice straight away. That is feeling on the right side of the spectrum.

We are excited to keep sharing that with you. So what are you waiting for?