I first started using WHOOP almost two years ago. As a Performance Coach for professional and other elite athletes, I like to stay on top of all the latest technology. I’ve tried just about every wearable device out there, but WHOOP is the one that to this day never leaves my wrist. For more on my background and how I got hooked on WHOOP in the first place, check out this story on The Locker from February of 2017, Behind the Scenes with an NBA Performance Coach.
Before I start working with an athlete, I want to make sure they have the right tools in order for us to accomplish what we’re trying to do. WHOOP has become one of those essential tools, thanks to its ability to provide actionable objective data on the athlete. Having this data enables us to know if the strategies we put in place for things like improved nutrition, sleep and injury recovery are actually working.
Tennis player Nicole Gibbs is a perfect example. Nicole wasn’t sleeping well, so we began implementing a variety of techniques, ranging from blackout curtains to chamomile tea before bed. By viewing her WHOOP data, we could see which methods had positive impacts on her sleep. Eventually her disturbances decreased, as did her time awake in bed, and she started sleeping much more efficiently.