The First Biohacker: The Elite Athlete
Sports have long been an integral part of human culture, serving not just as a form of entertainment, but also as a key component in promoting health and wellness.
The relationship between sports and health is multifaceted, impacting physical, mental, and social well-being. As the health and wellness industry continues to grow, the role of sports within this sector has become increasingly significant. Throughout history, sports have influenced health and wellness trends and their mainstream adoption.
The history of sports goes back thousands of years where things like running and wrestling were used for entertainment and in war. In ancient times, individuals often prepared for war through training and games involving throwing spears, stakes, and rocks, and sparing with opponents. The first Olympic Games in 776 BCE involved chariot races, wrestling, jumping, discus, and javelin throwing. Other events and festivals honoring heroes, gods, or victories took place across the empire and the word athlete emerged, coming from the ancient Greek word meaning “one who competes for a prize”.
The modern era of sports began in the 19th century as industrialization made organized sports more accessible. Britain played a crucial role in the development of modern sports, with games like cricket, football (soccer), and rugby gaining popularity both domestically and internationally. In the United States, sports like baseball and American football evolved from older British sports but became distinctly American over time. Baseball, for instance, saw the creation of its first professional league in 1869.
In the beginning, athletes were everyday individuals who had a natural skill for a certain sport given training methods were rudimentary and the understanding of nutrition, recovery, and fitness was minimal. The introduction of more sophisticated training equipment and techniques marked a significant shift. This period also saw the rise of sports medicine, which helped athletes improve performance and manage injuries more effectively. The establishment of sports science as a discipline led to more targeted training regimes and a better understanding of athletic performance.
Enhancements in health technology and human performance have allowed athletes to reach new heights. Through the development of wearables and performance analysis tools, athletes are now able to monitor physical metrics, sleep patterns, and get granular with technique and form to help make minor improvements that lead to significant gains in results. Diet and recovery are also now becoming a main focus of elite performers. Athletes today follow scientifically backed nutrition plans tailored to their specific needs. Innovations in recovery technologies, such as cryotherapy and hyperbaric chambers, are used widely to enhance performance and decrease downtime.
Improved equipment and apparel have also greatly contributed to improved performance across elite level athletics. Innovations in equipment, such as lighter and springier running shoes, have directly improved performance by reducing the energy expended by athletes during competitions. The introduction of advanced materials in sports apparel, like hydrophobic swimsuits, has significantly reduced drag and improved times in swimming events. Mental conditioning, physiological monitoring, and innovations in strength and conditioning have all become popular in recent years as a result of athletes and their coaches and trainers attempting to push the limits of what is possible.
These improvements over time are apparent in the highest levels of competition. In 1950, a Canadian weightlifter set the record bench pressing 400lbs, today that is routine for most power lifters. Similarly, around the same time, the world record in the marathon was set at just under 2 and a half hours. Late last year, Kevin Kiptum ran it in 2 hours and 35 seconds.
You may be asking, why is this important to the health and wellness industry? Well, without pressure from the elite levels of sport, many of the most popular human performance and wellness tools and practices would likely not exist or be far from accessible to the average Joe. Take Whoop for example, Whoop initially launched its product focusing on professional athletes. This strategy aimed to establish credibility and demonstrate the product's effectiveness in a high-performance environment. Whoop distinguished itself by focusing on recovery, strain, and sleep—metrics that are crucial for athletes. Given athletes willingness to try technology to improve their performance, brands like Whoop are able to gain visibility and eventually make the leap from elite athlete to everyday consumer. Their transition to commercial launch and success was supported by the development of additional features and improvements in the wearable technology, but the premise of the product stayed the same.
This trend of using athletes to promote health and wellness innovations isn’t new. Gatorade, was originally developed in the 1960s for college athletes and has utilized brand awareness through athlete celebrities to reach the masses. In today’s society, athletes are reaching unparalleled celebrity status. We look to them as the epitomes of health and aim to emulate what they do. Companies like Whoop, Hyperice, Momentous, that were initially created for the elite sports market have utilized their partnerships with some of most popular athletes to promote and mass market their products. Health and wellness trends like cold plunging, saunas, compression therapy, cryotherapy, and VO2 max testing are becoming mainstream after being reserved for elite athletes for decades.
As we head into this summer’s Olympic games, I expect to see a significant number of brands using this world stage and the athletes who are participating to promote their products to the masses. Athletes have access to the latest and greatest technologies and resources and with recent technological innovations and increase accessibility, everyone can reach their peak performance.