The Fitness Scientist Even A Little Alcohol Is Hurting Your Health!, Late Night Screen Time Linked To Cancer!, Working Shifts Kills You 15 Years Early! Kristen Holmes

Kristen Holmes, Vice President of Performance Science at WHOOP, shares groundbreaking insights on circadian rhythms and their profound impact on health and performance. Her research highlights the risks of shift work, the negative effects of blue light on mood, and the importance of consistent sleep-wake timing. Holmes emphasizes that behaviors such as sexual activity with a partner before sleep can improve recovery markers, while masturbation does not yield the same benefits. She also discusses the relationship between sleep debt and mental health, underscoring the need for regular sleep patterns and light exposure to optimize physiological and psychological well-being. Additionally, Holmes touches on the importance of personal values, growth mindset, and gratitude in fostering motivation and overall health.

• Engaging in sexual activity a few hours before sleep can lead to better sleep and recovery markers.
• The timing of sexual activity in relation to sleep is significant for sleep quality.

"What the research says is that people who are having sex within a few hours when they sleep have better markers of sleep and recovery."

This quote emphasizes the correlation found in research between sexual activity before sleep and improved sleep quality and recovery.

• The question of whether masturbation has similar effects on sleep as sexual activity was raised but not directly answered.

"So does masturbation have the same implications?"

This quote is a query about the effects of masturbation on sleep, similar to those of sexual activity, suggesting a need for clarity on this subject.

• Kristen Holmes is the Vice President of Performance Science at WHOOP.
• She focuses on health data analysis and research to uncover secrets to perfect health and performance.
• Holmes emphasizes the importance of circadian rhythms for health.

"Well, what was so interesting about this research is that Kristen Holmes is the vice president of performance science at WHOOP who has access to health data from hundreds of thousands of people."

This quote introduces Kristen Holmes and her role at WHOOP, highlighting her access to extensive health data for research purposes.

• Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles of physical, mental, and behavioral changes.
• Disrupting these rhythms, such as by being awake at night, can lead to serious health issues.
• Shift workers face increased risks due to circadian rhythm disruption.

"The key to your health is your circadian rhythms, which are physical, mental, and behavioral changes that happen in a 24 hours cycle."

This quote defines circadian rhythms and underscores their fundamental role in overall health.

• Exposure to blue light from screens during late hours has a pro-depressive effect.
• The timing of light exposure affects mood and can contribute to mental health issues.

"Yes, if you're viewing light during the hours of 10:00 p.m. And 04:00 a.m. It actually has a pro depressive effect."

This quote explains the negative impact of blue light exposure during late-night hours on mood and mental health.

• Modern lifestyles with constant access to light and food at any time are misaligned with our circadian rhythms.
• This misalignment can lead to health issues due to the body's lack of adaptation to such conditions.

"We have not evolved to digest food in the middle of the night or to view light in the middle of the night or to be super active in the middle of the night."

This quote discusses the evolutionary aspect of circadian rhythms and how modern habits conflict with our natural biological patterns.

• The concept of chronotypes, or individual sleep patterns, is debated.
• Research suggests that without artificial light, humans would have similar sleep-wake times.
• The idea that people are naturally "night owls" is challenged by evidence from studies.

"This whole notion of chronotypes is kind of like total bs because I think that's the reason a lot of people are like, oh, I have to go to bed at 01:00 a.m. Because I'm a night owl. No, you're making a choice."

This quote challenges the concept of chronotypes and suggests that individual sleep patterns are more a matter of choice than biology.

• Sleep regularity is more predictive of health outcomes than sleep duration.
• Consistent sleep-wake times are crucial for overall health and can predict mortality rates.

"But sleep regularity predicts all cause mortality. And this is just recently published, actually not by my team, but looking at it was actually UK biobank. 60,000 people, 10 million sleeps, objective measure of sleep."

This quote highlights research findings that show the importance of sleep regularity in predicting mortality, independent of sleep duration.

• Melatonin production is crucial for health and is affected by sleep regularity.
• Growth hormone, important for physical restoration, is released during sleep.
• Irregular sleep patterns can lead to suppressed melatonin and reduced growth hormone release.

"Yeah. So one of the things that's suppressed is melatonin. And reductions in circulating melatonin have been shown to be linked to every disorder and disease in the body."

This quote explains the significant role of melatonin in the body and how its production is impacted by sleep patterns.

• Kristen Holmes maintains a consistent sleep schedule to optimize health.
• Regular wake-up times are key to setting the circadian rhythm.
• Holmes' personal experience supports the research on the benefits of sleep regularity.

"That's right, yeah. It was a paper that came out by Andrew Phillips, actually, in the summer of 2017. And it basically was a four year study that was conducted at Harvard University looking at students, and they were basically students sleep, and they were trying to, you know, what aspect of sleep is predictive of things like GPA and other measures of kind of flourishing."

This quote connects personal discipline in sleep habits to academic performance, illustrating the practical application of sleep research.

• Meal timing is an important factor in maintaining circadian rhythms.
• Time-restricted eating can lead to better metabolic outcomes.
• Aligning meal times with the natural light-dark cycle is beneficial for health.

"Yeah. So it's in the literature, there's time restricted eating and there's time restricted feeding and time restricted feeding. Generally, if you're reading the literature is going to refer to mouse models. Time restricted eating will refer to human studies."

This quote distinguishes between time-restricted feeding in animal studies and time-restricted eating in human studies, emphasizing the importance of meal timing in relation to circadian rhythms.

• Timing of meals affects sleep and recovery markers.
• Metabolism is more efficient earlier in the day.
• Earlier eating windows are beneficial for metabolic health.
• Eating around sunset can improve metabolic outcomes.
• A consolidated eating window of 8-10 hours aids in reaching metabolic goals.
• Quality of food is important but eating window can be a primary focus for health improvement.
• Meal timing impacts heart rate, stress score, and heart rate variability during sleep.

"prior to when you sleep, to when you fall asleep, markers of sleep and recovery are exponentially better."

This quote suggests that meal timing, particularly not eating too close to bedtime, significantly improves sleep quality and recovery.

"if we can just consolidate our eating window to eight to 10 hours, we get ourselves, like, 60% of the way to our kind of metabolic goals."

Kristen Holmes indicates that by limiting the time frame in which we consume calories to 8-10 hours a day, we can make substantial progress towards our metabolic health objectives.

• Eating late at night can stress the body's systems.
• Late meals can cause higher heart rates and disrupt sleep.
• The body remains "on" for hours after a late meal.
• WHOOP app data shows the negative effects of late eating on sleep quality.
• Metabolic studies indicate better outcomes from consuming the majority of calories before 3 PM.

"It's very stressful for your system."

Kristen Holmes explains that eating late is taxing on the body, leading to poorer sleep and recovery.

"You want a nice big buffer between when you have your last calorie and when you go to sleep."

This quote emphasizes the importance of stopping food intake a few hours before bedtime to allow the body to enter a restful state conducive to sleep.

• Exercising late can make individuals feel more energized instead of tired.
• Hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are elevated after late-night workouts.
• Light exposure in gyms can signal the body to stay awake.
• Individual variability exists in how exercise timing affects sleep.

"Adrenaline, cortisol, like, all of the kind of hormones and chemicals that you need to kind of get to a place where you can exert that energy are kind of flowing through the system and it takes time for them to go back to normal levels."

Kristen Holmes highlights that the body's hormonal response to late-night exercise can prevent immediate relaxation and sleep.

• Morning light exposure is crucial for signaling the body's wakefulness.
• Light intensity is measured in Lux; outdoor light provides the necessary intensity.
• Artificial light exposure should be minimized before sunrise.

"You want to get light within 100,000 Lux is pretty much what you want to get within five to 20 minutes of waking up to tell your body like it's time to go."

Kristen Holmes explains the importance of light intensity in signaling the body to wake up, recommending morning outdoor exposure.

• Artificial light should be restricted after sunset to promote melatonin release.
• Blue light blocking glasses and device filters can help minimize light exposure.
• Darkness is necessary for the body to prepare for sleep.

"We want to try to restrict light. Basically, after the sun goes down, we want to dim our home environment to the degree that we can."

Kristen Holmes advises to reduce artificial light exposure at night to support the body's natural sleep cycle.

• Managing daily stress is crucial for good sleep.
• Aligning behaviors with personal values can improve sleep quality.
• People may need to reevaluate relationships that don't support their values.

"I think that's another the things that we do during the day, whether or not we're living our values right, do our behaviors align with the things that we care about?"

Kristen Holmes emphasizes the connection between daytime stress management, living according to one's values, and the quality of sleep.

• Linking new habits to personal values can facilitate change.
• Understanding and being clear about one's values can help with making healthier choices.
• Shedding relationships and behaviors that don't support personal growth is sometimes necessary.

"So if people are trying to develop new habits, you have to understand how that new habit links to your values."

Kristen Holmes points out that for habits to stick, they must resonate with an individual's core values.

• Alcohol consumption should be evaluated against one's core values.
• Social bonding should not be dependent on alcohol.
• Small doses of alcohol may still be inconsistent with personal growth and presence.

"In what way is this supporting my values of growth and impact and presence and compassion and tolerance, the things that are core to who I want to be in this world?"

Kristen Holmes challenges the justification of alcohol consumption by examining its alignment with personal values and growth.

• Individual variability affects how alcohol consumption impacts health.
• Resveratrol, found in wine and grapes, is linked to health benefits but requires excessive consumption.
• Moderate alcohol consumption may not be beneficial, with negative health implications observed even with 1-2 drinks per week.

"So I don't know that even in a moderate amount of alcohol is good for you." This quote highlights skepticism about the benefits of moderate alcohol consumption, suggesting that it might not be beneficial for health.

• Alcohol affects sleep patterns and circadian rhythms.
• Drinking can lead to staying up later, light exposure at night, and eating late, which compound negative effects.
• Sleep disruption can have downstream negative effects on health.

"It's mainly because it impacts sleep. It's going to impact when you go to bed and when you wake up." This quote explains that alcohol consumption primarily disrupts sleep, which in turn affects circadian rhythms and overall well-being.

• Alcohol reduces melatonin production and sleep quality.
• Studies show significant decreases in melatonin and sleep quality with increased alcohol consumption.

"A 2007 study with 29 young adults found that moderate doses of alcohol up to 1 hour before bedtime reduced melatonin production by nearly 20%." This quote cites a study demonstrating that alcohol consumption close to bedtime significantly reduces melatonin production, which is crucial for sleep regulation.

• Alcohol consumption has a linear relationship with declines in heart rate variability and heart rate.
• WHOOP data analysis shows recovery decreases with each drink.
• Even one drink can have clinically significant effects on recovery markers.

"And literally with every drink, there's a linear relationship in the decline, and it is significant." This quote emphasizes that alcohol consumption directly correlates with a decline in physiological markers of recovery, such as heart rate variability.

• WHOOP users report a 6% average reduction in next-day recovery after alcohol consumption.
• The data relies on self-reporting, which may have biases.
• WHOOP journal provides valuable insights into the effects of alcohol.

"Yeah, I mean, we see a 6% reduction in next day recovery after alcohol on average." This quote from the WHOOP data analysis indicates that even a single drink can lead to a measurable decrease in next-day recovery.

• Caffeine consumption close to bedtime disrupts sleep onset and quality.
• Timing of caffeine intake is crucial to minimize its negative impact on sleep.

"If we're having caffeine within eight to 12 hours, I would say, of when we intend to sleep, it's going to impact our sleep onset, of course." This quote explains that consuming caffeine too close to bedtime can interfere with the ability to fall asleep and the quality of sleep.

• Shift work is associated with significant health risks, including earlier mortality.
• Shift work is classified as a carcinogen by the World Health Organization.
• Efforts are being made to mitigate the negative effects of shift work on circadian rhythms.

"Shift work is considered a carcinogen by the World Health Organization." The quote emphasizes the severity of the health risks associated with shift work, as recognized by a leading health authority.

• Circadian disruption is present in all mental health issues.
• Social jet lag and sleep variability are linked to increased suicidal ideation.
• WHOOP data shows random sleep patterns in shift workers, indicating high variability and associated risks.

"For every hour of variability between weekday and weekend schedules, they saw a 17% increase in non suicidal ideation." This quote highlights a study that found a significant correlation between sleep schedule variability and increased thoughts of suicide.

• Mini moments of deactivation and breath work can mitigate stress for shift workers.
• The physiological sigh technique is effective in reducing stress and activating the parasympathetic nervous system.

"Managing stress throughout the day or even during the night can definitely increase your tolerance for stress." This quote suggests that actively managing stress can improve resilience and stress tolerance, which is particularly important for shift workers.

• Sleep deprivation negatively impacts executive function and decision-making.
• Leaders' sleep debt affects the psychological safety of their direct reports.
• Sleep debt has broader impacts beyond the individual, affecting team dynamics and performance.

"For every 45 minutes of sleep debt accrued, we see a five to 10% next day decrease in mental control." This quote demonstrates the direct relationship between sleep debt and a decline in cognitive functions essential for effective leadership and decision-making.

• Sleep debt increases the risk of accidents and injuries.
• Research shows a strong correlation between lack of sleep and higher crash rates and injury risks.

"Drivers who reported that they usually sleep four to 5 hours per day had 5.4 times the crash rate of drivers who usually sleep for 7 hours or more a day." This quote cites a study that illustrates the significant increase in accident risk associated with insufficient sleep.

• Sex with a partner before bedtime is associated with better sleep and recovery markers.
• The connection and release of oxytocin during partnered sex may contribute to improved sleep quality.

"People who are reporting that they're having sex before bed, so within a few hours of when they intend to sleep with a partner have better markers of sleep and recovery." This quote reveals preliminary data suggesting that sexual activity with a partner before sleep can lead to improved physiological markers of recovery.

• HRV represents the time interval between heartbeats and is influenced by the autonomic nervous system.
• A higher HRV indicates better adaptation to environmental stress and recovery.
• HRV is an important metric for understanding one's ability to respond to stress effectively.

"Heart rate variability is kind of a measure of that ability to adapt to your environment in a functional way." This quote explains that HRV is a measure of the heart's responsiveness to the autonomic nervous system and reflects the body's capacity to handle stress.

• HRV is counterintuitive because unlike most cases, variability is beneficial for heart health.
• HRV is modifiable to a degree, which means it can be influenced by lifestyle choices.

"But in the case of heart rate variability, it's very counterintuitive."

This quote highlights the unique nature of HRV where, unlike other health metrics, variability is a positive sign.

• HRV is largely dependent on genetics, making it difficult to establish a universal average.
• Baseline HRV is influenced by lifestyle choices and genetics, including factors like drug and alcohol use, childhood trauma, heart size, and biological sex.
• HRV decreases with age, roughly by 3-4% annually.
• WHOOP platform data suggests average HRV ranges by age group, with younger individuals having higher HRV.

"The average on the WHOOP platform from the 20 to 30 year olds is somewhere in the tune of kind of 65, 70, 30 to 40 year olds, a little bit lower, 40 to 50s. It's kind of in the 50s range."

This quote provides specific average HRV values based on data from the WHOOP platform, segmented by age groups.

• Generally, men have higher HRV than women, potentially due to larger heart size.

"So generally men would have higher heart rate variability than women."

This quote confirms the general trend that men have higher HRV than women.

• Regular sleep and wake times, particularly waking up at the same time daily, are critical.
• Exposure to natural light upon waking and throughout the day helps regulate the body.
• Managing stress and ensuring proper rest cycles is important for HRV.
• Consuming a protein-rich diet, particularly in the morning, and hydrating well throughout the day benefits HRV.
• Time-restricted eating and avoiding alcohol can optimize HRV.
• A combination of high-intensity (zone five) and low-intensity (zone two) exercise, along with strength training, is recommended for HRV optimization.
• Connection with supportive individuals aligns with better HRV.

"So I can go down a very deep rabbit hole in terms of optimal training protocols."

This quote indicates that there are specific training protocols that can be followed to optimize HRV.

• Sedentary behavior is detrimental to HRV and overall health.
• Breaking up sedentary time with movement every half hour to an hour can improve HRV.

"So every half an hour to an hour, you'd want to get up, move around for five minutes or so, and then get back to your work."

This quote suggests a practical approach to mitigating the negative effects of a sedentary lifestyle on HRV.

• Practicing and receiving gratitude has a positive effect on mood and well-being, which can influence HRV.

"I think what the research says is that actually receiving gratitude has the most powerful effect on our mood and our feelings of well being."

This quote emphasizes the impact of gratitude on psychological health, which is linked to HRV.

• A growth mindset, which includes optimism about the future and the potential for growth, can manifest in physiological measures like HRV.

"And you can imagine if you don't feel optimistic about the future, you don't feel like growth is possible, you feel really limited in your capabilities."

This quote connects the psychological concept of a growth mindset to its potential physical manifestation in HRV.

• Energy production is at the core of motivation, influenced by how we appraise and perceive tasks.
• Discipline can be understood as a function of one's values and the perceived cost and reward of pursuits.

"It's appraisal. So how relevant we think a task is and then how we are perceiving the task."

This quote explains the psychological factors that affect motivation, which is relevant to taking action and improving HRV.

• To break a negative cycle, one must make different decisions, starting with small, manageable actions.
• Consistent sleep and wake times and consolidating eating windows are foundational changes that can improve mood and energy levels.

"Sleep, wake time. Like wake up at the same time every day and get as much as light as humanly possible within that will set the tone for the rest of the day."

This quote suggests a starting point for individuals looking to break out of negative health spirals, emphasizing the importance of sleep and light exposure.

• Identifying and living by personal values is crucial for decision-making and setting life direction.
• Goals are less important than living in alignment with one's values.

"What do I value? What do I care about? How do I want to spend my time?"

This quote encourages reflection on personal values to guide life choices and actions.

• Teams and individuals should focus on consistent quality and development rather than external competition.
• Living by values leads to consistent performance and success.

"And that's why teams underperform right. That's why individuals underperform is they've got this arbitrary kind of metric team that they want to beat, that they're focused on, or person that they want to beat, that they're focused on, instead of looking, okay, what is my bar?"

This quote critiques the focus on competition over personal growth and value alignment.