For many people, 2016 was a year of intense change, learning and ultimately, growth. As yet another new year approaches, we can't help but look back and smile. The past 12 months have presented some exciting challenges that gave rise to even more exciting new solutions.
Thanks to all of you, our global family – in 54 countries and counting – we've been inspired to push ourselves harder every single day. We've learned more, created more, tested more, and grown stronger than ever.
Before the champagne bottles begin popping on the eve of a bright, shiny new 2017, we'd like to share some of the past year's highlights. After all, we couldn't have done any of it without you.
In 2016 we...
- Made Big Data Even BIGGER. We collected 11,756,154 data points from our community of users. That sounds like a lot because it is a lot. Plus, we've revisited thousands of scientific studies to ensure they're aligned with the cutting edge and can bring you the sharpest action plans, goal targets, and nutrition and performance recommendations.
- Stayed on top in the Big Leagues. If there were a fantasy draft for personalized health startups, we'd be a first round pick. In 2016 we helped improve the bodies of athletes on 41 pro teams from across the five major leagues – NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS and NHL – including the San Jose Sharks, who made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, plus 10 Olympians who performed superhuman feats at the Games in Rio this summer. To put it in "show me the money" terms, we protected over $750 million dollars worth of player contracts! Proof that optimized health is, literally, worth the investment.
- Went back to college. College sports teams, that is. Watch out, March Madness... InsideTracker is next on deck. Helping athletes reach peak performance before they reach the pros is a pretty important job, and we're excited to be doing it.
- Did special things with Special Forces. Our military servicemen and women have big, tough jobs to do, and we're longtime supporters. This year, we've been honored to work with elite Special Forces units - who know a thing or two about the importance of peak performance. After all, as our friend Chris McNamara, a longtime customer, CrossFit coach and Special Forces Medic said himself, "it's a lot harder [for anyone] to kill you when you're fit."
- Kept on winning. That is, thanks to our amazing family of InsideTracker users. They won races, clinched championship titles and set records on fire. Take ultra-marathoner Mike Wardian, who set two world records (including one for running the fastest marathon dressed as Elvis), and set the World Marathon Majors record – that's six of the globe's most renowned marathons over the course of a year – with a blazing 2:31 average! Devon Yanko, an elite ultra runner, took 1st place in the Sean O’Brien 100k and she placed 3rd in a hard fought battle at the historic Western States Hundred Miler. According to Devon, using InsideTracker she "strengthened her weakest link."
- Became CrossFit Games Champs...again. By living vicariously through the best in the world, of course. We also attended the CrossFit Games ourselves for a firsthand experience. Spoiler alert: it was awesome. We continued to work closely with elite CrossFit pros like 2016 CrossFit Games winner Katrín Tanja Davíðsdóttir, Cole Sager, and world renowned coach Ben Bergeron and his CrossFit New England Team.
- Helped Average Joes & Janes do ABOVE average things. You don't need to be a CrossFit Games champ or a marathon record breaker to be on top. Throughout 2016 we received countless success stories from people who don't breathe the rarefied air of elite athletes, who overcame obstacles of their own – like Julia de Peyster, who lost over 30 lbs by following her InsideTracker Action Plan, and Kristi Wood who told us, "I have more energy now at 49 than I ever did as a 20 or 30 year old."
- Ran with Garmin. Specifically, with Garmin brand ambassador Lindsey B. She went through two rounds of InsideTracker testing, learned a ton and came out on top. Lindsey wrote a story about her pretty awesome improvements.
- Officially became Spartan Strong. Last year, our relationship with Spartan Race was born; we worked with Spartan Pros like Amelia Boone and Joe DI, and Spartan racers across the country, to help get them race-ready. This year, we took that relationship to the next level by becoming an Official Sponsor of US Reebok Spartan Race. Keep an eye out for more soon. AROO!
- Grew our family. From shining new faces in our Cambridge office, to our newest Scientific Advisory Board member Dr. David Katz – a world renowned expert in integrative patient care – to the thousands of you who hopped aboard to become first-time testers... we're going to need a bigger dining table.
- Got Smart(er). With Optical Character Recognition, aka, OCR. Say what? OCR is actually a whole lot cooler than it sounds, and it benefits InsideTracker users big time. Upload your existing doctor-ordered blood test results with a click. Literally. We're so excited, we even wrote a blog about it: check it out here and tell us what you think!
- Saw the future. More specifically, your future. Our latest addition to the bloodwork page is a predictive trendline graph that shows you where your biomarkers are headed. We can't guarantee Doc Brown will pull up in his DeLorean, but we can promise you'll have a better sense of what's in store for your body.
- Made products and products and more products, oh my! Speaking of cool new tools, 2016 was a year of incredible innovation here at InsideTracker. Here's a quick hit list to prove it:
- New Nutrition Page - Yep, now it's easier than ever to see what foods will help you hit specific goals. We've also expanded our food database so the options are more personalized than ever.
- Created 320 new recipes - With all that new food, you'll want to cook up a storm. That's why we've added hundreds of new recipes to choose from!
- Launched the High Performance test - No fasting? No problem. High Performance is perfect for the athlete on the go who can't test first thing in the morning, or doesn't want to go more than a few hours without food. Measure rest and recovery, strength and performance.
- Your very own Lipid Group and Inflammation Group - Cholesterol and hsCRP may not sound sexy, but they're critical things to keep an eye on. Biomarkers in these groups relate to many common goals, from fat loss to peak performance. By grouping related markers together, you see the big picture but can also dive deeper – recommendations made at the group level take all of the building blocks into consideration.
- Added the CBC (Complete Blood Count) - Red cells and white cells, lymphocytes and monocytes. It's a mouthful! Here's what the CBC is, why we added it, and why you need it.
- Fit into our Genes. Genes are all the rage these days. Science even suggests that your genes determine whether you'll fit into your blue jeans. Pardoning the pun, plenty of you have asked when we'll hop aboard the DNA train. Some of the world's leading geneticists are on our team, and we wanted to ensure we had enough scientific evidence - like our 11,756,154 data points – to be able to make the most accurate, effective gene-driven product. Good news: it's coming soon, and it's going to blow you away.
- Penned a paper. Our science team has been hard at work writing a research paper revealing InsideTracker's most groundbreaking findings from the past few years. Publication is set for 2017, and we can't wait for the world to read it!
What defined your health and performance in 2016? Share your story with us at contactus@insidetracker.com
Some other blog posts we think you'll love:
- Tired of Being Tired: How I Optimized My Iron Levels
- Getting Back on Track: Laura Ingalls' InsideTracker-Fueled Journey Back to Holistic Health
- Avoiding The Crash: How Monitoring Iron Levels Can Save Your Season
- Stress Fractures: The Relationship Between Biochemistry, Nutritional Screening and Biomechanics
