A blog to help you optimize your full-body and life performance

Known to be one of the most grueling tests of endurance and the oldest 100-mile trail race in the world, the historical Western States 100 is set on technical trails and terrain from Squaw Valley to Auburn, California. As the countdown to race day continues, we had the opportunity to chat with a few athletes about how they’ve used InsideTracker to help get them to the start line prepared to tackle 18,000 feet of ascent and 23,000 feet of descent over 100.2 miles... all in (mostly) one day.

In the ‘80s, it was aerobics. In the ‘90s, racquetball. What exercise craze made its landing in the 2000s? HIIT. In fact, since 2004, researchers from fields ranging from kinesiology to cognitive neuroscience have been studying the power of this workout style and its incredible health benefits.^1,2 And no, HIIT isn’t just for people training for an event or trying to hit a weight loss goal. Have we piqued your interest? Keep reading.

Here at InsideTracker, we are all about goals: setting lofty ones for ourselves, our products, our platform, and most importantly, helping you reach yours. To that end, our science team recently spent countless hours pouring over the latest scientific research and data to update our Optimal Zones. After all, to help you push past your limits, we have to push ours.

While we admit this entry is a bit longer than the norm, for the science geeks in the crowd (hi friends), it’s chock-full of interesting information and insights into the background of our platform. 

Are you an athlete focused on functional fitness? If so, and you're anything like me, those feelings of being utterly drained after a WOD, collapsing on the floor, and not being able to walk the next morning are all too familiar. We've all been there.

But these feelings of exhaustion and muscle soreness aren’t simply signs of a good workout; they’re your body’s way of telling you that it’s in recovery mode. It’s repairing itself from strenuous activity and the inflammation that’s been caused by heavy squats, high rep pull-ups, or those sprint intervals you just crushed. The immune system and your body’s inflammatory response are vital pieces in your recovery, but if they aren’t kept on a leash, they can wreak havoc and cause severe problems.

So scientifically, what happens to our bodies after a hard workout?

Growing older is often met with acceptance, however, what if we took aging as an opportunity to continue to create our best self? In a fast-paced world, we tend to overlook the small things that will have a significant impact on our future self, especially when it comes to our health and wellness.

I sat down with someone who not only always seems to juggle what life throws at her, but surpasses her expectations. Meet my mom, Lisa Beaser, who has been using InsideTracker to help improve her training and to optimize her overall health.

If you’ve been looking to lose weight, you’ve probably heard of the ketogenic, or "keto" diet. Supporters swear by the plan’s ability to promote weight loss without calorie restriction, while skeptics cite the strategy’s restrictive nature.

Want our two cents? Sure thing. Here, we provide a brief background on the keto diet, how it changes your body’s wiring, and whether we think you should give it a shot.

Increasing muscle mass does more than just alter your physical appearance. It’s actually crucial for sustaining your health in the long term. Sufficient muscle mass helps you manage your weight, build and maintain strong bones, increase your metabolism, and keep you active as you age.

So, have we convinced you it’s time to add some lean mass? The InsideTracker platform has you covered when you choose “Gain Muscle” as your goal. But here, we’ve broken down the science to provide you with some top recommendations for achieving serious #gains.

You spend countless hours over many months working on your fitness for your "A" race. Then, after all of the hard work is done, you cross the finish line feeling accomplished. For many, that's where the training journey comes to an end, but it shouldn't be. There's one more critical component to consider – recovery.

We sat down with an elite runner and coach, Mario Fraioli a week after this years wet, windy, and wild Boston Marathon. We spoke about the race and how he utilizes InsideTracker for all aspects of his training, including his recovery.

The liver is the main “chemist” in our body. It is the primary location for the conversion of one compound to another. Because of this, the liver can be thought of as the body’s detoxifier. If you have a liver, there is no need to “detox” through juice cleanses or lengthy fasts. Your liver does that for you every day.

Don’t get us wrong, after this long New England winter, we're definitely ready for longer days and warmer temps. But our favorite part of spring? The re-opening of local farmers markets that showcase all of the season’s juicy and crisp produce ripe for fresh, healthy meals.

This guide will help you navigate your neighborhood market and showcase some new staples of your springtime menu. As an added bonus, these top choices are from a study done in 2014 that ranked the top 41 “powerhouse fruits and vegetables” based on their ability to reduce chronic disease, so you know they pack a healthy punch.¹