--- title: "The Office Job Predicament: Brett Bloemendaal’s Quest for Health From Behind a Desk" description: Professional athletes like Sarah Haskins, Jarrod Shoemaker, and Ruben Sanca use InsideTracker to help keep their bodies in the best condition possible to rival other world-class competitors. However, not all of us are professional athletes! In fact, many InsideTracker customers work typical 9-5 hours, and fit in exercise whenever they can. Unfortunately, spending hours sitting in front of a computer can really take a toll on your health and fitness. Nobody knows this better than Brett Bloemendaal. He works at an investment management company by day, and typically goes to the gym after work. Does this routine sound familiar?  image: https://31.media.tumblr.com/f4db6d95df100cfab794a381222505cd/tumblr_inline_n4so8h76eU1r9jqrk.jpg --- [![Logo](https://blog.insidetracker.com/hubfs/Logo.png "Logo")](https://www.insidetracker.com/) - [Why InsideTracker?](https://www.insidetracker.com/testimonial/) - [How it works](https://www.insidetracker.com/tour/) - [Science](https://www.insidetracker.com/science/) - [About](https://www.insidetracker.com/about/) - [Blog](https://blog.insidetracker.com/) - [Contact us](https://support.insidetracker.com/supportcenter) - [Shop](https://store.insidetracker.com/) Open main menu Close main menu - [Home](https://blog.insidetracker.com/) - [Courses](https://info.insidetracker.com/live-healthier-longer-course) - [Nutrition](https://blog.insidetracker.com/nutrition) Open the submenu - [Food](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/food) - [Supplements](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/supplements) - [Health + Wellness](https://blog.insidetracker.com/health-wellness) Open the submenu - [Heart health](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/heart-health) - [Women's health](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/womens-health) - [Sleep](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/sleep) - [Energy](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/boost-energy) - [Cognition](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Cognition) - [Immunity](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/immunity) - [Stress](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/reduce-stress) - [Performance](https://blog.insidetracker.com/performance) Open the submenu - [Endurance](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/endurance) - [Strength + Fitness](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/strength-fitness) - [Longevity](https://blog.insidetracker.com/longevity) - More... Open the submenu - [Recovery](https://blog.insidetracker.com/recovery) - [Community Stories](https://blog.insidetracker.com/community-stories) - [InsideTracker Updates](https://blog.insidetracker.com/insidetracker-updates) - [Home](https://blog.insidetracker.com/) - [Courses](https://info.insidetracker.com/live-healthier-longer-course) - [Nutrition](https://blog.insidetracker.com/nutrition) Open the submenu - [Food](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/food) - [Supplements](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/supplements) - [Health + wellness](https://blog.insidetracker.com/health-wellness) Open the submenu - [Heart health](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/heart-health) - [Gut health](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/gut-health) - [Sleep](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/sleep) - [Energy](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/boost-energy) - [Cognition](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Cognition) - [Immunity](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/immunity) - [Stress](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/reduce-stress) - [Performance](https://blog.insidetracker.com/performance) Open the submenu - [Endurance](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/endurance) - [Strength + fitness](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/strength-fitness) - [Recovery](https://blog.insidetracker.com/recovery) - [Longevity](https://blog.insidetracker.com/longevity) - [Community stories](https://blog.insidetracker.com/community-stories) - [InsideTracker updates](https://blog.insidetracker.com/insidetracker-updates) #### Search the InsideGuide #### Browse biomarkers ##### Energy + Metabolism - [Glucose](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/glucose) - [Cholesterol](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Cholesterol) - [Triglycerides](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Triglycerides) ##### Bone Health - [Calcium](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Calcium) - [Vitamin D](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Vitamin-D) ##### Inflammation - [hsCRP](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/hsCRP) - [White blood cells](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/White-blood-cells) ##### Strength + Endurance - [Creatine Kinase](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Creatine-Kinase) - [Testosterone](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Testosterone) - [DHEAS](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/DHEAS) - [Cortisol](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Cortisol) - [Sex-Hormone Binding Globulin](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Sex-Hormone-Binding-Globulin) ##### Brain + Body - [Magnesium](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Magnesium) - [Vitamin B12](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Vitamin-B12) ##### Electrolytes - [Potassium](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Potassium) - [Sodium](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Sodium) ##### Oxygen + Performance - [Ferritin](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Ferritin) - [Hemoglobin](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Hemoglobin) - [Iron](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/Iron) ##### Liver Enzymes - [ALT, AST + GGT](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/alt-ast-ggt) #### InsideTracker Plans - [Ultimate](https://store.insidetracker.com/products/ultimate) - [Essentials](https://store.insidetracker.com/products/essentials) - [InnerAge 2.0](https://store.insidetracker.com/products/innerage) - [DNA Kit](https://store.insidetracker.com/products/dna-kit) # The Office Job Predicament: Brett Bloemendaal’s Quest for Health From Behind a Desk By [Perrin Braun](https://blog.insidetracker.com/author/perrin-braun), August 1, 2022   Professional athletes like [Sarah Haskins](https://www.insidetracker.com/blog/post/24992011950/insidetracker-scoop-interview-with-triathlete-sarah/), [Jarrod Shoemaker](https://www.insidetracker.com/blog/post/19151446335/why-im-getting-on-the-inside-track), and [Ruben Sanca](https://www.insidetracker.com/blog/post/26489140115/insidetracker-scoop-interview-with-ruben-sanca-2012/) use InsideTracker to help keep their bodies in the best condition possible to rival other world-class competitors. However, not all of us are professional athletes! In fact, many InsideTracker customers work typical 9-5 hours, and fit in exercise whenever they can. Unfortunately, spending hours sitting in front of a computer can really take a toll on your health and fitness. Nobody knows this better than Brett Bloemendaal. He works at an investment management company by day, and typically goes to the gym after work. Does this routine sound familiar? ![brett](https://31.media.tumblr.com/f4db6d95df100cfab794a381222505cd/tumblr_inline_n4so8h76eU1r9jqrk.jpg) Bloemendaal has always made it a point to stay active and eat a nutritious diet, but after working in an office for several years, he started to develop some digestive problems that he attributed to his stressful sedentary job. Exercising for an hour or so after work just wasn’t doing enough to counteract the negative health effects of his full-time job, so he began to see several different doctors to figure out what steps he needed to take to protect his body and his health. Disappointed with the vague feedback he received from his physicians, Bloemendaal signed up with the InsideTracker [Performance Plan](https://www.insidetracker.com/products/) to receive concrete, evidence-based recommendations that would help him improve his health.  [Click here to learn how InsideTracker can provide you with personalized diet and exercise recommendations to fit your unique needs!](https://www.insidetracker.com/demo) Despite Bloemendaal’s exercise and nutritious eating habits, the results from his first blood test showed that his levels of [vitamin D](https://www.insidetracker.com/blog/post/47616200489/are-you-deficient-in-vitamin-d) were out of his optimal range. Given that some [studies](https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3036961/) have linked vitamin D insufficiency to gastrointestinal distress, his stomach problems seemed potentially linked. “I didn’t realize how much impact low vitamin D levels can have on your health,” Bloemendaal said. Aside from potentially playing a role in GI health, vitamin D increases bone health, muscle mass, and strength, among many other health benefits. Because your body actually makes most of its vitamin D from sunshine, Bloemendaal might not have been getting enough of the vitamin while he was sitting in his office all day! When he reviewed his InsideTracker nutrition recommendations, he realized that he couldn’t get enough vitamin D just from foods and chose to add supplements to his daily regimen. Because the information that Bloemendaal learned from his first blood analysis proved to be so useful, he scheduled a follow-up test with the InsideTracker [Ultimate Plan](https://www.insidetracker.com/products/), and discovered that adhering to the recommendations paid off—his levels of vitamin D had vastly improved. “The biggest thing that I’ve noticed after using the InsideTracker program was that my resiliency was improved, I have more energy, and recover more quickly after a workout,” he reported. Bloemendaal found that InsideTracker’s ability to customize recommendations based on his unique physiology really helped him to understand what’s going on inside of his body. What makes [InsideTracker](https://www.insidetracker.com/) unique is its integration of an “optimal zone” in the blood analysis—a number that is specific to each person and takes into account his or her own unique demographic information such as: age, gender, ethnicity, activity level, as well as lifestyle and performance goals. InsideTracker’s sophisticated algorithm called B.R.A.I.N (Biomarker Research Analysis Integrative Network) determines the optimal zones for each marker based on the latest peer-reviewed research. So while Bloemendaal’s physicians may not have noticed his sub-optimal levels of vitamin D because they were within the “normal” range for the general population, his levels were actually not high enough to meet his personal needs. Bloemendaal also remarked that he appreciated how simple the InsideTracker program was to use. He said that InsideTracker doesn’t “burden you with information, and I wasn’t bogged down with information. It hit the nail on the spot!” Does Bloemendaal have any advice for people who are looking to improve their physical performance? “The biggest thing that I’ve learned in the last year is there is a difference between healthy and fit,” he said. “Even if you go to a doctor and don’t have a disease, that doesn’t mean you can’t feel better. There is a grey area between health and fitness, and using InsideTracker helped me feel much better than I was feeling before.” Lesson learned: even if you’re exercising and eating healthfully, there is always room for improvement with help from InsideTracker! [Try Our Free Demo](https://www.insidetracker.com/demo) #### 8 Ways to Biohack Your Health Free eBook ![eBook_img](https://blog.insidetracker.com/hs-fs/hubfs/inside-tracker/images/eBook_img.png?width=684&height=264&name=eBook_img.png) ### More on this topic [Manage Your Mind with These Three Strategies from Dr. Caroline Leaf](https://blog.insidetracker.com/manage-mind-strategies-dr-caroline-leaf) ###### By Michelle Darian, MS, MPH, RD, April 21, 2021 [Chasing Your Big, Wild, Audacious Goals: A Letter from Olympian Shalane Flanagan](https://blog.insidetracker.com/chasing-big-wild-audacious-goals-letter-shalane-flanagan) ###### By Shalane Flanagan, April 9, 2021 [Slowing Down to Speed Up: Olympian Tianna Bartoletta's Bedtime Routine for Improved Performance](https://blog.insidetracker.com/olympian-tianna-bartoletta-bedtime-routine-improved-performance) ###### By Tianna Bartoletta, April 5, 2021 [![New call-to-action](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/419889/4c987482-a4a3-4770-8721-a3e7cf9b89e8.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/419889/4c987482-a4a3-4770-8721-a3e7cf9b89e8) ### Longevity by Design #### The Podcast [![](https://blog.insidetracker.com/hubfs/86dzy7kt4%20-%20Inside%20Tracker%20-%20Longevity%20by%20Design%20-%20Dr.%20Andrea%20Maier%20-%20Episode%20Thumbnail_01.jpg)](https://blog.insidetracker.com/do-longevity-supplements-really-work) [Do Longevity Supplements Really Work?](https://blog.insidetracker.com/do-longevity-supplements-really-work) [![](https://blog.insidetracker.com/hubfs/86dztppxp%20-%20Inside%20Tracker%20-%20Longevity%20by%20Design%20-%20Dr.%20Uri%20Alon%20-%20Episode%20Thumbnail_01.jpg)](https://blog.insidetracker.com/what-houses-garbage-and-trucks-teach-us-about-aging-with-dr.-uri-alon) [What Houses, Garbage, and Trucks Teach Us About Aging with Dr. Uri Alon](https://blog.insidetracker.com/what-houses-garbage-and-trucks-teach-us-about-aging-with-dr.-uri-alon) [View all articles](https://blog.insidetracker.com/topic/podcast) #### Recent articles [![](https://blog.insidetracker.com/hubfs/86dzy7kt4%20-%20Inside%20Tracker%20-%20Longevity%20by%20Design%20-%20Dr.%20Andrea%20Maier%20-%20Episode%20Thumbnail_01.jpg)](https://blog.insidetracker.com/do-longevity-supplements-really-work) [Do Longevity Supplements Really Work?](https://blog.insidetracker.com/do-longevity-supplements-really-work) March 30, 2026 [![](https://blog.insidetracker.com/hubfs/86dztppxp%20-%20Inside%20Tracker%20-%20Longevity%20by%20Design%20-%20Dr.%20Uri%20Alon%20-%20Episode%20Thumbnail_01.jpg)](https://blog.insidetracker.com/what-houses-garbage-and-trucks-teach-us-about-aging-with-dr.-uri-alon) [What Houses, Garbage, and Trucks Teach Us About Aging with Dr. Uri Alon](https://blog.insidetracker.com/what-houses-garbage-and-trucks-teach-us-about-aging-with-dr.-uri-alon) March 28, 2026 [View all articles](https://blog.insidetracker.com/all) ##### Company - 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