Inside Tracker29 April 2019

The Largest Database Of Healthy People In The World - Inside Tracker - #067

0Frameworks

10Insights

Insights & moments

The myth-busts, hot takes, explainers, and tools worth keeping.

Myth Buster· 1

Myth Buster10:30

Half of Female Endurance Athletes Have Low Iron Stores

Inside Tracker data shows that 50% of women under 50 who are proactive about health still have low ferritin, the storage form of iron. This challenges the assumption that active, health-conscious women are automatically well-nourished.

50% of female endurance athletes using Inside Tracker have low ferritin.
Low iron leads to fatigue, reduced performance, and difficulty training consistently.
Even health-focused individuals may miss key deficiencies without testing.
Supplementation or dietary changes can correct low ferritin effectively.

“We see 50 percent of our female population having low ferritin — the storage form of iron.”
Guest · 10:30

#iron#ferritin#female athletes#endurance

Hot Take· 2

Hot Take15:30

Most Tracking Is Useless Without Action

The guests argue that most performance tracking in sports is meaningless if it doesn’t lead to behavior change. Inside Tracker focuses on turning data into simple, personalized, and actionable recommendations.

Many teams collect data that just sits unused.
Tracking without action is a waste of time and resources.
Inside Tracker only asks questions it uses in recommendations.
Adoption depends on making insights easy to act on.

“Stop tracking just to tell your boss you're tracking this — it's a waste of your athletes' time.”
Guest · 15:30

“Our goal is to make everything we take from you meaningful.”
Guest · 16:00

#data#tracking#actionable insights#sports science

Hot Take47:00

The Future: Real-Time Health Notifications

The team envisions a future where your phone knows your bloodwork, calendar, and weather — then pings you to take action, like going for a walk when vitamin D is low and the sun is out.

Future systems could integrate blood data with real-time context.
Notifications could suggest walks when vitamin D is low and weather permits.
Long-term possibilities include non-invasive testing via saliva or nanotech.
The goal is seamless, personalized health nudges.

“You get a ping: hey, it's sunny out and you have 15 minutes — go take a walk.”
Guest · 47:30

“Our CEO jokes about spitting on your iPhone and getting data — it's not outside the realm of possibility.”
Guest · 48:30

#future#technology#wearables#personalization

Explainer· 4

Explainer10:30

How Blood Work Detects Overtraining and Burnout

Inside Tracker identifies signs of overtraining through biomarkers like elevated creatine kinase (CK), cortisol, and liver enzymes. These markers help athletes and active individuals understand when they need to rest and recover.

Creatine kinase (CK) is a key marker of muscle damage and overtraining.
High cortisol and liver enzymes also indicate excessive stress or training load.
Many endurance and CrossFit athletes show these patterns due to addictive training habits.
Testing after rest days gives clearer insights into true recovery status.

“We see CK is usually a little bit higher which just means it's a marker of overtraining.”
Guest · 08:30

“When was your last rest day? Well, I don't have those.”
Guest · 11:30

#overtraining#blood markers#recovery

Explainer39:30

Why Glucose Is Heavily Weighted in Inner Age Score

Glucose is one of the most important biomarkers for longevity, heavily weighted in Inside Tracker's 'Inner Age' score because consistently optimized glucose levels correlate strongly with longer, healthier lives.

Glucose is the most heavily weighted marker in the Inner Age algorithm.
82% of Americans have elevated glucose levels.
Diet, especially eating out frequently, contributes significantly to high glucose.
Simple dietary changes like adding oatmeal can improve glucose control.

“Research on longevity correlating glucose consistently optimized glucose to better longevity.”
Guest · 39:30

“82% of Americans have high glucose.”
Guest · 40:00

#glucose#longevity#inner-age#diet

Explainer38:30

What 'Inner Age' Really Means

Inside Tracker's 'Inner Age' is a composite score based on five key biomarkers — glucose, ALT, hsCRP, vitamin D, and testosterone — that reflect how well your body is aging compared to your chronological age.

Inner Age is not chronological age but a biological estimate.
It’s calculated from five science-backed longevity markers.
Glucose has the highest weighting due to its strong link to aging.
The score helps users track progress over time with lifestyle changes.

“Inner age is the age that your body is on the inside versus what the number says on your driver's license.”
Guest · 38:30

#inner-age#biomarkers#longevity#aging

Explainer26:30

How Inside Tracker Turns Science Into Recommendations

Inside Tracker uses an internal peer-review process where scientists validate new research before turning it into algorithm-driven, personalized recommendations ranked by strength of evidence.

Scientists review new studies and propose rules for the system.
Each rule must be validated by a second scientist before inclusion.
Recommendations are ranked 1–5 stars based on study quality and recency.
The system ensures only evidence-backed advice is delivered.

“Scientist one proposes a rule, it has to be validated by a second person — it's an internal peer review system.”
Guest · 27:30

#science#algorithm#peer-review#personalization

Story· 1

Story19:30

Why Inside Tracker Was Created After a Family Loss

The founder of Inside Tracker, Gil Blander, was inspired to start the company after losing a family member at a young age. His mission became to live longer and healthier, leading him to create a platform that uses science to help people optimize their health and longevity.

Founder Gil Blander lost a family member as a child.
This loss motivated him to pursue longevity science.
He chose to start a company instead of just publishing research to reach more people.
The goal is to help billions, not just study aging in academia.

“Our founder Gill blander had a death in the family when he was a little kid and he said I want to live forever.”
Guest · 19:30

#longevity#founder story#health optimization

Tool· 1

Tool30:30

Oatmeal and Nuts: Top Foods for Longevity

Inside Tracker data shows that eating oatmeal and nuts daily improves key biomarkers including glucose, lipids, testosterone, and inflammation — all of which contribute to better Inner Age scores.

Oatmeal is a top-ranked dietary intervention for elevated glucose.
Daily nut consumption improves glucose, lipids, liver enzymes, and testosterone.
Both foods are highly compliant and easy to add to most diets.
Nuts work across multiple longevity-related metrics.

“If you do nothing else, eat more oatmeal.”
Guest · 31:00

“Eating nuts on a daily basis improves glucose, lipids, testosterone, and inflammation.”
Guest · 32:00

#nutrition#oatmeal#nuts#glucose

Takeaway· 1

Takeaway29:30

Fix Sleep First for Better Biomarkers

For most people, improving sleep quality is the easiest and most impactful first step to improving biomarkers like cortisol and overall energy levels. Simple changes like reducing screen time before bed can make a big difference.

Poor sleep disrupts cortisol regulation and recovery.
Cutting screen time 30 minutes before bed improves sleep quality.
Quality sleep is foundational for hormone balance and performance.
It’s a simple, daily habit with outsized benefits.

“The biggest recommendation is just cut the screen time, shut your phone off the half-hour before you go to sleep.”
Guest · 30:00

#sleep#cortisol#recovery#lifestyle