The holiday’s are marketed as being a time of happiness, joy, and love. However, we know that this isn’t always the case. In fact, the [American Psychological Association](https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/mcleans-guide-managing-mental-health-around-holidays#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20American%20Psychological,%2Dgiving%2C%20and%20family%20gatherings) reported that up to 38% of people say that they experience increased stress during the holidays (1). Another statistic reported that 64% of people that already suffered from a mental illness experienced worsening conditions this time of year (1). While these statistics can be overwhelming, and even slightly saddening, we at Wild.AI are here to support you! We hope that this article provides you with some ways to protect your mental health during this time. 

The overarching theme of how to overcome negative emotions this season boils down to practicing self-care. Self-care has been defined in a variety of ways, but in essence, it means doing something that fosters overall well-being. Self-care can be broken down into more specific categories, including emotional, spiritual, social, mental, and physical. 
 
**Emotional Self-Care **

Emotional self-care includes acknowledging and allowing yourself to feel emotions that may arise. This can be especially crucial during the holidays when you may feel pressure to be happy and joyous all the time. Allowing yourself to bask in the joy, but also fully feel the anxiety and grief you may be experiencing, can allow you to feel fully in tune with yourself (2). 

Some common practices of self-care may include practicing mindfulness through meditation or breathing exercises; practicing gratitude, and journaling your feelings (3). Noting emotions that you may be feeling in the notes section of your Wild.AI check-in is a great way to track how you are feeling throughout seasons, notice common trends, and fully check-in with yourself. 

**Spiritual Self-Care **

Spiritual self-care does not have to be related to religion, although, for some, it may. Instead, spiritual self-care involves anything that can connect you to something bigger (3). This can include getting into nature, meditating, etc. 

**Social Self-Care**

Humans are inherently social beings. Maintaining social relationships are important not only to mental health, but to physical health as well. A [2017 study](https://www.proquest.com/docview/1958504819?accountid=14749&forcedol=true) reported that loneliness is correlated with negative cardiovascular risks across life stages (4). That being said, maintaining a healthy social life also involves maintaining boundaries, and taking breaks when needed. The increased social nature of the holiday season can be overwhelming and exhausting for those that require alone-time to recharge. Practicing social self-care could involve setting up a coffee date with an old friend, but it could also be setting a much needed boundary with family members to protect your relationship. 	

**Mental Self-Care **

Exercising your mind is just as important as exercising your body. Actively challenging your brain through so-called “brain games,” challenging tasks, etc. is correlated with slowing the rate of brain atrophy and cognitive decline (5). You can help keep your brain sharp during the holidays by doing puzzles with family, reading daily, and other brain-related activities!

**Physical Self-Care **

Physical self-care involves any activity that can help foster physical well-being. While we most often think of exercise as the only form of this type of self-care, this category can also include staying hydrated, sleeping well, and eating a well balanced diet (3). 

Aside from helping ward off the dangers of poor health, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, etc., maintaining good physical health is actually closely tied to maintaining good mental health. The “[endorphin hypothesis](https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-010-0633-9
)” proposes that exercise can stimulate release of opioids, increasing mood, and potentially attenuating some symptoms associated with depression and anxiety (6). 

As we mentioned in our [“Why Exercise And Diet Shouldn't Control Your Holiday Season” ](https://wild.ai/blog/article/why-exercise-and-diet-shouldn-t-control-your-holiday-season) post, it can be difficult to fit in workouts during this hectic time of year. The good news is that whatever workout you can fit in, can help boost your mood. One study reported that higher intensity activities might boost your mood more (like a 20 minute HIIT session) (6). However, if that seems out of question, getting outside and going for a walk can be a good stress reliever as well! 

Maintaining your physical health does often entail intentional movement of your body and eating nutritious foods. However, it’s important to keep in mind that over-exerting yourself or under-fueling your body can also be extremely detrimental to your health. Overtraining can not only put your physical health at risk, but it can affect your mental health as well. Specifically, overtraining can increase depressive symptoms, and decrease self-esteem and motivation (7). When training, particularly during stressful times (like the holidays), always be sure you are fueling yourself adequately, sleeping enough, and taking the time to truly give yourself a break. 

Whatever your choice of movement, ensuring that you’re taking care of yourself this holiday season is important to maintaining your overall health and wellness. Using health trackers, like the [Oura Ring](https://wild.ai/store), in combination with Wild.AI, can help you ensure that you’re staying healthy. You can easily order an Oura Ring through the [Wild.AI shop](https://wild.ai/store)! 

Self care can take on a variety of meanings, depending on what feels healing for you. For some, that might mean taking the day to read in bed; while for others that may mean going on a long run. Whatever your definition of self-care means, be sure to give yourself a little extra this season. 



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References 

1. Guide to Managing Mental Health Around the Holidays | McLean Hospital. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2022, from https://www.mcleanhospital.org/essential/mcleans-guide-managing-mental-health-around-holidays#:~:text=According%20to%20the%20American%20Psychological,%2Dgiving%2C%20and%20family%20gatherings

2. Emotional Self-Care: What It Is and How to Make It Part of Your Life. (2022, January 10). Advantage Care Health Center. https://advantagecaredtc.org/emotional-self-care/

3. Six Types of Self Care. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2022, from https://secure.everyaction.com/p/Pg5bqblugE6-NGId09RIcQ2

4. Hare Duke, L. (2017). The importance of social ties in mental health. Mental Health and Social Inclusion, 21(5), 264-270. Retrieved from http://libproxy.usc.edu/login?url=https://www.proquest.com/scholarly-journals/importance-social-ties-mental-health/docview/1958504819/se-2

5. Anderson, K. & Grossberg, G.T. (2014). Brain Games to Slow Cognitive Decline in Alzheimer’s Disease. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 15(8), 536–537. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2014.04.014

6. Dinas, P. C., Koutedakis, Y., & Flouris, A. D. (2011). Effects of exercise and physical activity on depression. Irish Journal of Medical Science, 180(2), 319–325. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11845-010-0633-9

7. Chung, Y., Hsiao, Y.-T., & Huang, W.-C. (2021). Physiological and Psychological Effects of Treadmill Overtraining Implementation. Biology, 10(6), 515. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology10060515

The holiday’s are marketed as being a time of happiness, joy, and love.  However, we know that this isn’t always the case.  Practicing self-care can help alleviate some stress that arises during this time of year! 

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Practicing Self-Care This Holiday Season

It’s been close to 6 months since the US Supreme Court chose to overturn a 50 year precedent created by Roe vs Wade.  In addition to the midterm elections, predicted to have been a “red wave,” it’s understandable that women everywhere are being more conscientious about where and how they store their data relating to reproductive health.  In hopes to ease some anxiety in entrusting Wild.AI with your data, let us be very clear about where we stand with abortion and women’s right to choose: every woman has the right to choose what to do in the event that they find themselves pregnant.  We believe in bodily autonomy, and feel strongly that abortion falls under that characterization.  Additionally, we believe that an abortion warrants no justification.  Abortion access is, in and of itself, healthcare.  

In line with our stance on individual’s right to choose what they want to do with their own body, we pride ourselves on protecting our users' data.  Our datasets are all encrypted.  More importantly, however, we are a UK company, meaning we abide by the General Data Protection Regulations set out in the UK.  This means that your data is protected and the United States government cannot override that authority, making it illegal for us to share your data with anyone outside of [Wild.AI](wild.ai).  Lastly, if you feel uncomfortable at any point, we have always made it easy for you to delete your data in the app.  Once your data has been deleted from Wild.AI, it will be permanently erased.  

If you are looking for resources regarding abortion access in the United States, please see the [resources](https://docs.google.com/file/d/1gmlLhdDwk9I2u9SSDP4BE9LknHXLVp4-/edit?usp=docslist_api&filetype=msexcel) we have compiled.  If you have further questions about where we stand regarding abortion, please reach out to support@wild.ai.  


In hopes to ease some anxiety in entrusting Wild.AI with your data, let us be very clear about where we stand with abortion and women’s right to choose: every woman has the right to choose what to do in the event that they find themselves pregnant.

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Our Position on the Women's Right to Choose

By [WILD](http://www.wild.ai/)

Believe it or not… It hasn’t been easy to compile this list. We should see much more of these soon! A great initiative we strongly support and recommend joining is [Women in AI](http://womeninai.co/): which brings together the community supporting females in deep tech.

If you’re in AI, female or not, join our next [PeakAI](http://www.peakai.org/): a group of AI researchers and founders climbing peaks! The next one will be in the Dolomites.

Those are some of the women who truly inspire us, through their leadership, daily habits and management of their companies.
 #### 1. [Noor Shaker](https://www.linkedin.com/in/noor-shaker-a965a610/) — [GTN](http://gtn.ai/)
![Noor_Shaker.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Noor_Shaker_ee700fe39d.png)

GTN brings innovation to the world of drug development. Nowadays it is very costly and challenging to bring a new drug to the market that does not imitate an already existing drug. This is where GTN comes in. With its exceptional patented technology, GTN aims to use machine learning and quantum physics to revolutionise the search and discovery of drug-like molecules. Not only that but GTN could also apply its technology in other areas such as materials science, food and cosmetics.
Noor has a remarkable tech background. She worked with machine learning, artificial intelligence and data mining at Aalborg University in Copenhagen, with a special interest in degenerative models. She is very recognised as she has won several awards and grants for her research. Noor started GTN at [EntrepreneurFirst](http://www.joinef.com/).

 #### 2. [Agne Kazakeviciute](https://www.linkedin.com/in/agnek/) — [Sensum Tech](http://www.sensumtechnologies.com/)

![Agne_Kazakeviciute.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Agne_Kazakeviciute_b5c01f25f6.png)

Premature birth occurs in 10% of pregnancies where risk is always a factor. Premature birth costs a lot of money for governments all around the worlds because of the healthcare costs that come with it. There were no current methods to predict premature birth until Sensum came along. Sensum is a software company which can predict premature labor days before it occurs. It uses statistical and machine learning techniques in order to save future lives.
Agne has a Masters in medical statistics and a PhD in statistical science from University College London. During her PhD, she spent two years working with biomedical data at A*STAR Singapore. She’s published five papers in top statistics and engineering journals. Agne started Sensum at [EntrepreneurFirst](http://www.joinef.com/)

#### 3, [Marie Outtier](https://www.linkedin.com/in/marieouttier/) — [Aiden](https://www.aiden.ai/)
![Marie_Outtier.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Marie_Outtier_e79ee15d12.png)

Aiden is an artificially intelligent marketing analyst. Marketers spend several hours a week searching for meaningful data. However, there is high risk of inefficiencies in the search for useful data depending on the complexity of the task. Aiden helps marketer by aiding them in making better and more precise decisions using a combination of A.I. and marketing expert-system.
Marie is a passionate entrepreneur with great interest in technological trends, specifically Artificial Intelligence. Marie got her Master’s degree in Marketing from Kedge Business School and speaks fluent German and French.
#### 4. [Alice Zhang](https://www.linkedin.com/in/alice-zhang-2087862b/) — Verge Genomics
![Alice_Zhang.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Alice_Zhang_3d2d6c5845.png)

In Verge Genomics, they find drugs to treat brain diseases by using human genomics data to treat diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, ALS, and Parkinson’s disease. More than 40 million people in the world suffer from Alzheimer’s disease which will make Alzheimer’s one of the largest medical problem without a cure. Shockingly, drug discovery is still not as effective as it could be and neuroscience is still filled with assumptions and guesses. At Verge, the goal is to take the guessing out of drug discovery. Verge has found a way to map out hundreds of genes that cause disease and find drugs that target all of them at once. Through a combination of Human Genomics, Systems Biology and Stem-cell Modeling, Verge has developed a drug discovery engine. This engine aims to find drugs that reverse the disease rather than just creating the symptoms.
Alice graduated from Princeton University magna cum laude with high honors in Molecular Biology. Alice has had a great interest in systems biology research for several years now, working at the National Cancer Institute, the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics at Princeton University, and UCLA. Alice was named as a Forbes 2017 30 Under 30 Featured Honoree.
#### 5. [Rana el Kaliouby](https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaliouby/) — Affectiva
![Rana_el_Kaliouby.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Rana_el_Kaliouby_b6b4200dd6.png)

Nowadays, people spend more time interacting with their technological gadgets (phone, tablet, laptop) than with human beings. Affectiva is a company focused on bringing emotional intelligence to technologies. Emotional A.I. is a multibillion dollar industry which can revolutionize many industries such as media and advertising, research, retail, healthcare, education, to name a few. Affectiva’s goal is to bring emotional intelligence to the virtual world via emotion recognition technology.
Rana is an entrepreneur, scientist and Co-founder of Affectiva. She received a Bachelor’s in Computer Science, Electronics and Business Administration from American University as well as a PhD in Computer Lab from the University of Cambridge. As one of the few women leading an A.I. tech company, she is very passionate about women in tech.
#### 6. [Elena Mustatea](https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-mustatea/) — [Bold Health](http://bold.health/)
![Elena_Mustatea.jfif](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Elena_Mustatea_c262789cfe.jfif)

Bold Health is an online platform that aids individuals with long term conditions. It helps improve the physical and mental health of users with the the teaching of mental tools such as stress reduction techniques as well as behavioral medicine. Depending on the specific treatment an individual is seeking, Bold Health adapts to the person by providing a customized treatment plan to suit the person’s unique needs and goals. The virtual therapeutics offered, are supported by licensed medical professionals at any time and any place the user may need them. Living with a chronic illness sometimes disturbs the person’s everyday life and prevents him from living life to the fullest. Being in control of one’s body and mind can offer countless benefits such as reduced vulnerability to depression and anxiety, as well as reduced stress, improved sleep and more energy.
Having experience as an investment banking analyst, Elena started her career as a venture capital investor at VC. She started Bold Health at Zinc VC, the platform for building new tech companies that solve the developed world’s toughest social issues, the first mission being to improve women and girls’ emotional and mental health. Elena graduated from Dartmouth College with Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Environmental Studies and International Studies.
#### 7. [Carol Reiley](https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-reiley-7a91072/) — Drive.AI
![Carol_Reiley.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Carol_Reiley_e96209fbf0.png)

Thousands of Americans die in car accidents every year where most of the time the accidents are caused due to human error. The Drive.ai team believe that the technology they use can potentially revolutionize industries and save lives. Drive.ai is a startup that creates A.I. software for autonomous vehicles using deep learning. The company is focused towards building an artificial intelligence system for an autonomous vehicle in order to make the vehicle ‘smart.’
Carol has been a roboticist for the last two decades in surgical robotics. Carol has strong interest in the development of intelligent robotic systems that can help people in performing skillful tasks more accurately. Clara obtained her Bachelor’s in Computer Science from Santa Clara University and her PhD in Computer Science and Robotics from John Hopkins University.
#### 8. [Lorena Puica](https://www.linkedin.com/in/lorenapuica/) — [I am Yiam](http://iamyiam.com/)
iamYiam is a people business focused on Preventive & Personalised Health — everyday and lifelong. iamYiam platform is here to leverage state of the art preventive health and molecular research, Reinforcement Learning (Ai) and digital technologies to empower people everywhere to personally take charge of their health with the help of Syd their personal Ai partner — everyday and lifelong. Syd can be there for people to help them better manage their health risks — with the final goal of reducing these health risk factors in a sustainable manner and increasing people’s quality of life everyday and lifelong. To date they have reduced health risks of CVD, Obesity, Stress/Mental Health, MSD and improved the quality of life by up to 61% for people in 32 countries, aged 2 to 77, 52% female and 48% male.
Born in Romania to father quantum physicist and mother entrepreneur, Lorena has achieved 5 degrees in mathematics, economics and finance, published a book on Microfinance as a tool for empowering individuals towards Sustainable Growth, created a decade-long career in strategy and investment management with global institutions working with portfolios of over £200billion while also being a extreme athlete with 2 world record events. Following 7 years of personal health challenges Lorena founded iamYiam.com as a Preventive Precision Health platform poised to leverage research, ML technology and creativity to empower 1bn people to take charge of their health everyday and lifelong. She’s a Speaker at World Government Summit (https://www.worldgovernmentsummit.org) , Global Wellness Forum (https://www.globalwellnesssummit.com) , UK Government Missions Globally , amongst others.
#### 9. [Hannah Burrow](https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannahburrow/) — [Kiroku](http://trykiroku.com/)
![Hannah_Burrow.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Hannah_Burrow_2a590863a9.png)

Highly skilled jobs require precise records. Kiroku is a smart note taking online platform designed to suit professional services such as medical services. Kiroku is developing a technology that understands a conversation between a medical practitioner and a patient in order to create expert language. Kiroku can listen to a conversation and create clinical notes saving considerable amounts of time in the process. With Kiroku, records are needed but recording them is no longer.
Hannah is an accomplished dentist who has worked in the public health industry practicing in hospitals. Hannah went to University of Bristol where she got her Bachelor’s of Dental Surgery. She is supported by [EntrepreneurFirst](http://www.joinef.com/) and several other important names of the startup world.
#### 10. [Benedetta Arese](https://www.linkedin.com/in/benedetta-arese-lucini/) — [Oval Money](https://www.ovalmoney.com/)
![Benedetta_Arese.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Benedetta_Arese_f6ab4eaf26.png)

Oval Money is an app that aims to teach people to be wiser about their money everyday. Oval helps users by educating them in better ways to save money as well as developing healthy spending habits. It evaluates an individual income expenses and uses smart data analytics to enable him to make better financial decisions. It tracks daily expenses and gives the user a complete picture of his spending habits. Oval further allows the user to link all bank accounts and credit cards so with each purchase there is a specific record tracked and categorized automatically.
Benedetta is an avid runner and numbers enthusiast with great interest in the tech world. She obtained her Bachelor’s in Economics from Universita Bocconi and her MBA in Media & Entertainment, Entrepreneurship and Finance from NYU Stern School of Business.

![helene_blog_2.jpeg](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/helene_blog_2_eda152cc5f.jpeg)

*We’re building [WILD](https://wild.ai/), your wellbeing and training companion. WILD focuses on amateur runners, cyclists and swimmers specifically, or “Endurance athletes” — by endurance, we mean any distance above 5km running, and by athlete, we mean anyone with a body, as Phil Knight (the founder of Nike) puts it. Endurance athletes typically gather vast amount of data (from their wearables, phones, and potential blood, stool tests), pro-actively want to improve themselves, and have a short reward loop (from action: training on Monday to reward: race on Sunday).
The team has a mix of Tech and business background: AI engineers, Neuroscience PhD, ex-bankers and hedgies, and avid athletes: ex-team GB, 100km trail runner, half ironman, or ice water swimmer. WILD was started at Entrepreneur First, and is backed by angels fascinated by sports, senescence and data.*

![team_wild-min.jpeg](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/team_wild_min_e04a90fc7a.jpeg)




These are some of the women who truly inspire us, through their leadership, daily habits and management of their companies.

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10 female-led companies in deep tech


At Wild.AI we want to help women optimize their training, eating and recovery around their hormones in order to improve performance. But there is an important distinction between training and performance that is key to understand. Not many in the fitness industry are aware of this, so we’re excited to have you here and well done for wanting to know more! 

**Training Vs Performance:**

The terms “training” and “performance” are often used interchangeably, but there are actually important differences between them. 

Training is the process of learning how to do something in order to be able to do it effectively, while performance is the actual execution of the learned skill. involves engaging in activities that challenge you to learn new skills and improve existing ones. It often involves repetition and practice to ensure that the skills become second nature. 

Performance, on the other hand, is the application of these skills to complete tasks (such as competing in a race or game) as efficiently and accurately as possible. 

For example, an athlete may engage in training activities such as running drills or weight-lifting which allows them to build the strength and endurance necessary for peak performance in a sporting event. They will then use those skills in a game or race, where their performance is judged.

The interchangeability between the terms “training” and “performance” is likely due to the fact that perception of the two does not differ vastly for men, as their hormonal landscape is consistent. Therefore it’s fair that in a male context, training and performance could be  interchangeable. However, the hormonal shifts that women go through impact both how we train and the way we think about training.

**At Wild.AI we help optimize training:** 

At Wild.AI, we understand that training and performance are two separate things and, particularly when it comes to working with  your hormones, this distinction is key. Our app and coaching platform makes recommendations for training based on what stage of your cycle you’re in.   Therefore, when you’re training, you can program your training to coincide with hormonal fluctuations , and, as an added bonus, learn to understand your body better to get strong and increase your gains. 

These gains from your optimized training will in turn lead to better performance, However, again the distinction comes back into play. It's very possible to have a race on the first day of your period (it happens all the time) and this is something you can’t control. But what you can control and how you can maximize performance is by optimizing your training and having enough knowledge and understanding of your body to know that you can perform and also mitigate the symptoms that may arise.


Dr Stacy Sims, the leading expert on female physiology and one of Wild.AI’s founding partners, said it best when she was quoted in [Running Magazine](https://runningmagazine.ca/sections/training/women-and-endurance-running-part-one-how-to-train-with-your-cycle/) “When we talk about performance, there’s never a negative point in the menstrual cycle. When we talk about training, there are ups and downs. We can get better training adaptations when our bodies are more resilient to stress, and then start to taper down to support that hard training. But for performance, just go, just hit it hard” (1)  

**What the research says:**

We could chat about this all day, but in the end what really matters is the research behind it and the supporting evidence. 

So here it is! 

Research suggests that a woman’s performance on race day may be slightly reduced during the early follicular phase, but is largely not impacted by the specific point in her menstrual cycle during which the race takes place (2).  However, you can optimize TRAINING to take into account the changing hormone levels that come with each phase of the menstrual cycle (see our article in [Garmin](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/health/why-train-with-your-menstrual-cycle/)!)  Hacking your menstrual cycle to maximize your gains can ultimately lead to an overall improved performance on game day!  

Additionally with proper nutrition, adequate rest, and effective recovery techniques, athletes can ensure they are adequately prepared to handle any physical or mental challenge they face in competition. Ultimately by understanding the advantages of periodized training programs  that are tailored to the menstrual cycle, athletes can maximize their performance and reach their desired goals. 


**One more time for the people in the back:**

When it comes to female performance, and working with your hormones, focusing on training and the long-term impact, rather than performance and a moment in time is key. If one understands their body, hormones, menstrual cycle phase (if they have one) and symptoms, then one can optimally prepare to perform no matter what phase they might be when it comes to race day.

If you’re a coach and feel like you’re on board with this distinction of training and performance, and  interested in learning more about how to optimize your clients and athletes training, WIld.AI’s coaching platform can help! 
 

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**References**

1. Hambleton, Brittany. “Women and Endurance Running Part One: How to Train with Your Cycle.” Canadian Running Magazine, 21 May 2021, https://runningmagazine.ca/sections/training/women-and-endurance-running-part-one-how-to-train-with-your-cycle/.



2. McNulty, Kelly Lee, et al. “The Effects of Menstrual Cycle Phase on Exercise Performance in Eumenorrheic Women: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.” Sports Medicine, vol. 50, no. 10, 2020, pp. 1813–27, https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-020-01319-3.



But there is an important distinction between training and performance that is key to understand.  Not many in the fitness industry are aware of this, so we’re excited to have you here and well done for wanting to know more!  

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Training and Performance:  Do you know why this difference matters for female athletes?

The holiday season can be overwhelming and it can be hard to find a balance between training and enjoying time with your friends and family.  Our goal at [Wild.AI](wild.ai) is to help you understand how your body responds to different training stimuli, and that may be a lack of exercise.  In this 3-part article series, we hope to help ease your anxiety around eating, drinking, and exercising during this chaotic race to the end of the year.  

First, we should note that you deserve to have a holiday.  Enjoy quality time with those in your life, eat that piece of pie, take a break for a little.  The holidays should be a time to recover.  

In terms of your training, there is good news and bad news when it comes to limiting your exercise program.  The bad news is that a decrease in training of any kind will result in some loss of performance.  The good news, though,is that in the short-term, this decline is relatively limited.  Short term detraining (less than 4 weeks) can result in a decrease in your body’s ability to use oxygen during exercise, measured by your VO2 max (i.e., the maximal amount of oxygen your body can take in), by less than 4% (1). 

In terms of strength training, you will likely not see any significant declines in your ability to lift a certain amount of weight after a couple of weeks of not training (2).  However, you may notice that there is a decline in the amount of reps you can do, primarily due to a decrease in blood flow, which we will get into in more detail below.   

The cause for several of the mechanisms seen in detraining is a decrease in the blood delivered to the tissues  (2).  The extent to which blood volume (i.e., the amount of blood flowing through your body) decreases largely due to your training status.  Highly trained endurance athletes may experience blood volume loss upwards of 12%, relative to their trained levels.  However, the less intense and frequent you train, the less relative blood volume you will lose.        

Another piece of good news is that you can limit how much your athletic performance is affected by training less frequently, but at a relatively high intensity.  One study found that exercising at 80% of heart rate max two times per week can maintain your aerobic capacity for up to 15 weeks (2).  In essence, how intense your training session is matters more than how frequently you train.

Lastly, even going on a brief walk can help keep you stay active during the chaos of the holidays.  Not only can walks be a great way to take a break and get away to improve your mood, but they can also provide a good way to keep up your fitness.  Walking can place less stress on joints than a lot of other weight bearing exercises, it can help with blood flow and cardiovascular function, improve endurance, and limit the development of chronic illnesses (i.e., high blood pressure) (3)! We recommend getting outside (or on a treadmill) to help you prolong losing your progress during this hectic time of year!  But don’t worry if you do feel like you’re losing your gains, Wild.AI is always here to help you get back into it (including exercise programs)! 


In addition to limiting your time for training, the holiday season also comes with a lot of tasty calorie filled foods.  This can be overwhelming when you’re focused on a particular athletic goal, but we’re here to tell you that it's more than ok to enjoy that delicious food while it's around! 

The holiday season is often partnered with the “off-season” of many athletic disciplines.  Feeding yourself extra calories during this downtime can help your body recover from the previous year in a lot of ways.  Building muscle costs a lot of calories for the body.  Often, it is recommended that those that are looking to gain muscle, take in a surplus of calories (4).  When in full training mode, despite your best efforts, it can sometimes be hard to hit your macros all the time.  Therefore, by feeding yourself a little extra during the holiday season, you can make up for the calories that you may have lost during heavy training.  A little extra fuel in your body can not only help you perform better when it’s time to train, but it can also help boost your immunity, protecting you against winter colds, flus, and germs (5).  

We’re often led to believe that our bodies operate on a strict in vs out strategy each day, but the truth is our bodies have no reset that restarts our caloric intake each day.  It’s true that if sustained over time, a caloric surplus will likely result in weight gain; however, that large celebratory dinner for Huannaka or Christmas, probably won’t affect you much.  In fact, a study from [*The New England Journal of Medicine*](https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMc1602012) found that, although people think they gain 5-10 lbs (2.27-4.54 kg) during the holiday season, it's likely closer to 1 lb (0.45 kg) (6).  

While we hope this article encourages you to be kind to yourself regarding your training and nutrition during the holiday season, we do want to encourage you to be mindful of what you’re eating.  Including lots of proteins, complex carbohydrates (like quinoa), and nutrient heavy sides (like spinach) is an essential part of a balanced meal (5).  With that said, have that cup of hot cocoa, eat that piece of pie, and take this time to rest from all that you have accomplished this year.  And as always, #getWILD. 

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References

Zheng, J., Pan, T., Jiang, Y., & Shen, Y. (2022). Effects of Short- and Long-Term Detraining on Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. BioMed Research International, 2022, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.1155/2022/2130993

Mujika, I., & Padilla, S. (2000). Detraining: Loss of Training-Induced Physiological and Performance Adaptations. Part I. Sports Medicine, 30(2), 79–87. https://doi.org/10.2165/00007256-200030020-00002

Steinhilber, B. (2017, September 2). Why walking is the most underrated form of exercise. NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/better/health/why-walking-most-underrated-form-exercise-ncna797271

Slater, G. J., Dieter, B. P., Marsh, D. J., Helms, E. R., Shaw, G., & Iraki, J. (2019). Is an Energy Surplus Required to Maximize Skeletal Muscle Hypertrophy Associated With Resistance Training. Frontiers in Nutrition, 6. https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2019.00131

MacMillan, A. (2014, December 11). Is It Okay to Gain Weight During the Holidays? Outside Online. https://www.outsideonline.com/health/nutrition/it-okay-gain-weight-during-holidays/

Helander, E. E., Wansink, B., & Chieh, A. (2016). Weight Gain over the Holidays in Three Countries. New England Journal of Medicine, 375(12), 1200–1202. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMc1602012




The holiday season can be overwhelming and it can be hard to find a balance between training and enjoying time with your friends and family.  Our goal at Wild.AI is to help you understand how your body responds to different training stimuli, and that may be a lack of exercise.  

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Why Exercise and Diet Shouldn't Control your Holiday Season

Each year, on January 1st, millions of people set goals for what they hope to achieve in the new year. However, close to [80% of New Year’s Resolutions](https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2020/02/11/this-is-the-month-when-new-years-resolutions-fail-heres-how-to-save-them/) are dropped by February (1). With the new year right around the corner, you may be thinking about what you want to achieve in 2023. Here are 5 ways that you can set goals that you can stick to in 2023! 

**1. Be specific**

Broad goals such as “workout more” or “sleep better” are good habits to build, but without specific targets to shoot for, it’s likely that you won’t achieve what you are hoping to. Having specific, often measurable, goals can give you something that you can do routine check-ins, making it more likely that you will achieve what you set out to (2). 

**2. Make them hard, but not impossible** 

When thinking about what we want to achieve, it’s easy to select goals that are easily 
attainable. However, if goals are too easy, it’s likely that you will lose motivation to work towards them (2, 3). On the flip side, setting goals that are too difficult to achieve will also lead to burn-out. This is primarily because when people feel that they are not capable of achieving the goal they will abandon it to preserve their self-esteem. 

Setting goals is a bit like the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears. You want to set a 
a goal that is not too easy, not too hard, but something that’s just right. For example, if you have never run, setting a goal to run for 1 minute is a little too easy, leaving you with little motivation to achieve it. On the other hand, setting a goal to run an 100-mile ultra-marathon (that can take up to 40 hours) by November is a little too hard. But, setting a goal to run a 5k (that will take less than an hour) by the end of the year can give you something to train and aim to complete, but not something that is so daunting that it will cause you to throw in the towel. 

 
**3. Set a time-frame for your goals, and check-in regularly**

Setting a deadline for your goals is a way to almost force yourself to work towards achieving it. Giving yourself a timeline for you to complete your goal can allow you to schedule time dedicated to working towards it, and can allow you to develop a plan to achieve it. Setting an end-date can also allow the reality of your goal to set-in, increasing your dedication to it. Similarly, setting milestones to aim for within your bigger goal can help you stay on track with your progress! Regularly evaluating your progress can help increase feelings of self-efficacy, but realizing that you may be falling behind can also motivate you to adapt your efforts to continue to push towards achievement (3). Investing in a planner or using an online tracking tool can easily help you set deadlines for each milestone, and your overall goal! 

Take training for a 5k for an example. If I am aiming to compete in a 5k in January, I need to train my body to get ready to take on the challenge. Starting today, I can use the Wild.AI running plan to train each week, getting myself a little closer to running my 5k. Also, having designated workouts that I can satisfyingly cross off after I finish them means that I am more likely to want to train each day. Come January 15th, I’m going to crush my goal of running a 5k, all because I set a deadline and checked-in with myself regularly (and of course put in the work)! 

**4. Think about the why**
	
It’s easy enough to say your setting a goal because you want to, but actually thinking about who or why you are setting your goal could increase your chances of achieving it. In fact, people who are connected to their goals are up to 1.8 times more likely to achieve them (1). Additionally, dedicating yourself to a goal because someone else (i.e., partners, parents, bosses, etc.) wants you to achieve it makes it less likely that you are going to continue your dedication to it. Instead, choosing goals that YOU want to attain increases your investment in completing them! Some research even suggests that tying your goals to something that matters to you may, quite literally, suppress negative emotions associated with judgment (1). 

It’s also likely that your goal may be for someone else, but in an indirect way. For example, you may want to run a 5k to improve your cardiovascular health, but also to show your young niece the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Even if you’re doing this to make your future self-proud, as long as you understand the reasoning behind your goal, and that you're not being told what to aim for, it’s more likely that you’ll stick to it! 


**5. Stop trying to fix yourself**
	
Although goals are a great way to build-upon the humans we already are, when they are focused on “improving” ourselves they can be a bit toxic. In a [Harvard Business Review article](https://hbr.org/2021/01/why-you-should-stop-trying-to-fix-yourself), Charlotte Lieberman argues that aiming to “fix” ourselves is one of the fastest ways to burn-out (4). In fact, procrastination is highly correlated with anxiety and self-judgment (4). Therefore, instead of focusing on improving yourself, focus on building on how awesome you already are. 

In the same breath, try not to focus on goals that you may have failed to achieve in the past (5). You are constantly developing as a human means and that you are more capable today to achieve a goal than you were yesterday. Focusing on what you may have not achieved will only add to your self-doubt about your ability to achieve awesomeness, and will make you more likely to fail. Instead, focus on how much you have already achieved and how much more you can achieve in the future!

Whatever your goals are this season, Wild.AI can help you achieve them! From coaching plans to nutrition recommendations based on your menstrual cycle (if you have one), Wild.AI can help in your New Year’s resolution. We even have a community dedicated to supporting you in your goals! Join [here](https://community.wild.ai/home) today! 

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References 

1. Murphy, M. (n.d.). This Is The Month When New Year’s Resolutions Fail—Here’s How To Save Them. Forbes. Retrieved December 13, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/markmurphy/2020/02/11/this-is-the-month-when-new-years-resolutions-fail-heres-how-to-save-them/

2. Lunenburg, F. C. (2011). Goal-Setting Theory of Motivation. International Journal of Management, Business, and Administration, 15(1), 1–6. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b0b8f55365f02045e1ecaa5/t/5b14d215758d46f9851858d1/1528091160453/Lunenburg%2C+Fred+C.+Goal-Setting+Theoryof+Motivation+IJMBA+V15+N1+2011.pdf

3. Schunk, D. H. (2001). Self-Regulation Through Goal Setting. ERIC Digest. chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.counseling.org/resources/library/eric%20digests/2001-08.pdf

4. Lieberman, C. (2021, January 21). Why You Should Stop Trying to Fix Yourself. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/01/why-you-should-stop-trying-to-fix-yourself

5. Ravishankar, R. A., & Alpaio, K. (2022, August 30). 5 Ways to Set More Achievable Goals. Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2022/08/5-ways-to-set-more-achievable-goals

With the new year right around the corner, you may be thinking about what you want to achieve in 2023.  Here are 5 ways that you can set goals that you can stick to in 2023! 


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5 Tips for Setting Your 2023 Goals!

“No pain, no gain.” This is a phrase all too familiar to people who exercise. From the cycling instructor asking you to push harder, to the commercial trying to sell you the next best fitness equipment, the idea that you have to push your body beyond its limit is ingrained in how we understand fitness today. However, is it possible that this infamous idea is actually harming us? Truth is, too much of a good thing can actually be bad. 

We at Wild.AI are all about pushing ourselves as active women. However, we also are huge supporters of rest and recovery so that we can be our best selves. In this article, we emphasize the importance of balancing hard sessions with adequate rest as we explore the world of Overtraining. 

**How do our bodies respond to exercise?** 
 
While the basis of how our bodies get better, faster, and stronger is complex, it all boils down to a simple principle: compensation. Our bodies respond to exercise by building stronger systems to limit the damage that could happen from future sessions of the same magnitude. Think of it this way, if you build a house and it gets battered by hail, you’re going to rebuild your house stronger the next time to limit the amount of damage that future hail storms could cause. The same is true for your body! Creating micro-tears in your muscles, depleting energy stores, and overall challenging your body, you are demanding that it responds by building a stronger house. 

However, Rome wasn’t built in a day, and neither is your body’s ability to recover. If you do a very challenging workout, it can take up to 48 hours for your body to rebuild its home (we’re talking muscle rebuilding, not the other physiological recoveries going on) (1). If you ask too much of your body too soon after causing such destruction, you are causing more wreckage. In our house-building analogy, imagine that a second hail storm comes just days after the first one. You might have been able to repair a few holes in the ceiling, but overall you haven’t accomplished much in terms of mending the damage to which this storm is only creating more. 

Instead, if Mother Nature gives you a month to rebuild your house, you might be able to install some extra support so the next hail storm causes less destruction. The same is true for our bodies, if you give your body more time to recover, it is going to better repair muscle, replenish important energy stores, and build an overall stronger system! 

**That’s cool and all, but what is Overtraining?** 

Now we get to the important stuff, but In order to understand overtraining, there are three terms that we need to define: Functional Overreaching (FO), Non-Functional Overreaching (NFO), and Overtraining Syndrome (OTS). 


*Functional Overreaching*

In terms of our body, this is when we are not primed to perform (because we're recovering!) so we might experience a slightly declined performance, but are likely to bounce back in a couple days stronger (2). 

This is the scenario when Mother Nature gives us adequate time to recover and rebuild our house. We have holes in our roof, and it’s going to take us time to have a beautiful house again, but we are only going to build something stronger. 


*Non-functional overreaching*

In this instance, we have slacked on the recovery front. Instead of letting our energy replenish and our muscles rebuild, we continued to tear the muscles, and deplete our energy stores. Not only is performance going to suffer, but it’s likely that mental health and some hormones might be affected as well (2). If we take a few weeks off, though, we are probably going to recover fully. 

In this instance, we got hammered by more hail storms than our house was able to take on (maybe even a rain storm that caused some more damage). It’s going to take us more resources to repair, and it’s likely going to take us longer to rebuild. 


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*Overtraining syndrome*

Mother Nature really hammered us this time. After the hail storm, we got hit with severe weather for months, totaling the house. It’s going to take a long time to rebuild this one. If we’re lucky, it might be as strong as it once was. 

To fully reach an overtrained state, we had to push through an enormous amount of biological signs telling us that it was time to take a break. Not only are we going to experience continuous underperformance, but we’re going to be chronically fatigued, we probably lost our period, we’re going to be constantly sick, among other symptoms listed below. Recovering from this is going to take weeks to MONTHS, and we might never reach our prior levels of fitness (2). 

[Full list of impacts of OTS ](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1941738111434406)(2): 

Lost or irregular period 

Weight loss 

Mental health impacts (anxiety, depression, irritability) 

High resting heart rate and heart rate during exercise 

High blood pressure 

Lack of concentration 

Chronically sore muscles 

Chronic fatigue 

Lack of motivation 

Consistent injuries 

Constant decreased performance

Weakened immune system 

Hormonal alterations 

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**How do I avoid becoming overtrained?** 

In the simplest answer, OTS can be avoided by resting your body. But, as we all know, the body is anything but simple. Overtraining is complicated because everyone responds differently to exercise. What I mean by this is that you and your friend could do the same training program, and your friend could be overtrained while you are totally fine. 

What makes overtraining so difficult is that it is extremely hard to diagnose. In most cases, people will not know they are overtrained until they experience the symptoms listed above. 

Another complicating factor, overtraining is not only due to overexerting your body physically. Mental stressors like work, school, or relationship troubles can contribute to an overly stressed system, increasing the severity of overtraining (3). 

**Ok, but what can I do, though?** 

I’m going to lay out a blanket statement that is going to, no-doubt, make you a little annoyed: listen to your body. I know, I know, that’s what everyone says, but that’s because it’s true! Your body is always sending you signals about how it’s feeling. If you wake up one day and you’re supposed to run 5 miles, but your head hurts and you are tired, that’s your body telling you to take a rest day. 

And I am going to say something controversial here, but hear me out: if you are not motivated to workout that day, don’t do it. Unless of course it's just because your 6 am alarm went off, it’s cold outside, and leaving your bed is the only thing holding you back, then you might just want to push through that. BUT, if you haven’t had quality sleep in the last month, haven’t taken a rest day this week, and the reason you aren’t motivated to workout is that you’re so sore you don’t think you’ll make it through the workout, then maybe take the day off! That long used societal trope that you have to push through your pain, is actually the same thing that is going to end up hurting you. You are not any less of an exercising queen because you decided to have a rest day. In fact, it makes you stronger that you can acknowledge when it's time to take a break. 

If, like me, exercise is essential to your mental health (those little endorphins do so much), then on the days that you feel more meh, just do something a little calmer (think yoga, a long walk, etc.) to give you a little boost, while giving your body some more rest. 

![tips-e1614101421222.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/tips_e1614101421222_6e220c33d7.png)

Tracking subjective symptoms like fatigue, soreness, and session quality, while also tracking physiologic symptoms like resting heart rate, sleep quality, and presence of your period are all great ways to make sure you are not overly stressing your body. Using [Wild.AI’s](wild.ai) daily and post-workout check-ins can be extremely helpful in not only giving you recommendations about training, but also checking in with yourself to make sure you are giving your house enough time to rebuild after the storm. 

If you do find yourself experiencing some of the symptoms listed [above](https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1941738111434406), it's probably time to visit your primary care physician. Not only can they do further testing to assess whether you are overtrained, or not, but they can help you create a recovery plan (like architects to your contractor!). 
 


References 
1. Pareja-Blanco, Fernando, et al. “Time Course of Recovery From Resistance Exercise With Different Set Configurations.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 34, no. 10, 2020, pp. 2867–76, https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000002756.

2. Kreher, Jeffrey B., and Jennifer B. Schwartz. “Overtraining Syndrome: A Practical Guide.” Sports Health: A Multidisciplinary Approach, vol. 4, no. 2, 2012, pp. 128–38, https://doi.org/10.1177/1941738111434406.

3. Hackney, A. C., & Koltun, K. J. (2012). The immune system and overtraining in athletes: clinical implications. Acta clinica Croatica, 51(4), 633–641.

4. Infographics taken from: Schaeufele, Britton. “What Is Overtraining?” The National Sports Medicine Institute, 23 Feb. 2021, https://www.nationalsportsmed.com/what-is-overtraining/.

We at Wild.AI are all about pushing ourselves as active women.  However, we also are huge supporters of rest and recovery so that we can be our best selves. 

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Overtraining: Can Too Much of a Good Thing be a Bad Thing? 

At Wild.AI we aim to help women use their physiology to their advantage. The change in hormones that women experience throughout menstruation, perimenopause and menopause are so common. News flash - talking about these things shouldn’t be taboo anymore! 

They’re a reflection of a healthy woman and should be celebrated.  However, given that only about 6% of sport medical research actually includes women, it means the health industry has previously been dominated by men - and yes, all those apps and wearables we’ve been using were built by men for men. They don’t take into consideration these normal hormonal fluctuations that women experience. 

So, at Wild.AI we are trying to change that! We want to provide a research-backed experience that takes women’s hormones into consideration. That is why we’ve launched our in-app plans. These are plans for women, made by women! (I know, we’re excited about it too!) 

Wild.AI is giving you training plans like you’ve never experienced them before! 
We’ve built plans that cater to women’s physiology, whether you’re menstruating, on birth control, going through perimenopause or menopause. 💪

BUT these aren’t just normal, run-of-the-mill, tailored workouts. We’ve designed an algorithm that allows our plans to be truly adaptive to you and your cycle phases (if you have a cycle). 

Our algorithm takes your symptoms and cycle phase into consideration to adapt the training recommendations to you, every day. With our plans, created by elite coaching experts, and our algorithm, no other training plan tailors itself to you, as a woman, like ours. 🤯

Here’s What you’ll get with our plans! 
 
All Wild.AI plans can be adapted to your needs and how you like to train!

✨Choose which day you want to start your plan.

✨Decide how many sessions you want to train per week.

✨Pick how many longer sessions you want per week.

✨You can also sync it to your menstrual cycle (if you have one) using our cycle sync option.
 
With every session you'll always have:

✨Video demonstrations and detailed explanations of each exercise.

✨Superset organization, with sets, reps, load and the tempo for each exercise.

✨Nutrition recommendations for before AND after every training session.

✨The ability to check in, log, and rate your training session.
 
There are no other plans out there like ours that adapt daily to your physiology as a woman!  So if you’re looking for a plan that is made specifically for your physiology, that includes heavy lifting, CrossFit style, or mobility training, Wild.AI has got you covered 🙌.
 
Just head over to the training page in our app and find the right plan for you!
 
 
You can find the Wild.AI app in the google play store and Apple app store.





Wild.AI is giving you training plans like you’ve never experienced them before! 


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Introducing: Wild.AI Training Plans.  

![WILD_Logo_Dark.svg](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/WILD_Logo_Dark_380ebe2780.svg)

## **Use the Wild App to Participate in an Anonymous COVID-19 Vaccination Study Conducted by Wild and Dr. Stacy Sims**

We hear so many anecdotal stories of how the COVID-19 vaccination changes the menstrual cycle; and how some women experience side effects of the second dose, whereas others do not.

Knowing that the immune responses change across the menstrual cycle, it is unsurprising that these stories are becoming more prominent. Now we have the opportunity to use the data to investigate the connection between your vaccine and menstrual disturbances. What we want to do is to really investigate what is going on between the phases, with an eye to perhaps being able to have solid recommendations of when to get the vaccine to minimize disturbances. We want to empower women to make wise choices with the least disruption to their bodies.

If you are a Wild user who has received the COVID-19 vaccine, please consider participating in this 60-second survey. Your personal information will not be collected nor will any of your personal data be shared with a third party source.


Here’s how to participate:

1. Open the Wild app
2. Go to your profile in the upper left hand corner
3. Under "General" find the section "Feedback and Surveys"
4. Click COVID-19 vaccine survey which opens up a typeform from the app
5. Complete the form


Thank you,
Stacy, Sahana, Helene, Bevan and the team of Wild



Use the Wild App to Participate in an Anonymous COVID-19 Vaccination Study Conducted by Wild and Dr. Stacy Sims

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COVID-19 Vaccination Research Study Opportunity

April is here and with it brings a VERY exciting announcement, we could hardly wait to share with you.

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We’re pitching to the Dragons’ on BBC ONE this week!!!!

AND, we’re having a LIVE watch party so you can join us, chat with our founder Helene and laugh and cringe along with us! Here is the [link](https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/wildai-on-dragons-den-april-15th-backstage-watch-party-tickets-149922081983?aff=odeimcmailchimp) if you want to join us!

Do you think we will be successful? Tune in and find out!

![Helene DD.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Helene_DD_cc324f4f76.png)

We also want to extend a HUGE WELCOME to all of our new athletes, coaches and supporters! In the past couple of months, we have grown over 400% which is WILD! We think this proves that there is a the desire for our APP and a need for technology that no-longer makes male bodies the standard.

We hope you feel like you’ve been heard, and that people finally care, and see you as you are in your incredible FEMALE physiology.

Thanks for Training with us, and especially thank you for sharing the App with your friends, coaches and training parters, this means a lot!

See you soon!


Watch us on the BBC1 Dragons’ Den THIS Thursday!

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Wild on Dragons' Den


At Wild AI, we believe that the needs of women are different from men. Nutrition is a key element for optimal training and performance, and as the physiological needs of women across the menstrual cycle and/or life stages change, so should nutrition to support that.

## Why is nutrition so important?

Nutrition is essential for not only your health and well-being but also your performance and training [1]. Specifically, nutrition provides your body with the energy it needs for training, recovery and adaptation to the training stimulus (i.e. get fitter and stronger overtime) [2].

It also plays a vital role in our bone health, mood and motivation, as well as our ability to train consistently and reduce your injury risk [2].

## Why should women consider nutrition around their training?

Whilst there is no shortage of nutrition guidelines for optimal health and performance in men, not all information might be relevant to women. For example, research highlights that fasted training, although becoming increasingly popular, is not advisable to women in particular. Fasted training might lead to low energy availability and REDs (relative energy deficiency in sport) [2], a condition that can be detrimental to making fitness gains.

This is because women are highly sensitive to changes in energy availability. Along with training, the process of making female hormones is also an *energetically costly* process (£££) that is supplied by energy (in calories) from food. In addition, female hormones also contribute to making training gains! It’s therefore important to meet the energy demands of training AND hormone production as they both help us adapt to get fitter and improve performance [3,4].

![58 (1).png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/58_1_6d739a5978.png)

## How can you make sure you’re fuelling right?

To start fuelling to meet the demands of your training and your female physiology, the first step is to make sure you focus on your nutrient intake around training. This ensures that you have adequate energy to train and recover from training. You can do this by following the recommendations in the Wild AI app!

To use this feature:

1) Select ‘Training’ in the dashboard screen, and input your training session details.
2) Your pre and post training recommendations will then be provided.
3) Once you’ve completed your recommendations you can simply check them off.
4) *Tip* To find out more you can select the information button (i) which presents you with further advice, insights, and references.

![56 (1).png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/56_1_1f1c096d84.png)


### Quick question: I entered two training sessions and received two pre- and post-training nutrition suggestions, which do I choose?

We suggest following the higher quantity of carbohydrates and protein option, especially if your activities were within 90 minutes of each other.

##### References

1. Holtzman, B., & Ackerman, K. (2021). Recommendations and Nutritional Considerations for Female Athletes: Health and Performance. Sports Medicine
2. McGregor, R. The Female Athlete Training Diary.
3. Hutson et. al (2021). Incidence of bone stress injury is greater in competitive female distance runners with menstrual disturbances independent of participation in plyometric training. Journal of Sports Sciences
4. Wohlgemuth, K. (2021) Sex differences and considerations for female specific nutritional strategies: a narrative review. Journal of ISSN.









Training fasted may not be the best approach for women. Here's why. 

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Why you should eat around your training


## This is Wild - Redesigned. 


If you have been using WILD.AI for a while, you may have noticed something a little different! 

We’re now Wild AI, an app built to elevate the capabilities of the female body. We love that Wild AI is a tech company with a female lens - widely known as Femtech. Our team (composed of data scientists, Olympic level coaches and physiologists) is passionate about solving problems in women’s health through data and science. We decided it was time to take that to the next level. We have a new look and feel, and decided to pack in what you love best. 


### Who we are now


![WILD_Logo_Dark.svg](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/WILD_Logo_Dark_380ebe2780.svg)


We want to break the stereotype in terms of how women are often perceived in the world - moving away from seeing women as soft, fragile or passive and more towards being bold and assertive. We want to support women in their journey through sport - sport is fun, and being a woman shouldn’t take the fun out of the game. In fact, being a woman in sport is more exciting now than ever, as there is so much to gain and learn, as more research comes to light.

The new Wild AI is strong, edgy and sharp. Our logo takes inspiration from a standard diamond shape, but has uniqueness in terms of how the letters are defined - almost trying to break out of the structure imposed around it. 

We needed to create something that stands by our mission; to educate women to better understand their bodies, to shatter the male lens through which they view their body, and to empower them to harness the power of their own data and individuality.



### What we have learned so far


The older version of Wild AI set our foundations in terms of addressing the fact that women are not men. It brought together concepts in female exercise physiology and the science of the female endocrine system, with an aim to deliver that information when it was relevant (eventually leading to a lot of ‘Aha’ moments we hear!). We were soon recognised as a data heavy platform, making sure your check-ins would be analysed, delivering insights and patterns back to you, while the data nerds of our team set us up for machine learning along the way. Of course there is SO much more to be done, and we learnt a great deal along the way, thanks to you! 


### An individualised approach

We have always recognised the fact that each woman is different, and each woman has their own intra-individual variation. It therefore isn’t a surprise when most female physiology research out there has conflicting results! We decided it was time to hone in on this aspect, peeling away generalised recommendations, especially when we have data about your wellness from checking-in each day. The new Wild AI app comes with a Readiness Score feature. By taking your objective and subjective data, it paints a picture of how you feel each day, not just across weeks, but across menstrual and contraceptive cycles too. 



![mental-and-physical-readiness.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/mental_and_physical_readiness_f6de4b13bc.png)


We also want to give women an insight into how their individual physiology impacts them over time - a more granular picture of what’s going on during all the hormonal fluxes. Phase by phase or day by day, Wild AI allows you to understand how your wellness metrics, symptoms and lifestyle change by cycles or months, which equips you with valuable information to plan your training and nutrition to get the most out of your body at any time. 


![297w - data screen.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/297w_data_screen_e8b6cc288a.png)


### Looking ahead

While a lot has changed at Wild AI, the core of our mission remains the same. We want to help women everyday through their individual data. Whether it’s helping them stay fuelled for their training, giving them the best chance of recovery on any given day, or helping them make better decisions for their health. 

Now more than ever, and with your support, we’re hoping to shift the focus to the health and wellbeing of exercising women, because that’s where peak performance begins! We hope that you enjoy using the new Wild as much as we enjoyed creating it for you! 



Wild has a new look! Check out our story behind why we did this. 

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A Wild New Feel

#### Many women athletes are chronically underfed, whether it’s because they’re afraid to eat; they’re in a constant state of trying to lose weight (a.k.a. afraid to eat), or they are unknowingly under fuelling themselves because they just don’t realize how much energy and nutrition they need.


![Stacy-Underfuelling.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Stacy_Underfuelling_19d7b89cae.png)


### Let’s hear from Dr. Stacy Sims about the problem

Researchers reviewed 42 studies published between 2013 and 2020 that examined the effects of deficits in total calories, protein, and vitamins and minerals on performance. They found that not only were women more likely to be deficient in these key nutrients, but also between 30 and 70 percent of the women in the studies were energy deficient.

This paves the way for low energy availability and RED-S (relative energy deficiency in sport), which, as you know, increases your risk for low bone density and injuries like stress fractures, as well as mood disorders and, of course, poor performance and recovery.

Sometimes women end up in this type of undernourished state because they’ve been restricting food for years (maybe most of their lives) and they are afraid to eat enough. Other times, women can inadvertently under fuel because they start performing more high-intensity exercise, but since they’re working out for a relatively short amount of time, they don’t register that they need to eat more to support that harder type of training. They also may not feel as hungry right away, because their appetite is blunted by the intense exercise. So they go about their day and end up in a hole. So many women barely achieve their resting metabolic rate needs (~1300-1400kcals) - the amount of calories needed to just lie on the couch watching Netflix, let alone eat enough for life and training.

As an active woman you need to eat enough, being sure to consume a well-rounded diet that includes ample amounts of fruits and vegetables and all your macronutrients (protein, fats, and carbohydrates).

Have you been tracking your training in the WILD.AI app? If not you’re missing out on personalized recommendations for fuelling your workouts based on research done by leading experts like Dr. Stacy Sims. Many women who have started using our app find that they are improving their body composition, recovery, and performance by eating more….because women do better in a fed state.



Content in this blog article is used with permission from Dr. Stacy Sims, who is a founding partner of the Wild team.



Read the full article [here](https://www.drstacysims.com/blog/You_are_an_athlete_and_you_shouldn%E2%80%99t_practice_intermittent_fasting?mc_cid=c5965f8504&mc_eid=1005aa68b8)






Many women athletes are chronically underfed, whether it’s because they’re afraid to eat; they’re in a constant state of trying to lose weight (a.k.a. afraid to eat), or they are unknowingly under fuelling themselves because they just don’t realize how much energy and nutrition they need.

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Are You Eating Enough?

## I. Science fiction or reality?
Throughout history, women’s health has taken a backseat to men’s. This is to a large extent still very much the case today.
It sounds completely outdated to hear this now, but did you know that it wasn’t until 1993 that the FDA started allowing all women to participate in drug-testing studies?

And since then, research has shown that medical institutions still use mostly male participants to avoid controlling for complications such as women’s menstrual cycles.
Partly as a result of the lack of research (and interest to perform research) on women’s bodies, very little funding goes toward discovering and marketing treatments specifically for women.
This gap even starts already at the level of mouse genetics. Researchers and academics mostly use male mice in their work, as females are often deemed “too complex” due to their estrous cycle. This gender bias most likely has a detrimental effect on the quality of health care that women receive. Having different physiologies, women are not only underserved, but they are systematically badly served.
This [article](https://www.wired.com/story/womens-pain-is-different-from-mens-the-drugs-could-be-too/) in Wired on why women’s pain is different from men’s and why drugs could also be, strongly confirms the archaic state of female health research.

## II. The tip of the iceberg
From the ashes of the #MeToo movement, addressing sexual harassment & violence toward women and promoting equity in the workplace, venture capital investors are taking notice of Femtech, an industry made up of technologies and products geared toward women’s health.
Last year, nearly $400 million worth of venture capital was invested in the global femtech industry, up 4x in the past 5 years.
The largely male-dominated VC industry is waking up to the fact that women aren’t such a “niche market” as we’ve heard for so many years. 365 VC investors have participated in deals in the space in the last decade and the number is growing fast.
And to be fair, it would be completely insane for investors to miss out on Femtech:
1. **Market size:** Women make up just about 50% of the global population and they tend to be the main consumers of healthcare technologies and products, especially when it comes to decision-making.
2. **Multi-consumers:** 90% of women are the primary healthcare decision makers for their family.
3. **Purchasing power:** Working-age women spend nearly 30% more per capita on healthcare companies compared to men in the same age group and women are 75% more likely to use digital tools for healthcare than men. Projections of total global earnings for women to jump from $18 trillion in 2014 to $24 trillion in 2020, or about a third of the world’s wealth. (Source: Frost & Sullivan)
4. **“Blue-ocean”:** Women have for too long been underserved and badly served for a wide range of products and services making them an eldorado for ambitious entrepreneurs and investors wanting to enter a nascent but fast-growing industry.
![0_gQcLbwbcYCjz81af-min.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/0_g_Qc_Lbwbc_Y_Cjz81af_min_87540fbc56.png)
What you’re currently seeing today in femtech is just the tip of the iceberg. VC funding for Femtech is likely to continue going up as more and more companies focus on modern health tools for women.
Women are finally in the spotlight, this time around, however, not for their looks or as a by-product of male-dominated research. Women embrace products designed with them in mind, empowering them to better understand themselves and receive actionable insights to reach their best selves.

## III. Introducing WILD.AI — the knowledge engine for women

Born out of [Entrepreneur First](https://www.joinef.com/), the best global deep technology accelerator, [WILD.AI](http://wild.ai/) has assembled a world-class team with one laser-focused mission: empower women to reach their personal best.
Founded by Helene Guillaume, a former Hedge Fund quant and Management Consultant, our vision is nothing less than to become the Bloomberg of female data. Helene, a keen triathlete and ultra-marathoner, has always been frustrated by the lack of personalized medical and training research for women and has had to train with men, like a man.
While one could think that men are stronger and that training or taking care of your health like them can only be beneficial, this couldn’t be further from the truth and can be dangerous.
In reality, women are very different from men: their physiology and metabolism, reaction to pain, joint laxity, the way they digest, absorb nutrients, variations of heart rate at all times, are all different.
On winter 2018, Jasmin Parris crossed the finish line first in the 268-mile Montane Spine Race, beating the first man by 15 hours. Courtney Dauwalter beat 10 hours on the first man in the 238-mile long Moab 240 in 2017. The same year, Sarah Thomas swam more than 100 miles in Lake Champlain — beating the male endurance swim record by almost 40 miles. Lael Wilcox finished top of the field at the 2016 Trans Am bike race, concluding the 4,400-mile race with a sprint finish.
We still know very little about women, and what “powerful” means. Additionally, when it comes to getting personalized physical and mental coaching, which isn’t affordable by most, women solely represent a shy 10% of all sports coaches and close to no research has been performed on female athletes.
These frustrations became the seeds for [WILD.AI](https://wild.ai/) and main drivers to address an unmet need in women’s health. Using innovative data analysis and artificial intelligence, [WILD.AI](https://wild.ai/) offers women insights into their physiology that are unprecedented in both breadth and depth.

![0_JAeDehRgwsU0FE4c-min.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/0_J_Ae_Deh_Rgws_U0_FE_4c_min_95a75f2a4a.png)

WILD.AI aims to address many of these shortfalls — initially with active women. They have a high degree of body awareness and are very motivated to actively participate in research to optimize their performance and overall health, they are an excellent starting point to tackle the larger issue; the advancement of research for women’s health.

**There are clear gender differences that influence a wide array of biological responses.**

Our aim is to establish research collaborations with universities, pushing tech as a research and data collection tool, as they are creating new sets of data, with highly engaged users who are willing to participate in research to empower women.

WILD.AI leverages machine learning to identify and provide specific recommendations, to construct individual plans that adapt daily, improving cycle after cycle. A product and ecosystem for women that understand women.

Helping women find purpose and not waste their potential is what inspires us. Personal growth is what helps humans feel fulfilled, achieve more, be more ambitious and successful in personal endeavors and, more importantly, become who they were destined to be.

Think of WILD.AI as your smart central repository that knows you inside out, coaching you to reach the ultimate you, milestone after milestone.
**We are pioneering the knowledge engine for women.**
Women aren’t a smaller version of men. They’re strong, endurant, focused, ambitious. With the emergence of female role models in all industries, women are starting to have more to aspire to and aren’t afraid to embrace personal growth in all aspects of life.
Times are changing fast.
**Welcome to the final frontier — women.**

![0_CUpIPxFyMlVhGpxJ-min.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/0_C_Up_I_Px_Fy_Ml_Vh_Gpx_J_min_c1342dba78.png)


The largely male-dominated VC industry is waking up to the fact that women aren’t such a “niche market” as we’ve heard for so many years. 365 VC investors have participated in deals in the space in the last decade and the number is growing fast.

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Women — The final frontier

### A little snippet of Helene Guillaume, CEO and Co-founder taking on the Dragons!



Watch our CEO and Founder Helene Guillaume pitch Wild to the Dragons!

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Dragon's Den: "But you are out of bed!"

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Though the pandemic introduced the necessary transition to remote monitoring, companies like Wild.AI have made conducting research from afar easily accessible.  No one can attest to remote research better than PhD candidate Kim Santabarbara of the Auckland University of Technology.  Kim began her PhD experience in January of 2020, meaning that she had no other choice but to start her journey remotely.  

The central goal of Kim’s dissertation work is to “contribut[e] to existing data on women who participate in weightlifting or resistance training.”  She also hopes to “normalize the menstrual cycle experience as an athlete.”  While facing the difficulty of remote collection, Kim’s research is transcontinental, providing her with an international participant pool to base her findings.  She hopes that this diverse set of individuals will help to give insight into “what a common, collective experience the menstrual cycle is around the globe.”   
 
Kim’s research couples sports psychology and physiology because it focuses on how menstrual cycle patterns drive training in resistance-trained athletes in addition to physiologic biomarkers (i.e., heart rate and hormones).  Kim’s research stemmed from an observation that a majority of female driven research focuses on endurance trained individuals.  She notes that this focus “is cool, and relevant, and interesting.  But that body type, and those activities are so polar opposite of someone who is like a weightlifter.”  Thus, came the focus of her research: What does a common menstrual cycle look like for a female weightlifter? 

![Picture2.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Picture2_57f73a322c.png)

Figure adapted from Nuckols 2022 [1].  Based on 628 studies on resistance trained athletes, less than 25% of participants contained female athletes, and less than 12% of studies were solely composed of female participants.  


Aside from providing the resistance-trained female athlete information regarding common cycle patterns, Kim hopes that her research will help provide insight into some common misconceptions around weightlifting.  For example, RED-S and the Female Athlete Triad are often thought of as endurance-specific disorders due to the prevalence of low energy availability in such sports.  However, Kim fears that this excludes athletes that go through periods of cutting, which may also suffer the effects of low energy availability.   	

Though Kim originally flirted with the idea of developing something on her own, she instead decided to partner with Wild.AI because of, as she words it, “their willingness to help and support research.” Kim worked alongside Wild.AI developers to customize an app interface that was specific to her study. 

Wild.AI has helped Kim in her data collection by providing a single space for data input for participants.   In addition to Wild.AI’s typical check-in questions, individuals are asked to input their LH Test reading (positive/negative), their BBT measurement, and completion of study specific stretching tasks.  	

A second focus of Kim’s research centers on how various menstrual phases affect the rating of perceived exertion (RPE) throughout exercise sessions.  Essentially, Kim says, this study aims to answer the question of “Does your perception of your ability to work[…] change throughout your cycle?”  Kim believes that athletes likely cycle train by default, based on how they feel on a given day.  However, only the data will show whether this hypothesis is supported or not.  

The most difficult aspect of conducting research remotely is ensuring participant compliance.  In hopes of easing some of the stress that stems from remote monitoring, Wild.AI created a personalized link allowing Kim to download participant responses at any time.  She downloads responses biweekly to check for participant compliance and begin initial data analysis.  To help ensure participant anonymity and protection, Wild.AI helped to create a participant ID system for the study.  When asked what the benefit of using Wild.AI for her research was, Kim noted that “it is clear that [Wild.AI is] very dedicated to creating something that is research-focused.”    


References 
[1] Nuckols, Greg. “Where Are All the Female Participants in Strength, Hypertrophy, and Supplement Research?” Stronger by Science, 1 June 2022, https://www.strongerbyscience.com/representation/.







Though the pandemic introduced the necessary transition to remote monitoring, companies like Wild.AI have made conducting research from afar easily accessible.  No one can attest to remote research better than PhD candidate Kim Santabarbara of the Auckland University of Technology.  Kim began her PhD experience in January of 2020, meaning that she had no other choice but to start her journey remotely.  Kim's research focuses on the effect that the menstrual cycle has on resistance training.  

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Auckland University (AUT) Researcher Kim Santabarbara Investigates Strength Training and the Menstrual Cycle 

*Dr Rebecca Robinson has been a doctor since 2006, and is a consultant in Sport and Exercise Medicine. This involves managing injury and illness for athletes, from Olympic level to people who are active in the community.
She has an active interest in female athlete health as a developing field in science and medicine. She believes that the more we can learn, the further and faster female sport can progress.*

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> ###  “At a high level of exercise, combined with stress, exercise can blunt the immune response and could increase illness susceptibility.”

**WILD.AI — How should we approach our training right now during the coronavirus pandemic, and why? Should we be doing anything different to keep fit and healthy?**

Dr. Rebecca Robinson — From the postponement of the Olympics to the cancellation of club training sessions, it’s been a time of disappointment and it’s natural to lose focus at first. Now getting back to the sport you love can really help. Keep structure, but don’t train for a specific event, or to gain peak fitness. Focus hard on recovery and aim for an extra rest day each week. Take time to add stretching, yoga or pilates to keep healthy.

Home-based exercises are really effective as an alternative to the gym and if you can access a personal trainer remotely, I’d advise this to prevent inadvertent injuries and improve form. Try new activities but nothing too extreme. And if you do pick up an injury, see your physio online.

**WILD.AI — Could you tell us anything about how immune function is impacted by training and what athletes should be aware of to stay fit and healthy?**

Dr. Rebecca Robinson — There’s good evidence that being physically active improves immunity so encouraging everyone to take daily exercise within safe limits is important. At a high level of exercise, combined with stress, exercise can blunt the immune response and could increase illness susceptibility. It should be noted that the fittest athletes seem to sustain immune health better, but it’s still a time to protect and try to thrive rather than strive.

If you become ill with coronavirus, please stop all training. You’ll need a minimum 10 days’ absolute rest, and then at the very least a week of very light activity (walk, don’t run) backing off if symptoms recur. As far as we know ‘mild’ (non hospital) coronavirus can still significantly impact the lungs and heart, so check with your doctor before returning to your sport activity and do this slowly.

*Dr Rebecca Robinson is running a non-charge remote clinic for athletes and all active people returning to sport at the Centre for Health and Human Performance; because as a sports doctor, she’s concerned that no-one takes risks, but that all get back to sport safely — so if you’ve any questions get in touch!*

**WILD.AI — What advice would you give to female athletes in the current situation?**

Dr. Rebecca Robinson — One important area people ask me about is coronavirus and the risks in pregnancy. This is a question best met by your gynecologist based on international guidelines but to date, we haven’t seen a significantly increased risk for pregnant mothers or babies. However if coronavirus means that plans change, for example around birthing and support networks, it’s OK to acknowledge feeling sad before focusing on the positives.

We don’t have enough evidence to show differences for men and women in this illness, but looking after your health is still key. Training around the phases of the menstrual cycle with WILD.AI is really helpful so continue to do this to structure training, nutrition, and recovery. It helps you structure your days to increase intensity when the body can take it — and reduce when needed, resulting in a potentially increased immune system.

**WILD.AI — Could you tell us about how your athletes are training during the quarantine?**

Dr. Rebecca Robinson — The athletes I work with have been very philosophical about the changes, even though the focus of four years’ has dramatically shifted. Across the Olympic sports I work in, athletes have moved from elite training centers to train at home, but several are now in key worker roles too. The team behind the Olympic athletes has worked with them to transfer their training programs and we’re fortunate to have holistic support for mental health too.

This is a time of uncertainty and we have to work hard to understand when it’ll be safe and healthy for elite athletes to return to their normal training venues, and for everyone to resume sporting events, but in these unprecedented times health always comes first.

**To contact Dr. Rebecca Robinson at the Centre for Health and Human Performance [info@chhp.com](mailto:info@chhp.com) and Twitter [@rjprobinson](https://twitter.com/rjprobinson)**

A high level of exercise, combined with stress, can blunt the immune response and could increase illness susceptibility.

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Being an athlete in the COVID-19 pandemic: a time to protect and try to thrive rather than strive


It’s no secret that period cramps are a buzzkill.  They can interfere with your training schedule, social and work life, and make your day(s) overall unenjoyable.  But what’s lesser known is how you can go about minimizing those symptoms when they do roll around.  Here are 6 key ways to  menstrual cramping (spoiler alert: it can include exercise!)

Before we dive into how to treat period cramps, it's important to understand what causes them.  Menses (aka the period) is essentially the body getting rid of the environment that it spent much of the cycle creating for the potential implantation of an embryo.  To rid the body of the uterine lining safely and effectively, there is the release of multiple factors that cause inflammation and pain.  This inflamed environment can lead to ischemia (decreased blood flow) and hypoxia (decreased oxygen).  When coupled with the increased contractions of the uterus (did you know the [uterus](https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmv039) is a muscle?!)  the result is pain (1). 

And now to answer the question that everyone wants to know: how do I limit my period pain? 

As goes much of the knowledge we have about female physiology: there is not enough research to reach a clear conclusion on some methods but this is what has been shown to be the most helpful: 

**1. Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs)**

The most used method for limiting menstrual cramps is NSAIDs (think ibuprofen or Midol/Feminax).    The easiest way to understand how this medication limits pain is that they minimize the inflammatory environment that can lead to lower blood flow and oxygen availability characteristic of cramping (1).  

While the fact that close to 70% of users experience pain relief from NSAIDs, there are some important risks that should be considered before reaching for your bottle of Advil (2).  Some commonly reported side effects are stomach upset, rash, dizziness, headache, etc.  More serious side effects include kidney and liver failure, ulcers, and varying cardiovascular risks (3).         

**2. Oral Contraceptives** 

Although general combined oral contraceptives are also often used as a treatment for menstrual pain, they can sometimes mask underlying conditions that are causing discomfort.  Extreme cramping could be a symptom of a more serious condition, such a PCOS or endometriosis.  If you are experiencing such pain, please consult with your primary care physician to rule out other gynecological conditions. 

This treatment is thought to limit the thickness of the uterine wall that develops throughout the menstrual cycle, which in turn will decrease the inflammatory response during menstruation (3).  

Oral contraceptives have numerous side effects that should be considered carefully.  Namely, they have been shown to lead to headaches, nausea, irritability, fatigue, mood changes, blood clots, tumors, and cancers (3). 


**3. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS)**

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) is a commonly used, non-medical intervention for pain.  Although the word sounds complex, it can be broken down quite easily:   trans (across) cutaneous (skin) electrical nerve stimulation.  In essence, TENS delivers electrical currents to nerves through leads that are attached pads applied to the skin.  

TENS is thought to have both systematic and local effects that can help in the management of period pain.  On the local level, stimulation is said to increase blood flow and alter the anti-inflammatory environment that causes uterine cramping talked about earlier (4).  Additionally, lower-frequency TENS has been shown to stimulate the production of pain-relieving compounds developed in the body.  TENS is also thought to alter how your brain interprets the pain signal (4).

The side effects of TENS are relatively limited in comparison to the medical interventions discussed above.  The most common side effect is skin irritation at the electrode site (4).  Additionally, the increased blood flow to the uterus may cause a heavier flow than normal.  There also have been some reports of headaches that follow the use of TENS (4). 

**4. Heat** 

Another non-medicinal treatment of choice is superficial heat.  In fact, several studies have reported that heat provides a similar pain relief effect to that over-the-counter medication (5,6).  When discussing superficial heat, we are often referring to heating pads, hot water bags or bottles, etc.  Typically, the max temperature used is between 40 and 45°C (104-113°F), and the maximum depth reached by the heat is 1 cm (7). 

Superficial, localized heat causes relaxation of the abdominal muscles that can contribute to period cramps.  Additionally, heat causes increased circulation that can help mediate the lack of blood flow to the uterus.  This circulation can also help limit fluid retention swelling that is linked to cramping (7).  
          
**5. Acupuncture/Acupressure**

Alternatives to Western Medicine are increasing in popularity as the emphasis is boosting the natural human response to unpleasant sensations.  In this instance, acupuncture and acupressure encourage employing self-derived pain-relieving mechanisms.  For example, using the trigger points of the nerves that innervate the uterus (T5 and L4) is thought to aid in relief (8).  Additionally, acupuncture has been shown to induce the production of self-produced opioids that decrease pain (8).  
   
**6. Exercise**

Thus, we reach the treatment we have all been waiting for: exercise.  

 As is the case with most studies in female exercise physiology, the research into the effect of exercise on period pain is relatively limited and the methodology is fairly poor.  

Of what we do know, aerobic exercise may cause pain relief.  It has been proposed that the endorphins that you experience because of exercise may extend to relief at the level of the uterus (9).  Similarly, the increase in progesterone that results from exercise in the later phase of the menstrual cycle suppresses the release of inflammatory molecules that contribute to cramping (9).  In fact, [moderate-to-high-intensity exercise](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31538328/) may stimulate the release of anti-inflammatory agents, limiting the pain in the uterus (10). 

If aerobic type exercise isn’t your style, there’s evidence to suggest that lower-intensity, stretching-based exercises, like [yoga](https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.06.006), may also provide some relief.  In addition to producing endorphins, lower-intensity exercises are thought to limit the stress response (primarily through the effect of cortisol) that can contribute to pain (11).         

Ultimately, the intensity of the exercise you choose should fit with what you think you can tolerate.  Some exercise is almost always better than no exercise at all.  If you don’t feel like you are up for a high intensity running session, just go for a walk to get the blood flowing and endorphins pumping.    
 

If you are looking to explore exercise as a way to decrease your period pain, download [Wild.AI](https://wild.ai/about).  Our goal is to help maximize the power of the female athlete.  We can help you understand how to exercise around your period, can help you track and understand your symptoms, and can help you mitigate and minimize the impact that they have on your life.  


Please remember that if your period pain is abnormally painful to contact your primary care physician.  Severe cramping may indicate a serious gynecological condition. 


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References 
1. Stella Iacovides, Ingrid Avidon, Fiona C. Baker, What we know about primary dysmenorrhea today: a critical review, Human Reproduction Update, Volume 21, Issue 6, November/December 2015, Pages 762–778, https://doi.org/10.1093/humupd/dmv039
2. Proctor M, Farquhar C. Diagnosis and management of dysmenorrhoea. BMJ. 2006 May 13;332(7550):1134-8. doi: 10.1136/bmj.332.7550.1134. PMID: 16690671; PMCID: PMC1459624.
3. Zahradnik HP, Hanjalic-Beck A, Groth K. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and hormonal contraceptives for pain relief from dysmenorrhea: a review. Contraception. 2010 Mar;81(3):185-96. doi: 10.1016/j.contraception.2009.09.014. Epub 2009 Nov 6. PMID: 20159173.
4. Elboim-Gabyzon, Michal, and Leonid Kalichman. “Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) for Primary Dysmenorrhea: An Overview.” International Journal of Women’s Health, vol. 12, Jan. 2020, pp. 1–10, https://doi.org/10.2147/IJWH.S220523.
5. Akin MD, Weingand KW, Hengehold DA, Goodale MB,  Hinkle RT, Smith RP. Continuous low-level topical heat in the treatment of dysmenorrhea. Obstet Gynecol. 2001; 97: 343–349.
6. Akin MD, Price W, Rodriguez G Jr, Erasala G, Hurley G, Smith RP. Continuous, low-level, topical heat wrap therapy as compared to acetaminophen for primary dysmenorrhea. J Reprod Med. 2004; 49; 739-745.  
7. Jo J, Lee SH. Heat therapy for primary dysmenorrhea: A systematic review and meta-analysis of its effects on pain relief and quality of life. Scientific reports. 2018;8(1). doi:10.1038/s41598-018-34303-z
8. HELMS J. ACUPUNCTURE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF PRIMARY DYSMENORRHEA. Obstetrics and gynecology. 1987;69(1):51-56.
9. Kannan, Priya, et al. “Does Aerobic Exercise Induced-Analgesia Occur through Hormone and Inflammatory Cytokine-Mediated Mechanisms in Primary Dysmenorrhea?” Medical Hypotheses, vol. 123, 2019, pp. 50–54, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mehy.2018.12.011.
10. Armour M, Ee CC, Naidoo D, Ayati Z, Chalmers KJ, Steel KA, de Manincor MJ, Delshad E. Exercise for dysmenorrhoea. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2019 Sep 20;9(9):CD004142. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD004142.pub4. PMID: 31538328; PMCID: PMC6753056.
11. Kim, Sang-Dol. “Yoga for Menstrual Pain in Primary Dysmenorrhea: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.” Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, vol. 36, 2019, pp. 94–99, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctcp.2019.06.006.


It’s no secret that period cramps are a buzzkill.  Here are 6 key ways to  menstrual cramping (spoiler alert: it can include exercise!)

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6 Ways to Limit Period Pain: Periods Shouldn't be Painful!

## My weird little London outdoor swimming society
One of my ways to live more intensively every day of my life
Helene is the founder of [WILD](https://wild.ai/) — helping you reach your wellbeing and training objectives.
The Tech swimming club is bringing founders and investors to swim in freezing temperatures (or less freezing outside of the cold months ;))

![1_uUuZpblCYYtyabxDF13esg.jpeg](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/1_u_Uu_Zpbl_CY_Ytyabx_DF_13esg_afc89f1a2b.jpeg)

I always loved swimming. As far as I can remember, any time we would be close to a pool, I would spend my whole day jumping in and out with my sisters. Nowadays, whenever I’m close to water, my husband treats me like a puppy “yes Helene, hold on a bit, you can go swimming after the wedding reception. No, not during church”.

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Cold or hot, I love it. I do actually have a slight preference for fresh, even cold — or freezing.
I got into really cold water while living in London.
3 years ago I started increasing my training again. I entered a virtuous spiral with my new friend and coach — we met at a cycling race, and soon I joined the cycling trip from London to Plymouth in 24h (350km). We were increasing our training load, doing long cycles on weekends, and coupling it with swims from our triathlon club Serpentine. His rule though was “sports dehydrates. So we must drink if we train. Alcohol”. No discussion on that.
After that long ride, I had to stop doing long cycles — getting married 4 months later, I wanted to avoid being in crunches or full of scratches, so favored spinning indoors and swimming.
A lot.
We also signed up to a swim-run, the new fashion at that point — great mix between the trail spirit and my favorite sport.

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For anyone lucky enough not to be addicted to lycras, “swimrun” consists of a succession of swims and runs — usually around islots: you swim between the island, then run to cross the 1st island, swim until the 2nd, etc. The one we were to join was in Britany, on the Glenans Islands, a succession of 8 islands.
The cool thing with that sport, is that you can wear anything you want with any help you want. “Great” would you think, I’ll put fins and hand-palms!
Well, yes, but you have to run with it, and change 16 times.
So there’s a whole science around the swimrun optimization: ok, we’ll run with our trainers on. Ever tried? Well, your legs sink. Ok, I’ll put a pull-boy. Ok, where do you put it when you run? I’ll tie it with an elastic to my leg.
Ah, the water is really cold in Brittany. Ok, I’ll put a wetsuit. Ever ran +20k with a wetsuit? Indeed, not extremely practical. Hum… Ok, let’s cut the legs.
That’s how we ended up training in the Serpentine, the lake in the middle of London in Hyde park, with our shoes on in the water, our wetsuit, hat and googles on, running in the park, tied to each other.
In summer, the “public” area is open from 9:30am to 6:30pm. There are separated changing rooms, you pay 4,50gbp to get in, and can swim in the 100m designated area.
But the “real stuff” is early in the morning.

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All year round, every single day of the year, from 6:30am to 9:30am, the lake is reserved for the mysterious Serpentine Swimming Club — not to be confounded with the Serpentine Triathlon / Running Club — nothing to do with each other, other than the name.
And there are some rules in the club. Wetsuits are badly considered and looked at. In the club, you wear a swimming suit. All your round.
Priority is to people coming from East — as they can’t see if the sun is coming up.
You don’t use soap in the unique outdoors freezing shower.
You change all together, men and women, in the tiny club room.
You can drink tea or coffee to warm up after the swim, but clean after you.
And for the rest, enjoy.
After discovering that small club in summer, I got intrigued when hearing them talking about their winter swims. I always go in the water, wherever, whenever — the coldest I swam to that date (and still until now) being 2 degrees in Iceland in December — but with a dry suit.
Winter in London arrives pretty quickly. By September, it was already below my usual temperature, around 17 degrees.
We never got to do the swimrun race — that’s another whole story — but in short, it got cancelled because they never got the authorisations. We decided to still do it by ourselves, rented a boat and started heading offshore to the far, far islots. Bad, bad idea. After 30mins on the sea, no one out of the port, waves too big to be cute, me being the only person more or less used to open sea and being the captain onboard, our shitty boat cracking at each wave, I started wondering how we would put in place our established plan: 2 swimmers, 2 on the boat, and still do the swimrun. The issue being a) I was the only one knowing how to drive a boat b) A small storm seemed to grow stronger and stronger c) The captaincy wasn’t answering. At that point, I decided to go back “boys, we’re going home”. Surfing and loosing all commands on the way back, I was fairly happy with that decision.
We still went swimming in the cold October Ocean of Brittanny, but by the shore.
And we came back to London. Getting more and more hooked to that little weird club.
The water was getting colder. Nights were getting longer. We started meeting more people going there as well, and we started having our little routine: wake up at 5:45am, jump on the bike, arrive by 6:20am. Lock the bike, run around the pond. Do push ups and, pulls ups. All warmed up, throw the clothes away. Run half naked, straight to the water (rule: do. Not. Think.).
The length being 100m, you can easily choose the distance you want to do. Until 15 degrees, I train my favourite distance, 1,000m. Around 10 degrees, I can do more than 100m. At 4 degrees, I walk to the other end of the length, go in the water and swim back my 100m.
One of coldest morning I went to, the water was announced at 3 degrees.

![blog1_pic5.jpeg](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/blog1_pic5_59aa90fb89.jpeg)

November 2016, the park is frozen, covered with this beautiful and fragile white powder of frost. I arrive there and meet Olly, a polar explorer who’s currently organising his round-the-world trip rowing solo, and Julia, used to climb mountains and not afraid by a new experience. It’s still very dark in the middle of the park. We do our run, our push and pull ups.
You go to the small room, throw your clothes. You run to the other end, go in, start having electric chocs in weird places on your body, your legs, arms, stomach.
I wear a neoprene hat I learned to love (my style is really from another world though..), so my head is fine.
My hands freeze, my face loves it. The water is deliciously fresh. You’re not too sure you’ll survive the distance, but you see older ladies going back and forth, and your friends continuing. Surely you can do it as well.
The swim is really slow. It’s absolutely not about performance nor distance. We breast stroke, slowly like old grannies. Fast enough though not to sink.
And here it comes: the end. You pull yourself out. The air is hot. Your body is full of little stings, it’s between pain and total loss of sensations.
The floor which was frozen on the way in now seem warm. But you have to go in the over-heated room. The trick now is not to get cold.
It’s warm and cozy in there, hot water boiling waiting for your morning tea, you always see a piece of bum or boobie here and there although people don’t deliberately show their bodies.
Conversations are around the temperature felt, the actual temperature. You hear “so Harriet, how much did you do today?”, “400m and I was done!”; “I couldn’t come yesterday, I’m so glad I’m here! Never again shall I miss it!” — I’m happy and proud with my 100m, but you can tell the difference between the newbies like me and the veterans, coming every single day.
I dress up very quickly, put large and warm clothes, drink my English tea over-sugared. It feels so good.
The sun is now much higher. It’s 7:45am, just time to get back on my bike, cycle home, get into the luxury of a warm shower and go to work.
That was when I was working 10mins walk from home. Now I would do as anyone else at the club: go straight to work.

![blog1_pic6.jpeg](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/blog1_pic6_d63eb6494e.jpeg)

There are some extraordinary benefits from swimming in cold water.
I know, whenever you read this, haven’t experienced it yourself, you think “yeah, for sure. Why would you try to force me into that horrible idea, no straight mind can actually enjoy that”.
But it’s true. It’s also scientifically proven, as I did my research on.
You don’t feel the London winter the same way. At all. Your body suddenly can get any temperature without feeling it. You also don’t get sick. Those morning electric shocks kills any germs you could have turning around you, washing you from all impurities hidden in your throat or stomach.
And you get to see London like very few of us see her and appreciate her: in the full dark, with some beautiful foxes errant slowly in the street, the park for yourself, some half-naked bodies emerging from the lake, the occasional extra-early jogger (that population tends to fill the park at least 1 or 2 hours later).
I managed to bring some “normal” people in my trip as well. Being so enthusiastic about it, it seemed to have had an impact on some of my friends.
It’s now one of my favorite birthday present: I would tell them I’ll bring them to the “most extraordinary experience you’ll have. Do you trust me? Ok, see you on Wednesday at 6:30am at the pond”. Will kindly accepted my brilliant idea — I also told him that he would have stories for years to tell, just by coming once “you know what I got for my birthday this morning? Swimming in the 4degrees serpentine in November”.
I also brought Julien, my coach and friend, on the 16th December. Not that he needed my push to go there, but we went, swam, followed by a breakfast at the Lido coffee just next to it.
One evening, with females in venture capital, I managed to convince 9 of them to come. The evening before, every 30mins, I received a message: 10pm “ah, I’m stuck at work, I’ll work all night”; 11pm: “I need to get to work really early, won’t make it…” 3am: “I’m sick and can’t sleep” ,etc — except one warrior, Julia, who came.
Another time, I was out at a “team fun” with my office, organized by Alex. As an English man (exotic in London!), he of course knew some hidden gems in London: pubs and restaurants I’ve been never to, although in my neighborhood — as us, “Euro’s” are too busy going to The Westbourne or the Angelsea. Impressed by his knowledge of beuverie locations, and willing to “give back” I suggested to organize, in return a “team fun”.
All too happy to nominate me to that role, I soon organized my version of having fun: meeting at 6:30am at the pond. 3 of them actually came, Alex even bringing his flatmate — Julia as a roumanian-canadian not too impressed by the cold, and Titas from Lithuania, equally not too impressed. Titas really got hooked, Alex slightly as well.
Some became regulars: Titas, Julia, Julien.
Now that winter is back, I’ve opened back the season. The winter, the very long and dark mornings, on the bike, run around, jump in the freezing water… our mini reversed triathlon, our fabulous little weird society of shadows moving in the misty mornings while the the big smoke London is asleep.
I’m advocating to go there, as a massive addict. If you wonder how to join the club or want to try it out, don’t hesitate to reach out [Helene@wild.ai](mailto:helene@wild.ai)

![blog1_pic7.jpeg](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/blog1_pic7_733981430b.jpeg)


My weird little London outdoor swimming society
One of my ways to live more intensively every day of my life.

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London Tech Swim Club

We recently [reviewed](https://wild.ai/blog/article/6-ways-to-limit-period-pain) various ways to reduce cramping pain associated with your period. One of the mechanisms discussed was Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). Although the name sounds complex, it can be broken down and understood relatively easily. The following article overviews what TENS is, how it works, and our favorite brands! 

The word “transcutaneous” sounds overly complex and clinical, but if you break it down, it actually perfectly explains what is happening during TENS! Trans is latin for across, and cutaneous comes from the latin word cutin, meaning skin. When put together, trans-cutaneous means across the skin! Further, transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation simply means applying an electrical stimulus across the skin to affect the nerves in some way.
 
**How to use TENS?**

TENS products typically consist of a device that outputs signals through multiple channels, ultimately delivering the stimulation through electrodes placed on the skin. The electrodes should be placed directly over the location of the pain, in order to provide local pain relief. 

Now that we generally know what TENS is, let’s dive into what the best “dose” of it is. Start on a relatively low setting, and increase the intensity until you feel a non-painful sensation. It may take up to 30 minutes before you feel pain relief (1)! 


There is no limit to the amount of time you can wear your TENS unit, but as time goes on you might feel that the sensation has worn off. Increasing the intensity should re-engage your brain and allow the pain relief to continue! After stopping TENS stimulation, the relief may disappear instantly, or might last up to 30 minutes (1). 


Before going further, let’s distinguish between high frequency and low frequency TENS. High frequency refers to currents that are delivered at 50-100 Hz, while low frequency TENS uses currents at 2-4 Hz (2). As we will see, this is important when understanding the mechanism of pain relief. 

![Brown Red Illustration How Does Order Process Infographic (4).png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Brown_Red_Illustration_How_Does_Order_Process_Infographic_4_327a397f72.png)
 
**High Frequency TENS** 

This is the more commonly used method, and the one that we recommend! 

High frequency TENS works through exploitation of the “[Gate Control Theory of Pain](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.150.3699.971?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed)”, described by Ronald Melzack and Patrick Wall in 1965. In this revolutionary theory, Melzack and Wall proposed that pain is integrated in a specific portion of the spinal cord (3). This area, in this instance, serves as a gate that can be opened to allow the passage of pain signals; or it can be closed, eliminating the feeling of pain. The state of this gate ultimately depends on the size of the nerves that are carrying said signal. In pain perpetuating situations, small fibers are actively holding the gate open. Alternatively, larger fibers force the gate close, not allowing the pain signals to be carried on.
Higher frequency TENS is thought to stimulate the larger diameter fibers that are responsible for closing the gate, limiting the passage of pain (3). 

![PainGateTheory_Simple.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Pain_Gate_Theory_Simple_9378c07335.png)
This is a simplified image of how the Gate Control Theory of Pain functions. For the full diagram, please view [Melzack and Wall, 1965.](https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.150.3699.971?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed)

Additionally, high frequency TENS is thought to stimulate opioid receptors (which would cause pain relief) and simultaneously limit the concentration of pain-causing compounds in the spinal cord (4). Taken all together, high frequency TENS works through various pathways to limit pain. 


**Low Frequency TENS**

Low frequency TENS operates through a slightly different pathway as compared to high frequency. Instead of influencing the nervous input, lower frequency TENS stimulates the release of opioids that are produced within the body. One important note regarding low-frequency TENS is that the stimulation itself is often painful. Through lower-frequency, but intense electrical signals, this method (through a complex pathway) causes acupuncture-like pain coupled with muscle twitches (2). 

**How long does TENS last?**

As a whole, TENS offers relatively short-lasting pain relief. Lower frequency TENS is known to last longer, given that it causes the release of pain relieving compounds (4). Alternatively, higher-frequency TENS, as we mentioned earlier, stimulates fibers that “close” the pain gate. As such, when the stimulus is removed, the gate can “reopen,” allowing pain to pass through (1,3). 


**What are the risks of using TENS?**

As a whole, TENS is very safe. There is a chance that the electrodes may cause irritation, but that is rare (4). The device is electrical and therefore should NOT get wet (1). 

Because TENS uses electrical signals, people with heart conditions (including a pacemaker) are discouraged from using a TENS system (1). Additionally, the pads should not be placed close to the neck or head or around the heart. Lastly, those who are pregnant should consult their primary care physician before use (1). For an entire list of conditions that may place you at risk, please see this [NHS flyer](www.wsh.nhs.uk/CMS-Documents/Patient-leaflets/PainService/5287-2TranscutaneousElectricalNerveStimulation(TENS).pdf)! 

**Our Favorites**

[PowerDot by Therabody ](https://www.therabody.com/us/en-us/powerdot-muscle-stimulation-devices/?utm_a=142160757586&gclid=CjwKCAjw8JKbBhBYEiwAs3sxN9frShe2wf2_5ZzOpd4T1P6e_WUgbsNqw1nkMQDo0S9fLMf3AmTBMhoCmYwQAvD_BwE)

[Ovira ](https://ovira.com/?gclid=CjwKCAjw8JKbBhBYEiwAs3sxN59rXMLiWqPuGDlbejy026lmJd6g-qjgeHp9pkFzOBxhBBgAEhDJjhoCZoEQAvD_BwE)for period pain
 
[Myoovi](https://myoovi.us/) for period pain 

[iRelieve Wireless TENS and EMS Muscle Stimulator](https://ireliev.com/product/therapeutic-wearable-system/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=irlv&gclid=CjwKCAjw8JKbBhBYEiwAs3sxN46nYsyk7EGcd-VSNAuGAhDiyv5xK1ZT1_O-iGiKsI-h79igQi2rQBoCmcUQAvD_BwE)

The best way to measure if TENS is helping you, is to measure your pain over time. Whether it’s pain related to menstrual cramps, or something relating to an injury, tracking your pain can help you better understand your body. Daily check-ins with Wild.AI can allow you to track your pain levels and further explore your body! Download [Wild.AI](wild.ai) on the app or Google Store today! 

**References**
1. Patient Information: Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS). West Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust, 19 Nov. 2021, chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://www.wsh.nhs.uk/CMS-Documents/Patient-leaflets/PainService/5287-2TranscutaneousElectricalNerveStimulation(TENS).pdf.
2. Elboim-Gabyzon M, Kalichman L. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation (TENS) for Primary Dysmenorrhea: An Overview. Int J Womens Health. 2020 Jan 8;12:1-10. doi: 10.2147/IJWH.S220523. PMID: 32021488; PMCID: PMC6955615.
3. Melzack, R., & Wall, P. D. (1965). Pain Mechanisms: A New Theory. Science, 150(3699), 971–979. http://www.jstor.org/stable/1717891
4. Johnson M. Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation: Mechanisms, Clinical Application and Evidence. Rev Pain. 2007 Aug;1(1):7-11. doi: 10.1177/204946370700100103. PMID: 26526976; PMCID: PMC4589923.
5. Brown, Lesley, et al. “The Application of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation to Acupuncture Points (Acu-TENS) for Pain Relief: A Discussion of Efficacy and Potential Mechanisms.” Physical Therapy Reviews, vol. 14, no. 2, 2009, pp. 93–103, https://doi.org/10.1179/174328809X405964.

We recently reviewed various ways to reduce cramping pain associated with your period, one of which was TENS.  Although the name sounds complex, it can be broken down and understood relatively easily.  The following article overviews what TENS is, how it works, and our favorite brands! 

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Have Painful Periods? TENS Might Help Relieve All of Your Cramps! 

The key to having a strong immune system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join Dr. Stacy Sims, Helene Guillaume, Mike LaVigne and Coach Bevan discuss keeping your immune system in check. 

<iframe width="500" height="300" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CVodKjtBWgE" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

The key to having a strong immune system during the COVID-19 pandemic. Join Dr. Stacy Sims, Helene Guillaume, Mike LaVigne and Coach Bevan discuss keeping your immune system in check. 

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How to build a strong immune system by listening to your female physiology

Written by: Bailey McLagan 

!! Trigger Warning:  This article discusses eating disorders !! 

Despite the fact that up to 80% of elite and semi-elite athletes experience RED-S, it is not widely discussed in the athletic community (1).  While Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) is often referred to in competitive sports, it is a condition that can be experienced by **ANY woman who is active and exercises**.   RED-S is a psychologically and physically taxing disorder that often gets overlooked. 

![Yellow Green and Blue Futuristic Organization Process Timeline Infographic (2).png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/Yellow_Green_and_Blue_Futuristic_Organization_Process_Timeline_Infographic_2_219f3d0fc3.png)

In 2016, I left home to attend University.  What at first promised to be the “best time of my life” soon turned into one of the worst.  Shortly after I arrived,  I started eating less and exercising more.  I lost my period, something I thought meant I was becoming a better athlete.  I went to bed hungry, had chronic constipation, and horrible acne.  I started isolating myself from people I didn’t even know yet, and was sad all. the. time.  By the time I came home to seek help, I was always tired, severely underweight, lost a good bit of my bone mass, and had many other health issues.  What I came to discover was that my experiences were not uncommon among those that exercised.  In fact, I even found out that it had a name: RED-S.   

**What is RED-S?** 

In 2014, the International Olympic Committee released a statement on what they referred to as Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport, or RED-S.  Prior to its release, the effects of Low Energy Availability (i.e., having less energy available than what’s burned) were thought to be low bone density and menstrual cycle disruptions, more commonly referred to as the Female Athlete Triad.  However, RED-S expanded this understanding to include various other bodily functions such as growth, digestion, immunity, etc.

Before diving into what we, as an athletic community, can do to limit the prevalence of RED-S, it’s important that we understand what Low Energy Availability means, and how it might affect some of the bodily functions listed above. 

**Low Energy Availability:**

Energy Availability is essentially how much energy you have after subtracting what is used for intentional exercise relative to your fat free mass (i.e., structures that don’t have fat in them).  To put it plainly, Low Energy Availability is  a mismatch between how much energy is available versus how much is burned during exercise (2).  

**Something important to note here is that Low Energy Availability is most often  associated with disordered eating or a diagnosed eating disorder, but it also can be the result of drastic increases in training volume without adequate fueling to match.**
 
The effects of Low Energy Availability are wide reaching.  Rather than explaining all the physiological processes involved, here is a (kind of) brief list of what athletes can experience when suffering from RED-S.  

1. Thyroid Dysregulation (2)
        
      !!  Your Thyroid is an important regulator of your metabolism! 

2. Decreased metabolic rate (2)

3. Increased hunger, decreased suppression of appetite (2)

4. Disrupted menstrual cycle and menstrual hormones usually characterized by amenorrhea or oligomenorrhea (missing or irregular periods) (2) 

5. Increased breakdown of fuels, decreased building of things like muscle (2) 

6. Lower bone density and bone strength leading to increased risk of fractures (2) 
 
8. Higher "bad cholesterol" levels (2) 

9. Gastrointestinal disruption (such as increased constipation) (2) 

10. Increased risk of illness (2) 

11. Increased psychological disruptions (i.e., depression, anxiety) (2) 
 
12. Trouble sleeping 

13. Chronic fatigue (3) 

14. Decreased mental capacity (2) 

15. Decreased or inconsistent performance (2, 3) 

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This is all of the physiologic areas that RED-S effects in athletes, as taken from the [International Olympic Committee Consensus Statement](https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/52/11/687). 

In my experience, I was struggling to focus and retain information in my classes, for others, this could mean issues meeting deadlines or focusing on meetings while at work!  Unfortunately, this creates a vicious cycle of being stressed about struggling, not doing well because of the inability to focus, leading to more stress and more withdrawal. 

In addition,  I was constantly hungry, which contributed to my insomnia.  I was rapidly losing weight, but continued to push my body to the brink.  However, I should mention that one does not have to be underweight, or even losing weight, to experience RED-S.  As a 20 -year-old, my doctor  informed  me that I had high levels of cholesterol and low bone density.  Needless to say, the effects of RED-S were rapidly taking hold.  Older individuals may be more resilient to the effects of this condition, but all those who exercise should be careful in modulating the risk of exercising more and eating less (3).  
  
**How can we prevent it?** 

There is good news and bad news when it comes to prevention of RED-S for active women.  

The bad news:  early detection of RED-S is difficult.  Often, when related to an eating disorder/disordered eating, individuals will try to conceal their weight loss with baggy clothes, avoidance, etc (4).  Outside of eating, it can be hard for people and coaches to look at poor performance and not seek to increase intensity, duration, or frequency of training in hopes of improving.  However, in the face of decreasing performance, the best option may be to take a rest day, week, or month to allow the body to relax before demanding more.    
    
The good news: it is possible to intervene early and prevent the worst from happening.  The earlier the intervention, the easier it is to mediate the effects of RED-S.  Identifying and monitoring those that may be at risk for developing an unhealthy relationship with food and/or exercise is one of the easiest ways to minimize the risk of RED-S (2).  However, other tools are available for coaches and clinicians that allow better monitoring of athletes.

More good news: there are actionable ways coaches can help in early detection. 

1. Create an environment that fosters positive eating habits and openness regarding body image and health status (5).  Focus on health not appearance.  

2. Educate individuals, coaches, and parents on the risks and warning signs of RED-S so they can help in early detection (2).  

3. Create an environment in which everyone feels comfortable discussing feelings of disordered eating or overtraining to help limit the risk of RED-S.  

4. Facilitate an environment where the athlete feels that they are an active participant in their training, in terms of planning, adapting, etc.  This can improve self-esteem and create a feeling of self outside of being an athlete (5).  

Six years later and I’m proud to say that I have overcome my experience with RED-S.  While I can’t say that I wish to relive that portion of my life, I would be lying if I said that it didn’t teach me anything.  Here are some things I learned: 

-The value in rest days (I’m talking couch potato rest days)

-To give myself grace in eating junk food now and then (I love some good french fries) 

-Confidence in setting boundaries as it relates to comments on my body, eating habits, or exercise routine.  

I learned the lasting effects of neglecting my body has on my health.  I still have low bone density for my age, I still struggle with my body image now and then, and I constantly struggle with my relationship with food. 

In sharing my story, I hope that coaches, and those exercising, learn to respect rest as much as they do training.  I hope that it provides inspiration for those struggling to get help.  But most importantly, I hope that it provides a story for RED-S outside of the International Olympic Committee, and outside of elite athletes, that can help encourage education and early intervention for those with RED-S, even if they are not Olympians.   
    
To help spread awareness and promote interventions, we hope that this overview of RED-S is something that you can bring into your exercising circle!  Monitoring athlete performance, menstrual cycle tracking (including the presence of a regular period), and nutrition recommendations with Wild.AI are easy-to-use tools that can help identify early warning signs of RED-S!                  

If you think you may be struggling with RED-S, please seek help from a medical professional.  They can help in your diagnosis, and provide you with more information and develop a plan for recovery.  

If you or someone you know may be suffering from an Eating Disorder, please visit the [National Eating Disorder Association](https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/help-support/contact-helpline) in the US, or [Beat Eating Disorders](https://www.beateatingdisorders.org.uk/) in the UK for more information and support.  There is also an organization called [Project RED-S](https://red-s.com/info-hub) to provide coaches, athletes, and women with information and resources for the condition.    

**References**
1. Dave, Sona C., and Martin Fisher. “Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED – S).” Current Problems in Pediatric and Adolescent Health Care, vol. 52, no. 8, 2022, p. 101242, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cppeds.2022.101242.

2. Mountjoy, Margo, et al. “IOC Consensus Statement on Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S): 2018 Update.” British Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 52, no. 11, June 2018, pp. 687–97, https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099193.

3. Holtzman, Bryan, et al. “RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN AGE AND RED-S OR FEMALE ATHLETE TRIAD RISK.” Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, vol. 7, no. 3 Suppl, Mar. 2019, p. 2325967119S00011, https://doi.org/10.1177/2325967119S00011.

4. Eating Disorders (Young People) - Secrecy and Eating Disorders. https://healthtalk.org/eating-disorders/secrecy-and-eating-disorders. Accessed 18 Jan. 2023.

5. “RED-S.” Issuu, https://issuu.com/renaissancepublishing/docs/tech_novfinal/s/11205791. Accessed 18 Jan. 2023.


Despite the fact that up to 80% of elite and semi-elite athletes experience RED-S, it is not widely discussed in the athletic community (1).

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What is Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport and How Can We Prevent It? 

## What is the Wild Readiness Score?

The Wild readiness score gives you a daily indication of your capacity to perform at your best. This then allows you to go into any training that day well informed. Over time, it’ll help you understand how your female physiology across cycles contributes to your ability to perform, train, recover and adapt, allowing you to work with, and not against, your own physiology.

You might use a wearable giving you your body temperature and resting heart rate. Today, if your temperature or resting heart rate go up, it may tell you that something is wrong, when really - you may just be ovulating. Wild AI is the first of its kind - reading your female data as it should, and looking at what those variations mean, depending on your life stage and hormonal variation. The Wild readiness score reads your data as a woman, while other apps may read you as a man, what we refer to as ‘men-tech’!

![1.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/1_adec603819.png)

## Why did we create a Readiness Score?

Along with Dr Stacy Sims, we’ve put together years of research on how female physiology impacts athletic performance. But as we’ve all probably heard, the research can be messy, and it’s really important to take an individual approach in how best to put the research into practise and apply these recommendations.

We know that every woman is different. We also know that variation exists within the same women. When we couple these factors together, it’s essential that we start considering the individual when it comes to female performance and training. Therefore, we developed the Wild readiness score to allow you to personalise your performance and training based on your own unique physiology.

![2.png](https://wild-blog-strapi.s3.amazonaws.com/2_5417eda713.png)

## What does my Wild Readiness Score mean?

The readiness score takes into account your objective metrics like your resting heart rate, your subjective inputs such as your symptoms and lifestyle, and how hard you have trained recently. It then calculates a percentage score between 0 and 100% so that you know when you’re ready to train hard, or when to prioritise recovery. Over time you can look at how your readiness score changes across phases and life stages.

*Low (0 to 33%)*: A low score indicates that your readiness to take on training is poor. It’s suggested that you consider being conservative and keeping your intensity low to promote recovery.

*Moderate (34 to 66%)*: This is your average readiness. You might’ve logged some symptoms and previous training sessions might be affecting you, but not enough to move your readiness away from your typical average.

*High (67 to 100%)*: A high score indicates that you’re ready to train HARD today and perform well whilst doing so!


### *Feel clued up on the new readiness score? [Check-in now](https://wildaiapp.page.link/wildaiapp) to start listening to your own physiology to optimise your performance, training and recovery!*



You’ve probably already spotted the new Wild readiness score, but are you ready to find out what it’s all about?

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The Wild Readiness Score


[Watch](https://youtu.be/1EmbTszY_ME) our badass head of product, Sahana Gopal's, interview at the 2022 Garmin Health Summit. 

[Wild.AI](wild.ai) attended the 4th annual [Garmin Health Summit](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/newsroom/press-release/corporate/garmin-announces-2022-garmin-health-awards-winners/) held in Rome on Sept 29-30 2022. Not only were we shortlisted as one of three finalists in the category of engagement but we were voted the **Most Innovative Solution of the 2022 Garmin Health Awards**. 

The event recognizes cutting-edge healthcare and wellness solutions that integrate Garmin technology to provide long-term benefits and improve outcomes for businesses, patients and population health, and we couldn’t have been more excited to come out on top!

Our Head of Product, Dr Sahana Gopal was in attendance to represent Wild.AI.  The competition was judged based on our product's benefit, scalability, uniqueness, innovation and successful integration of Garmin smartwatches and fitness trackers.

From Sahana herself: "We’re Absolutely thrilled to win the Garmin Health Award in our category! We integrated Garmin in the earliest days of the app and they've been an integral part of the journey in building our tech product for women. I'm so glad that what we are creating at Wild.AI resonated with Garmin’s ecosystem for us to win this; as having their support really means that we are making headway in supporting the specific needs of women when it comes to sport and exercise. I only practiced my pitch about 60 times before being able to record it - it was well worth the effort! Thank you to Garmin and the judging panel for believing in our mission!"

Take a look at the highlights from our pitch and our integration with Garmin. 

You can also read the [article](https://www.garmin.com/en-US/blog/health/why-train-with-your-menstrual-cycle/) we wrote with Garmin on how to train around your menstrual cycle with Garmin. To purchase a Garmin through Wild.AI visit our [store](https://wild.ai/store).





Not only was Wild.AI shortlisted as one of three finalists in the category of engagement, but we were voted the Most Innovative solution of the 2022 Garmin Health Awards.

Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Research Study

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