In our travels around the world, we sometimes get asked, what exactly is Human Powered Health? And that’s a great question. At the 30,000-foot level, Human Powered Health is a rallying cry, a movement, to help people of all backgrounds and skill levels maximize their health and athletic performance. And at the local level? Human Powered Health Performance Labs are state-of-the-art facilities for helping people achieve these valuable health, well-being, and performance goals. These labs give athletes the tools and data they need to be at their best.
Our entire Women’s WorldTeam visited a lab in Edina, MN, to gain insight into things like their aerobic capacity, personal athletic thresholds and individualized bike fitting to help them perform at the races and build endurance for the long season ahead.
“Leveraging data is key for teams at all levels,” explains Therese Wichmann, Performance Director at the Performance Lab. “The tools we utilize at Human Powered Health identify areas of improvement for understanding how the athletes can optimize their training and unlock their full potential.”
With a professional cycling career going back to 2008, Audrey Cordon-Ragot understands the importance of accessing facilities such as Human Powered Health and can see what makes the experience in their labs different.
“The staff listen to you and try to understand what you have come for,” she says. “It’s not like going to a medical facility. It’s about creating a relationship and feeling comfortable. It makes you want to come back. When you go to Human Powered Health, you feel at home and that’s the best.”
With advances in data-driven performance being made in endurance sports every year, accessing information about things like lactate threshold, hydration levels, and body composition is integral to performance on the bicycle.
The Human Powered Health Lab in Minneapolis and Boston are built on the foundational principles, the Pillars of Performance. These pillars are designed to help anyone – from a professional athlete to someone just starting on their fitness journey – reach their potential.
“Dialing in movement, mindset, nutrition, and recovery is the key to a happier and healthier life,” says Wichmann. “Regardless of an individual’s fitness level, understanding these four pillars will promote a sustainable, higher-quality life.”
The understanding gained during a visit to the labs can then be used by anyone to shape their training.
“From the data gathered in the lab, we can better understand each rider’s physiology and create training zones, strength and workout recommendations, nutritional insights, and bike fits unique to them.”
Now in two locations, and another coming soon, the Human Powered Health Performance Centers can help you on your health and wellbeing journey.
