Are tech metrics desensitizing our

innate sense of well-being & overtraining?

For years now, I’ve worn wearables to track my state of wellness and fitness. I appreciate having data at my fingertips. As technology has improved, the near-instant feedback has helped me make informed decisions about my dietary choices, activity type and intensity, and, importantly, my optimal rest, including active recovery and sleep length.

Currently, I’m wearing a Garmin wellness watch, and I previously used an Oura ring for 12 months. Additionally, I closely follow my daughter's metrics, as she is a full-time athlete using a Whoop strap.

So, why do I focus on these metrics, and what’s the key advantage?

The main goal behind tracking wellness metrics is to prevent your health from declining into a risky state. Technology monitors lifestyle stressors, exercise intensity and duration, and sleep quality. If you fall below your healthy threshold, the metrics will advise you to rest, exercise lightly, or stay in bed.

Technology is sensitive to your sleeping state, body temperature, heart rate, heart rate variability, and what they call biorhythms. Using an algorithm, you are presented with data to help you make choices for that day.

Understanding your level of overtraining or stress is essential to avoiding burnout. For example, if my wellness ‘stress’ score reads low, but I train hard, rest poorly, and consume alcohol and ultra-processed foods, my chances of falling ill or getting injured are significantly higher.

I’ve analyzed this technology data for over a decade, and I have to say the feedback does not solely convince me. There have been days when I’ve felt amazing, yet the recommendation has been to take the day off from all exercises.  Sometimes, it has me thinking, is this just datatainment?

I believe that good old body awareness is essential for assessing wellness status, at least for those who are honest with themselves.

I’ll use my daughter as an example. If she shows the following behaviour and symptoms, I know she is over-trained, over-stressed, and close to falling ill, getting injured, or playing poorly:

😟 A complete disinterest in communication with her coach, teammates, friends, and family.

😟 Scrolling - as in more than usual.

😟 She craves sugary snacks, as evidenced by the wrappers lying around, indicating she's too lazy to put them in the bin.

😟 A low interest in learning and sustained cognitive endurance.

😟 Leaving the kitchen in a mess.

😟 Irregular cycles.

😟 Complains of finding it hard to get to sleep. 

😟 She reacted negatively towards teammates, especially when she clearly made a poor play.

This behaviour signals that she needs to take a step back

and reassess her input, output, and rest-put.

Are industrialized sweeteners better

– for weight management?

I've been discussing for years the idea that refined dietary sugar is a key reason for the increase in body fat in the Western world. The repeated spikes in blood glucose and the resulting imbalance of insulin can often lead to storing that energy as body fat. Yes, genetics play a role, and if someone is metabolising blood glucose for immediate energy, such as during exercise, it’s true that they can avoid gaining unnecessary and inflammatory-causing weight.

If dietary sugars influence unwanted body fat, it makes sense to remove sugars from the diet and focus on proteins and healthy fats to satisfy appetite. While this approach would work, there's a catch: once exposed to regular sugary treats, the body typically craves more. I wouldn't say it's an addiction, but it certainly explains why it's difficult to eat just one Malteser or one flavoured Dorito.

So, if someone enjoys a sweet treat, isn't exercising regularly, and wants to avoid weight gain, it would make sense to opt for artificially sweetened foods. Theoretically, this could satisfy cravings (the desire for immediate pleasure) without triggering an insulin spike. What a brilliant idea!

Data shows that the spike in blood glucose—and consequently, the spike in insulin—is approximately 80% 'less' with artificial sweeteners compared to refined sugar products. A great example of this is the difference between fully loaded soft drinks and zero-sugar options. This sounds great, right?

Well, it may be better for most people, but there’s a catch. The data also indicates that while appetite and metabolism may be kept in check, if you indulge in a mid-afternoon pick-me-up with zero-sugar snacks, like chocolates, cake, soft drinks, fruit drinks, sweets, or energy drinks, you face a 90% chance of consuming more calories (even if they're somewhat healthy) at dinner. Additionally, there is an 80% chance of succumbing to a sugar craving after dinner. So, while the spike in insulin may be lower, the day's end total calorie intake can actually be higher.

Artificial sweeteners may negatively influence natural appetite in some individuals, affecting when to eat, how much to eat, and what type of food to choose. Therefore, for some people, relying on zero-sugar products might work against them in their struggle to maintain an ideal weight.