Fitt Insider

Bioniq is disrupting the one-size-fits-all supplement market. The personalized supplement maker closed a $15M oversubscribed Series B round led by European VCs Principal Investors HV Capital and Unbound. Valued at $75M, Bioniq turns blood biomarker data into individualized supplements. Its patent-pending algorithm assesses height, weight, age, lifestyle, and health goals to precisely identify micronutrient imbalances and create tailor-made supplements. Quantifying progress with before-and-after snapshots, Bioniq is setting a new industry-wide standard in transparency.

Lifeforce is demystifying health data. The proactive care platform introduced Lifescore, a new feature quantifying comprehensive health insights into one actionable metric. Making progress unmistakable, Lifescore offers a straightforward roadmap toward holistic optimization. Leveraging at-home bloodwork and a detailed health questionnaire, it factors: • Quality of life: energy, focus, and libido biomarkers. • Biological age: measuring organ health and cellular aging. • Longevity risk: likelihood of cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or other chronic diseases. After testing and analysis, members review their Lifescore with a medical expert to develop a personalized care plan — spanning nutrition, exercise, lifestyle, supplements, plus hormone therapy and prescription peptides as needed.

January AI is lending its digital twin technology to the food industry. Working with the consumer snack brand Mars’ R&D arm, January AI will leverage its tech to predict consumers’ biological reactions to food formulations before consumption. Collaborating, the companies will pave the way for next-gen product innovation — using emerging AI tech to generate new product ideas with the potential to improve health outcomes.

Fitness International acquired 35 XSport Fitness clubs across Illinois, New York, and Virginia. With 700+ sites across 27 states and Canada, the company will renovate and rebrand the sites under its existing banners, which include LA Fitness, Esporta Health & Fitness Clubs, and City Sports Clubs.

AI-driven fitness app Freeletics is putting a personal trainer in people’s pockets. Its new Coach+ Pilot leverages generative AI to recreate the IRL personal training experience — supporting every step of the training journey, from onboarding to post-workout. With personalized coaching dialogues and 1T+ workout combinations, it takes a data-based, human-like approach to keep users motivated and prevent plateaus. Founded in 2013, Freeletics is the number one fitness app in Europe, with 57+ million users in over 175 countries.

For health and longevity, a little exercise goes a long way. A recent study published in JAMA Internal Medicine detailed the relationship between moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and mortality rates. TL;DR: Upping daily MVPA by a few minutes could reduce premature deaths in the US while providing substantial public health benefits: 10 min ⬆️ could prevent 111K deaths 20 min ⬆️ could prevent 209K deaths 30 min ⬆️ could prevent 272K deaths Despite the upside, most people don’t exercise enough and 23% of US adults are sedentary. Time is a barrier for many, but these findings should be an inspiring reminder that any activity is a step in the right direction. And everyone—from fitness brands and gym operators to employers, healthcare providers, and government officials—should make promoting daily physical activity a top priority.

Technogym keeps on innovating. As the official cardio, strength, and functional training equipment supplier of the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, Technogym is leveraging AI to optimize athlete performance with: ✅ Technogym Checkup: assesses body composition, strength, balance, mobility, and cognitive abilities to provide personalized training protocols. 🦾 Biostrength: a next-gen strength training system delivering 6 workload modes (isotonic, no inertia, eccentric overload, eccentric reduction, viscous, and elastic) to improve results by 30%. Technogym's AI-driven solutions provide in-depth athlete performance analysis, tailored training programs, virtual body projections for instant feedback, and adaptive exercises for injury management. The company's Technogym Lab, collaborating with athletes, physicians, and researchers worldwide, continues to develop cutting-edge fitness and rehabilitation equipment. These innovations aim to optimize performance for Olympic athletes and gym-goers alike, revolutionizing sports training in the AI era.

Sauna is gaining clinical co-sign. 🔥🩺 A 2021 study looked at the biological impact of sauna, and found that the wellness routine appears to extend healthspan. By mimicking the same physiological and protective responses as exercise, repeated sauna use optimizes stress response — protecting against cardiovascular and neurodegenerative disease. Researchers say sauna-ing can also preserve muscle mass and fight sarcopenia. Science is stacking in favor of the Finnish tradition, with other studies showing: • Saunaing ~3x/week lowers all-cause mortality risk by 40% and CVD death risk by 27%. • Sauna lowers blood pressure and cholesterol—while enhancing cardio fitness and recovery—when paired with exercise. • A single session can improve reaction time, psychological stress, and mood. Heat therapy is being explored as a path to combat depression, dementia, arthritis, and even cancer. Surging with wellness consumers, the global sauna market is expected to top $195B by 2029. [Study: Patrick RP, Johnson TL. Sauna use as a lifestyle practice to extend healthspan. Exp Gerontol. 2021.]

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GURNER Group unveiled its latest wellness concept. The Australian development company is readying social wellness club SAINT, debuting in Melbourne’s St Kilda this September. Not to be confused with sister brand Saint Haven, the latest iteration caters to over-25s seeking a “high-end playground of health, connection and revelry”. Luxury to the core, GURNER is building a wellness empire. Last year, it launched Saint Haven Melbourne, with two additional sites on the way. And in March, it announced plans for Elysium Fields, a longevity-focused neighborhood. While it caps club membership, GURNER™ Group sees no limit on its wellness ambitions, with the segment’s revenues expected to hit ~A$300M in the next six years.