Winning an Olympic Gold Medal is a mix of a million variables and thanks to WHOOP we can see this afternoon, some of those variables that helped Fintan McCarthy do just that this morning.
Fintan registered his highest Recovery Score (98%) and lowest Resting Heart Rate (39 bpm), both positive data points, on July 22nd, 2024 just as he arrived into Paris a week ahead of the Games, showing that he was in peak condition to perform.
Since arriving in Paris, Fintan has been nailing his sleep. He has had an average Sleep Performance score of 97% (a measure of his Actual Sleep vs Sleep Need) since July 22nd, showing that he has placed a huge emphasis on getting to bed and resting up so that he can perform on the world stage.
He has been very efficient with his sleep, averaging a 90% Sleep Efficiency score showcasing that he has been getting great bang for his buck in terms of the time he was spending in bed.
Crucially, he has been averaging over 4 hours 10 minutes of Restorative Sleep (a combination of Slow Wave Sleep and REM Sleep) every single night. This is essential in helping his body and mind recover and regenerate ahead of each race.
Last night (Thursday Aug 1st into Friday Aug 2nd), the night before the Olympic Final, Fintan spent 8:36 in Bed, clocking up a very impressive 90% Sleep Performance score.
By way of comparison to a somewhat older, somewhat less peak condition of a Founder of Sport for Business, I have had an average sleep performance of 63 per cent this week, but a half decent sleep efficiency score of 85 per cent a sleep performance score of 61 per cent. An average resting heart rate of 60 per cent over the past week suggests I’ll survive a while longer though I’ll be at the Olympics as an observer rather than a competitor this time around.
Despite his intensive training ahead of the Games, Fintan has been carrying virtually no Sleep Debt (<10 minutes), yet another sign that he has been nailing his performance both on the water and in the bedroom. My sleep debt is a less than optimal just under four hours a night!
As can be expected, he has pushed harder and harder in each race, but his race-day routine has remained unchanged.
A quick hit on a spinning bike in the morning to wake up the body and the legs. Shower, fuel up and get ready to hit the water. Once more quick cardio blasts a few minutes before the starting gun fires to prime the system.
Then just over 6 minutes of lung-busting rowing perfection.
Each race has followed a relatively similar format from a physical standpoint. HR spikes initially as the system gets going. By the halfway point in the race his HR has leveled off, even dropping slightly as he enters flow state. Then as the finish-line approaches, Fintan shifts into 6th gear and we see another spike in his heart rate spike at the end of the race.
Each race he pushes that bit harder – he had a max HR of 171 in the QF, 175 in the SF, and then a high of 180 bpm in the Final.
Sport for Business will host a Members’ Round Table event on Sport and Data in Dublin on Thursday, August 22nd. This is one of many events planned for the remainder of 2024.
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