CrossFit coach, endurance athlete and mountain biker Joe Bauer wanted to know whether adding Unbroken to his routine would make a measurable difference. So he put it to the test, comparing his training and recovery with and without Unbroken and tracking the results through WHOOP.
A life built around performance
My name is Joe Bauer, and fitness has been my life's passion. From college baseball and bodybuilding to ultramarathons, Ironmans, competitive CrossFit and now elite mountain biking with my wife, training has always been a big part of my life.
For the past seven years, we've also lived a nomadic lifestyle in our Sprinter van, chasing the best trails and riding enduro downhill events across North America.
As a CrossFit coach and founder of the Get Better Project, I'm always interested in anything that can help improve performance, recovery and consistency.
Putting Unbroken to the test
I first discovered Unbroken while coaching at the CrossFit Games. After connecting with the team, I decided to run my own real-world experiment.
I spent one month following my normal routine, followed by one month integrating Unbroken. Throughout the process, I used WHOOP to track recovery, strain and sleep.
The results caught my attention.
During the period when I was taking Unbroken, my WHOOP data showed:
- Increased deep, restorative sleep
- Improved HRV
- Higher overall recovery scores
- Higher training strain alongside better recovery scores
What made the results particularly interesting to me was that I was actually training harder. My strain scores were higher, yet my recovery data was also moving in the right direction.
The numbers reflected what I was feeling.
More strain. Better recovery.
I didn't make major changes to my diet or training during the comparison. The main change to my routine was adding Unbroken.
For me, that made the results worth paying attention to.
Rather than relying only on how I felt after training, I could look at the data I was already using every day and see differences in sleep, HRV and recovery during the period I was using Unbroken.
Part of my routine
Unbroken has since become a regular part of my training and recovery routine.
I use it at different points depending on the demands of the day, including before training, during harder sessions and as part of my recovery afterward.
I also like that it's light and easy to drink. Unbroken starts with hydrolyzed salmon protein, providing free-form amino acids and small peptides in a compact format that requires minimal further protein digestion.
For someone who trains hard and spends a lot of time on the move, that simplicity matters.
Recovery I can track
I've spent years training, coaching and looking for ways to improve performance. What made my experience with Unbroken different was that I didn't only feel a difference. I could see changes in the data I was already tracking.
For me, Unbroken is now a staple in my recovery toolbox.
Joe Bauer
CrossFit coach, endurance athlete, mountain biker and founder of the Get Better Project
