Ahead of the 2020 NFL season, the NFLPA partnered with WHOOP as a way to monitor NFL gamers’ well being, wellness and efficiency all through the course of the season. Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was one of many gamers geared up with WHOOP’s “Strap 3.0” health tracker all through the course of the season. He truly started carrying it a number of months previous to the season to assist together with his offseason exercises.
Earlier this week, WHOOP published the data they acquired from Mahomes and the outcomes had been fairly telling. They monitored how a lot pressure video games and follow weeks placed on his physique, but in addition his sleep, restoration and the way it all impacted his efficiency.
Strain is described as “cardiovascular exertion” measured on a scale of 0-21. Obviously, the Chiefs’ recreation days had been one of many highest common pressure days for Mahomes all through the course of the 2020 NFL season. He averaged a 19.3 day pressure when the crew performed a recreation. For context, athletes who run marathons common 20.7 day pressure on the day of a race.
For Mahomes, there was additionally a correlation between the best pressure and the variety of passes that Mahomes threw in a given recreation.
“September ninth – 47 move makes an attempt (2nd highest whole of season) in additional time win, 20.7 day pressure
November twenty ninth – 49 makes an attempt in victory over Tampa Bay, 20.6 day pressure”
February seventh – 49 makes an attempt in Super Bowl, 20.7 day pressure”
The knowledge additionally confirmed that Mahomes was at his finest performance-wise when his restoration was at its highest. Recovery is described as your physique’s readiness to carry out on a scale of 0-100%.
“On Sunday November 1st, earlier than he actually began taking over intense ranges of pressure from the grueling calls for of the lengthy season, Mahomes wakened with a 91% WHOOP restoration. His physique was primed to carry out, and it confirmed.
That afternoon, he accomplished 31 of 42 passes for 416 yards and a season-high 5 landing passes. He additionally posted a passer ranking of 144.4, his better of the 12 months.”
As the season went on, Mahomes’ common pressure elevated and ultimately leveled off, except for the crew’s Week 12 bye week.
“It does make a lot sense,” Mahomes told WHOOP. “Obviously, each recreation is necessary, however September and October you’re feeling out what you might be as a crew. As you get to November and December and clearly January and February, your depth picks up as you’re attempting to win these soccer video games.”
WHOOP has helped Mahomes higher perceive his physique and the way it handles the pressure of a full NFL season in a completely new method. Checking the info his tracker offers has even change into a part of his each day routine.
“[Checking my recovery score is] the very first thing I do once I get up,” Patrick explained on the WHOOP Podcast. “I have a look at it as a result of I wish to know the way I’m feeling, how my physique is feeling, the place I’m at. Usually, if I’m feeling fairly relaxed it’s a reasonably good rating.”
The health tracker has given Mahomes a newfound context on what precisely stresses his physique out probably the most. It additionally lets him know what the right relaxation and restoration can do for his physique. Finding a higher steadiness between the 2 in 2021 could possibly be key to a profitable season for the Chiefs.
