Whoop Rolls Out Controversial New Journal Feature
Whoop users can now log psychedelics
Wearable tech company Whoop has unveiled a new journal feature that’s raising some eyebrows: the ability to log ketamine, LSD, and psilocybin.
The new logging option comes at a pivotal time for the health and wellness industry, with an incoming administration and key players that are pro-psychedelics — Elon Musk has openly discussed using ketamine to treat depression, and Secretary of Health and Human Services nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has signaled a willingness to advance psychedelic medicine.
“Our legal team told us that we have to say this…We do not recommend the recreational use of these drugs, and we cannot tell you about potential health outcomes,” the human performance company captioned a social media post announcing the new journal add-on.
Whoop’s journal – which is a customizable self-reporting tool where users can log everything from medication (including GLP-1s, chemotherapy, COVID-19 vaccines, and boosters), menstruation, supplements, acupuncture, air travel, ice baths, injuries, and more — provides insights into how daily behaviors affect recovery, strain and sleep. Several of the available journal questions are hyper-specific — such as whether a Whoop user worked an on-call shift, parented a sick child, observed Ramadan, or had a dog in the room while sleeping.
While some commenters expressed skepticism of Whoop’s latest move—questioning how many Whoop users actually take psychedelics and criticizing the new feature from a health-focused company—others pointed out that data collection may help explore long-term effects, with many using the substances for therapeutic purposes.
Ketamine, in particular, was added to Whoop’s journal as an extension of its ongoing research with Stella Center, according to the Boston-based human performance company.
The two are collaborating on a study sponsored by the University of Queensland to observe the psychological and physiological effects of Stellate Ganglion Block (SGB). Although SGB is FDA-approved pain relief, it’s been used off-label to treat symptoms of PTSD, anxiety and depression. Study participants will wear a Whoop band for eight weights to measure changes in physiological changes in response to Stella’s SGB treatment protocol. Stella Center also offers IV Ketamine Infusion Therapy at some of its locations.
“At Whoop, we believe it is extremely important to remain on the cutting edge of treatments that may improve the lives of the millions currently struggling with trauma and mental health symptoms,” said Whoop’s Finn Fielding. “Working with Stella to examine the impacts of their procedures represents another step in achieving our mission of optimizing human health and performance.”
While some may be divided on Whoop’s latest move, the wearable company recently delivered a much-requested feature: the ability to track steps.
“Our members have increasingly requested steps, and we’ve been listening,” Whoop founder and CEO Will Ahmed told Athletech News. “This update allows us to provide a more complete picture of movement and activity throughout the day, in addition to strain and recovery data.”
