Issue No. 313: Sugar Rush
Smarter fitness equipment for faster results.
Minimizing sugar maximizes well-being.
Sweet Life
A new study led by USC, UC Berkeley, and McGill links increased sugar intake in utero and early childhood to greater risk of chronic disease in adulthood.
Examining 50 years of UK Biobank data, researchers compared midlife health outcomes of those born during vs. after WWII sugar rations, finding:
- Babies conceived during sugar restrictions had up to 35% lower risk of type 2 diabetes, 20% lower risk of hypertension, and 30% lower risk of obesity as adults.
- Just limiting sugar exposure in the womb reduced risk, but benefits increased the longer restrictions continued after birth.
The biological mechanisms behind the trend are unclear, but the correlation is undeniable, with separate studies suggesting the first thousand days of life shape lasting food preferences.
Within Limits
The CDC recommends children under two avoid added sugar completely, while everyone else should keep intake below 10% of daily calories — but it’s hard to avoid.
Found in 70% of packaged foods, free sugars add up fast, with the aforementioned study showing pregnant and lactating women average over 3x the RDA.
Worse, supermarket sweets are packed with artificial versions that wreck metabolic health, fueling unproductive guilt around the occasional treat.
Whole food diets have to come first, but better-for-you brands can help consumers enjoy in moderation. Selling cleaner confections, the sugar-free sweets market hit $2.45B in 2024.
Candy store. 87% of Americans regularly eat candy, but 47% want healthier alternatives.
Scaling back sweetness, Gigantic’s chocolate bar satisfies cravings without a crash. Upping protein, RXBAR co-founder Jared Smith announced “power candy” HORMBLES CHORMBLES. Swapping out corn syrup, SmartSweets, BEHAVE, and Better Sour recreated gummies.
Dessert bar. Finding a happy medium, almost half of consumers are willing to sacrifice some indulgence for better well-being.
Rethinking dessert, Mid-Day Squares and Misfits make decadent nutrition bars, and Legendary’s cinnamon rolls double as a protein supp. Elsewhere, Target accelerator brand Deux is disrupting donuts, Dream Pops is a dupe for Nestlé’s Dibs, and HighKey has an answer for Oreos.
A caveat, while sugar-free takes on classics are insulin-friendly, the long-term effects of common substitutes like erythritol, stevia, and allulose are understudied.
Sour Punch
Consequences of a default environment, most chronic diseases are driven by preventable and inherited factors beyond a child’s control. If trends continue, adolescent obesity will add >$13B in direct US medical costs and $49B in indirect costs by 2050.
For guardians, schools, and food manufacturers, there’s a moral responsibility to make healthier choices. The good news, while formative years matter, it’s never too late to reshape the palate.
Looking ahead: The rise of glucose tracking will likely lead to falls in sugar consumption. Still, healthy pleasure is a priority for many, so consumers will seek new snacks to satisfy cravings.
🎙 On the Podcast
Wellhub co-founder & CEO Cesar Carvalho discusses scaling corporate wellness.
Formerly known as Gympass, Wellhub helps employees feel healthy and engaged at work with its corporate wellness platform spanning fitness, mental health, nutrition, and sleep solutions.
We also cover: Quantifying program benefits, expanding partnerships, and executing a successful rebrand.
Listen to today’s episode here.
💸 Roon tackles medical misinformation
The “creator platform for doctors” added $15M in a Series A led by FirstMark Capital and Forerunner Ventures.
Digital MD. Launched last year, it partners with clinicians and institutions—including Harvard, Stanford, and UCSF—to let experts film and share medical advice.
Curating reliable content, it aims to spare consumers from sifting through sources on Google, TikTok, and YouTube while maximizing efficiency for time-strapped docs.
Triple threat. With digital misinformation, physician shortages, and declining institutional trust threatening quality of care, new communication tools are being explored.
Saving patients from panic, Elaborate explains and contextualizes test results on behalf of doctors. Outside the “system,” Andrew Huberman and Deepak Chopra each launched AI platforms, offering on-demand access to their opinions on all things health and wellness.
Looking ahead: Reducing pay-to-play, Roon’s platform could help restore faith in doctors and healthcare institutions. But, the company’s business model remains undetermined.
💪 Discover Your Wellness Age
Progress starts with knowing where you stand.
Measure up. A first-of-its-kind full-body assessment, Technogym Checkup is the ultimate fitness test.
The equipment uses advanced tech to measure cardio, strength, body composition, balance, mobility, and brain function — combining cognitive and physical metrics to calculate a base Wellness Age.
Move forward. Taking personalized fitness to new heights, Technogym Checkup then syncs with an AI-powered Coach, which prescribes and adjusts workouts accordingly.
With a clear starting point and progressive programming, it’s never been easier to see gains.
Learn more about Technogym’s smart tech wellness solutions for gyms and homes.
🎽 UK activewear brands target US growth
British luxury brand Represent secured a minority investment from private equity firm True.
On a mission. Expected to surpass $100M in revenue this year, its performance-driven “247” activewear line is fueling growth, accounting for 11% of sales.
Outfitting CrossFit and HYROX athletes while retailing in US Equinox locations, major sportswear collabs are in the pipeline for 2025.
New territory. Represent joins a growing list of British athleisure brands gearing up for US gains.
- Building on its physical presence in the UK and Dubai, Gymshark will open its first US flagship in 2025.
- Adding £5M to fuel US expansion, TALA held its first US pop-up this September.
- Turning over £57M annually, lifestyle brand Adanola is prepping for international growth.
Back in brick-and-mortar, London-born Sweaty Betty recently opened stores in Chicago and Washington DC after shuttering all US sites in 2020.
Looking ahead: As British brands boost their international presence, US challengers like Alo and Vuori are making a play for the UK — intensifying the battle for global domination.
📰 News & Notes
- AG1 launches supplement vending machines.
- Quest debuts diagnostics-led health coaching service.
- Life Time expands digital class library, adds meditations.
- USTA partners with LEAD to accelerate tennis innovation.
- Aussie operator Viva Leisure launches first wellness concept.
- Les Mills brings boutique-in-a-box concepts to US via NYSC clubs.
- Technogym extends Garmin partnership with new synced features.
- Rhone launches mental fitness campaign with NBA and LPGA athletes.
- Samsung adds F45 Training workouts to its smart TV fitness programming.
- Movano Health’s Evie Ring secures FDA nod for SpO2, targets B2B partners.
- Aussie functional training brand Fitstop partners with Hapana to power US expansion.
- Hiring? We help health and wellness companies hire exceptional talent from Fitt’s inner circle.
💰 Money Moves
US 🇺🇸 / Canada 🇨🇦
Online medical information platform Roon raised $15M in a Series A round.
Fello, a peer support app combating loneliness, secured $7.3M in a seed round.
The EVERY Company, developer of bio-identical protein ingredients, landed a $2M grant from the US Department of Defense.
Women’s 3v3 basketball league Unrivaled landed investment from Avenue Sports Fund, a PE firm founded by sports investor Marc Lasry.
New York Golf Club, a team in upstart golf league TGL, gained investment from Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, CC Sabathia, and Jimmy Fallon.
Sound wellness startup Soaak Technologies secured a $497K grant.
Practice Better, a Canadian business management platform for health and wellness professionals, secured $13M.
WellRX, a preventative health service provider, acquired lab diagnostics company Bioreach.
Concierge medicine network World Class Health raised $8M in a seed round.
Europe 🇪🇺
UK-born B2B behavior change platform Vitality acquired health coaching platform WellSpark from EmblemHealth.
Freya Biosciences, a Danish biotech firm focused on women’s health, secured a $10.4M strategic investment from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
UK-based digital diagnostics company PocDoc raised £5M ($6.4M) in an oversubscribed funding round.
Spain’s Lizcore, maker of smart progress-tracking systems for indoor climbing, raised €600K ($630K) in funding.
Spanish budget club operator VivaGym acquired 20 gyms from low-cost chain Fitup.
Asia 🌏
India’s GoodLives, an AI-powered mental health platform, raised Rs 1.1 crore ($130K) in pre-seed funding.
Today’s newsletter was brought to you by Anthony Vennare, Joe Vennare, Ryan Deer, and Jasmina Breen.
