Why Every Champion Should Be Their Own Laboratory

When a supplement helps 1/3 of athletes sleep 20% better, destroys sleep for another 1/3, and does nothing for the rest — you start to understand why the best athletes obsess over personal experimentation.

Performance expert Andrew Herr calls it “n=1 testing” — and it might be the most underutilized tool in elite performance.

The Averaging Problem

Most scientific studies tell us what works on average. But champions aren’t average. What helps one elite performer might hurt another.

“In a traditional clinical trial, effects often average out to zero,” Herr explains. “But for the people it works for, it can be dramatic.”

What to Test

The possibilities for personal experimentation are endless:

• Diet changes (meal timing, food choices, fasting protocols)

• Training methods (workout timing, intensity, recovery periods)

• Sleep approaches (bedtime routines, temperature, light exposure)

• Supplements and recovery tools

• Travel and competition preparation

How to Measure

The key is collecting objective data:

1. Wearables (Whoop, Oura Ring)

• Heart rate variability (HRV)

• Sleep quality and stages

• Recovery scores

• Resting heart rate

2. Blood Work

• Inflammatory markers

• Hormone levels

• Nutrient status

• Metabolic health

3. Performance Metrics

• Training numbers

• Recovery time

• Energy levels throughout the day

• Subjective feelings of wellbeing

The Rules of Self-Experimentation

1. Minimize Variables

• Change one thing at a time

• Give each experiment 2–3 weeks

• Document everything systematically

2. Look for Clear Signals

• If something works for 2–3 weeks consistently, it’s likely beneficial

• If you feel worse after stopping something, it was probably helping

• Don’t chase tiny improvements that require huge effort

3. Context Matters

• What works in training might not work in competition

• What helps during travel might hurt at home

• Timing can be as important as the intervention itself

The Bottom Line

The best athletes don’t just copy what works for others. They run their own experiments, collect their own data, and build their own formula for success.

As Herr notes: “Nothing works for everyone. That’s why it’s like a true n=1 experimentation.”

The question isn’t whether something works — it’s whether it works for you.

Your Challenge This Week

Choose one variable you’ve been curious about and design a proper n=1 experiment. Pick something specific like your pre-training meal timing, post-workout recovery protocol, or bedtime routine. Establish your baseline by tracking relevant metrics for 3–4 days, then implement your change and track the same metrics for the next 2–3 weeks.

Document everything: the intervention, your measurements, how you feel, and any external factors that might influence results. At the end of your experiment period, you’ll have real data about what works for your unique physiology and circumstances.

Remember: the goal isn’t to prove something works, but to discover what actually works for you.

Check out the full interview with Andrew Herr

If you found this interesting, you'll love the full podcast interview I did with Andrew.

Check it out here: https://youtu.be/Yix7vBAz8ns?si=tk8pgQ0HDRId2SDi

Content Recommendation

This is a more detailed take on N=1 testing from Andrew Herr. Highly recommend this read:

Part 1: https://blog.fount.bio/p/n-of-1-experiments-are-the-most-important

Part 2: https://blog.fount.bio/p/designing-n-of-1-experiments-n-of