Fitt Insider

Today's top stories:

• Calley Means, a key architect of the MAHA movement, resigns from the Trump administration as food policy efforts stall

• WILDE raises $40M from S2G Investments for chicken-based protein chips, selling in 30,000+ retailers with $100M+ in sales last year

• Nirva raises $25M for an AI pendant as wearable makers turn health devices into jewelry people want to wear

Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more.

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

October 22, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• NFL partners with General Atlantic to launch a sports investment platform, building on a 46-company portfolio that includes Fanatics and CLEAR
• OpenAI's venture arm and Founders Fund back Coherence Neuro's $45M seed round for brain implants designed to detect and treat cancer
• Hims expands testosterone care with injectable and oral options, scaling faster than any specialty outside weight loss

Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more.

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

October 21, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• Oura adds Cardio Effort and VO₂ max metrics to compete more directly in fitness tracking beyond sleep and recovery
• TikTok blocks searches for peptides like semaglutide, BPC-157, and TB-500 as peptide content spreads across social media
• Orangetheory's US footprint falls by about 135 studios since 2023, though industry visits remain strong as consumers mix formats

Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more.

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

October 20, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• Trump signs an executive order creating an NIH women's health division and White House task force, though the effort faces questions over broader NIH funding cuts
• Mark Wahlberg's Municipal Gym brings clinical care to the big-box market, offering $99 blood work and epigenetic testing at a 32,000-square-foot Nevada opening this December
• Unravel Health raises funding for a palm-sized Micro Lab that analyzes saliva hormones at home in minutes, with early-access devices arriving in 2027

Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more.

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

Today, I'm joined by Cathrin Bowtell, CEO of Seed Health.

A microbiome science company, Seed Health translates cutting-edge research into daily supplements designed to optimize gut health and overall wellness.

In this episode, we discuss building a CPG brand around microbiome science.

We also cover:

• Expanding to Amazon and Target
• Developing proprietary dual-cap delivery
• Clinical studies and efficacy as competitive moats

Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Seed's Website: www.seed.com

Seed on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seed

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The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.

Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/

Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/

Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(01:30) Cathrin's background

(03:00) Microbiome conviction; founding story

(04:00) From DTC to omnichannel

(07:00) Meeting consumers where they are

(09:00) Retail expansion strategy

(11:00) Amazon and Target launch

(13:00) Data and attribution

(15:45) Science translator positioning

(17:00) Category and competition

(20:00) Product efficacy and studies

(23:30) Product portfolio strategy

(26:00) Synbiotics and co-biotics

(28:00) Culture and team investment

(32:00) What's coming next

(33:30) Conclusion

October 16, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• Reservoir launches an immune cell banking service built by Cellino, letting people freeze and store their own cells for potential future therapies
• Lume Health unveils a sweat-based wearable that continuously tracks hormones, starting with cortisol, with 25,000 people on its waitlist
• Aescape teams up with Tom Brady on the Brady Protocol, a 30-minute robotic deep-tissue massage built around his recovery routine

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

October 15, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• Function partners with Google Health to combine lab results with wearable data and AI coaching in the Google Health app this fall
• Future adds DEXA scans through BodySpec in 15 markets, with beta members who scanned averaging 5.8 weekly workouts versus 3.7
• ROSE launches a $399 home water test screening 100+ contaminants, with an environmental biomarker product planned for early 2027

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

October 14, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• Collective X Health emerges from stealth with $3.2M to license a research-backed women's health data layer to wearable and performance brands
• HYROX partners with Sweatpals to keep athletes engaged between races across its 20,000 affiliate gyms and 107 events
• Protein soda brand PRODA adds Justin Timberlake, Jessica Biel, and Joey Gonzalez as co-founders ahead of national expansion

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

October 13, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes.

Today's top stories:

• Sava raises $36M Series B led by Ascensia Diabetes Care to bring a microneedle continuous glucose monitor to market
• Google Health partners with Flo Health to sync cycle tracking with Fitbit data for 80M+ monthly users starting next year
• NFL invests in flag football as high school girls' participation jumps 48% to 100,000+ ahead of its 2028 Olympic debut

More from Fitt:

Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/

Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

Reach out → [email protected]

Today, I'm joined by Keith Barlow, founder & CEO of XENOM.

A two-day, 10-event competition testing gymnastics, strength, and metabolic conditioning, XENOM is positioned as the mass-participation alternative to elite-only fitness competitions.

In this episode, we discuss building the "decathlon of fitness."

We also cover:

• Partnering with CrossFit and HYROX
• Competitive fitness as a cultural phenomenon
• The business model behind large-scale fitness events

Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast

Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe

Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider

XENOM's Website: https://www.xenom.global/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xenomglobal/

Keith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keith.barlow1/

Keith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-barlow-31490947/

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The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.

Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/

Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/

Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/

Chapters:

(00:00) Introduction

(00:01) Keith's background

(01:28) Founding story

(02:03) HYROX founders partnership

(05:02) CrossFit consumer vs. HYROX consumer

(06:50) Event for everyday athletes

(09:55) Partnership strategies

(14:00) Venture pitch

(18:51) Events, sponsorship, tickets

(21:45) Event execution

(25:45) Participation tiers and accessibility

(28:30) Scoring system

(31:19) Programming for affiliates, not just elite

(34:00) 3–5-year vision

(36:00) Where to find and follow XENOM

(36:45) Conclusion