Women's health has been one of medicine's most overlooked frontiers — and the data gap is decades deep. In this episode, Eric Malzone sits down with Anaelle Oiknine, clinical development lead at Ultrahuman, to unpack why the majority of drugs, exercise prescriptions, and health metrics have historically been built around male physiology — and what that's cost women. From the thalidomide tragedy of the 1950s to the ongoing research mismatch around endometriosis, Anaelle breaks down the systemic failures that left half the population underserved, and why the tide is finally turning. She shares what continuous wearable data is revealing about the female body that annual OB-GYN visits never could — including how Ultrahuman's cycle and ovulation tracking has flagged PCOS and endometriosis before a physician's diagnosis. If you're a fitness professional, wellness practitioner, or just someone who wants to understand why cycle-based training is the next major evolution in personalized health, this conversation is where you start.
Key Takeaways:
- 🔬 The Research Gap Is Real — Most medications, VO2 max benchmarks, and exercise prescriptions were developed using male physiology. Women weren't formally included in NIH clinical trials until 1989.
- 💊 The Thalidomide Tragedy — A sedative tested only on men was marketed to pregnant women for morning sickness in the 1950s, causing severe birth defects. A defining case of what happens when women are excluded from clinical research.
- 🩺 Endometriosis Is Still Underserved — Despite being one of the most prevalent and painful women's health conditions, research is stalled by a mismatch between FDA approval standards (pain relief) and available animal models. Organoids from menstrual blood are the promising next step.
- 💡 FemTech Is a Multi-Billion Dollar Opportunity — The McKinsey report projects FemTech will hit at least $50 billion by 2030. Women being underserved isn't just a health crisis — it's a massive market gap finally being addressed.
- 💍 Wearables Are Closing the Black Box — Ultrahuman's Ring Pro tracks continuous temperature data to detect progesterone patterns, flag irregular cycles, and confirm ovulation — data that a once-a-year OB-GYN visit simply can't capture.
- 🔄 Cycle-Based Training Is the Future — Generic weekly training splits don't work for women. Training should be structured around hormonal phases — a push week, a ramp week, a peak week, and a rest week with zero guilt.
- 📊 Data Needs to Reach the Doctor — Wearable health data is powerful, but it needs to move from the user's app into the hands of medical professionals to truly close the gap in women's healthcare.
- 🏋️ What Fitness Pros Need to Know — Gym owners and coaches are already asking how to integrate menstrual cycle data into training programming. Apps like FEMI are leading the way by adapting marathon training plans to cycle phases.
- 🚀 Consumer Health Is Moving Faster Than Regulation — With ChatGPT logging 230 million weekly health queries, people are self-educating and demanding solutions. The industry will meet them — with or without regulatory frameworks catching up.
LINK: https://groe.solutions/