Kristen Holmes is the Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist at WHOOP. She joined the company in 2016 after coaching Princeton field hockey for 13 seasons, and she released the book Aligned in August 2026.
Who Is Kristen Holmes?
Kristen Holmes is an American psychophysiologist, former athlete, and coach who leads human performance research at WHOOP. She is recognized for combining elite sport experience with wearable data science. Her earlier roles include University of Iowa athlete, U.S. National Field Hockey Team member, and Princeton head coach.
What Are the Basic Facts About Kristen Holmes?
The table below lists key professional facts. Each row names an attribute and each value is stated in the right column.
| Attribute | Value |
|---|---|
| Current title | Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist, WHOOP |
| Earlier WHOOP title | Vice President of Performance Science |
| Joined WHOOP | 2016 |
| Doctorate | PhD in Psychology, University of Queensland |
| Undergraduate degree | BA in Political Science, University of Iowa |
| College sports | Field hockey and basketball, University of Iowa |
| National team service | 7 years, U.S. National Field Hockey Team |
| Coaching record | 12 Ivy League titles in 13 seasons, 1 national championship |
| Book | Aligned (August 25, 2026) |
What Is Kristen Holmes’s Role at WHOOP?
Kristen Holmes leads pioneering research on the interplay between physiological metrics and behavioral patterns at WHOOP. She holds the title of Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist. Her earlier title was Vice President of Performance Science.
She joined WHOOP in 2016, after coaching at Princeton University. WHOOP had emerged from Harvard Innovation Labs 4 years earlier, and she was one of its first key hires.
Which Teams and Groups Does Kristen Holmes Work With?
Holmes works with hundreds of tactical, professional, surgical, corporate, and NCAA teams. She helps them interpret WHOOP data to optimize training, recovery, and sleep behavior.
What Does Kristen Holmes Research?
Holmes researches how sleep, circadian rhythm, recovery, and load behaviors affect physical, mental, and emotional resilience. Her doctoral work examined the impact of circadian behaviors on physiological and psychological resilience.
What Did WHOOP Release in 2025?
In the WHOOP 2025 Year in Review podcast, Holmes described features including WHOOP Age and Healthspan, advances in AI and WHOOP Coach, and WHOOP Advanced Labs. She tied the releases to a goal of adding 1 billion healthy years to members’ lives.
What Did Kristen Holmes Study?
Kristen Holmes holds a political science degree, a master’s in psychology and sports performance, a psychology PhD, and an MIT Sloan Artificial Intelligence Certificate. The table below lists each credential by field and institution.
| Credential | Field | Institution |
|---|---|---|
| Bachelor of Arts | Political Science | University of Iowa |
| Master of Arts | Psychology and Sports Performance | Not specified in biographies |
| Doctor of Philosophy | Psychology | University of Queensland |
| Certificate | Artificial Intelligence | MIT Sloan |
What Was Kristen Holmes’s Athletic Career?
Kristen Holmes was a 3-time All-American and 2-time Big Ten Athlete of the Year at the University of Iowa. She competed in field hockey and basketball, and she was a Big Ten champion in basketball.
She was later a 7-year member of the U.S. National Field Hockey Team.
What Was Kristen Holmes’s Coaching Career?
Kristen Holmes was the Princeton University head field hockey coach for 13 years. Her teams won 12 league titles in 13 seasons and 1 national championship. She was named National Coach of the Year and Ivy League Coach of the Year.
Her path to WHOOP is listed below:
- Compete: she played field hockey and basketball at the University of Iowa.
- Represent: she joined the U.S. National Field Hockey Team for 7 years.
- Coach: she led Princeton field hockey for 13 seasons.
- Build: she founded a nationwide field hockey camps and clinics business and ran it for 16 years.
- Join: she started at WHOOP in 2016.
A podcast summary states that she was the first NCAA coach to use heart rate variability (HRV) with her athletes. The same summary states that she used EPOC to guide in-game substitutions.
What Advisory Roles Does Kristen Holmes Hold?
According to a 2023 conference biography, Holmes held 5 advisory roles outside WHOOP:
- Science Advisor, Levels Health
- Science Advisor, Arena Labs
- Advisor, Evolve Leadership
- Performance Ambassador, Liminal Collective
- Member, Tactical Leadership Board of Sports Innovation Lab
What Is Kristen Holmes’s Book Aligned?
Aligned: The Data-Driven Guide to Performance, Recovery, and Human Potential is Holmes’s book, published by Penguin Publishing Group on August 25, 2026. The book argues that recovery is the hidden driver of peak performance. It draws on one of the world’s largest physiological datasets and more than 2 decades of experience in high-stakes environments.
The book presents 3 frameworks, listed in the table below.
| Framework | Components |
|---|---|
| HEAL | Heart, Energy, Autonomy, Love |
| TEAM | Time, Expectations, Attachments, Memory |
| PEAC | Purpose, Efficacy, Autonomy, Connection |
Holmes narrated the audiobook, which runs 13 hours and 46 minutes.
What Health Habits Does Kristen Holmes Recommend?
Kristen Holmes recommends 3 daily habits for health and performance, according to a Wharton speaker series biography:
- Keep a consistent sleep and wake schedule.
- Restrict eating to an 8-hour window, preferably during sunlight.
- Take advantage of sunlight during the first 30 minutes after waking.
She states that these habits set hormones and circadian rhythm on the right track.
People Also Ask About Kristen Holmes
Who is Kristen Holmes at WHOOP?
Kristen Holmes is the Global Head of Human Performance and Principal Scientist at WHOOP.
When did Kristen Holmes join WHOOP?
Kristen Holmes joined WHOOP in 2016.
What sports did Kristen Holmes play?
Kristen Holmes played field hockey and basketball at the University of Iowa and spent 7 years on the U.S. National Field Hockey Team.
Where did Kristen Holmes coach?
Kristen Holmes was the head field hockey coach at Princeton University.
Does Kristen Holmes have a PhD?
Yes, Kristen Holmes holds a PhD in psychology from the University of Queensland.
What book did Kristen Holmes write?
Kristen Holmes wrote Aligned: The Data-Driven Guide to Performance, Recovery, and Human Potential, released August 25, 2026.
What Is Kristen Holmes Known For?
Kristen Holmes is known for leading human performance research at WHOOP, winning 12 Ivy League titles at Princeton, and writing Aligned. She holds a psychology PhD and served 7 years on the U.S. National Field Hockey Team.