My health hasn’t exactly always been my first priority. I’ve always felt healthy, gotten my annual bloodwork, and been told my levels were normal. But after an ankle injury that left me unable to work out for a few months and illness after illness, I wanted to understand what was leading to slow healing and a weak immune system. So, I signed up for Superpower.
A Health Company For Me
Superpower is a health company that provides an annual membership designed to be a true home for your health. It always starts with an initial blood draw testing about 90 biomarkers, with a follow-up re-test of about 60 biomarkers 3-6 months afterwards for a total of 150 lab tests. These test everything from vitamin levels to cholesterol to hormones and tons more.
The Superpower dashboard (which you can access through both the web app and the iPhone app) includes:
- Direct wearable syncing, like from your Apple Watch, Oura, and Whoop
- Medical record uploading, such as previous blood work, injuries, and so on
- Superpower AI, trained by clinicians and your data to provide personalized insights and health coaching
- Supplement and prescription marketplaces with member pricing
When I first joined, I booked my appointment at a nearby Quest Labs for that Friday. I fasted for 12 hours, showed up, got in at my allotted time, gave six vials, got some orange juice, and left.
While I waited for my results, I was using the app. I went through the intake to give as full of a history on my health as possible. That included everything from a minor surgery when I was 14 to my current supplements and medications to what my biggest concerns were/family history and anything else I wanted Superpower to know before I got my results. The app doesn’t make you wait to get your results before you can chat with it, so I started using it immediately for a variety of things:
- Meal prepping
- Workout ideas
- Questions about weight gain
- More context on my recent health issues
Seven days later, I had all my results. That’s where the real insights began.
What I Learned
Once my results came in, I didn’t have to just look at a chart of numbers and guess what they meant. Superpower walked me through every out of range marker and every one that was at risk of being out of range and provided an action plan for me to fix them, some of which were supplements, lifestyle changes, further testing options, and recommendations to meet with specialists.
I have historically had higher cholesterol levels, but one marker my doctor never made me aware of was my ApoB, which I learned is an indicator of the amount of plaque in my blood.
Instead of immediately being told I just needed to eat healthier and work out more, the Superpower AI provided:
- A thorough diet plan when prompted
- Explained what type of workouts would help and how to do them
- How soon I could expect to see changes in my bloodwork
At its core, Superpower is about how you can actually take control of your health instead of being told your issues are genetics or something that you will just have to deal with or start medications for.
Beyond The Numbers
I’ve been using Superpower for three months now and use the AI at least once a week. It checks in with me about following up with my doctor about an ankle injury and adjusted my workouts so that I don’t continue to injure myself. On top of that, it provided insight into my “normal” markers that were actually on the lower end, including ferritin and vitamin D, both of which are crucial numbers that my doctors never tested me for after concerns about energy levels and losing hair.
Although my levels would’ve been considered normal on the scale, they were only barely there. Superpower’s AI provided vitamin recommendations for reliable brands that are independently tested, explained how to take them with other vitamins, and audited my current multivitamin to find blind spots.
My favorite aspect of Superpower is the 24/7 access I have to something that’s catered to my own body. When I have been sick, I’ve been able to ask about what to take to recover better; when I want new meal prep ideas, I’m able to get advice without waiting to speak with a dietician; and when I need new workouts, I can get help faster and cheaper than going to a physical trainer. Superpower has been so much more than just getting my bloodwork, and it’s been invaluable on a day-to-day basis.
