IRONMAN has announced a partnership with Eight Sleep, a sleep technology company, which becomes the Official Sleep Fitness Partner for IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 events in Europe. The collaboration aims to bring AI–powered sleep optimisation to endurance athletes across the region.
Eight Sleep produces the Pod, an AI–powered sleep system that integrates with existing beds to monitor heart rate, HRV (heart rate variability), respiratory rate, and sleep stages. The system automatically adjusts temperature throughout the night to improve recovery. According to the company, the Pod has been shown to deliver up to a 34% increase in deep sleep and a 15% improvement in cardiovascular recovery.
Yanni Andreopoulos, Executive Vice President of Global Partnerships at The IRONMAN Group, said “IRONMAN partnering with Eight Sleep allows us to bring world-class sleep innovation and cutting-edge sleep science directly to our athletes. True performance comes from understanding your body and the key lifestyle factors that influence how you train, recover, and compete.”
The Eight Sleep technology is already utilised by elite endurance athletes, including IRONMAN World Champion and Olympic Gold Medalist Kristian Blummenfelt. In professional cycling, riders from UAE Team Emirates, such as Tadej Pogačar, have also integrated the system into their training and recovery protocols for stage racing.
Matteo Franceschetti, Co–Founder and CEO of Eight Sleep, said “Endurance athletes understand marginal gains better than anyone. They measure power, pace, and nutrition with precision. Sleep should be measured and optimised with the same rigour. IRONMAN represents the pinnacle of human endurance. We are proud to partner with IRONMAN Europe to make sleep fitness a core part of how athletes prepare, recover, and compete.”
Through the partnership, Eight Sleep will activate at key European races to provide on-site education and performance insights. The brand, which is available in over 35 countries, has previously been recognised by TIME and Fast Company for its innovation in health technology.
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