Review: AlterMe Program Pairs DNA Test and Smart Ring for Personalized Workouts
A Wired reviewer spent over six months with the AlterMe fitness system, which combines a DNA test, a smart ring and an app with workouts and nutrition guidance. She found it motivating, but it is expensive and its genetic findings are not clinically validated.
Wired reviewer Emily Peck has spent more than six months using AlterMe, a fitness and wellness program that combines a DNA test, the company's own smart ring and a mobile app offering workouts plus nutrition and sleep tracking. She rated it 8 out of 10. The program is expensive, and the company acknowledges that its genetic findings have not been clinically validated.
Price and setup
The entry-level Essential plan costs $1,299 and includes a three-year membership. The Advanced plan costs $1,899, with a more in-depth DNA analysis and a lifetime membership. After signing up, the reviewer received a cheek-swab kit and a ring sizing kit. The ring arrived within two weeks.
The DNA report
The report named strength training as the best fit for her genetic profile and rated her response to carbohydrates as lower than average. It also said she is externally motivated to exercise. In her view, it revealed nothing groundbreaking. The company says samples are processed in a US lab holding CLIA and CAP certification, that samples are destroyed after testing and that extracted DNA is kept for 45 days.
Ring and workouts
The ring measures heart rate, blood oxygen, temperature and activity. The app turns this data into a readiness score from 0 to 100 and suggests a workout. After poor sleep it usually proposed something lighter, such as a 15-minute breathwork session. Workouts run from five to 40 minutes, averaging about 20. Occasionally the score did not match how she felt. She also found the ring bulky.
Nutrition
The app generates recipes based on DNA data and helps users hit macro targets. She found the body-scanning feature somewhat intrusive.
Her conclusion: the program made her more aware of what she eats and left her feeling physically stronger, but it comes at a premium price.
