Johns Hopkins, Under Armour announce personal fitness partnership

Johns Hopkins Medicine today announced an agreement with Under Armour that introduces evidence-based science and expert insights to the Under Armour's suite of health and fitness applications: UA Record, MapMyFitness, MyFitnessPal, and Endomondo.

The collaboration aims to help users maintain and improve their health, wellness, and recovery by tapping into the expertise of world-renowned specialists in medicine and patient care.

Johns Hopkins clinicians will provide clinical and research-based guidance in four key pillars of health and wellness—sleep, fitness, activity, and nutrition—to inform and empower Under Armour's connected fitness community, the world's largest digital health and fitness community of more than 190 million registered users.

"Two of Baltimore's leading institutions have the opportunity to bring together the worlds of fitness and health, informed by the latest science and through our collective innovation," said Mark Shaver, vice president of business development and strategic alliances for Johns Hopkins Medicine. "This collaboration helps empower people to maintain and improve their health, which furthers the Johns Hopkins mission."

The collaboration between Johns Hopkins Medicine and Under Armour began in 2015 with the formation of an advisory panel that now includes eight Johns Hopkins physicians who are providing Under Armour with expert scientific and clinical consultation for its connected fitness strategy, including UA HealthBox and UA Record. In 2016, a Johns Hopkins team of sleep experts, led by Alan Schwartz, director of the Sleep Disorders Center at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, began working with Under Armour on a multiphase research study that will continue through 2017 and includes guidance on an algorithm implementation related to sleep quality, patterns, and behaviors.

"Working with the leading health experts from the acclaimed Johns Hopkins institution further solidifies our dedication to helping athletes around the world perform better and live healthier," said Mike Lee, chief digital officer for Under Armour. "The research and insight that we discover together will further Under Armour's innovations and empower users with better tools, information, and data for reaching their highest potential."

This collaboration builds upon the 2014 commitment between Johns Hopkins Medicine and Under Armour to develop programs related to breast cancer treatment and innovation. The two Baltimore institutions are also working together to share health and wellness insights with Under Armour's digital communities through the brand's connected fitness blog network.