I'm not a journalist writing about recovery from a desk. I'm a working endurance athlete who tests gear inside my own training cycles, and writes what survives.
I've played soccer, basketball, and baseball through earlier years and somewhere in my thirties became a long-distance runner. I'm a few years deep into that now. The current long-term goal is an Ironman. The training base I'm building toward it has become the lens I use to evaluate everything else: if a piece of recovery gear doesn't survive a hard training block, it doesn't survive on this site.
By training I'm a mechanical engineer. That shapes how I run reviews here — I want measurements, not vibes. Irradiance at the panel, °F at the drain valve, °C at the cabin ceiling, HRV-trend over weeks not days. Where I can't measure, I say so. Where the evidence is weak, I say that too.
- Tested in field Months, not days. Every unit lives in my garage or basement before I write a word.
- Engineering-trained methodology Instruments before claims. I publish my measurement tools.
- Independent No brand sponsorships. No comped review units. Affiliate-supported only.
- 14+ years training The protocols I recommend are protocols I've actually run on my own body.
How I test.
Every product on RecoveryStack was bought at retail with my own money. I run it inside my normal training schedule for a minimum of thirty days — usually longer. For category buyer guides, I run multiple units in parallel in the same environment.
Instruments I lean on: a Hopoocolor OHSP-350P spectroradiometer for red-light panels, an Inkbird ITC-308 for cold-plunge water temp, TP-Link HS110 power meters for energy draw, an Oura Ring + Whoop for HRV/RHR/sleep telemetry, and a long-format Notion log per piece of gear. I write the review after the data has had time to settle into a trend, not after one good week.
RecoveryStack uses affiliate links. When you buy through a /go/ link on this site I may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. I never accept comped units for review. I don't run sponsored posts. The independent reporting is what makes the affiliate model work — if you can't trust the review, the commission is worthless.
My current recovery stack.
Six pieces of equipment I actually use in rotation right now. Each one earned the slot by surviving a real training block. Affiliate links go through /go/<slug> and clearly disclose the program.
What I'm training for.
An Ironman. Right now I'm in the aerobic-base phase — long zone-2 runs, swim drills, a 12-week bike build queued up after that. The recovery work below the training is the half of the equation most people skip. Cold plunge after long runs, sauna after lifting, red light when the legs need it, sleep tracked, HRV trended.
I'll be publishing the training log separately once it stabilizes. If you want to follow that side of things, subscribe to the Weekly Stack newsletter.
More from me.
The most recent and most-load-bearing reports. Pillar guides first.
Testing
At-Home Health Testing Guide: Function Health vs InsideTracker vs Quest (2026)
Cold Therapy
Cold Plunge Therapy at Home: The Complete 2026 Guide
Sauna
Home Sauna Guide: Infrared vs Traditional (2026)
Sleep
HRV Explained: How to Read Your Recovery Score (2026)
Longevity
The Longevity Supplement Stack: NAD+, NMN, Creatine, and What Actually Has Evidence (2026)
Protocols
The Optimized Daily Routine: My Actual Recovery Stack (2026)
Reach me.
Email is fastest: trevor@recoverystack.co. Reply within 48 hours unless I'm in a training block. Tips, corrections, partnership inquiries, or feedback on a review — all welcome.
Social is light intentionally. I'd rather write a long-form piece than a thread.