Before digging into a long-awaited meal, you may wonder about the true nutritional value of your food. Now, by simply snapping a picture of the burrito bowl sitting in front of you, detailed statistics about the nutritional contents of your meal are generated within seconds. As the modern world of sports becomes increasingly attentive to the impact of diet and macronutrient intake on fitness and athletic performance, new innovations are accommodating to this focus. This is mainly made possible by one thing: artificial intelligence. 

Like many other facets of our day-to-day life, AI has become one of the most convenient and accessible tools in the fitness industry. Beyond ChatGPT and other large language models, AI has been integrated into programs such as Whoop, Peloton, and other fitness-related tools and appliances. The rise of machine learning in the fitness industry mirrors its success in other fields; its efficiency and personalized nature cut the time it takes to manually research fitness goals to just a few seconds. 

Some AI fitness scanners, like Fitbod, are able to assess the client’s physical state (age, weight, medical condition, BMI) in more detail than a personal trainer would be able to achieve. Apps then take that information to tailor a specific workout regimen — all in a matter of minutes. Rather than investing hundreds of dollars into a trainer, AI offers a cheap, innovative alternative. 

“When I didn't know how to work out and it was difficult for me to find resources which were beginner friendly, AI was the way to go,” said Aarav Upadhyay ’27. 

Not only can AI be used to gather data on the athlete’s physical metrics, it’s used as a tool to predict injuries and outcomes. Wearable bracelets are able to sense muscle imbalances and stress patterns before it’s too late. The Dallas Cowboys implemented this wearable tech system for performance analysis and injury prevention, an issue that has long plagued the sport. Additionally, Paralympic cyclist Skylar Espinoza praised AI fitness program Parity in helping her track her biometrics ahead of the Olympic Games. 

Despite the benefits and streamlined efficiency, there are concerns over AI’s privacy and reliability. These fitness trackers collect massive amounts of data on a person with little to no guarantee of misuse or breach. Systems with a poorly trained algorithm are capable of recommending risky or even dangerous workouts, increasing the risk of injury. In sports, AI implementation has caused arguments on who has the final say in injury situations: the coach, athlete, or AI. 

“I don’t use AI trackers for my sport because the US figure skating [team] has their own app,” said Audrey Chiu ’26. “I don’t actually trust it because it can’t really know what’s going on in human bodies.”

While it is tempting to immediately turn to AI for advice, PHS students have many resources at their disposal, ranging from health classes and gym teachers to professional guest speakers who teach us about fitness and nutrition. An overreliance on technology is dangerous, especially if we entrust our physical health with it: AI indiscriminately sources from the internet, and it is our job to be proactive by verifying generated answers. 


How AI is transforming the fitness industry

While lounging on the sofa and mindlessly scrolling
through social media, a fitness influencer pops up,
advertising an amazing overnight oats recipe in a “What
I Eat in a Day” vlog. It’s easy to prepare and packed with
protein, superfoods, and nutrients. Intrigued, you click
on the link, but the price is $70 for just one week’s of
supply. However, you want to try it out after hearing the
influencer rave, so you buy it. To your dismay, when
it arrives two weeks later, the ingredients are in poor
condition, and they create something that looks more
like a slop compared to the oats that were advertised.

Social media creates an ideal world, but it will always
be behind a screen, just beyond one’s reach. But, over
and over again, people fall for it — they are blinded by
the idea of easy self-improvement and almost expect to
shed a few pounds after eating healthy or exercising for
one day. This can be especially powerful considering
the omniscience of social media, whether it be in the
form of “What I Eat in a Day” vlogs, morning routines,
supplement hauls, or other baits for engagement.

Viewers are often encouraged to try these products for
themselves at the risk of their health for the creator’s
monetary benefit, which is clearly an unfair trade.
Thus, it becomes critical to be able to differentiate
between myths and realities. As a soccer player and
weightlifter, Raphael Borentain ’27 has been exposed to
dozens of these types of advertisements. It is essential
for Borentain to keep his body in good shape, so he has
to be able to see through these types of ads.

“A lot of [fitness influencers] act like they got ripped
in like two weeks or from drinking one shake a day. But
they probably take other stuff or have been working out
for years. It’s all for views, honestly,” said Borentain. “I
think they mess with people’s heads a bit. Some guys will
start eating super clean or doing crazy diets just ‘cause
some fitness dude on TikTok said it worked.”

Instead, Borentain advocates for a more accountable
system where these influencers take responsibility for
the products they choose to endorse. For example,
influencers should carefully review products before they
advertise them, ensuring that they perform as marketed.

“People look up to them and copy everything they
do, so if they’re lying or pushing random products just
for money, that’s messed up, especially when it’s about
health,” said Borentain.

Advertisements are an inevitable part of social media
and can be difficult to resist the attraction of popular
trends. However, the consequences of these often
misinformative ads can be drastic. For instance, Brian
Johnson, known as the Liver King, promoted eating raw
organ meats and consuming expensive supplements by
claiming his physique was entirely done by doing so.
Consequently, teenagers attempted to mimic Johnson’s
success through following the regimens and diet that
he had advertised in his videos, which often included
expensive ingredients. However, Johnson was later
found using anabolic steroids but not before hundreds
of his teenage followers had wasted money on the
supplements, chasing the hope to attain Johnson’s figure.

These occurrences are not uncommon. Though some
influencers may offer scientifically-backed insight that
proves to be helpful, people need to be vigilant about
what they consume and their general well-being. This is
the dilemma that modern teenagers face: who or what
can we turn to for reliable advice?

Thankfully, the internet’s speed is not only one of its
biggest flaws, but it is also arguably its greatest strength.
A quick search can yield professional advice or actual u
reviews about a certain product. Even better, a plethora
of sites offer similar services such as TrustPilot, the
Environmental Working Group’s Food Scores, or even
Amazon’s review sections.

Whatever the case may be, wellness and diet content
on social media isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, but
that doesn’t mean it should be consumed mindlessly.
While some creators are genuine with their goal of
helping people by promoting healthy lifestyles, others
spread unrealistic and even at times harmful messages
for clout. This is especially damaging for teens as they are
still developing their identity, leading to less confidence
in themselves for not being able to live up to the false
narrative that some influencers create.

Before deciding to buy a new product or start a new
routine based on a viral video, take a moment to think
about the promoter’s credibility. Doing research is the
best way for protection from an online world that favors
aesthetics over authenticity and process

Photo: Katherine Chen
From closest to farthest away: Mathilde Pouliot ’27, Kimberly Sarmiento ’27, and Evelyn Salle ’27 watch “What I Eat in a Day” videos to pass time during
Learning Lab

A warning on the social media diet

The gym falls silent as Blase Mele ’25 squares off with his opponent on the mat, eyes
locked. He shifts his stance, a subtle bounce in his step, tension building in the audience
with every move. He goes for a single leg takedown, causing his opponent to go down,
and the crowd roars. He just won against a top-ten nationally-ranked wrestler, and his
victory is a moment that has encapsulated the years of perseverance and sacrifice that
Mele has offered to wrestling. 

Introduced to the sport at a young age by his father, Mele found his calling early. He
attributed his success to his parents, recalling that they encouraged him to do the right
things and had a great support system throughout his whole career.

“All [my family] talks about is wrestling, so I’m in an environment where it’s easy to stay
focused,” said Mele.

Jess Monzo, the PHS boy’s wrestling team
coach, was immediately impressed when he
saw Mele’s skillset as an incoming freshman.
 “I was excited. I knew he could do really,
really good things by what he brought to the
program and to the team,” said Monzo. 

Despite his success at both the state and
national level, where Mele placed sixth at
the NJSIAA/Rothman Orthopaedic State
Wrestling Championships, making him
the third PHS student to ever place, Mele
constantly strives for improvement. 

“My club coaches are starting to implement
a lot of techniques from foreign wrestlers and stuff that was used at the Olympics,” said
Mele. “I am just trying to focus on getting bigger, getting stronger, getting better.”

Blase is not only able to train hard, but he works hard at school as well. Blase credits his
parents and family for raising him in an environment that worked for him.

“I think being a good student makes me a better wrestler, and I think being a good
wrestler makes me a better student,” said Blase. 

However, his success did not come without adversity. He had faced multiple injuries
over his career that caused him to take time off of practice. 

“I dealt with some knee problems. I had to have two knee surgeries. It was fine in the
long term, but at the time, it was really frustrating,” said Mele. 

Despite a rough setback, Mele believes part of overcoming challenges is to have faith
and recover as diligently as possible, while also taking time off as needed.

“When you sign up to go play sports, you’re not signing up to automatically win. You’re
signing up to test yourself,” said Mele. “You have to be prepared for things to go wrong,
and you have to be ready to put yourself back on track.”

This tenacious mentality has allowed him to rank in the top 20 nationwide while
placing at the state level. Monzo saw Mele grow as both an athlete and person, especially
during his Junior year after Mele won one of his biggest matches.

“He always believed in himself, that he could be that guy ... from that day forward ... he
saw it was true. He believed it into fruition, and he knew he belonged at that level,” said
Monzo. 

During the season, practices are demanding and many students quit the team before
the end of the season. Mele affirms that even though it’s difficult to stay motivated because
of the long season, by the end, those who stuck around are good friends and work even
harder together.

“Blase is always on everyone
about working hard and putting
forth your best,” said Mele’s fellow
teammate Chase Hammerschlag
’25. “He is both assertive and
supportive ... I admire his work
ethic.”

After his strong junior season,
Mele committed to Princeton
University to pursue a degree in
economics while fulfilling his
dream of competing at the Division
I level. His successful career is the
result of long years of consistent
hard work and dedication.

“[Consistency] allowed me to
accomplish a lot of my goals. I do not think I would have done that without wrestling,”
said Mele. “I’ve encountered a lot of failure in my career — both failure and success in my
career. And through it all, I’ve been able to remain consistent and just pursue my goals.

Mele is able to find this consistency for practice because of his love for the journey. 

“The process of achieving a goal is just as fun and just as rewarding as achieving the
goal itself,” said Mele. “When you start to find enjoyment in the [process], then your
performance will increase, and you’ll just feel better about where you are as an athlete.”

Before going to college, Mele has been able to refelect on what wrestling has given him.

“Wrestling taught me the importance of consistency. [Consistency] allowed me to
accomplish my goals,” said Mele. “I don’t think I would have done that without wrestling."

Photo Courtesy: Blase Mele
Already committed to Princeton, Mele is hoping for one more great high school season.

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