Workout app Ladder launches nutrition-tracking experience

As advanced AI models have gotten better at understanding different types of input — such as text, voice and images — and converting them into nutritional data, fitness apps that let people log their meals using these methods have exploded in popularity. As we have seen new startups Alma And AI horse — as with existing apps lifesum, healthy, My Fitness PalAnd MyNetDiary — either launching new apps or adding new functionality around nutrition tracking.

Now, strength training app Ladder is throwing its hat into the ring by launching its own calorie-tracking platform called Ladder Nutrition within the core app. Like other trackers, Ladder Nutrition lets you input your food intake in any number of ways: take a picture, scan a barcode, type it in, or describe your food by voice. The app will estimate your macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fat) based on your input, and you can also edit portion sizes.

Ladder says the advantage is that people are already tracking workouts with the Ladder app, tracking their nutritional input (macros, calories) and output (workout) in one place.

The company says it uses a series of AI models for image recognition, element detection and macro calculations. It noted that by default, most AI food models are trained on US-centric data, meaning they can’t accurately recognize international cuisines, so it partnered with a nutrition data provider to get accurate data for foods from other parts of the world. This approach means that if one model fails to detect a dish or macro, another can step in.

The tracker also has a protein mode, which helps you track your daily protein intake. Ladder says it includes streaks, badges and progress reminders to gamify the process of nutrition tracking and help people log their food regularly.

Ladder said that when it surveyed its members last year, the results showed that they wanted an in-app nutrition tracker rather than using another app for it. That’s why the company has focused on shipping a nutrition tracking feature this year.

The company says it’s been testing food tracking for the past month, and 70% of testers said they wanted to switch calorie tracking apps after using the ladder features.

“Nutrition was the next logical step for Ladder, and our members were asking for it with us,” Ladder CEO Greg Stewart told TechCrunch via email. “They wanted a simple, smart way to connect what they eat with how they perform – and that’s exactly what Ladder Nutrition provides.”

It’s just the beginning, Stewart continued. He said that in the future, Ladder will “build features on this foundation that provide more prescriptive guidance — what to eat, how to fuel, and how to continuously optimize nutrition based on individual training habits and goals.”

The nutrition tracking feature is free to all Ladder members, who pay $29.99 per month or $179.99 per year. According to Ladder, the app has more than 300,000 paying members worldwide.