Heart Rate Variability (HRV)

[thecrashton]

Has anyone splashed into the Heart Rate Variability discussion and jumped on the bandwagon?
I've been reading up on it quite a bit since I stumbled upon an Android app called EliteHRV.

From what I understand, measuring heart rate variability (the difference in the time intervals between heart beats) is a well-researched gauge of parasympathetic/sympathetic well-being and predictor of things like overtraining, recovery, and the ability to handle stress both physical and mental. The more variance the better, apparently.

I wake up every day (started this Monday) and put my heart rate strap on while still in bed (gives me an excuse to stay in bed 2 minutes longer) and let the app do its thing. I am then able to add tags to the result regarding my previous nights’ sleep length as well as any exercise I did, how I'm feeling, etc.

It then gives me a “morning readiness” reading based on my HRV and a synopsis about what that means for the day. Example today I scored a perfect 10 , middle of the graph and was told I could train very hard today and would be more resilient to stress.

Interested to see if anyone else is doing this kind of thing to gauge training recovery from a central nervous system standpoint.

[Tim K.]

http://www.heartmath.com/emwave-technology/#

Its not a monitor or anything like that but is supposed have an impact on HRV. Been using the em2 for a couple of years now. Not consistently, dont have enough time for everything but its a good way to spend a coffee break since I dont drink coffee It really seems to make a difference in how I feel. Incidentally, if I use it too closely to bed time, as I drift off I stop breathing and wake up panicked. No one knows why.

[Livio Livius]

Using ithlete since 27.12.2015. Currently I do not have a match between heavy training sessions and lower HRV development. Sleep metrics etc I do not enter. Only measure RHR and HRV, see attachment.

[left coaster]

Hi Chris,

This looks very interesting. Our lab studies within person variability across a number of markers such as gait and reaction time and we've danced around the idea of looking closer at HR IIV (intra-individual variability).

Think I'll take a closer look at the device you're using and look to get one for myself. As with many of or protocols, I'm usually subject #1 thanks for the post.

[Tristram]

I've been using the IThlete app for several months to see what it would do. I do one seated and one standing on different devices. Overall during riding season (mtb) I find it very helpful. For winter training (weights and C2) it's good but different since my volume is lower.

I think it's a good tool especially if you are doing higher volume training and to assist with understanding the impact of stress and sleep on your performance.

[Livio Livius]

Comparison study at high altitude ithlete and a 5 min electrocardiograph recording (CheckMyHeart™) http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 4/abstract

[bisqeet]

its what polar have been using for their "fitness test" for years...

[SelfWillRunRiot]

I've been using HRV for a number of years with some success. I feel the toughest transition mentally was going from rigidly following a program come hell or high water, to actually adjusting course based off of what HRV score was. I've used Bio Force and Omegawave (recently switched back to Bio Force).

What I've learned over the course of using this tech is that it's not the end all be all for training readiness. It's an indicator. For instance, if I wake up in the morning and score for a high level of readiness, then have a stressful commute to work, stressful day and work, poor diet etc, my HRV will tell a dramatically different tale come workout time. I tend to adjust based off of really huge swings in score/ RHR. I see it as valuable tool nonetheless. If I perhaps score low and have a tough workout planned that day, yet know I've got a rest day coming up, I may still get the workout in depending on how I "feel".

[jag]

Has anyone splashed into the Heart Rate Variability discussion and jumped on the bandwagon?
I've been reading up on it quite a bit since I stumbled upon an Android app called EliteHRV.

From what I understand, measuring heart rate variability (the difference in the time intervals between heart beats) is a well-researched gauge of parasympathetic/sympathetic well-being and predictor of things like overtraining, recovery, and the ability to handle stress both physical and mental. The more variance the better, apparently.

I wake up every day (started this Monday) and put my heart rate strap on while still in bed (gives me an excuse to stay in bed 2 minutes longer) and let the app do its thing. I am then able to add tags to the result regarding my previous nights’ sleep length as well as any exercise I did, how I'm feeling, etc.

It then gives me a “morning readiness” reading based on my HRV and a synopsis about what that means for the day. Example today I scored a perfect 10 , middle of the graph and was told I could train very hard today and would be more resilient to stress.

Interested to see if anyone else is doing this kind of thing to gauge training recovery from a central nervous system standpoint.

This is new to me. I tried to run the app about a year ago, but it didn't support the HRM I have (a generic bluetooth smart). I'll give it another try. AFAIK, HRV is the ratio of heart rate when breathing in vs. same when breathing out (or visa versa?). Is this correct? If so, I'm curious what a perfect 10 means?

[valgozi]

I use Elite HRV on iOS with Polar H7

Amazing what shows up with it.
- Accumulative fatigue over a training week if you are pushing it, and then a reset after a rest day.
- Low score today as cold broke out Monday evening. WOuld not have expected the low score if I hadn't had a cold. Unfortunately HR strap broke Monday so didn't get results until today.
- Hangover will show up really negatively. More than a couple of beers and it is basically saying take it easy.
- If you are training correctly and balanced you will constantly get good scores.

It is a useful tool especially if you are increasing volume or intensity.

[thecrashton]

I'm really liking it so far. The days that I'm in the green with a high score (65-75 ish so far), I push myself and have PRd both lifts and rows.
I've not had many days where I scored low - I don't drink, go to bed early for the most part, lift heavy and row hard, non-stressful job, and eat very clean, so the only times I've scored somewhat low have been after heavy training two-a-days or poor sleep quality.

Jag, the "10" score I referenced earlier is just a proprietary number the app itself attaches to a high score. It's just a glorified thumbs-up to go train.
The numbers that are interesting to track day to day are the HRV readings - those will give you a more precise idea of just how much things like sleep, food, exercise etc the day before have on your ability to train hard and handle stress.

[Tim K.]

This looks pretty cool. I ordered a chest strap last week to use with this: https://www.sleeprate.com/ I have a really hard time with sleep. The past 7 days I have had 2 hours of deep sleep according to the UP3 . Since the app is free and will already be wearing the chest strap in the morning adding this is a no brainer.

[thecrashton]

This looks pretty cool. I ordered a chest strap last week to use with this: https://www.sleeprate.com/ I have a really hard time with sleep. The past 7 days I have had 2 hours of deep sleep according to the UP3 . Since the app is free and will already be wearing the chest strap in the morning adding this is a no brainer.

That was my thought exactly! Just takes a few minutes of your time while still in bed. Maybe not a game changer or HUGELY beneficial tool, but certainly useful and the more I read about it the more it sounds like a good number of top athletes and coaches are using this type of thing to help focus training volume and intensities on a day by day basis.

[L5446]

Cheers, sounds cool am I right in thinking this is an app you link to a heart rate monitor? Is so what heart rate watch do you use? I'd find this really useful as I eat clean, don't drink but some days work can be stressful plus I'm on my feet all day operating machinery, I get about 7 hours sleep but I'm a light sleeper so wake up most nights.

[thecrashton]

Hey L5,

Yes, it is. I purchased a Wahoo TICKR heartrate chest strap, thing is awesome, pairs flawlessly with everything I've thrown at it, Android, iPhone, PM5, laptop, GPS watch, etc.

That said, I believe I've identified some real-world proof of this HRV stuff being a valuable tool.

Last night I got home after a long busy day at work and hit the erg. Goal was just to do a nice easy UT1 effort over 30 minutes. Finished that and felt I had some more gas in the tank so just did some hard, fast 250m sprints. All-out effort.
I ate BIG , did some stretching and mobility work and hit the sack early.

This morning, woke up and HRV was low, program told me DON'T WORK OUT - you're in either active recovery or your body is showing early signs of overtraining. Slow down.
I thought ok, cool, I'll go do some kettlebell presses and situps and then an easy 30' @ 2:05 pace. I felt so beat up during the row, I couldn't drive hard and felt extremely fatigued. This is the first time I've got an actual "low" score, and so attempting to train and observing the results showed me that indeed, this HRV thing might actual be legit.