Heart Rate Variability, or "HRV" as it's often referred to, is a simple yet powerful biological metric that we can use to determine our ability to perform, physically and psychologically, on a given day. Increasingly becoming a more popular data point in fitness trackers, this biomarker can provide real-time insight into how well we have recovered from previous stressors (whether physical or mental).

Although HRV is heavily impacted by our daily activity, it's also dependent on many other factors like: diet, sleep, age, gender, genetics, etc. This is why your HRV is specific to YOU and should be viewed relative to your historic HRV. When you understand your personal HRV, it serves as a very useful indicator of your overall health, fitness, and recovery ability.

This week, Andy and Aaron walk through the concept of Heart Rate Variability ("HRV"), why it's important, how we can use it, and what we can do to improve it. 

Some fitness trackers that measure HRV (along with many others):

• Oura Ring
• Whoop
• Garmin Vivosmart 4
• Polar H10 Heart Rate Sensor

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 Resources:

• Study: Heart rate variability and occupational stress—systematic review
• Study: Affect of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback on Sport Performance, a Systematic Review
• Study: Stress and Heart Rate Variability: A Meta-Analysis and Review of the Literature
• Study: Heart Rate Variability and Lifetime Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study
• Article: Ways to Trigger the Parasympathetic Nervous System
• Article: Everything You Need to Know About Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
• Article: How I Track My Heart Rate Variability, Recovery Status, And Training Readiness (And Why These Metrics Are So Important).
• Article: Sympathetic vs. Parasympathetic State: How Stress Affects Your Health

Disclaimer: This podcast is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. The products, information, services and other content provided on and through this podcast, including information that may be provided in the show notes (directly or via linking to third-party sites), are provided for informational purposes only. Please consult with your physician or other healthcare professional regarding any medical or health-related diagnosis or treatment options.