You Asked, We Answered! Garmin® HRV

You had plenty of questions from our previous videos on HRV and HRV Status, so we answered them!
00:00 Garmin HRV
00:11 Can I compare HRV?
00:57 What does a balanced HRV mean?
01:40 How does HRV relate to exercise?
02:42 Does High HRV = Good and Low = Bad?
03:31 When is HRV measured?
04:15 How important is sleep to HRV?
04:57 What cause low or unbalanced HRV?
06:08 How to balance your HRV?
#HRV #HRVStatus #FAQ

[@clingenpeelc]

It’s been amazing to see the difference in HRV, resting HR, and sleep quality with alcohol consumption vs none. Even 1-2 glasses of wine at night have huge affects on all these three metrics. The difference is immediate (ie changes daily based on alcohol consumption). You can literally see in the HRV graph how the body appears to get rid of the alcohol. It’s always a slowly upward trend, vs stable when no alcohol. I’ve also been amazed at how accurate the sleep tracker is. It even picks up a 10 second nightly trip to the bathroom as “awake” and counts the steps. It does tend to miss mid day short naps and sometimes thinks still TV watching at night means asleep. But you can manually change the bedtime, which does affect the sleep score by that manual adjustment.

[@davidross7692]

I constantly had a low/ unbalanced HRV reading and so I tried doing the breath work on my watch before bed. In less than a week my overnight score went from 31 to 68.

[@NickOfman]

Awesome! Might try that aswell as mine is in the same range most of the time (30-40) at night.

[@vinylrebellion]

What type of breathwork? Thanks. I only use my garmin for health, not sport

[@mr.sonnyrocket]

Did you feel any better after the positive change?

[@Seahodg]

@@vinylrebellionI recommend the “tranquility” program. It’s about 11 minutes long.

[@saltwaterpurl]

If you can create a daily data point that is much higher or much lower you can, "game" your HRV stat pretty quickly, but that may not be representative of your ability to rebound from stress.

[@cheeheifoo9282]

Thank you so much for the 2 videos on HRV! Very informative

[@441milachik]

It would be good if such a detailed analysis of 2:04 would be in the Garmin conncet app, even after I do the heart rate variability test with the HRM Garmin pro chest strap.

[@Jim_Vass]

Great explanation of questions many had. My issue is that how accurate can HRV be when my Tactix 7 do not count my daily sleeps as i work many nights? This is dissapointing. Much cheaper watches do count the daily naps. Is there a possibility of an upgrade in the near future? Thanks in advance.

[@user-tq3ud9zi7w]

To measure all of the things you spoke about is the Garmin Epix Pro the best watch or would you suggest another watch in your line-up? Thanks.

[@marcelloleucci7847]

Hi team. Thanks for the video. A little puzzled by the gaps in presentation of HRV data. You note that HRV is used for stress / recovery metric calculation in the background. That implies that it's being gathered during the day, as well as at night. Why then is HRV measurement data for daytime not presented to users? I assume that night time is a better measure to present, but it would be useful to access HRV data (for HRV training purposes) during the day, without the "Health Snapshot" feature. These health snapshops are useful, but I don't need to see my SPO2 here for example, especially since this feature is a battery drain (I believe). Perhaps the HRV status could be updated to show both, separately, and also allow you to see your real-time HRV measurement? Thanks!

[@anna-tj3gu]

My baseline HRV is around 30ms. I'm 25, healthy weight, run easy 4 days per week, don't drink alcohol, sleep 8+ hours, rarely get sick, etc. I feel like I do ALL the things and I'm the fittest & healthiest I've ever been. It feels frustrating but I suppose it's just bad genetics

[@Lennybird91]

Try: - Using blue light filters on electronics devices in hour or so before bed. - Don't eat for at least 3 hours before bed - Increase Omega-3 DHA, B12, Vitamin D. - Lower room temperature, darken room for bed. - Take a warm shower within the hour before bed. - Stretch and practice Resonant Breathing.

[@hchm6937]

maybe the device 🤷🏾‍♂️?!

[@JJBpilot]

​@@Lennybird91vitamin d at night can effect sleep... Several sources say to not take at night.

[@NoNameArtist89]

I'm a bit like you. 34, healthy weight, tried to run 3x / week and don't drink alcohol either, sleep enough, rarely get sick (less than one severe cold per year). The one factor that recently crushed all my sleep data was too much exercise. I run "easy" too, by definition of the green aerobic zone on the watch, but it was too much nevertheless. Maybe you do too much as well? (I totally overdid it and ran 21 km every 2 days or so, and recently my data showed that my heart and stress spiralled out of control at night.)

[@joyridaz]

Covid really impacted my HRV, all that data really freaked me out during that week or two…

[@Kevgti5]

Ohhh soo it's not just me.. basically been 3 weeks now my HRV just won't go back to baseline..

[@joyridaz]

@@Kevgti5 eventually mine returned back down, so just keep sleeping.

[@Kevgti5]

@@joyridaz did you stay like relatively active during your recovery? Or like went full rest ?

[@juhtuhb1]

Covid as many viral infections lowers HRV. Covid is also known particularly as having a negative influence on the autonomic nervous system. In my personal experience after 2 relatively mild Covid infections is that there is a significant disturbance of my HRV for weeks after the infection.

[@rickgoh]

Overnight HRV doesn't adjust when you adjust sleep times when the watch picks up sleep times incorrectly - is this intentional? Seems to lead to incorrect values e.g. measuring when still awake sometimes hours

[@osteopata777]

Far one of the best contributions here on youtube among garmin videos. I'm glad that it is not all just about pushing ourselves all the time to exercise but also to recover and to learn how to take care of ourselves by resting; a not always easy task to manage while the rest of the world acclaims that constant progress means to never stop. Resting is actually fundamental because it gives us the chance to question our ways and to evaluate if we have to go back to our last intersection in order to walk on another path in life. Hoping that unproductive roads become productive in time is an illusion; wrong premises remain wrong. Period.

[@NoNameArtist89]

I feel a bit like that, too. I always remind myself of the line graphs that show when muscles grow (and probably heart and lungs, too) and recover. Muscles grow in the resting phases, not in the exercise phase. When exercising too early within these developments, we actually overload ourselves and hinder growth. So every time an inner voice pushes us to exercise again, we could respond with "not now, I need to recover and grow". My HRV today had a lew all time low, so I force myself to rest for several days now.

[@saltwaterpurl]

HRV is a calculation based on your fastest and slowest heart rate in a given time period. A larger difference means you are experiencing and recovering from stress. The way Garmin graphs HRV doesn't visualize this properly, and it may mislead you/prevent you from understanding this metric. People suffering from PTSD do not recover from stress and/or are chronically stressed (when there is no stress event), and therefore they have a low HRV (meaning the measurement between their slow and fast heart rate is less). Garmin's way of looking at HRV seems to be dated based on the content they are sharing. This metric is a game changer for interpreting total health (mental, emotional, physical), but the Garmin explainer mostly has to do with the gym and things that impact your gym performance. That may be appropriate for their audience, but it is appropriation of data. 😹💔The medically accepted best practice for a HRV baseline is a measurement first thing when you wake up in the morning, which is different from what Garmin says they are doing. It would be great to see health apps collab with doctors and medical review boards, so we know all this time and money we are spending with apps and devices is actually relevant to our heath!

[@AnthonyRicco]

How can we re-baseline or reset our HRV status? This question has been asked in the forums but it has not been answered. I can think of multiple legitimate reasons why this option should be available. One woman asked what if her HRV baseline was created when she was pregnant? Another is what if HRV baseline is created prior to taking a stressful job? If the job is long-term, then living with that stress should be part of the baseline. Thank you in advance.

[@GarminRetailTraining]

Thank you for your question. You can reset your watch to factory default settings, which will require you to re-establish a new HRV baseline. The caveat is that when you reconnect your watch to Garmin Connect, it may pull in a backup file with your old HRV status data. Since the HRV baseline is not a static number, the recommendation is to continue to wear the watch and let it continue to learn you and your body. Since it's not a static baseline, it will adjust over time as your average HRV values change. I hope this helps.

[@bobbysalinas2541]

​@@GarminRetailTraining I recently quit drinking and changed my diet. As a result, my hrv is increasing day to day. I'm still balanced, but if the trend continues, it will dip into unbalanced high. Is this normal, should I be concerned? How long does it take the baseline to adjust?

[@theronwolf3296]

I had a relatively mild case of covid about 6 months ago, but my HRV never really came consistently back to my normal range after that.

[@dliedke]

Maybe reset the watch to factory and rebase your HRV range during the 3 week period

[@allanwright2977]

@Garmin What effect do the options "Physio Metrics > Log HRV" on my Fenix 6 and "System > Data Recording > Log HRV" on my Edge 840 have? Should they be enabled?

[@GarminRetailTraining]

Thank you for your question. Enabling 'Log HRV' on either device allows HRV (Heart Rate Variability) data to be recorded to the FIT file a device creates when doing an activity. This data can then be viewed with the rest of your activity data on compatible platforms. It's important to note 'Log HRV' on your fenix 6 or Edge 840 would require the use of a compatible heart rate chest strap, and having this feature enabled could effect the overall battery life of that smartwatch or cycling computer. I hope this has helped. If you have additional questions please contact our Customer Care team. Details can be found at: support.garmin.com

[@jameschaves5723]

Here’s my problem. I work 7p-7a but only twice a week. I usually sleep from 9a-2 p after those shifts. On the other nights it’s normal 10p-6a. I do adjust the sleep times on my Garmin 965. It’s a horrible schedule!! Is my HRV score accurate?

[@NeoVdV]

Why do I need a chest hart sensor to take the HRV when it can do it just on the watch during the night ?

[@GreenishSloth]

@Garmin: Add HRV status to the Venu 2+ please!

[@felipejotz7054]

I have a question. I own a Phoenix 5 Garmin watch and started tracking my HRV however it is only required to stand up for 3 minutes while at rest. My score is 55 ( moderate stress ) , is this number the same score scale as most of people mention here? I’m 12 months long hauler after covid infection and I’m trying to get back to exercising. Any inputs will be appreciated. Thank you

[@GarminRetailTraining]

Thank you for your question. The number you are referring to on the fenix 5 is HRV Stress, which provides insights for stress management. That uses a 0 to 100 scale and it is measured under very different circumstances. In order to get the HRV Status feature, you would need to upgrade to a fenix 7, Epix Gen 2, or Forerunner 255/265/955/965. I hope this helps.

[@Nova-zn8sc]

Thanks a lot for sharing these interesting information. I was wondering why we can only see the last 4 weeks of our HRV data. Is there any possibility to see the whole HRV history and not only the last 4 weeks in the Garmin app? Thanks for your answer in adance!

[@greg.ocallaghan]

you can go back within the app too, just tap the back button upper left corner of the graph

[@chriswoods1120]

Why is my baseline so narrow? But I am balanced

[@izmahoby]

"move to unbalanced" has two ends, high and low. In two videos in a row you have skipped this explanation. If it's low does this mean I should train harder?

[@exFatigue]

Sorry for re-asking this question, "Can I compare my HRV to someone else?", but here goes anyway. I am 55 years old and was diagnosed with ME/CFS over 10 years ago. My HRV fluctuates wildly between 16 and 51 mostly inline with my energy/fatigue levels but often for no apparent reason. So my baseline is 25 but with a wide variance and I believe lower than it would be if I didn't have ME/CFS. If I calculate an average HRV from only the days that I'm in remission it's nearer 40. My brother, who is 54, was extremely fit and healthy, but contracted COVID in December 2022 and is struggling to bounce back. He only started wearing his Garmin to measure his HRV earlier this year and his baseline is also 25, but with virtually no fluctuation between days. So my question is, as we are brothers and very similar physically, should we expect to have similar HRVs if we were both back to our pre-illness condition? And is my assumption that it would be closer to 40 a reasonable one? Thanks 🙂

[@GarminRetailTraining]

Thank you for your question. By all means, if you feel like something if off or you have health concerns, please contact your physician for medical advice. I totally understand that HRV can be somewhat confusing and it's natural to want to put a "healthy" number on it. Take blood pressure for instance - most everyone knows that 120/80 is the "normal" number. Even though each person's number can be slightly different, 120/80 is the baseline. When it comes to HRV, everyones number is different and unique to them. Even relatives have different HRV numbers. I am almost 50, exercise frequently, and have a naturally high heart rate. My HRV baseline is 29-37. Most days it's around 33. What I pay attention to is when it gets to the lower end of my baseline. When I look at my HRV Status in the Garmin Connect mobile app, it reminds me that I may be training too hard and not giving myself enough time to recover. And it's right. I will sometimes work out twice in a day and then work in the busyness of life, forgetting to give my body rest. Best advice I can give is don't worry so much about how your HRV compares to others or what you think it should be. Compare it to yourself, but remember - if you feel like something is off, consult your physician. I hope this helps...........Kevin.

[@leeyost9917]

What is model of HRV watch. That’s all I’m really interested in measuring anything else is added plus

[@GarminRetailTraining]

Thank you for your question. We offer many watches that are compatible with this feature. Below is a link to our support page where you can see all of our HRV Status compatible watches. I hope this helps. support.garmin.com/?faq=HnFAR4oFRF4kHeqYme3bU6

[@diegoeleazar9154]

What is the cheapest garmin watch that comes with this feature? Im a cyclist racer also a working father. I just want something to track my physical condition if Im ready for a V02 session.

[@redcoatphilip]

Take a look at the new Forerunner 165, or better the Forerunner 255. I have the Forerunner 955 and i love it.

[@jeremygilbert3099]

WHICH CURRENT WATCHES HAVE HRV I CAN CHECK ON MY WATCH

[@GarminRetailTraining]

Thank you for your question. Below are 2 links. The first one is for the compatible watches that you can view HRV through the Health Snapshot feature. The second is for HRV Status compatibility. I hope this helps. Health Snapshot link - support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=PB1duL5p6V64IQwhNvcRK9 HRV Status link - support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=HnFAR4oFRF4kHeqYme3bU6

[@kumartamil6]

How to enable this?

[@GarminRetailTraining]

Hi! Thanks for watching and for your interest in HRV and HRV Status. As long as you haven't disabled the wrist-based heart rate sensor on your Garmin smartwatch there isn't anything you need to enable. To confirm the Garmin smartwatch you have is compatible please refer to the following article: support.garmin.com/en-US/?faq=HnFAR4oFRF4kHeqYme3bU6&searchQuery=hrv%20status -Matt

[@theburrow1thomas]

The only time my HRV isn't flaming garbage is when I fast for 24 hours or more. Body Battery sits at 5 almost constantly. I still exercise &eat right and feel fine despite what it says. Could my hiatal hernia be jacking up my numbers?

[@vinylrebellion]

It would be good if garmin did HRV on demand. My HRV is always bad. Sorry to hear your drama also.

[@pentachronic]

Agree. HRV seems like a garbage number to me and they have based a whole suite of stats based on it. Garbage in, garbage out. I ignore it now. Software looking for purpose without proper scientific analysis/testing.

[@Gengh13]

I would recommend an elimination diet like carnivore and then slowly re-introduce your normal foods so you can see if you react to some of them.

[@theburrow1thomas]

@Gengh13 actually finally hacked it! It still requires a lot of fasting, but also a toxin clearance problem that I've got a fix for! Not sure I'm ready to announce it yet, though. I'm thinking of finding a researcher because the difference is profound!

[@gerardodeeguiluzs7543]

Don’t understand the below metric. I have excellent score in VO2 max, i run 99% above my gender and age metric weekly. Stress levels of around 28. And my HRV is always below….. I can’t find the value of this metric

[@NoNameArtist89]

The data you mentioned are all about the day, I guess? HRV seems to be the "depth of resting" at night (the deeper = higher the number, the better, roughly speaking), and for me, it shows me directly how well, deep, efficient I rested at night. Do you have orange stress levels during the night? Restless, high resting rates at night? Because both correlate with my HRV heavily, as if the HRV also shows stress levels at night. I'm monitoring number of orange stress episodes at night, HRV, Bodybattery recharge %, Sleepscores and resting rate at night. They seem to all correlate with each other! I find that fascinating.

[@gm3353]

what if your baseline sucks in the 20s and 30s

[@charleshilger5600]

Does Garmin ever reevaluate your HRV baseline due to an increase in fitness and a higher normal HRV?

[@GarminRetailTraining]

Thank you for your question. Your HRV range is not static and will shift over time as you continue to wear your watch to bed and it continues to collect data.

[@charleshilger5600]

@@GarminRetailTraining thank you for the quick response. I also am happy that you addressed the question of HRV being too high out of your range. I was always curious about that.

[@pentachronic]

I believe your HRV measurement is not consistent enough to use as a health metric. @GARMIN You need to find a better algorithm.

[@vinylrebellion]

Garmin needs HRV on demand, even if we need to lie still for 5 min. Nighttime only is half assed

[@goulart1968]

In most watches, you can get a 2’ snapshot, which includes HRV.

[@anthonykosters7874]

Junk feature that is deceptive to the consumer.

[@hamadalkhalifa2323]

Not deceptive.

[@pentachronic]

@@hamadalkhalifa2323 Not useful which is akin to deceptive. It’s like telling you your cognition score is 73. A made up number!!

[@outdoorflowsports]

@@pentachroniceven if, isn’t the trend that matters?

[@pentachronic]

@@outdoorflowsports Not if the numbers are completely bogus to start out with. Using random noise for a trend is not useful!!

[@gnatman1102]

​​@@pentachronicMy HRV numbers seem to be consistent to how I feel. When I'm fatigued, my HRV is always unbalanced to the low side. Mine is mostly affected by poor sleep as I rarely have refreshing sleep. I've done many things to improve sleep but nothing works.

[@pentachronic]

Garmin needs to adjust their HRV algorithm since it takes too long (3+ weeks) to find a baseline. There are better techniques than a simple moving average to get trend-lines. For example a PID loop or a Kalman filter to get a predictive baseline and then do averaging from there. @Garmin, get your Engineers to explore proper math instead of lazy averaging.