Why Is My HRV So Low? | Everything You Need To Know About Heart Rate Variability

What if one metric could tell you all you need to know about how well your body is recovering and how ready it is for the day ahead? Let us introduce Heart Rate Variability, HRV for short. But how does it work, why is it important and what does it mean when it's low? Heather is here to explain with the help of our friends at @WHOOP!
In association with @WHOOP 👉 gtn.io/Whoop
Welcome 0:00
What is HRV 0:30
How does HRV differ to Heart Rate 0:59
How does HRV work? 1:28
How to record HRV 2:42
What do my Heart Rate numbers mean? 4:21
Is there a goal HRV? 6:03
Why is HRV different to heart rate? 6:30
Why is everyone's HRV so different? 7:14
How do I improve my HRV? 9:45
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[@gtn]

Is HRV an important data metric to you? Share your experiences with us 👇

[@user-tq3ud9zi7w]

According to Elite HRV the most reliable and accurate method is using a chest strap like the Polar H10 (most chest straps are not recommended) is the only accurate way to measure HRV. Also when it comes to HRV it’s not the same as measuring speed or watts so there is no such thing as mostly accurate HRV reading. If it’s not completely accurate then the reading is useless. Whoop is specifically one of the devices that Elite recommends NOT using. I have been using this metric for over a year training for Ironman and can attest that when used correctly it provides valuable data.

[@ryanwilliams2518]

My HRV seems high (90-100) and resting heart rate low (42). My Garmin says my training load is optimal and balanced, and my sleep score is generally good (86). I keep hydrated, don’t drink alcohol and have a reasonably good diet. And yet my Garmin says my V02 Max is declining and I need to focus on better sleep, reducing stress and focus on nutrition. I’m stumped!

[@lazzaboyman8003]

My HRV today is 72 after having a bad cold. It’s been around 42 since last Monday which told me I was either over training or getting ill!

[@maryskelcher8979]

Not at all. I don't have a whoop and I'm not buying one. I'm disappointed in this vid. It's just an ad for whoop

[@douglasbooth6836]

I will keep monitoring my hr. No to HRV and no to power training too.

[@norbert4571]

*RHR* - _tells you how your week should be_ *HRV* - _tells you how your day should be_ *RHR* If lower than baseline, then it means you are fresh and ready to take on more training load. If higher than baseline, it means you overreached and should consider having a rest day. *HRV* If lower than baseline, it means your body is under stress and you'll get poor return on your training investment. So you should take it easier (e.g. low intensity exercise, walking, yoga). If higher than baseline, it means you are primed to take on a physical challenge (e.g. high intensity intervals).

[@neoneherefrom5836]

Oversimplification but not a bad take of painting with broad strokes

[@SpeedBoosted136]

Very nice said, especially "poor return on your training investment" - i see it often, when adding load and expecting it to be absorbed but actually I get mid-term performance decrease, not even maintenance but a decrease, because health is impacted.

[@neoneherefrom5836]

RHR and HRV usually track though to be honest

[@zavman109]

This is the best explanation of HRV I have heard. Thanks!

[@gtn]

Thanks very much!

[@andreobradovic4822]

❤...if you have a very low RHR if under 45 you're HRV will be low it's a term called parasympathetic saturation Surprised the whoop expert didn't discuss this. You're body things your stressed because of the very low HR. Do this is why it's athletes often have very low HRV.. I have written an article on this of anyone wants it.. my RHR is 40 so low HRV but Vo2max 60.

[@SpeedBoosted136]

Athletes have low HRV? Why? I know that as VO2MAX raises the RHR goes down, alright, but from what i've seen - the HRV rises with increased fitness (I assume because at rest the body needs a lower % of VO2MAX capacity, so the PNS is at it's best).

[@NB5468464]

Finally!! This is the clearest explanation on HRV. Garmin needs to take note! Thank you

[@ahefner33]

I went to the Mayo Clinic one time for a physical routine and told them I was having issues with what felt like blood pressure was dropping while standing for long periods. They actually do a test called autonomic testing where they do all sorts of things but one of them is actually they lay you on your back and make you breathe into this tube three times with like 3 minute breaks, hard as you can. They state it Breathing HRV. They say they use this for a way to judge how well your autonomic nervous system is performing and you do this fasted and early in the morning with no caffeine or exercise the day prior. They also do the tilt table test, and measure sweat on your ankles which they stimulate the area and measure it. Some other wild stuff.

[@Bb5y]

Heather was awesome. As always.. Massive congratulations 🎉 Heather.

[@martingrey5655]

Great description. I now know a lot more about HRV and how I can use it.

[@GuillaumeSeguin15]

Wow thanks a lot! Never seens a so clear explanation 😊

[@jrcollings]

Firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy Heather, I wish the very best for you. Moving on to HRV - I've been using a Whoop band over a year now, since I saw Ollie wearing one a while ago. My HRV is also "low" on average compared to a lot of people, but then I'm old.. I HAVE noticed an improvement as my fitness improves (thank you again, you are one of the people that inspires me).. and I've seen a clear correlation between when I'm sick, got poor sleep, went hard the day before, etc. so I find it a useful tool to help me optimize my training and understand my condition, know when I really need to ease up.

[@daaknait]

Nice timing. I was wondering about this just last night. Thanks!

[@gtn]

Glad to help!

[@MichaelS-pr9qn]

Thank You for such a concise explanation!

[@kawdenco]

Wow. This is great. Very well done. I finally understand HRV much better. Way to keep it simple and straightforward even while exploring the topic thoroughly.

[@gtn]

Glad you enjoyed it! 🫶

[@DonDiPriel]

I started at the values as heather 10months ago.. roughly 35ms...good days above 40, bad below 20ms. I tried to follow the recommendations(less eating before bed, dark room, blue light filters on screen) and it was slightly improving to the 50ms range. When I cut alcohol completely 8months ago it took roughly a month and since that my average is in the 75-85ms(its more than half a year now). Yesterday I had an overnight average of exactly 100. I am of similar age as Heather and the guys. Its socially very difficult, but I feel amazing. Also havent been sick even once since that. Had a cold regularly when combining training, family and work+party

[@stelladavis7443]

Thank you for explaining this ❤

[@gtn]

You're welcome!

[@jayjaylh]

Stress (physical or mental), alcohol, and sickness are what move my HRV up and down. But one advice, don't stress about HRV too much, literally. The more you worry about your HRV, the more stress you experience, and the more likely your HRV will go down. I use the weekly average as the overall indicator on my watch rather than daily measurements which have volatility and cannot always being explained as they depend on many factors in your life.

[@gtn]

Right, great comment!

[@user-gl7eq5fx5q]

Definitely I see illness and stress makes my HRV drop 10%; and when I feel good, exercise, and eat healthy; it goes up & up & up. I’m trying to gradually get it higher. 😊

[@albertdee1139]

My HRV baseline is from 23-30. At 70nyrs of age I'm not sure how age plays into this. I don't drink, don't smoke and do not ea as healthy as I should, but I do try to be cognizant of hat I put into my body. I take no prescription meds either. I do know not taking enough recovery time lowers my HRV, however, taking too much recovery time also lowers my HRV. Finding that balance of recovery and exercise seems to be key for me.

[@mitkodimitrov5427]

As far as I know, the older the lover hrv is, by nature

[@SpeedBoosted136]

The most important is: 1)How you feel 2) You can track only the differences versus your own baseline.

[@evolvc]

Best Hrv info ever. Thx

[@jenslundberg410]

One big take away for me was the ”eating late” parameter. I also feel that I have a rather low HRV compared to others (and yes, everything is a competation 😂). I will play around with that a bit to see what’s happening. I have taken away alcohol since start of this year. I see a much more stable HRV. Alcohol really has an very big impact on the HRV, even just two beer will mess it up. One thing that I see is never spoken about when it comes to HRV is what’s happening with the HRV value when you taper. Me and my locals have during the last year seen that for every taper that we do the HRV values weirdly is lowered significantly , often it gets out of the ”green” baseline span. We have searched the internet and there is some papers around stating that this is actually the case, that the HRV is lowered even though you rest and potentially sleep more during tapering. This is a topic that you can dive into at some point on the GCN Show.

[@lifephorce]

I've noted the same impacts from meal times, alcohol and tapering. During the taper I typically become more anxious ( stressed ) this is my autonomic nervous system ( ANS ) becoming more sympathetic.. exercise typically reduces my stress - as long as I don't overdo it 😊 That's why I've been measuring my HRV for the last 20 years.. it's a window into your ANS and like Vo2max a measure of all cause mortality

[@devidia]

From the first second i knew this would be a commercial for Whoop

[@chrisjcmp69]

Love my whoop!

[@neilashton9459]

Strange how they almost deliberately don’t mention Apple watch which so many people already own. Not sure how accurate it is but with a sleep app you can track HRV.

[@ArabRebel666]

The description literal says "in association with WHOOP" lol

[@devidia]

@@ArabRebel666 It should say ' Whoop payed us to lick their ass'

[@cd66061]

If the content has a sponsor, to allow you to watch it for free, then perhaps don’t complain! It clearly states for you to take this info and then go on and read more elsewhere. I have Hrv on my new Garmin, and this video was very helpful, I didn’t feel the need to be triggered by the sponsor 🤔😎

[@nocturnus009]

[Monday 40, Tu 30, W 32, Th 24, F 30, Today 24] Looking forward to the Nadi Shodhana & Ujjayi Pranayama follow along workout videos. Hopefully we can see a normalization of Recovery Hygiene & Training Stimulus Assimilation coverage going forward. As Emily Fletcher shared in Stress Less Accomplish More (chapter 13): the Saffron in the Tibetan Monk’s Robes is achieved with a equal amount of time in die solution (time in tension) with time in the sun (time in recovery).

[@seascape]

My HRV was 287ms last week, but that’s because I have atrial fibrillation (afib), so my times / pace / speed / power are the only meaningful metrics for me.

[@ironmantooltime]

Omg😮

[@PixelVibe42]

I've used Whoop for 4 years, currently on a streak of over 1,300 days continuous use. HRV is incredibly personal, and even in this 'advert' Whoop say don't worry about it "but higher is better" which fuels the belief. But Whoop is not perfect. It's ability to read HRV is distorted by which arm you wear it on (Whoop say that doesn't matter, but HR and BP is clinically measured on your left arm), how snug the strap is, and the position on your wrist. It measures HRV at night, so how you sleep and the position of your arm also affects it. There are too many variables due to the type of device to have diagnostic accuracy. After 1,300 data points I've come to the conclusion that HRV is so highly variable that for most people it's not worth monitoring it.

[@mikewood9284]

I did 6 months of whoop years ago and found it largely aligns with how you feel, if whoop is red you're tired and if it's green you're ready for hard workouts, it took about 2 weeks of wearing it to figure this out. So basically it's pointless wearing it, if it could predict how you're going to feel the next day then you could plan sessions around it but it doesn't and it just becomes another number that you either ignore or if you're that way inclined get too hooked up on and worry about for no reason and you pay £30 a month for the privilege.

[@floz9718]

True, I recently took advantage of their 30 day free test period. I quite liked it especially at first when you see the asbolute measurements for the first time like your heart rate, resting heart rate and especially sleep quality. However, after 2-3 weeks it's already getting redundant since you know your body way better than the whoop. I also felt like the sleep tracking (the main reason I wanted to try it) wasn't all that accurate; the general trend was usually right (meaning if I felt good or bad) but some nights I didn't sleep that well and woke up a few times and the whoop didn't pick up on that and still said I slept great. I still think it's an interesting product and it might be useful to very ambitioned people to track their training. The main reason I sent it back is the addictive nature of such a device, you become dependent on it very fast and I can see people develop a tendency to structure their day around what the whoop says - and that's certainly not what I want, especially not when there are quite a few question marks about the accuracy of these devices... It's also pretty expensive if you take into account that it's probably not be able to tell you anything new after you wore it for a few months...

[@Coobyliscous]

Thanks so much! I went through exactly the same thing, thinking I'm relatively fit and healthy and yet having an HRV around 30. Not sure exactly what changes to make - maybe sleep and coffee but we shall see

[@ironmantooltime]

Low HRV for me is a really strong indicator I won't be able to hit a training session. Even if I feel ok I won't have it. Recently it's been trending up on some consistent interval run training which is something to look forward to 😎

[@viadyne]

congratulations on your pregnancy Heather,

[@notmyrealname6272]

Mine is always between 10 and 18. Yup. I don’t drink and am very healthy. I exercise a lot / average 2/day, being a triathlete and have a lovely stress-relieving dog and have no underlying health conditions that I know of. Even with all these explanations I can’t lie-it does worry me especially when I hear it mentioned as a predictor of an early death. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@rachiecandice4506]

Mine is too and I suffer chronic illness after surviving septic shock and multiple organ failure. You might want to get a blood test and talk to a doctor for reassurance. Maybe your device is just off.

[@Misrabelle]

Yeah, mine is usually 11-13. No underlying conditions to explain it.

[@notmyrealname6272]

@@rachiecandice4506 gosh that’s a lot. I hope you are ok now. I fear Dr wouldn’t be very interested. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[@Agustin_R]

I’m 20 years old and I’m not that physically active. My HRV average lies around 85

[@cihankaplan2736]

Same here, between 12-20, very active and healthy, doing regularly health checks

[@jgduke63]

I am already monitoring my HRV since several years now and I noticed that it is most pof the time lower on the next morning if I did not train on that day. So training does in fact have a huge influence on my HRV, in a positive way.

[@alexno007]

same experience, i am also measuring since several years using Vitalmonitor.

[@jeroenvanbergen4330]

I seems logical to correct HRV for HR (or in fact, the average interval between beats) in some way. If your resting HR is 40 bpm, the average interval between beats will be 1500 ms, and if your resting HR is 60 bpm, the average interval will be 1000 ms. I would argue that realistically a HRV of 50 ms is greater in the latter case, as it translates to 5% (50/1000), than in the former (50/1500 = 3,3 %). In the same vein, when one's heart rate increases to say 150 bpm (average interval 400 ms) during exercise, a HRV of 5% would translate to 20 ms. Seems small, but realistically identical to a HRV of 50 ms at 60 bpm. In other words, when measured in ms, HRV indeed decreases as HR increases, but realistically (after correction for average heart rate interval) it might not.

[@user-tq3ud9zi7w]

According to Elite HRV the most reliable and accurate method is using a chest strap like the Polar H10 (most chest straps are not recommended) is the only accurate way to measure HRV. Also when it comes to HRV it’s not the same as measuring speed or watts so there is no such thing as mostly accurate HRV reading. If it’s not completely accurate then the reading is useless. Whoop is specifically one of the devices that Elite recommends NOT using. I have been using this metric for over a year training for Ironman and can attest that when used correctly it provides valuable data.

[@floz9718]

Even the whoop- emplOyee in this video basically said that the reading isn't accurate and that you shouldn't use the absolute number and compare it against others. You should only focus on the variance from your own baseline metric. Well how the hell can the variance be accurate if they can't measure the absolute number correctly?

[@Magnulus76]

I use an off brand ECG chest strap, it works fine. You don't necessarily need a Polar ECG. Even a Scosche Rythm 2.0 will work if you set it to HRV mode.

[@johnbond7044]

Great! I use a garmin watch. Ive bounced between 40 and 60 hrv depending on travel and diet. Great video, very informative, thank you.

[@Agustin_R]

How old are you?

[@johnbond7044]

@@Agustin_R 55

[@eleanorharle]

Really interesting topic and video. I monitored my HRV via smart watch for the past few years. Mine was on average around 20 ms lower (in the mid 30 ms) from 4 weeks pregnant till I gave birth. Returned to not far off pre pregnancy baseline the month after I gave birth. Would consider myself pretty fit and active, train 4-5 x pw mix of run, cycle and S&C.

[@toobsguy]

Whoop was nothing but garbage in/garbage out. When directly compared during a run while wearing a whoop and my Garmin HRM Pro, the whoop would be wildly inaccurate. Tried all different fitments, changed wrists, etc. If it couldn’t accurately capture HR during activity I’m guessing the data it’s collecting is giving useful information regarding HRV. Also, HRV through my Fenix gave me ranges from 40-80s while the Whoop was 60-120. Not sure how there could be such huge differences

[@Kimberlietriracer25]

Super interesting and great information here. .I'd like to delve more into how to raise this number. This morning my HRV was at 49, which according to my Garmin 965 is balanced.

[@gtn]

Is this a topic you'd like to see us follow up?

[@Kimberlietriracer25]

@@gtn yes, please. Thank you

[@gtn]

@@Kimberlietriracer25 We'll see what we can do 👌

[@PrincessBambi501]

Thanks for this video! I slightly panicked when I first saw how low my hrv was, but won't worry about comparing to rhe average 🤓

[@gtn]

Glad you found it helpful - it's important to remember every single one of us is different 👌

[@stephengallagher37]

Threw him under the bus there with the clips 😂😂 pizza eating, beer swilling athlete 😅

[@grahambowes756]

Great I’ve seen mine increase with a better training/diet/sleep regime. And it’s a good indicator of a minor health blip it falls. So I lay off the exercise on those days. Overall, a great metric to understand and very well explained in the video.

[@fergusdenoon1255]

I find it doesn't work that way for me, if it's low I go out and blast some speed intervals and it pops up again. I find, for me anyway, it's more relatable to heart rate "volume". If I do nothing but zone1/2 it'll drop due to low heart rate, if I do all zone 4/5 it'll go too high due to too much higher heart rate, balancing those keeps me in the sweet spot.

[@richking250]

I’m definitely in the low hrv group at least as measured by my Apple watch over the last few years. But I cut out alcohol Feb ‘23 with hrv in the mid-to-high teens (yikes!) and it doubled within a month of no alcohol plus daily exercise. I seem to have plateaued now though as it’s usually between 40-50. So an improvement for sure.

[@fastfirsty]

My average HRV is also in the 30s, so this is very comforting 😃

[@innesdunbar]

I find a good sleep helps a lot with HRV, consistent bedtimes and decent length of sleep time help keep the reading steady. I have used HRV as a good indicator of general health such as getting over a cold or a few years ago it told me I had Covid.

[@joeyengelhart7898]

After a heavy drinking weekend I dipped to 20 lol

[@es7818]

Important to note some confounders for HRV include being in a hot climate (summer vs winter), noise exposure, higher body weight/body fat, and from what I could find there's basically no published research validating the use of fitness trackers (wrist monitors) to measure HRV. So to answer - why is Heather's HRV so low? Probably because the resting heart rate and body temperature increases during preganancy and fluid retention especially at the wrist and hands during pregnancy can impact the measurement.

[@_J.F_]

I have been monitoring my data from my Garmin watch, chest strap HRM, and power pedals, quite closely for the past year. Initially I was focussing a lot on measurements like "training readiness" and "recovery time" to see how much, and how far, I could push my training without going too far. It has sort of worked for me but not perfectly and the last roughly 3-4 months I have been looking mostly at my HRV from day to day, which seems to be the data that is best in tune with how my body actually feels, and is not just a number. If my HRV drops over a day or two I know that I am either overdoing my training, or not recovering as well as I should, which is very often directly related to poor sleep. In the twelve months I have improved my HRV though with my average HRV going up by about 5 in the same period.

[@FernandoDu]

When I over trained myself few weeks ago, my HRV dropped to about 48. I got really tired and maybe got an cold as well at that time. Now I am back with HRV around 80, which is above my normal range. Maybe it is because weather is getting warmer and training is back on track.

[@swansong04]

54 year old male here was overweight now within my bmi. Over the last 6 months mine has lowered dramatically. 60 down to 30 . what has changed is I have lost 45 pounds and started running at least 5km a day from not running at all.

[@emmag00]

My HRV range according to Garmin is 90-100. I notice it's below 90 on days when I've done a really intense workout (or race) or a lot of stress at work. I also notice that it generally stays steady or slightly lowers during the race season and then increases once I start my base phase after my off season.

[@ridemorelivemore]

My heart beat has never been measured below 55

[@mikebonsall2449]

I track my HRV using my Garmin watch. I find the results consistent and they definitely correlate with my fatigue levels, quality of sleep, illness etc. When I'm well rested and healthy HRV is usually in the 60s. If i do a hard run season (particularly if it's an evening session) HRV will drop to mid 40s. Was ill recently and it went down to c.30. Interestingly I've not drunk alcohol for 3 months and my HRV is way more consistent. Looking back at the historical data and my diary, big nights out would see HRV dip into the 20s!

[@MrJhockley]

I find my HRV a very poor indicator of my potential performance. I use the morning HRV on my garmin. It basically tells me if i've had a good or bad night sleep but won't be a useful predictor of my performance that day. I find mood a slightly better indicator. Generally i have to take into account, hrv, mood, sleep, soreness and a few other things to gauge my fatigue and performance.

[@jonboy2950]

It gets lower as you get older, it is a general measure of the state of your health, having a consistent rate is a much better measure of your health rather than what the actual rate is.

[@SehnsuchtYT]

My HRV is never above 30 and usually about 10-20. I exercise and eat a healthy diet and am young.

[@k.scottphillips8933]

I have resting heart rate 49, no illness except long COVID, and mine is 14-19 on Fitbit. Age 48 male.

[@samiv-fin]

With Whoop monthly fee you’ll cover pretty soon Garmin sport clock which shows more info anytime without a phone. Whoop is way too expensive, that’s reason why I didn’t keep my “free” Whoop.

[@baumbolt505]

Thank you for the great video, I have an HRV of around 90ms to 100ms over a 7d average when healthy and not too stressed, and after using the metric for some time I learned that when my HRV drops I am about to get sick or am very stressed, this way I am sort of able to predict sickness or stress and counteract it. Do you guys do that too?

[@idilgumruk2579]

I do! I'm also in the same range of hrv

[@westcountry_sailing]

Booze and poor sleep have a really obvious negative effect on my HRV.

[@lunathea7711]

My base is 48-66, BUT in the last 11 days, I was down to 42-46 as I was having my asthma attack RHR was 80(highest I ever had). today, finally back to 56 HRV and RHR 52. Also, my training readiness was STRAINED. based on my experience and people I know who uses Garmin watches, also runners when our HRV drops significantly, then most certainly we get sick or already sick. Tomorrow after such a long break 12days total I'll be able to run again...I waited for my HRV to go back to normal so I don’t trigger my asthma again, Hopefully 😅

[@pecnikc]

I was pregnant last year and my HRV was very low. I guess your body takes over the control for the baby. As soon as the birth was over it increased immediately. Strangely, my resting heart rate came down from 70 to almost 40, and normally I was around 50 before pregnancy.

[@matthewcreelman1347]

My HRV and my resting BPM are notably affected by my calorie surplus/deficit. For example, in December, I was at a calorie surplus for most of the month. Per my Apple Watch, my HRV averaged 61, my RHR averaged 47. In January, I was at a calorie deficit for the full month. My HRV averaged 70, my RHR averaged 42. I’ve been maintaining in March, averaging 66 for my HRV and 44 for my RHR.

[@gtn]

Interesting!

[@jonaturopath]

Triathletes/athletes… have a much higher push on their sympathetic nervous system … I think this is why many of us have lower HRV’s… we train hard and it not always is great for our bodies… us training more will I do not reckon improve our scores… it only adds more stress… of course this is for those of us that train like 10+ plus weeks. We need to really find that time to recover and breathe and stop… 😅 Hormonal changes also have a massive impact. For many m of my female clients their HRV reduces considerably in their luteal phase.

[@bikeanddogtrips]

Those orange fingernails - I couldn't help but wonder whether you'd watched Si's recent video about hi-vis wear . hehe

[@vmhongkong]

not eating and drinking(alcohol tea coffee) close to bedtime (about 3 hours)❤ My hrv from 6x up to 8x

[@brun4775]

Why would GTN or GCN presenters bother with Whoop when they all have Garmin watches that can do all this?

[@cd66061]

Possibly due to sponsorship of the channel. But two devices recording allow a comparison too perhaps

[@ndennan67]

💷💷💷💷 it’s clearly a paid advertisement. But I agree with you on that why get something that you have to pay a monthly subscription for when the chances are if you’re a triathlete the watch on your wrist already does this

[@paulgibson3248]

Ok mines 70ish always training 50yrold 205lbs 602.. I use resting to evaluate if I’m over training…40-45 norm 50 take a day off.. Could I use HRV the same?

[@rebeccasawyer9010]

Thank you for this... A question...if you have a low RHR (say46) so, therefore the space between each beat would belonger...would that mean a lower HRV ? Sorry if it seems a daft question.

[@philstone2610]

On a 3 day fast my HRV jumps up from a 51ms 7 day average to 70 plus and even into the 80s on occasion. Seen this repeated over several cycles. Why would that be happening?

[@noahread_tri]

If my hrv is under 80 im sick or really stressed

[@olishobbyscene1643]

I am using Whoop as well as my Garmin Forerunner 965. Interestingly the HRV measured on the Whoop is always lower compared to what Garmin mearues. So, wonder, how both do the calculation.

[@jadesveganlife]

I have a typically higher HRV, in the 80’s usually. But interestingly, when I checked just now it was showing as unbalanced on the too high for me side of 94. I often see a too low score which for me signals I may be about to come down with something. But I don’t usually see too high. I did eat my meal 3 hours later than normal yesterday and right before I went to bed so I was interested to hear that could impact the overnight score

[@miguelalonsoperez5609]

People are becoming more and more stressed by measuring biological metrics that cannot be accurately interpreted and were used for some clinical conditions. Especially with wrist instruments like smartwatches that use old methods like oxygen saturation by reflectivity (was abandoned in the 80s because insufficient accuracy) or HR by same method (also abandoned and replaced by electric skin potentials). Measuring your emotional states can be some beneficial for psychological self-training but on the other side is extremely inaccurate and maybe stressful as your worry to low heart rate variability. I have patients that are so worried because their smartwatches tell them that they don’t sleep enough REM time although they are fine, that they really “try” to increase the measurements and they sleep worse. Also when running self perception is extremely useful although it may take years to develop, so today new type of exercises are created in order to not depend on GPS nor HT monitoring (that not represented accurately the impact of your exercise in your body because this varies depending on many parameters). For example, easy running for an hour and verifying only at the end you was on your targeted pace, or even play fartleks with 3 different paces without taking measurements at real time and again verify after training. It will be very beneficial to feel how the body reacts on different moments of the effort, or how a “tempo” run feels subjectively. My Apple watch is telling me things that are not true (and also think the same about other brands). For example after a working day (I’m physiotherapist) it tells me I walked 10.000 steps because I moved a lot from side to side, or changing weight load from one foot from the other, small steps at the clinic… not equivalent to a take a walk at cruise speed

[@skat9000]

HRV: between 45 and 57 average during the night. Lower HRV correlates with higher fatigue, a good indication that I need a rest day.

[@wasatchwizard4770]

I'd like to know how much things like stress and mental health affect HRV vs physical health.

[@user-ql4id9zz7q]

I’m 64, and my HRV is around 50ms according to my Apple Watch. I wear mine most nights when I sleep as well as all day long, resting and working out.

[@mckonal]

comparing hrv is like comparing eye colours but still I deem it as important.

[@EvilTeacher34]

Nice ad!

[@momcom5]

My HRV skyrocketed (doubling) a few weeks ago and although I knew higher HRV was better I didn't know if this was actually a good thing or a sign that my body was actually under too much stress. During that time I had switched jobs and was tapering in preparation for a race so I'm not sure if the increase was good or bad. A week ago, just after I completed two weeks in the new job and the day after my race my HRV plummeted back to my old "normal." Does anyone know how to decipher these results? I tried to research it but couldn't find any good information on sudden spikes and drops.

[@atlosass]

After monitoring HRV for a year or so, I'm struck by how closely it tracks my overall physiological "wellness". It's an excellent early-warning signal for when I'm going too hard with workouts and am not sufficiently recovered. This is especially helpful as I'm no longer as young as I used to be(!) and I'm learning I need to devote more time to recovery.

[@alaincraven6932]

100%. It’s the single best metric I have for judging both my heath (am I getting sick) and my over training. Mine is low (high 30s to low 40s) and when it moves to low 30 I know it’s time to rest up. Mine is on Garmin Fenix for those interested in tech.

[@adamwilliams6888]

This is exactly what I’m tracking my HRV for, and it’s great! (Also in the not as young as I used to be camp!)

[@johnrwilker]

I’m 59, my heart rate variability this morning was 16. Occasionally, my HRV jumps to 50 but that’s about it. Mostly it’s between 20 - 30 regardless of how I feel or how much I’ve been training. Very flat all the time.

[@renevanleeuwen1813]

Same here, mine is between 18-35 usually en I am 62y So older people tend to have lower HRV. My health is pretty good otherwise, VO2max = 49-52

[@mehdishar]

I had Whoop, and to be honest, it wasn't what I had expected. I prefer my Garmin.

[@darren6028]

104-130 baseline here on Garmin. Resting HR of 40 bpm pushes that up. I personally find HR does correlate with HRV.

[@veganpotterthevegan]

My Whoop 4.0 was a total nightmare. It regularly made up naps, workouts I never did, and it had me holding heart rates for sustained periods that I can't even tickle. Whoop kept asking me over and over again to send a photo of how I was wearing it but I was always wearing it properly. They eventually sent me a new sensor and it was just as bad. Thankfully they refunded all my money and the 4 months of subscription fees. It was the worst tech experience I've ever had. I was really looking forward to getting all that data too and if I trusted the data, I'd pay double the subscription fee. Never again though😅 *Using a basic Garmin Vivosmart 5. Its not without its problems but its small like the Whoop, and happens to be significantly cheaper. I don't recommend this watch either😂 But its significantly better than the Whoop was while being cheap.

[@martin_emrich]

Lesson learned the unpleasant way: for me under 70: back off (no >Zone 2), under 60: strictly rest. If you force yourself, you will have to pay back (or you are young😅)

[@erastvandoren]

My RMSSD was around 60 last year, then I got covid in November, and my HRV tanked down to 10-20. I've recovered partly up to 37, but it's still too low. Resting heart rate is also 10 bits too high.

[@henrys.8047]

5:15 *Breathing changed to manual*

[@dahall87]

is my watch wrong? (Garmin) my baseline HRV is 112-152, a really bad night, like if i've been out drinking, and have a late night would is sometimes 80-100, don't think I've ever been lower than 80 though, am I reading the wrong stat? RHR is around 40. 36m

[@larrylem3582]

No info on how fatigue affects HRV. Is lower than normal HRV for a particular person an indication that you should be resting? Does your HRV naturally drop after a hard effort and slowly rise as a couple of days go by?

[@gofora_run]

I follow my HRV every day, if it’s dropping for me below 100 then I know I’m either physically fatigued or I’m getting sick… For me it’s a very valuable metric to know how much effort I can put in a session. Useful video and does apply to other brands also, will never buy Whoop, my Garmin is fine for this 👍

[@alexgonzalezMI]

The problem with wrist based is that it's not that accurate. Wearing a whoop in the boxers works much better for me.

[@lucitribal]

You can get the same information with Garmin, Apple watch, or any other fitness tracker

[@EwanSWinston]

After having Afib and operations to sort it. My HRV went from high 50's down to an average of 15ms now. And the issue i have now is my Garmin tells me have have poor sleep due to the fact Garmin thinks my HRV is poor for someone my age!! It just cant give me a baseline

[@nroose]

Mine is in the 20s sometimes. But usually in the 30s. But then I am old.

[@charliewells9850]

My HRV rn is 16 according to my Fitbit. Is that bad?

[@sirmanni4534]

I can see a comedian having a field day with this one. You know I gonna use a sick day b/c my HRV is acting up

im using this on my garmin watch. way better😊

[@KN-gp6ln]

Ive been dieting my HRV went from 120 to the 40s-60s

[@RyanTaylor157]

I've got a lot of HRV data, and I noticed an interesting trend. My HRV tends to actually decrease during my recovery weeks. During the offseason, the trend was even worse! I'm normally in the 70-80 range, but from October-December last year my HRV dropped from there to being in the 50-60 range. I was training less but my schedule and life stressors were largely unchanged. The same thing happened over the past recovery week. This seems to go against everything I've ever heard about HRV - that it should increase during periods of rest, and decrease when your body is experiencing stress. Do I just love training so much that I'm actually more "stressed" without it, or is there something else going on? #gtncoachescorner

[@tabithawills4389]

You're so sweet! Your HRV will likely get worse before it gets better because when that baby arrives, your life changes dramatically, and not in a way that will do your HRV any favors. However, it'll be filled with loads of love and that can't be measured by a wearable ❤️. Welcome to Club Parenthood: where the HRV is always low 🤣

[@heatherfell_oly]

Thank you for the comment however if you are interested in the facts I suggest you read a few more articles on HRV, pregnancy and postpartum, you will be surprised what you find.

[@tabithawills4389]

@@heatherfell_oly this was meant in jest, but also from lived experience 😅. Articles may say one thing, but I had a very colicky baby which resulted in very little sleep and a pretty brutal hit to my HRV numbers. 2.5 years into this motherhood journey and they're definitely better than they were, but not great. It's hard when sleep is so foundational and my daughter had super low sleep needs.

[@ArabRebel666]

This is the metric that helps me say NO to those tequila shots at the end.

[@hunters641]

How is Emily qualified? MD?

[@jarichiverson]

My HRV reading on Garmin (during the night) is almost never above 25. Pity because then Garmin just tells me that I am always overreaching in terms of training status, which is definitely not (always) the case. Did anyone maybe found a way around this?

[@acasualviewer5861]

my lowest was 15 when I got really sick (with dengue fever).. and the highest is around 42.. I'm over 50 tho