Heart Rate Variability Training App w/ Marco Altini, PhD

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• published: 26 May 2016
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Episode #141: Marco Altini, PhD- Exercise Intensity & Stress Tacking Tools ➢ HRV4 Training http://www.hrv4training.com/ -----------------------------------------Lets Connect-------------------------------------- ➢ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/MikeMutzelMS ➢ Listen to the Audio in iTunes: http://highintensityhealth.com/itunes ➢ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/metabolic_mike --------------------------------------Key Takeaways---------------------------------- 02:11 Heartrate Variability and the Parasympathetic Nervous System: Your heart does not beat at a constant frequency. There is variation between beats. Tracking heartrate variability is an attempt to quantify these variations. Measuring heartrate variability is important because many body functions are governed by it. Dr. Altini wants to capture certain aspects related to physiological stress and condition, especially recovery. Heartrate variability is a proxy to the parasympathetic branch of the autonomic nervous system. Studying HRV has provided good insights into parasympathetic activity. 05:04 High Heartrate Variability: We want a higher beat-to-beat variability, a higher HRV. It quantifies how well the parasympathetic nervous system is engaged. We want our bodies to adapt to different situations. If our heart always beat at the same rate, it would not be able to adapt. 06:50 Athletes and HRV: Physiological stress is affected by basically anything that happens to us. Training is a stressor. It is easier to capture variations in HRV with training. By using HRV we can detect when you have recovered from your previous training. You can adjust your training plans and track trends. HRV is sensitive and easily tested using the HRV4Training ap on your phone. By tracking HRV and lifestyle factors (like travel or alcohol consumption), we can better understand what is impacting our physiology and learn from that. 12:13 Measuring HRV: It is measured first thing in the morning for consistency, to make sure there are no other stressors and that our bodies are in a complete rest state when we measure. Deep breathing increases HRV. Dr. Altini’s ap has a breathing guide to also provide consistency. Consistent body position is important is well. We do not look at HRV during training, since there is hardly any variation at that time. After an intense workout we would have a much lower HRV due to the intensity of the stress on our bodies. The impact upon HRV can be present for 24 to 48 hours. 19:02 The HRV4Training AP: If you over-stress your body, there might be other mechanisms at work. This is one reason why the ap captures information from a longer time period. Deviations from the norm may or may not be a red flag. Other parameters are factored as well, including subjective data like muscle pain. When measurements are outside our norm, the ap provides advice. 21:29 Untrained VS Trained: There is greater heartrate variability in trained athletes’ vs the general population. There has been research attempting to link HRV to fitness, without much success. Heartrate provided better results. A lower heartrate is linked to better fitness. With HRV there are strong genetic components. Even when training, your HRV will not be much above your normal. HRV is a better marker for recovery. 24:14 Why Measure Your HRV? All cause mortality, heart disease, neurocognitive impairment. Many chronic diseases are linked to low HRV. Dr. Altini believes that heartrate at rest is a better health marker and one we can more easily control. It is more challenging to change our baseline HRV. When inactive people become active, there is a rise in HRV. 26:07 Diet/Nutrition and HRV: Ketogenic diets increase HRV, which likely helps the parasympathetic nervous system, thus reducing inflammation and helping with metabolism and stress response. 26:56 Training Modalities and HRV4Training: People who work out with a large aerobic component typically have the highest HRV and day-to-day changes are more meaningful. Using the data from the ap, Dr. Altini’s group is able to analyze the different effects of different aerobic or strength-building activities day-to-day and long term. In the aerobic participants, HRV dropped after periods reported a very intense workout. Balance and variety in workouts is key. A reduction in HRV may not mean something negative, especially if there is cardiac improvement over time. 31:07 When HRV Becomes Lower: When athletes have HRV lower than their baseline values, it is recommended that they postpone intense training blocks. They studied two groups. One who postponed intense training when HRV was lower than baseline and one who maintained intense training. The ones who postponed intense training eventually trained less intensely over a period. However, when performance was measured, they performed better.