Does anyone measure and react to their HRV

Ive been looking at HRV and wondered who monitors and uses it to diagnose recovery? Does anyone here check it?

Ive got a generic HR strap that speaks to my garmin devices but it doesnt seem to talk to EliteHRV app.

They do list some recommended straps but they are quite expensive Polar models.

If anyone is using this data, then can you list what strap and app you are using please?

Thanks

Ian

My Garmin Fenix 6 measures my overnight HRV. Monitoring it has shown me “signs” of upcoming illness. The latest example was about 3 weeks ago when it was dropping for a few days and then I started showing signs of a chest infection.

It has since recovered. I think there might be something to be said for maybe trying to take things a bit easier when it next happens in order to reduce the impact of whatever is about to hit me.

Yes – Garmin user here. HRV is a good sign I am pushing it too hard if it goes red.

Yep, I also use a Garmin and measure HRV. I suffer from very mild CFS and use HRV to try to keep myself in check. I tend to go a bit big and do myself damage but in the last few months of using HRV data I can argue myself out of that extra ride more easily. Probably very easy to get sucked in though.

I look at it and don’t tend to do much if it is green…however, I’ve not quite worked out how to increase it – and I do t know if I do want to increase it…I think I do, but not quite sure why.
I seem to sit at about 41…I suspect that is on the lower side of rubbish, but I can’t seem to get it higher.

I can’t say I pay any more attention than checking each morning. Once or twice a month I’m unbalanced apparently. But it looks like ending school holidays a heatwave and a house move combined may have been a bit stressful in January!

I’ve used HRV4Training for the past couple of years or so to track my HRV and resting heart rate along with training stats that are uploaded from TrainingPeaks. I can’t see any meaningful correlation of HRV with anything else. Maybe I’m just not working hard enough to see anything significant and HRV is irrelevant for a slowoldman.

I seem to sit at about 41…I suspect that is on the lower side of rubbish, but I can’t seem to get it higher.

IIRC it decreases with age.

So Garmin Fenix 6 will provide this data. Anything else?

Ian

Lots of Garmin do it. I believe Whoop bands are really good for it.

Decreases with age? Bloody hell, partner tells me I’m like a 12 year old, so I’m likely screwed!

My garmin vivo active 5 does it, most of the current models do

My polar vantage assesses night time hrv and beat to beat intervals, and then uses that through an algorithm with other variables like REM sleep etc to give me a nightly recharge score and autonomic nervous system score. Poor recharge and low HRV go hand in hand (often with alcohol and red meat intake)

 Try to adapt my diet, sleep hygiene to maximize recharge and hrv

My watch measures it and tells me it’s important but I’ve still no idea what’s a good score  or bad.

Mine drops when I’ve been boozing the night before.

it’s not the only clue that I’ve been boozing the night before, however!!]

DrP

I had my watch in for the first time last night and it said i had 48 HRVs and that i moderately training ready

My bodies says end of term knackered

Whether this means I’ll actually take it easier today we’ll see

I use a smartphone app called ithlete and check my HRV first thing every morning and have done for years.  I find it a good back-up for more subjective measurements – ie: how I feel / training load / etc – and useful for occasionally pre-empting illness etc. It has a simple red / green / orange traffic light system, but also more detailed stuff.

What’s arguably more useful / important, is tracking HRV trends over time and correlating them with other factors like training load, sleep, diet, overall stress, muscle aches etc rather than just seeing it as a stop/go thing.

Mostly I find it pretty good in both the long and short term. If it says I’m overdoing it – ie: low HRV red or amber day – it’s generally correct. Similarly, I’ve had days when I don’t feel great, but the app tells me I’m okay, and it’s turned out that it’s correct.

Personally I find it really useful for curbing enthusiasm on days when I really need to and a good broad guide to how things are overall. It’s also quite handy for illustrating how much non-exercise stress impacts you. Some of it’s a no-brainer, sleep and alcohol consumption have the biggest impact for me along with illness – you don’t really need HRV to tell you that – but sometimes it gives you a tangible reason to back off when otherwise you might not and, in turn, potentially ride yourself into a hole.

Ideally what you’re looking for is a rising HRV accompanied by decreasing RHR – on a graph the lines diverge progressively – though obviously you’re always going to have hiccups. But anyway, yes, I do use HRV and find it useful, though not from a wearable device.

Garmin Fenix 6 measures my overnight HRV

I use a Fenix 6 as well. Had an Instinct previously and I don’t think that recorded HRV. I’m of the understanding the light sensors lack accuracy, particularly during the day, which is why Garmin only really output data for nighttime HRV. They will be tracking it during the day and using it for other stats but place less emphasis on it.

If you wanted accuracy I’d probably look at the Polar arm straps. Bit spendy but a bit less intrusive than a chest strap. You probably want to stick to one or the other as well, rather than have data changing depending on what equipment you use at different points of the day or week. HRV is relative to you, so the important stats are what is your norm and when it starts to deviate from that.

I used to use the hrv4 app, measuring via phone camera. That varies quite a lot, depending on time of day and how well you can put your finger over the camera and flash!

I have a Fitbit that measures it, I assume overnight while resting. It’s lower than the hrv4 app, but consistent.

Hrv4 had me anywhere between 30-70, Fitbit has me at 23-30 ish.

I don’t really do much with it, as it doesn’t seem to correlate to how I feel or how I am on the bike.

Fitbit is a bit odd anyway, measuring resting overnight HR at 60, when I wake and relax, my HR is 53. :-/

I suffer from very mild CFS and use HRV to try to keep myself in check.

Another CFS Garmin user here. Mine tends to be around 25ms (I’m in my mid-40s) and I use it, plus body battery, to gauge what I can do in a day. My life is pretty restrictive so I find it useful to not push myself too far, identifying when I’m in particularly bad shape and basically staying in bed as much as possible until I improve!

Garmin only really output data for nighttime HRV. They will be tracking it during the day and using it for other stats but place less emphasis on it.

IIRC daytime/in activity monitoring is an option on my Fenix 6 but comes with a battery life warning.

How can you sleep with a Garmin fenix watch on. It’s massive.

My hrv dropped to 40 over night and my watch tell me to rest. I did end up in zone 4 for a chunk yesterday so I’m not suprised. More interesting is whether it thinks I’m recovered tomorrow

@ampthill I think Garmin recommend you wear the watch overnight for a couple of weeks so it “learns” what is normal for you. I’d take any initial results/recommendations with a pinch of salt.

@jkomo I’m fairly lightly built with narrow wrists and I’m never aware of the Fenix. They do come in different sizes and mine is the smaller (47mm) one.

It’s a new metric to me since getting a new watch. Not really looked into it, mines quite high!

I’ve read some articles and watched a few videos on youtube about HRV. Alcohol seems to be one of the biggest factors in effecting it and it doesn’t need much to do so.

My Polar watch generates a trace every night, can’t say I pay any attention to it…

Nightly HRV by Ben Freeman[/url], on Flickr

I must be immune then. Drank heaps yesterday afternoon woke up with a slightly higher HRV and I’ve noticed that sometimes happend. Overall sleep isn’t as good though.

Tried EliteHRV app a few years ago, gave up using it because I often forgot to run it at all during my then hectic pre-work morning routine and when I did run it, I’d be out of bed.

@scotroutes i think i’ll give that a go. It also has my resting heat rate and pulse during exercise to get an idea that i might be tired today

It’s a new metric to me since getting a new watch. Not really looked into it, mines quite high!

My understand was high = sign of good fitness