What the heck is HRV and how can you improve yours?
There are a lot of health-related acronyms out there, and some are much more credible than others. BMI for one, or Body Mass Index, had been used by doctors for decades to classify people as underweight, normal weight, overweight, obese or morbidly obese — even though it is nothing more than a calculation determined by weight and height. So if you happen to be a very muscular person who is also vertically challenged, you could be classified as obese. Or if you are someone who happens to be naturally lean and tall, you could be classified as underweight. Obviously this is one acronym we would be happy to have erased from the history books.
HRV, or Heart Rate Variability, however, has come onto the scene in recent years now that it is able to be tracked by wearable technology such as Oura Rings, Whoop Bands, Garmins and Fitbits. Unlike BMI, HRV is an important indicator of our health. In short, heart rate variability is when there is a fluctuation in the amount of time between heartbeats. While perfectly healthy individuals experience this variability, HRV can still indicate current or future health problems from heart and lung diseases, to imbalances in the autonomic nervous system (more on that in a second), to anxiety and depression.
How does HRV work?
Our hearts beat at a certain rate at all times, and that rate changes based on what we are doing — slower when we are resting or relaxed, and faster when we are active or stressed. Whether we are awake or asleep, chill or stressed, our hearts have to react to changes in our lives and surroundings, but they can’t do this on their own so they rely on our nervous systems for help.
Our brains take the information we receive from our senses - sight, sound, smell, taste and touch - and send signals to our hearts telling them when to speed up and work harder, or slow down and relax. This system is called our autonomic nervous system, and is a part of our brains and nerves that operate without you thinking about them. It is divided into two parts:
The sympathetic nervous system is also referred to as our “fight or flight” response. It is responsible for managing increases in our heart rate and blood pressure during emergency situations. For example, when we are standing at the starting line of a race, and the gun goes off, our fight or flight system kicks in. Our bodies release adrenaline so we can react faster, and our heart rates increase to supply our muscles with more blood and oxygen to support physical activity.
The parasympathetic nervous system is sometimes referred to as the “rest and digest” response. It controls our natural relaxation response and slows the heart rate and blood pressure when we are taking it easy, especially after we’ve been in flight or fight mode. Using the race analogy, consider what happens when we cross the finish line after our race. Our rest and digest system takes over. It tells our heart rates to slow back down and lowers our blood pressure so the various systems of our bodies can relax and go back to normal work.
So why is heart rate variability good?
Our heart rate variability reflects how adaptable our bodies can be to all kinds of stimuli. If our heart rate is highly variable, this is evidence that our bodies can adapt to many situations and kinds of changes. According to The Cleveland Clinic, people with a high HRV are usually less stressed and happier, while those with a low HRV may be less resilient to handle stress and changing situations. It is also more common in people who have higher resting heart rates, which is often the case with conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, heart arrhythmia, asthma, anxiety and depression.
How can you improve your HRV?
Very simply put, we can improve our HRV by taking care of both our physical and mental health. Most experts agree that the key elements of a good self care protocol are:
Adequate and consistent sleep
Regular physical exercise
Recovery days to avoid overtraining
Mental health therapy to manage depression and anxiety
Refraining from alcohol, which can decrease HRV for up to five days after consumption
A good diet with a balance of proteins, carbohydrates and healthy fats from whole foods
Hydrating with water and electrolytes
Intentional breathing exercises, meditation and gratitude journaling
RunFit recommendations for HRV monitoring
There are a lot of wearables on the market today, but only a few are sensitive enough to track HRV and provide the user with actionable data. I’m a big fan of the Whoop Band, whereas Coach Kia wears the Oura Ring, and Coach Amy tracks hers with the Garmin Fenix 6S. Ultimately, find a device that you can comfortably wear 24-hours a day so you can make the most of the data! As always, Team RunFit is standing by to help you take control of your health, so we invite you to contact us so we can help you find your balance.