Garmin

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Gooner 12 Nov 11:21pm, 12 Nov 2024 22,674 posts	0 Gooner Looby Loo wrote:Sorry for a change in subject but can anybody explain HRV. I’ve read what it says but don’t really understand it. Heart rate variability is just the length of time between each heartbeat measured over time. Generally speaking, longer/larger is better than shorter as it supposedly shows how your autonomic nervous system is handing the stresses of your life at that time by regulating your heartbeat. However, wrist based HRV isn't the most accurate and the data supporting HRV as an indicator of overall health is still sparse and in some cases contraindicated so whilst it's a nice to have as an extra metric to look at, I wouldn't worry about it all too much unless it consistently shows as fluctuating wildly between extremes or is very low for extended periods. Hope that helps.
flanker 12 Nov 11:52pm, 12 Nov 2024 21,336 posts	0 flanker IIRC it's not the absolute time between beats, but the variability in the time between the beats. The proposition is (and as Gooner notes, it is not universally accepted) that when your body is less stressed the variability is greater, and hence a higher HRV is a positive indicator.
Gooner 13 Nov 6:15am, 13 Nov 2024 22,678 posts	0 Gooner Yes, that's what meant to say but was too tired to articulate 🙈
3M 13 Nov 8:05am, 13 Nov 2024 25,133 posts	0 3M [I once attended a one hour workshop where the presenter made a complete hash of explaining HRV, and was corrected by several of the "audience". It's surprisingly hard to articulate!]
NordRunner 13 Nov 8:10am, 13 Nov 2024 4,674 posts	0 NordRunner Like someone driving down a road, an amount of course correction (variation in direction) within bounds is desirable. Too infrequent, or big swings are undesirable. Little imperceptible constant changes keep the passengers happy.
larkim 13 Nov 8:13am, 13 Nov 2024 26,096 posts	0 larkim The bit that's hard to reconcile is that variability / inconsistency is good, rigidity is bad. My instinct would have said that a calm, invariable heart rate was better. I sort of understand why the variability is good now, having read some stuff about the bits of the nervous system / fight or flight etc.
Looby Loo 13 Nov 8:33am, 13 Nov 2024 4,421 posts	0 Looby Loo Thanks everyone. That does help.
Nellers 13 Nov 9:32am, 13 Nov 2024 44,198 posts	0 Nellers @larkim : My layman's understanding is that when the heart is not stressed it's able to respond to the impercepitble changes in the body's demands, thereby giving a higher level of variability. When the heart is under stress (ie. hasn't fully recovered from the work it's been doing) it's too tired to respond so the variability declines.
flanker 13 Nov 11:56pm, 13 Nov 2024 21,337 posts	0 flanker The bit I've always wondered about is why Garmin uses some form of normalised curve for HRV, such that if it gets too high it goes "bad at the higher end. Is this a medical function or Garmin just using the tools it has for other metrics?
SPR 14 Nov 12:02am, 14 Nov 2024 46,721 posts	0 SPR I thought it sets a range for you. Too high or too low based on your normal range can both be stress responses as I understand it.