Heart rate variability apps - anyone using them??

[Alan]

Has anyone used any of the smartphone apps to measure heart rate variability? I have been looking at using ithlete but there are others such as hrv tracker and bioforce.

There seems to be some solid research behind these. Basically they tell you in the am based on a few minutes recording of your heart rate if you have recovered from previous training and if you are overtrained.

I am mostly thinking about iThlete as they have a finger sensor unit that will record your heart from your finger so you don't have to get up in the am and put on a chest strap with gel which would be a pain.

Let me know if you have any thoughts on this.

Alan

[John H.]

I used Ithlete and tracked hr and hrv for about 6 months.
For me there was no correlation between hrv and state of recovery.
Some days it would say I suck, and I was great on the bike that day. Reverse was also true.

[Black Dog]

Finger tips on your neck (carotid artery), a watch, and something to record your data you can measure your resting heart rate very easily for free. Count the number of beats over 60 seconds and you are done without having to lift your head off the pillow. Seriously, this is more accurate than any device.

[Michael Maddox]

Finger tips on your neck (carotid artery), a watch, and something to record your data you can measure your resting heart rate very easily for free. Count the number of beats over 60 seconds and you are done without having to lift your head off the pillow. Seriously, this is more accurate than any device.

They're actually talking about apps to record and track heart rate variability, not measure heart rate directly. The premise is that fluctuations in resting heart rate correlate to recovery after effort.

[allezdude]

I used ithlete last summer while training for cross season and during the fall while racing. It was very useful. The previous season I think I hit a patch of being over-trained was was looking for something to help avoid that again.

First, I had a training plan (for cross) and was doing gym work on the days I didn't ride. Using the HRV I saw that frequently I wasn't recovering sufficiently after a gym day- so talked to my coach and made the decision to do the ride & gym work on the same day (to create more off days during the week). Also, the "yellow" indicator- which indicates you haven't recovered- seemed like a pretty true assessment. The times I got a "yellow" (recommend recovery day) a race morning, I really couldn't get going and would often finish 10+ places worse than normal. (I really don't think it was psychological :))

I'm turning 50 this yr. and trying to learn how to deal with my aging body. HRV has been a useful tool to help prevent over-doing things and provide an objective way to identify whether you're ready to do a hard workout or need to turn it into a recovery day. As far as using it to see your progress over time, I stopped using it after cross was over so can't really say.

If, you,start using it, let us know,your experience. Cheers!

[gospastic]

What kind of variability is significant? I usually measure my resting HR every morning and it never sways far from 47, regardless of how hard I've worked the previous day.

[soulspinner]

What kind of variability is significant? I usually measure my resting HR every morning and it never sways far from 47, regardless of how hard I've worked the previous day.

Higher generally means sick or not trained properly (often over trained)....

[Alan]

If you want to learn more about HRV listed to the podcast below. This is a new area and not well understood.

http://www.bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/02/heart-rate-variability-testing/

This is a 30 min podcast from an expert.

Alan

[Wesley37]

Been using ithlete for a few months. I find it very helpful, in the same way as TSS and CTL are useful - objective indicators of stress and recovery, that are not meaningful without context or understanding of how to use them.

It has been very useful in helping me load up training stress and navigate flu season with two young kids in the house. Since I started in December, my wife and each of my kids have been sick at least a couple of times, last winter I lost weeks to sickness, but so far I have been able to avoid anything more than an extra day or two off here or there.

[Black Dog]

They're actually talking about apps to record and track heart rate variability, not measure heart rate directly. The premise is that fluctuations in resting heart rate correlate to recovery after effort.

Yep, I know. Record the RHR everyday and see how it changes over time to check for cardiac drift due to overtraining. You do not need an app to tell you that your RHR is changing over time. Toss the data into a spread sheet if you need to get fancy. My point is that this is a simple thing to do, record and determine.

[Black Dog]

They're actually talking about apps to record and track heart rate variability, not measure heart rate directly. The premise is that fluctuations in resting heart rate correlate to recovery after effort.

Yep, I know. Record the RHR everyday and see how it changes over time to check for cardiac drift due to overtraining. You do not need an app to tell you that your RHR is changing over time. Toss the data into a spread sheet if you need to get fancy. My point is that this is a simple thing to do, record, and determine.

[Wesley37]

Yep, I know. Record the RHR everyday and see how it changes over time to check for cardiac drift due to overtraining. You do not need an app to tell you that your RHR is changing over time. Toss the data into a spread sheet if you need to get fancy. My point is that this is a simple thing to do, record and determine.

Incorrect

[Wesley37]

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heart_rate_variability

Heart rate variability (HRV) is the physiological phenomenon of variation in the time interval between heartbeats. It is measured by the variation in the beat-to-beat interval.

Other terms used include: "cycle length variability", "RR variability" (where R is a point corresponding to the peak of the QRS complex of the ECG wave; and RR is the interval between successive Rs), and "heart period variability".

One's heart does not beat like a metronome, the rhythm varies when one is inhaling and exhaling, which tells us about vagal tone, which tells us about cardiovascular stress and recovery.