ithlete at the 6th International HRV Symposium

This weekend we are off to Halle in the former Eastern Germany to present & exhibit at the 6th International HRV Symposium. This is a biannual event that consists of a full day program of both invited speakers who are authorities on particular aspects of HRV...

Tuesday Tip: The importance of sleep

Sleep & Recovery Recovery is essential in any training programme and sleep is arguably the most important element of recovery. As most athletes know you don’t get fitter during workouts but actually when your body recovers, rebuilding and super compensating to get...

Tuesday Tip: Record your training load

Why record training load with ithlete? It is strongly recommended athletes record training load in ithlete to add depth and meaning to their heart rate variability (HRV) data. Recovering from a hard session? Recording training load can often explain daily ithlete...

Tuesday Tip: Using and maintaining your HRM strap

Many athletes use a heart rate monitor (HRM strap) during exercise to monitor the intensity of their training.  We often assume this is a ‘fit and forget’ accessory, but there seems to be a lack of useful tips for use and care of the strap itself. With particular...

Breathing and heart rate variability: The Research

The impact of breathing on different HRV measurements: implications for monitoring athletes Who, what & why? It has long been known that breathing affects heart rate variability (HRV). Many studies have tracked HRV in athletes – some have used free (spontaneous)...

Tuesday Tip: Breathing affects heart rate variability

Breathing and heart rate are intrinsically linked Heart rate (HR) varies with breathing, as you breathe in HR speeds up, as you breathe out HR slows. This is known as Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia (RSA for short). This is also why deep/slow breathing is linked with...

Luke Campbell ithlete utilisation

As the strength and conditioning coach of one of the highest profile athletes from 2012 the pressure was on me to get everything in place for the start of Luke Campbell’s professional career in 2013. In a review of his first professional fight camp we decided that to...

Tuesday Tip: Time of measurement

Time of measurement We recommend taking your ithlete heart rate variability (HRV) reading first thing in the morning, preferably right after waking. There are a number of reasons behind this recommendation… Following a full night of rest It’s a well-known fact that...