Perfecting the pre-race taper with HRV
Do you KNOW how to get that taper just right? Too little and your adrenal system won’t be ready on race day, too much risks fatigue.
HRV and Covid – an ithlete user’s perspective
Covid is still in the news, but mostly because of the revelations about Matt Hancock’s WhatsApp messages. Otherwise, you might get the impression that Covid has gone away. I work in the NHS. Until a few weeks ago I was required to undergo a lateral flow test twice a...HRV and Understanding Illness
Using ithlete to measure HRV and predict or understand illness and guide a return to training by Janet Birkmyre I suppose that most of us will have thought a little more about the effects of viral infection on our health and training over the past couple of years,...Understanding your Acute to Chronic Training Load Ratio
Guiding your training load with the acute to chronic training load ratio is a great way to avoid over/under training and minimise the risk of injury. Using ithlete Pro automates this process for you, delivering easy-to-follow colour-coded guidance.
HRV and Covid – Training during and after infection
During the early part of the pandemic, in June 2020, ithlete won a grant to try and determine whether or not changes in daily HRV could be used to detect the onset and subsequent severity of the illness. What we didn’t know about at the time we conducted the survey of ithlete users, was how Covid would affect an otherwise healthy athlete’s ability to train during the illness and subsequent recovery.
Let’s take another look.
How To Handle An Unexpected ithlete HRV Reading
by Jan Birkmyre Thanks to ithlete I have been tracking my heart rate variability (HRV) via a reading taken every morning since 2012. It is so much a part of my routine these days that it sets the tone for my day. Using the ithlete Pro version of the app I can track...HRV, Life Stress and Training
by Janet Birkmyre ithlete’s HRV measurement turns training data into intelligence – it adds value by personalising data that (while being based on solid research) is otherwise too generic to allow for optimal decisions about training to be made when the human...Data informing the training process – but don’t forget the context!
Long time ithlete user Coach Chris Kilmurray recently shared these insights on Twitter. This is an excellent example of how many coaches use ithlete as an overview of how the athlete is coping with training and other stresses and then as a tool to dig deeper when needed.
ithlete and its role in a great athlete-coach relationship
Given that we have seen a lot less of each other in the past 10 months, it strikes me that these metrics have become an even more important part of the coaching relationship.
Using heart rate variability (HRV) to identify the onset and severity of COVID-19 – Summary report
Overview This post summarises the results from the project ‘Using daily heart rate variability measures to identify the onset and severity of COVID-19’. The project was run by HRV Fit Ltd, and funded by Innovate UK, and aimed to explore whether changes in HRV are...Have you seen the new ithlete v4 update?
With ithlete v4 the way you interact with your data is changing. Interactive charts, smoother third-party integrations and better training guidance are just some of the tools ensuring you will train smarter every time.
HRV and COVID-19 in athletes. Is there a connection?
We have been asked by the UK Government to test the hypothesis that HRV may be a powerful diagnostic tool for Covid-19. This article will explain the relationship between HRV and Covid, focusing particularly on the implications for people who exercise regularly and...How to send your HRV and wellness data from ithlete
Did you know that ithlete allows you to download and send your data to others? Here is a step by step guide to exporting your data from the mobile app or ithlete Pro.
We’ve been awarded a grant to research the relationship between COVID19 and HRV!
HRV Fit awarded a grant for business-led innovation in response to global disruption due to COVID-19 After being contacted by ithlete users reporting unusual Heart Rate Variability (HRV) values during possible COVID-19 symptoms, we considered what links there might be...Lockdown Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
by Jan Birkmyre According to my daily heart rate variability (HRV) readings from ithlete, it is very clear my body loves this lockdown. On reflection, I suppose, that should not come as a complete surprise but even so, the magnitude of the improvement is a shock....Top tips for using your HRV sensor
The ithlete sensors are the best around, independently validated for accuracy, convenient and durable. Some users don’t get the hang of taking measurements right away, so to ensure you don’t waste any time follow the tip tips found here.
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 several reasons behind this recommendation… Following a full night of rest It’s a well-known fact that the...How does your HRV vary throughout the day, and why does it matter what time of day you take an HRV reading?
We recommend you take your Heart Rate Variability (HRV) reading at the same time of day – just after waking up and before drinking tea / coffee or checking your emails and social media. But why does it matter what time of day you take an HRV reading, and why can’t you compare a reading taken in the morning with one taken after lunch or in the evening?
Collaboration with Bournemouth University for a clinical project
By Claire Forbes ithlete users know the value of tracking changes in their heart rate variability (HRV) over time to optimise recovery and athletic performance. But what benefits could tracking HRV have for a clinical population? In 2018, HRV Fit Ltd (the company...Can HRV predict changes in performance in swimmers?
Research performed over several decades has shown that when performed regularly aerobic exercise increases heart rate variability (HRV). Studies, such as this one, demonstrated that changes in HRV have corresponded with changes in performance brought about by training...Overreaching in trained cyclists – Update Spring 2019
How two different approaches to training camps in quick succession drove results, impacted wellness and how all of this is shown in HRV.
5 tips for training in summer
Follow these 5 simple summer training tips to keep your workouts on track during the warmer weather.
Five top breathing hacks to improve your HRV, health & performance
Breathing is one of a very few functions in the body that run perfectly well independently, but where we can also take conscious control. By doing so we can produce surprisingly large health and performance benefits. In this post, we are going to take a brief look at...How to use the ithlete Pro Training Guide
Most ithlete Pro users really love this feature when they get used to it, but we have been told others don’t fully understand what the chart is showing them. We have written this starter guide to help you learn what it can tell you more quickly.
What to look for in an HRV monitor
Why choose ithlete as your HRV tool?
There are an increasing number of ways to track Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Here are some of the key reasons to still choose the pioneer HRV app ithlete…
7 key sleep factors – could you improve yours?
We know sleep is hugely important for recovery. Here are some excellent tips from an article by expert Nick Littlehales.
5 tips for managing your taper using Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
You’ve done the training and logged the miles – so how do you ensure your taper is on track to deliver the best possible performance on the big day?
Are you Inflamm-Aging well?
What is inflamm-aging? And what can you do to ensure you’re inflamm-aging well? A reseaarch summary of the origional paper and how tracking HRV relates.
5 ways to improve Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is an excellent measure of overall health and fitness. Upward trends have consistently been shown to correlate with increases in health, fitness and sporting performance. So how do you get your baseline rising?
What makes ithlete special?
ithlete has been copied by many imitators since 2009, but as we continue to develop and innovate no one competitor has achieved the combination of easy to access ithlete’s features and benefits.
What can HRV tell us about pre-competitive anxiety and performance?
There has also been a large amount of research into the relationship between HRV and stress. The most common and important source of stress to athletes is pre-competitive anxiety and it is not known to what extent this impairs their performance.
Detecting Chronic vs Acute fatigue in Mountain Athletes
We recently came across an article highlighting difficulties when trying to identify chronic fatigue using HRV. The authors graciously gave us the opportunity to reply, which is now is part of the revised article, and here are our final thoughts.
Why ithlete? Know when to train and when to rest
There are many great reasons to choose ithlete, so many that we’ve written a blog series looking at why we do things the way we do. Follow the series to learn more about the type and length of measurement, how breathing influences your HRV and much more. In an earlier...Why ithlete? – Recording Training Load
Recording Training Load alongside your heart rate variability measurements adds context and better feeds the Simon Says AI training guidance. Read about how best to do so here.
Why ithlete? Adding context to HRV with Wellness metrics
Many people enjoy watching their HRV number fall after hard training, followed by a rebound a day or two later can be very satisfying. They also notice the impact of a late night for example, or a short illness. But it’s not always that simple to interpret the cause of changes.
Why ithlete? Colour coded guidance
Understand how the ithlete baseline is calculated, what the daily training recommendations are and how you get to these.
Why ithlete? The HRV scoring system
We needed a measure that was scientifically credible from a 1 minute measurement and was intuitive for the user. Here is why our patented lnRMSSDx20 formula fitted the bill.
Fatigue – is it all in the mind?
Who, what & why? Everyone reading this will be familiar with the sensation of gradually increasing effort to maintain the same pace whilst running or power output whilst cycling or rowing. But what exactly contributes to this sensation? And what can we do (safely)...Why ithlete? The choice of sensor
There are many great reasons to choose ithlete, so many that we’ve written a blog series looking at why we do things the way we do. Follow the series to learn more about the type and length of measurement, how breathing influences your HRV and much more. The different...Why ithlete? The one minute measure
The second installment in our Why ithlete? series looks at the ultra short 1 min measurement. Why we chose it, how it was validated and is now best practice
Why ithlete? The importance of paced breathing
When you breathe in your heart beats faster, and when you breathe out, it slows down again. For this reason, we ask you to follow paced breathing whilst we measure your heart rate variability (HRV).
Better is Better
Like so many coaches out there, I’ve coached a fair share of athletes who subscribe to the “more is better” mindset. Over my years in the endurance world, I’ve definitely learned to subscribe to the “more is not better; better is better” philosophy. Why? Because...Can daily HRV monitoring predict the incidence of injury in CrossFit™ athletes?
Although undoubtedly effective in developing strength and fitness, CrossFit also has a reputation for overuse injuries. Can tracking HRV reduce this risk?
HRV case study data from elite athletes
Coaches of elite athletes share some of their ithlete HRV data and observations which illustrates useful feedback on how they were adapting to training and other stresses.
Do fluctuations in training load lead to changes in heart-rate variability in elite rugby union players?
The third post in the series from Richard Beck, looking at the results of his study.
HRV response to breathing thin air
From a practical perspective, measuring your HRV at altitude and comparing to HRV at sea level can show how sensitive you are to the effects of altitude, and that if you are an elite level endurance athlete, you may be more sensitive than mere mortals! Here is the research.
Data collection with elite athletes – the challenges and recommendations
When friends told me that data collection was the hardest part of a dissertation, I didn’t believe them. However, trying to get 20 rugby players to collect HRV data as soon as they woke up every morning was definitely challenging.
The effects of overreaching on trained cyclists
Most endurance athletes are familiar with the term ‘overreaching’. That’s when you do high volumes of intensified training to cause supercompensation. But what actually happens to your body and what measures can you use to identify when overreaching has gone too far and become unproductive?
Simon Says – daily actionable ithlete Pro guidance
“Simon Says” ™ is a new, exciting addition to ithlete Pro that does all the heavy lifting of interpreting your recovery metrics and delivers them in a short paragraph that can be read and understood in just a few seconds.
Periodisation – is there a more modern approach?
Periodisation refers to the alternation of loading and de-loading phases within training, balanced with periods of recovery in order to produce supercompensation – the magic by which the athlete’s performance improves.