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?
How two different approaches to training camps in quick succession drove results, impacted wellness and how all of this is shown in HRV.
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.
Understand how the ithlete baseline is calculated, what the daily training recommendations are and how you get to these.
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.
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.
Simon Wegerif shares his experience and tips following this years week long cycling training camp in Tenerife in the Canary Islands. The excellent paved roads extending from sea level to the main crater of Mt Teide at 2100m give continuous climbs of 18 – 48 km i.e. some of the longest in Europe.
This recent email exchange between a customer and ithlete founder Simon Wegerif discussed several interesting and useful points. So, with the customer’s permission we are sharing it as a blog post.
Athletes and their coaches are always looking for reliable, convenient ways to monitor how well their training is going and performance gains its producing. We know that morning HRV measures are affected by training programmes, but what should we look for to be effectively monitoring adaptation?
The ithlete Pro Training Guide brings truly personalised, actionable training guidance on a daily basis. So how does it work? And why?
What is HRV? How can you measure it? And what is likely to impact your score?
Some biological measures, such as height and weight can be taken as many times as you like within a short period of time, and you will always get the same number. But many biological measures are not like that…
Try to find a consistent time of day when you can do your HRV reading uninterrupted and with a minimum of external influences, and you will be rewarded with more sensitive and accurate recommendations!
I had always felt like my routine was dictated by pool and gym hours. Strangely I had never set myself recovery hours. Never set aside any portion of the day for doing things to promote recovery; napping, meditating, visualisation etc. and subsequently recovery was being neglected. The irony then, of complaining of free time, when there were already more swimming related jobs for me to be doing than I was fitting into a day.
Following the post-holiday blip, HRV has been fairly stable even considering my cold in mid-September. Mood and stress though have been an issue, particularly mood, most notably post holiday (expected) but also through the most part of September.
Andrew Tamplin has created and shared a great infographic giving us an insight in to his daily training cycle and decision making process.
‘The morning recovery test effects all other aspects of the daily cycle, the simple fact is that if you are not recovered sufficiently from your previous workout, work or other life stress then you are not going to be training effectively.’
Having spent 6 months building up to the 300 mile ride, it was time for backing off a little…
This month see’s Andy and his team take on the much anticipated 300 mile Charity Ride!
HRV has been recognised as an index of stress and vulnerability to stress, so it’s no big surprise that researchers have been looking for possible relationships between higher HRV and a longer lifespan.
In summary, I think the preparation for this event was a success – especially the many hours of MAF endurance training, and the aerodynamic improvements to both my position and the bike itself. I think diet was the only area I didn’t get quite right, and perhaps I need to gain confidence that I can perform on a low(er) carb diet on a 100m event first.
I have now begun my taper, with just a week to go before the 312km event in Mallorca next Saturday. I’m already in the centre zone of the Pro Training Guide, and expect to move rightwards during the week as my recovery continues to improve.
Hopefully this is a sign of improved fitness and my body getting used to the increasing workload, adaptation, and therefore recovering quicker.
This post covers two 15 week training cycles of a 22 year old, female, short sprint (50m) swimmer leading up to a weekend of competition. The athlete has been training seriously for four years.
Simon is well under way preparing for the Mallorca 312, increasing volume and adjusting diet are in focus in this post.
Training weeks 5 through to 7 incorporate a number of group training sessions ahead of a scheduled rest week starting late February. How will this effect the HRV? Read on to find out.
John O’Regan is an Irish International Ultra Runner and Adventurer competing at all distances and over all terrain. He has raced on the 7 Continents but with training time being limited, to maximise his available time he monitors recovery by measuring HRV to determine future training sessions and intensity.
Our latest Infographic focuses on the three different levels of endurance training and how your HRV responds to each training level
Andy Dolphin’s training blog provides an insight into an athlete who’s training time is minimal. With around 5 to 8 hours a week to train, Andy uses ithlete to maximise his training.
John O’Regan is an Irish International Ultra Runner and Adventurer competing at all distances and over all terrain. He has raced on the 7 Continents and included the highest, lowest, hottest, coldest, most northern and most southern races in the world. Training time is limited and to maximise his available time he monitors recovery by measuring HRV to determine future training sessions and intensity. Each month he shares his ithlete HRV scores, training plans and realities with you here on the ithlete blog.
After a tough July, Andrew Tamplin looks forward to a return to training with ithlete Pro guiding him through it. Read his August Training Blog here:
In his August Training Blog, Andy Dolphin talks us through his training schedule and ithlete Pro data.
Its been a busy month of intensive training sessions for John O’Regan. Check out his August Training Blog here
In his latest training blog, Brian Schwind takes on the Steelman Olympic Triathlon in what was a month full of mixed emotions for Brian.
Race day arrives but your ithlete score is amber. Familiar? Don’t panic! Here’s why that might be happening and some useful tips to help you balance it out ahead of the race.
Having now completed 2 target events, Andy Dolphin now takes on Ride London as his third and final target event for the year.
Andrew Tamplin started July happy, fit and looking forward to the month of sweet spot training, putting in some harder efforts with the aid of ithlete Pro to guide him. Did Andrew get through July unscathed?
June saw a continuation of Andrew Tamplin’s zone two training and an event that should really send any persons heart racing – His wedding!
June saw Andy Dolphin dealing with a cold, 3 goal event with each spaced 2 weeks apart and handling back-to-back tapering!