What is HRV

HRV (heart rate variability) is simply a measure of the variation in time between each heartbeat. This variation is controlled by a primitive part of the nervous system called the autonomic nervous system (ANS). It works behind the scenes, automatically regulating our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and digestion, among other key tasks. The ANS is subdivided into two large components: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic nervous system, also known as the fight-or-flight mechanism and the relaxation response.

The ANS provides signals to the hypothalamus, which then instructs the rest of the body either to stimulate or to relax different functions. It responds not only to a poor night of sleep or that sour interaction with your boss, but also to the exciting news that you got engaged or to that delicious, healthy meal you had for lunch. Our body handles all kinds of stimuli, and life goes on. However, if we have persistent instigators such as stress, poor sleep, unhealthy diet, dysfunctional relationships, isolation or solitude, and lack of exercise, this balance may be disrupted, and your fight-or-flight response can shift into overdrive”. (1)

Normal Ranges for HRV

The most important thing to understand about HRV is that your TREND is more important than your number. We want to be within the healthy range, but if you had the choice between consistently low versus up into range and down out of range, you would like the former. There are a variety of dangers associated with a poor HRV.

“HRV is highly individual, so you should compare your HRV to your own averages over time to gain a sense of what’s normal for you,” says Marco Altini, an HRV expert, data scientist, and Oura advisor. “Plus, keep in mind that it’s normal to see daily and seasonal fluctuations in your HRV.” (2)

As a general rule of thumb:

• Higher HRV is associated with rest-and-digest, general fitness, and good recovery
• Lower HRV is associated with fight-or-flight, stress, or illness

Ways to Improve HRV

• Generic Advice:
  • Managing stress
  • Exercise at the right intensity
  • Sleep consistently
  • Drink more water and less alcohol- alcohol plays a big factor, so if you can eliminate it altogether, it’s a good idea.
  • Don’t eat too close to bed (2 hours prior to falling asleep)
  • Cannabis use- limit / eliminate (if you are to use, don’t use prior to bed)
  • Consume less processed sugar
• Actual Advice:
  • Oyster Pills: I never put two and two together until the other night, when I was discussing oyster pills; I realized they are great for cardiovascular health. As HRV is the measure of the time between beats, there had to be a correlation. I was right. Oysters are extremely high in vitamin B12. What are people with a poor HRV deficient in? Vitamin B12.
  • Fish Oil: Per a published medical journal: “The consumption of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs) has been reported to decrease resting heart rate (HR) and increase heart rate variability (HRV)” (3)
  • Glutamine: According to a published medical journal, “Emerging evidence indicates that l-glutamine (Gln) plays a fundamental role in cardiovascular physiology and pathology” (4) 
  • Red light therapy: Red light has been shown in numerous studies to reduce cardiovascular aging and improve the overall cardiovascular system
  • HRT: I could talk until I am blue in the face regarding HRT and how it improves every aspect of your life, but my other blog can do a much better job at the benefits. When hormones are balanced, our bodies can react to stress better- therefore, improving your HRV
  • HIIT training: I personally can attest to my HRV improving after incorporating 2 hours a week of HIIT training through my alpha conditioning class
  • Vitamin D (sunlight, supplement, or both)
  • Magnesium supplements have also been shown to improve HRT
  • A study found that daily supplementation of 400 mg of magnesium increased HRV parameters, including pNN50, an indicator of parasympathetic activity.
  • Infrared Sauna: Far infrared sauna therapy also improves ventricular arrhythmias, heart rate variability, and brain natriuretic peptide in patients
  • Electrolytes: HRV parameters (SDNN, NN50, and rMSSD) significantly increased after HD (study)
  • Cold Plunge: Many studies are emerging correlating cold stimulus to HRV improvement. Aim for 11 minutes a week! Studies 
  • Nitric Oxide plays a huge role in HRV:
    • If you are a mouth breather, try breathing through your nose as much as you can, as this produces more nitric oxide.
    • Read BREATH by James Nestor
    • Supplement with or eat beets
    • If you are using PREworkout, use one that is clinically dosed to improve nitric oxide.
    • Mouth tape at night to force yourself to breathe through your nose (10% off with my link)
    • If you think you may have sleep apnea, I highly suggest a sleep study (for more than just HRV benefits)
  • Beef Liver Supplements: Beef liver supplements may help improve Heart Rate Variability (HRV) by providing a dense, bioavailable source of nutrients: specifically Vitamin B12, iron, and copper that directly support nervous system function, reduce inflammation, and enhance cardiovascular health.  By addressing potential nutritional deficiencies, these supplements can assist the body in balancing the autonomic nervous system, which is crucial for higher HRV
  • Through my own experiments, I have also noticed my HRV is much higher on days I am in a deficit compared to maintenance or surplus macros (I am not recommending being in a deficit strictly for HRV benefits, but it is interesting to note)
  • I cannot find any research supporting my theory, but Josh and I attended an event in Utah in the summer, and none of the rooms had AC. The rooms were easily 80 at night, and my HRV plummeted. We were also at high altitude, and according to OURA, those who tag “high altitude” notice a reduction in HRV. Just some food for thought!

How to Track HRV