What Is Heart Rate Variability (HRV)?

Heart rate variability isn’t just a fitness metric, it’s the master signal of human performance, emotional regulation, and longevity. This episode reveals how you can use HRV to hack your nervous system, regulate stress in real time, and build true resilience from the inside out. 

Watch this episode on YouTube for the full video experience: 

https://www.youtube.com/@DaveAspreyBPR 

Host Dave Asprey sits down with Rollin McCraty, Ph.D., Director of Research at the HeartMath Institute and a leading psychophysiologist exploring how the heart, brain and human consciousness are interconnected. For more than three decades his pioneering research into heart-brain communication and geomagnetic field interactions has supported the development of HRV/coherence-training tools and coherence biofeedback technology. His work has been featured in documentaries such as I Am, The Power of the Heart and The Living Matrix. 

Together, Dave and Dr. McCraty uncover how heart-brain coherence can improve neuroplasticity, optimize sleep, strengthen mitochondria, and create emotional stability even under extreme stress. You’ll discover how five minutes a day of coherence training can elevate focus, resilience, and connection, helping every other biohack, from fasting and ketosis to supplements and nootropics, work more effectively. 

You’ll Learn: 

• What HRV really measures and why it predicts performance and longevity 

• How coherence breathing balances your nervous system and sharpens cognition 

• Why emotional regulation begins in the heart, not the mind 

• How environmental and solar energy affect your physiology, and how to stay stable 

• The Navy-proven HRV method for better sleep and stress recovery 

• How coherence training outperforms traditional meditation for daily resilience 

• The measurable science behind “radiating love” and creating heart-based connection  

This is essential listening for anyone serious about biohacking, brain optimization, functional medicine, and anti-aging. Whether you’re optimizing metabolism, fine-tuning sleep, or upgrading your energy with Danger Coffee, coherence training helps you live smarter, not harder, by syncing your biology with the rhythm of life itself. 

Dave Asprey is a four-time New York Times bestselling author, founder of Bulletproof Coffee, and the father of biohacking. With over 1,000 interviews and 1 million monthly listeners, The Human Upgrade brings you the knowledge to take control of your biology, extend your longevity, and optimize every system in your body and mind. Each episode delivers cutting-edge insights in health, performance, neuroscience, supplements, nutrition, biohacking, emotional intelligence, and conscious living. 

New episodes are released every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday (BONUS). Dave asks the questions no one else will and gives you real tools to become stronger, smarter, and more resilient. 

Keywords: heart rate variability, HRV training, HeartMath, Rollin McCraty, heart-brain coherence, biohacking, emotional regulation, nervous system, stress resilience, neuroplasticity, longevity, sleep optimization, mitochondria, functional medicine, anti-aging, coherence breathing, vagus nerve, HRV recovery, brain optimization 

Go to the following link for 15% off the HeartMath device:

https://store.heartmath.com/innerbalance?utm_source=2163&utm_medium=affiliate&cpclid=f6b91c4679184c83b42560e381159591&utm_campaign=The+Dave+Asprey+Group

Thank you to our sponsors! 

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Resources:  

• HeartMath Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/heartmath/ 

• HeartMath Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HeartMath 

• HeartMath TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@heartmathinc 

• Danger Coffee: https://dangercoffee.com/discount/dave15 

• Dave Asprey’s BEYOND Conference: https://beyondconference.com 

• Dave Asprey’s New Book – Heavily Meditated: https://daveasprey.com/heavily-meditated 

• Upgrade Collective: https://www.ourupgradecollective.com 

• Upgrade Labs: https://upgradelabs.com 

• 40 Years of Zen: https://40yearsofzen.com 

Timestamps: 

0:00 — Trailer 

1:25 — OG Biohacker 

3:21 — What Is Heart Rate Variability? 

7:10 — The Four Drummers: Understanding HRV Rhythms 

11:50 — Real-Time Training vs Sleep Tracking 

18:45 — The Science of Coherence and Consciousness 

21:25 — Heart Synchronization in Groups 

26:40 — Space Weather and Planetary Rhythms 

31:40 — Solar Flares and Human Behavior 

38:45 — The Emotional System Runs the Show 

49:15 — Getting Started: Training Protocol 

57:55 — Advanced Applications: Dating to Performance 

1:01:46 — The Frequency Spectrum of Love 

1:05:15 — The Heart’s Magnetic Field and Congruence 

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