Heart rate variability (HRV) is unique to each athlete. Learn how to effectively measure and use HRV data alongside subjective feedback to optimize your training and recovery.

Our guest for episode 10 is Marco Altini, a scientist, app developer and expert in using data from wearable devices to optimize health and performance. Many will recognize his name from the app HRV4Training, which integrates with TrainingPeaks. Marco's background spans computer science, human movement and high-performance coaching. He's also an avid runner, having qualified for the Boston Marathon and competed in European ultramarathons.

Our discussion digs into the details of HRV, an increasingly popular metric for endurance athletes. Marco breaks down what HRV actually measures, its history of use in scientific research, and how it serves as a marker of the body's response to various stressors — from training to travel to simple daily life.

He also clears up some of the biggest misconceptions about HRV, like the idea that you can directly compare your HRV to someone else's or that a single HRV reading can predict if you're about to get sick or injured. Marco emphasizes the importance of context and tracking your individual trends over time to have a valid baseline to analyze your stress response.

Perhaps most importantly, we cover how HRV data is best used as one piece of the puzzle in understanding your body so that you can have productive training sessions.  

To learn how TrainingPeaks can help your training, visit https://trainingpeaks.com/