WHOOP Podcast Understanding Heart Rate Variability and Its Performance Potential with Kristen Holmes and Emily Capodilupo
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Oct 19, 2022 
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HRV Reveals Nervous System Balance
- Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is the variation in timing between heartbeats caused by competing inputs from the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
- High HRV indicates a balanced autonomic nervous system responsive to various stimuli, signaling good health.
Parasympathetic Saturation in Athletes
- HRV offers unique insights beyond heart rate, revealing nervous system balance, especially when heart rate and HRV move together atypically.
- Parasympathetic saturation, a state in elite athletes, shows both low heart rate and low HRV, indicating hyper-recovery, not fatigue.
HRV and Fitness Efficiency
- Lower resting heart rate at same workload means more blood pumped per beat, reflecting better fitness.
- Higher HRV signals balanced nervous system, providing capacity to allocate resources effectively during exercise.