MONITORING HEART RATE
Monitoring heart-rate variability for better athletic performance Sensors and sophisticated algorithms together deliver check heart-rate variability and other exercise metrics. ALISHER KHOLMATOV, RECEP OZGUN MICROS, SECURITY & SOFTWARE BUSINESS UNIT, MAXIM INTEGRATED
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to professional athletes, most people who engage in regular sports activity take note of various factors that influence their performance. Some meticulously track certain metrics from game to game to assess their progression (or lack thereof). Others are diligent about every aspect of their training and practice regimen. The emergence of
Our relaxation response (the parasympathetic nervous system) is the opposite. This is what turns us toward a rest and recovery mode.
HRV tends to be low when we’re in a fight-or-flight mode and high when we’re more relaxed. High HRV is generally associated with greater cardiovascular fitness. The electrocardiogram test is the gold standard for assessing HRV. However, wearable devices with sophisticated algorithms are now making this data more accessible to more people.
sophisticated wearable devices like smartwatches
ANALYZING HRV FOR HEALTH INSIGHTS
and fitness trackers is bringing to light another
Because HRV provides insights into our ANS, it can be considered as the most important general wellness parameter. In the sports world, there’s a growing body of evidence pointing to the role of HRV in setting optimal training loads to enhance athletic performance. For example, a study of cyclists by university researchers in Spain and South Africa found that HRV-guided training led to better performance results. HRV gives us some clues about potential cardiac conditions. Over time, higher HRV can indicate increased resilience, while lower HRV can point to chronic stress. HRV can be increased by changes in behavior: quitting smoking, losing weight if needed, exercising, and managing stress, for example. HRV analysis techniques that fall into three categories provide useful health insights:
important indicator of athletic performance: heartrate variability (HRV). HRV provides a measure of the time difference between successive heartbeats; the variation is controlled by the autonomic nervous system (ANS). This is the system that regulates our heartbeat, blood pressure, and breathing. Our ANS consists of two main components: •
Our “fight-or-flight mechanism” (the sympathetic nervous system) is our response to external stress factors. This is what makes us energized and ready to face challenges.
Autonomic nervous system in action VAGUS NERVE
REST AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
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STRESS
REST AND RECOVER PARASYMPATHETIC
FIGHT OR FLIGHT SYMPATHETIC
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BARORECEPTORS
LONG TERM: HRV INCREASED RESILIENCE
How the autonomic nervous system regulates heart rate through parasympathetic and sympathetic influences.
LONG TERM: HRV CHRONIC STRESS
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