What is the ithlete Team App? Heart rate variability (HRV) is an objective method for assessing the effects of stress on your body, making it the most accurate fatigue and recovery metric available. It is measured as the time gap between your heart beats that varies as you breathe in and out. Research evidence increasingly links high HRV to good health and a high level of fitness, whilst decreased HRV is linked to stress, fatigue and even burnout. Professional athletes … Continue reading
A lot of athletes and members of the general population take fish oil supplements in the belief that these assist in the maintenance of a number of bodily functions. Fish oil supplements have been linked to improved heart health, joint health, brain health. Additionally, in the case of athletes benefits include increased endurance, recovery, supercompensation and maximising lean body mass. But can you expect these highly valued supplements to increase your heart rate variability (HRV), and if so, why? Fat … Continue reading
On Wednesday 22nd May ithlete will join Training Impulse founder Dr Ibrahim Akubat on his workshop entitled “Training Load Monitoring in Team Sports” at the home of the Bradford Bulls. The workshop will several cover topics including; The history and development of training load measurement, Heart rate monitoring GPS use in team sport Understanding Dose-Response relationships. Integrating internal and external training load Modelling performance in Team Sports Dr Akubat explains “performance in many team sports is very different to other … Continue reading
In this 4th update, I’d like to run through the preparation for the first real test of the season – the Hampshire Hilly Hundred – a course designed to make the most of the rolling countryside of north Hampshire. The section of chart below is my heart rate variability (HRV), heart rate (HR) and training load as shown in the new ithlete Team app. The final hard training was the weekend of the 4th & 5th May. On both days … Continue reading
Monday May 06th. HRV= 59 Red. Expected after a good weekend. Rested for most of today and then hit the Track for a short but intense Interval session of 3*1K off 5 min Recovery. Splits were: 3:15, 3:13, 3:12 followed by a long cool down. Plan for tomorrow is an early Gym session and an evening recovery run. Tuesday May 07th. HRV=66 White. Moving in the right direction. Early Gym session of mobility work & stretching followed by a very … Continue reading
By Tim Crowley I have been using heart rate variability in my own training for nearly 2 years. For the past year I have been using it with many of my athletes. This number is steadily increasing and by end of this year I will make HRV a requirement for all athletes I coach. The reason I believe HRV measurement is critical for athletes is that I am able to get all of their stress reactions into one number on … Continue reading
Daily HRV Training Diary Monday Apr 29th. HRV= 66 White. Same as last Monday but after a tougher day. Skipped the lunchtime run as I’m running to a meeting with the Athletics Association of Ireland after work. Ran at an easy pace with a slight detour via a running track and did a set of 6*400 at close to my 3K race pace off 60 second recovery. Felt fatigued after each rep but recovered quickly and finished the session with … Continue reading
In this 4th update I’d like to focus on my training discipline (or rather the lack of it so far). This has probably been the hardest aspect for me about adopting a polarised training program. Having spent 20+ years riding as ‘hard’ as I can whenever I get the time, avoiding the middle ground has been a challenge. I put the word ‘hard’ in quotes because what I really mean by that is that I have ridden at an intensity … Continue reading
Daily HRV Training Diary Monday Apr 22nd . HRV= 66 White. First day of Taper. Resisted the temptation to run during lunch and spent the evening coaching a group of beginners as part of the club’s Couch to 5k programme. This was ideal as it forced an easy pace and meant I had to stretch while demonstrating. Finished the evening with 2 glasses of wine thinking I deserved it and then realised I hadn’t eaten a dinner but snacked instead. Plan … Continue reading
Daily HRV Training Diary Monday Apr 15th. HRV= 75 White. Better than yesterday but feel like I’m playing catch up and I’m unsure as to what I should do over the next few days. The weekend just gone should have been the peak of my training but now I feel like I need to extend the peak into this week. Lunchtime 10K in my aerobic zone followed by a running commute home in my 24-hr Race Pace. Took a lot … Continue reading
Not so much to report this time, since last week I was struggling with the tooth problem and the general malaise that accompanied it! However, Friday was the last day of the antibiotics and I was hopeful that I would be well enough to do a planned 86 mile ride with friends around the New Forest on Saturday. In spite of appalling weather, we did make it round in 4:45, for an average speed of 18 mph. Not much usable … Continue reading
