HRV and Covid – an ithlete user’s perspective
Covid is still in the news, but mostly because of the revelations about Matt Hancock’s WhatsApp messages. Otherwise, you might get the impression that Covid has gone away. I work in the NHS. Until a few weeks ago I was required to undergo a lateral flow test twice a...HRV and Understanding Illness
Using ithlete to measure HRV and predict or understand illness and guide a return to training by Janet Birkmyre I suppose that most of us will have thought a little more about the effects of viral infection on our health and training over the past couple of years,...HRV and Covid – Training during and after infection
During the early part of the pandemic, in June 2020, ithlete won a grant to try and determine whether or not changes in daily HRV could be used to detect the onset and subsequent severity of the illness. What we didn’t know about at the time we conducted the survey of ithlete users, was how Covid would affect an otherwise healthy athlete’s ability to train during the illness and subsequent recovery.
Let’s take another look.
HRV, Life Stress and Training
by Janet Birkmyre ithlete’s HRV measurement turns training data into intelligence – it adds value by personalising data that (while being based on solid research) is otherwise too generic to allow for optimal decisions about training to be made when the human...HRV and COVID-19 in athletes. Is there a connection?
We have been asked by the UK Government to test the hypothesis that HRV may be a powerful diagnostic tool for Covid-19. This article will explain the relationship between HRV and Covid, focusing particularly on the implications for people who exercise regularly and...Lockdown Heart Rate Variability (HRV)
by Jan Birkmyre According to my daily heart rate variability (HRV) readings from ithlete, it is very clear my body loves this lockdown. On reflection, I suppose, that should not come as a complete surprise but even so, the magnitude of the improvement is a shock....Are you Inflamm-Aging well?
What is inflamm-aging? And what can you do to ensure you’re inflamm-aging well? A reseaarch summary of the origional paper and how tracking HRV relates.
Upcoming HRV Research: Exploring Yoga’s Impact on the ‘Rest and Digest’ Mode
After many post-yoga musings with fellow yoga enthusiasts I became more and more curious about the subtle effects of this ancient practice on our modern way of life – diet, exercise, coping with the un-ending and ever-expanding list of ‘things to do’. It seems that...Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and HRV
AF affects the performance of the heart, especially amongst older, less healthy people. But it also affects a significant percentage of Masters athletes. A large study over a 20 year period shows an interesting correlation between Atrial Fibrillation (AF) and HRV. There are optimum values of HRV and resting heart rate, above and below which the chances of developing AF increase significantly.
Alcohol, HRV and athletic recovery – what you ought to know
Government guidelines in the UK suggest no more than 14 units per week, equivalent to a standard glass of wine or a pint of lower strength (4%) beer every day for maintaining health. But do these suggestions also apply to athletes in training?
Training for recovery following cancer diagnosis
My journey to ithlete was in an effort to master this climb and be fresh for the descent that followed. To improve as I got older. To expand on the base I had built for my recovery. Recovery from treatment for cancer.
Why does it remain so difficult to recover? Missing the Sport
Missing the sport. Having spent a long time addressing my inner turmoil over almost all other elements of the recovery process I surprised myself by bursting into tears one day watching the Olympics on TV. “I just really miss swimming,” was my explanation to concerned...Athletes: Fit but unhealthy?
Prof Paul Laursen & Dr Phil Maffetone have consistently preached the message that elite level performance needn’t be at the cost of your long term health. Their recent opinion piece highlighting why is summarised here.
Heart Rate Variability and long life – what’s the connection?
HRV has been recognised as an index of stress and vulnerability to stress, so it’s no big surprise that researchers have been looking for possible relationships between higher HRV and a longer lifespan.
Dr Phil Maffetone on LCHF and heart rate variability
Internationally recognised expert on health, nutrition and performance Dr Phil Maffetone talks all things LCHF.
How well does HRV reflect overall health?
Who, what and why? Heart rate variability, or HRV, has long been considered to reflect overall health. Since the 1980s, Professor Steven Porges described HRV as an index not only of stress, but of vulnerability to stress. In other words, the higher someone’s HRV, the...How to Increase your Exercise Safely
Whether it’s a new years resolution or you’re returning to your training regime after the obligatory festive break, an increase in exercise and/or intensity needs to be carefully thought out to ensure you get the best out of every workout or training session.This post...Tuesday Tips: 5 Tips for Optimising Breathing During Exercise
Here are five top tips for optimising your breathing during exercise from Professor Alison McConnell, author of “Breathe Strong, Perform Better”
The Most Advanced Yoga Practice Is Breathing
Last summer I spent 2 weeks at the Sivananda Yoga Ashram in France on their Sadhana Intensive. The sanskrit word ‘sadhana’ refers to spiritual practice and the word ‘intensive’ refers to practising yoga for over 9 hours every day for 14 days....Tuesday Tip: What Deep Breathing does for Your Body
This week’s Tuesday Tip takes a closer look at what deep breathing can do for you and provides some helpful tips to help you practice
Tuesday Tip: Diaphragmatic Breathing
In this installment of our Tuesday Tip series we will focus on diaphragmatic breathing. A great habit for athletes to get into since it will help you take in lots of oxygen during exercise.
Heat Stress and Sport
As the temperature increases, how well you deal with the heat will play a significant role in determining your sporting performance. This month’s hot topic looks at why it’s crucial that athletes of all abilities adapt to the heat and more importantly how best to do it.
Infographic: All Stress Matters
This month we’ve been looking at all things stress, and in particular how all forms stress has a similar effect on the body. This infographic provides a great visual overview.
Tuesday Tip: Reducing Stress in the Workplace
Our recent research summary focused on the investigation of how work affected individuals in both psychological & physiological respects. In addition, the full research paper from the University of Queensland, Australia shared some useful tips to reduce workplace stress which we have summarised for this weeks Tuesday Tip
Tuesday Tip: The Real Impact of Travelling
This weeks Tuesday Tips takes a look at the real impact of travel with some steps to help avoid the stress of travel
Heart rate variability, colds & acupuncture
Heart rate variability, colds & acupuncture – a look at how acupuncture can affect your ithlete HRV.