IS HEART RATE VARIABILITY (HRV) YOUR body’s Morse code of health, silently sending messages about your wellness?
It’s not just about how fast your heart beats; it’s the rhythm and variation that matters.
This unassuming metric holds a wealth of information about your well-being, and understanding it can be a valuable tool for improving your health and quality of life.
About one in five Americans use a smartwatch or fitness tracker. Many of these devices measure heart rate variability.
Should you track heart rate variability? Is it a good measure of health? Today, we define HRV, explore lifestyle factors that impact it, and how much attention you should give it.
I will also share how I plan to use the metric.
What is Heart Rate Variability?
The Harvard Health Blog offers this definition:
Heart rate variability (HRV) measures the variation in time between each heartbeat.
Heart rate variation reflects the sympathetic versus parasympathetic “battle.” HRV is the variance in the timing between each heartbeat.
Let’s say your heart rate is 60 beats per minute. But look more closely, and you will find that your heart is not beating at exactly one-second intervals all the time. One beat may be 0.9 and another 1.1 seconds.
These fluctuations are not detectable except with specialized devices.
The Autonomic Nervous System
The autonomic nervous system (ANS), a primitive part of the nervous system, regulates heart rate variation.
Our autonomic nervous system is a behind-the-scenes actor, automatically regulating our heart rate, breathing, blood pressure, and digestion. We can conveniently divide the autonomic nervous system into two parts:
- Sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight). This system is your fight-or-flight mechanism of control. The sympathetic nervous system has effects such as increasing your heart rate and breathing ability, improving your eyesight, and slowing down processes like digestion.
- Parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest). This nerve network relaxes your body after periods of stress or danger. It also helps run life-sustaining processes, like digestion, when you feel safe and relaxed.
The Hypothalamus, or Master Gland
We constantly process information in our brain’s hypothalamus. The autonomic nervous system signals the hypothalamus, instructing the rest of our body to be alert or relaxed.
The autonomic nervous system responds to poor sleep, disagreements with a loved one, or that great taco you had for lunch.
While the system deals well with the stressors of daily living, persistent challenges (such as poor sleep, stress, an unhealthy diet, isolation, or lack of physical activity) can turbocharge your fight-or-flight response.
These sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system components always oppose one another to maintain balance in your body.
What is Normal Heart Rate Variability?
A normal Heart Rate Variability for those in their teens and 20s averages between 55 and 105 milliseconds, but most folks 60 and up have lower heart rate variability, averaging 25 to 45 milliseconds.
Unfortunately, it is difficult to interpret heart rate variability. HRV also diminishes with age, and normal variability in one person may not be for another.
Your healthcare provider or a specialist is the best person to go to if you want to understand your heart rate variability and what you should do about it.
If you’re tracking your HRV over 24 hours and notice it’s lower than usual, this could mean that the sympathetic nervous system is dominating and activated for longer than it needs to be.
A higher HRV is a sign of more parasympathetic inputs to the heart.
Why Does Heart Rate Variability Matter?
You may be wondering why heart rate variability matters.
HRV gives us a sense of the balance between your sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system components.
When you are relaxed, the parasympathetic system dominates, and your HRV is higher. Your body is maintaining itself efficiently, recovering, and repairing.
Let’s say you track your HRV over 24 hours. A high HRV is associated with good health, adaptability, and resilience. You are ready to handle any challenges you encounter. In contrast,
Low heart rate variability can be an early warning sign of health issues. Your HRV may be low if you are anxious or stressed.
HRV and Other Health Conditions
In addition to stress and fitness, HRV is linked to other health conditions.
For example, low HRV can indicate heart disease and high blood pressure. By monitoring HRV, you may detect these risk factors early and take preventive measures.
Heart rate variability is your Morse code of health. On the other hand, HRV can be an imprecise health measure. Your healthcare provider has better metrics.
Measuring Your Heart Rate Variability
Are you interested in tracking your heart rate variability?
Common tools include an electrocardiogram (ECG) or a heart rate monitor. Many smartphone apps and wearable devices (for example, Apple Watch and Fitbit) can measure HRV, too.
While smartwatches may not be as accurate as an ECG, they may still provide valuable information.
Please remember that heart rate variability is dynamic. HRV can change from moment to moment.
Tracking it can help you identify patterns and see how any lifestyle changes you make affect your heart’s rhythm or variables such as fitness and stress levels.
I will use HRV to track my training and recovery. If my HRV rises after working out, it will remind me that I need more recovery time.
Should You Worry?
There are questions about the accuracy and usefulness of tracking heart rate variability.
While HRV has been linked to physical fitness, the correlation between changes in HRV and how your autonomic nervous system functions needs more research.
If you decide to use HRV as another piece of health data, feel confident if you have a high HRV or not worried if your HRV is low. Think of HRV as another way you might tap into your body and mind to respond to your daily experiences.
Is HRV Your Body’s Morse Code of Health?
I look forward to exploring how I might use heart rate variability metrics to track my health.
For example, is my focus on getting at least seven hours of sleep translating into more heart rate variability? What about my diet and stress management (including mindfulness meditation) practices?
Can I shift my heart rate variability with daily walks? Piano playing or listening to music?
I am excited to learn about my body’s Morse code. It provides another means for me to track my mental and physical states.
I am particularly interested in my HRV changes over time. My body transmits health signals, and I look forward to translating them.
Final Thoughts
HRV is a decidedly imperfect measure and might reflect health. I prefer a different primary approach to health assessment, but look forward to experimenting with HRV metrics.
For most of us, it is more important to go after healthy behaviors and measure their impact on other metrics. How far can you run before getting winded? What is your subjective stress level?
Finally, you know what to do:
- Take care of your body. Exercise regularly and consume a balanced diet. These maneuvers should improve your overall health — especially your heart — and can help improve your heart rate variability.
- Take care of your mind. Your mental health is a component of your heart rate variability. Reducing your stress level can improve your HRV.
One more thing: COVID-19 vaccines can temporarily lower your heart rate variability.
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Thank you for reading “Is Heart Rate Variability Your Body’s Morse Code of Health?”
The Cleveland Clinic (USA) reminds us that it is important to remember that your heart rhythm is remarkably complex.
While you may have a device that tracks your heart rate variability, a healthcare provider is the most qualified to look at your heart rate and advise you on what you can and should do about it.
