- Heart rate variability (HRV) is where the amount of time between your heartbeats fluctuates slightly. People who have a high HRV may have greater cardiovascular fitness and may be more resilient to stress.
- This variation is controlled by a primitive part of the nervous system called the autonomic nervous system (ANS). It works behind the scenes, automatically regulating our heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, and digestion among other key tasks
- The brain is constantly processing information in a region called the hypothalamus. The ANS provides signals to the hypothalamus, which then instructs the rest of the body either to stimulate or to relax different functions.
- It responds not only to a poor night of sleep, or that sour interaction with your boss, but also to the exciting news that you got engaged, or to that delicious healthy meal you had for lunch. If we have persistent instigators such as stress, poor sleep, unhealthy diet, dysfunctional relationships, isolation or solitude, and lack of exercise, this balance may be disrupted, and your fight-or-flight response can shift into overdrive.
- HRV may also provide personal feedback about your lifestyle and help motivate those who are considering taking steps toward a healthier life. You might see a connection to HRV changes as you incorporate more mindfulness, meditation, sleep, and especially physical activity into your life.
- There are questions about the accuracy, reliability and overall usefulness of tracking HRV. While HRV has been linked to overall physical fitness, the correlation between changes in HRV and how your autonomic nervous system is functioning will require much more research.
- Think of HRV as another way you might tap into your body and mind are responding to what your daily experiences.
Key points from a Harvard Health Blog post by Marcelo Campos, MD
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