Heart rate variability is a well-understood phenomenon allowing us to monitor objectively physiological stress, recovery and ability to perform.
As the body tries to maintain balance so that it can function optimally, heart rhythm is influenced by a series of processes going from the brain to the heart, processes that reflect the level of stress on the body.
Each beat of our heart is triggered by an electrical impulse that can be easily recorded by an electrocardiogram (ECG), one of the most common ways to monitor heart activity. However, our heart doesn’t beat at a constant frequency. When we talk about heart rate variability (HRV), we are interested in capturing the variability that occurs between heart beats.
HRV can be measured non-invasively with a chest heart rate monitor, a finger monitor and many other wearable devices such as sports watches.