Heart rate variability is a measure of how efficient your body is at recovering. Here are the 10 points mentioned : 1 - diet. A natural diet with few carbs is recommended. Also, finish eating 3 to 4 hours before bedtime. 2 - hydration. Make sure to hydrate enough, especially if you are on a ketogenic diet. 3 - avoid alcohol. It severely impacts sleep, even just a couple drinks. 4 - Sunlight. Get outside a few times a day. 5 - go to bed early. This helps with your circadian rhythm. 6 - sleep quality. Wake up and go to sleep about the same time every day. A cool temperature is good in the bedroom. 7 - manage stress. Breathing techniques and a brain dump before bed are recommended. 8 - get out in nature. Even your backyard is beneficial. 9 - exercise. High intensity exercise in particular. 10 - intermittent fasting. Fasting 24 to 48 hours every so often is great for increasing HRV.
My HRV hovered around mid 30s to mid 55s. I could not break 55. I've now been incorporating strength training, meditation and modified my diet...today I saw my HRV increase to 67!
That’s awesome. I’m in the same situation. 30-50 range. I’m in great cardiovascular shape but not great overall muscle strength….I’m planning on reducing cardio and increase weights. Curious though…What diet modifications did you make? I’m mostly paleo now.
My whoop says average 54 HRV at 47 and have been as low as 37 and as high as 61. Comparing yourself to others is a thief of happiness. Good vibes to all.
Good Information in a bunch 1. Avoiding red wine in the evening is my take away. 2. Using circadian rhythm is a challenge for me sometimes as I usually work in night shifts. 3. Protecting sleep is also a challenge as I sleep in living quarters where there's movement throughout the day and night. 4. Eating before sunset is also difficult for me, sometimes have to eat at late night due to Night working hours. 5. Hydration is very effective way in my life style. 6. Breathing is also very impactful for keeping up the HRV. 7. Writing in detail for task and dump it out of para sympathetic system is very nice way to de stress. 8. Nature is mother in real, it heals if we are open. 9. Exercise is the right stressor for response and adaptiveness of our body in long term. 10. Fasting in between weeks, is same as the intermittent exercise and followed by faster recovery for raising HRV.
doubled? no shit!? damn!! I wonder if that's why mine fell off a cliff last night. Dropped to 29. night before was 40. I only have one cup of mushroom coffee in the morning (less caffeine than coffee) but yesterday I had a 32 ouncer of iced tea at lunch. I was so pissed this morning like what the hell! I slept great, didn't drink alcohol, did a cold plunge, ate good, had plenty of fluids etc etc. this could explain it. I was pissed and fasted since I woke up to try and shake shit up lololol.
You’re very wise, Michael! I found your video since I’ve noticed my HRV average on Apple health app is slightly over 30 and I’m 39. I do believe chronic emotional stress is the main culprit. I do have a 6 month old baby so getting proper sleep is a bit far fetched for me right now; but I will implement as many other tips as I can. I did lose all the pregnancy weight and then some and I eat quite clean. Just subscribed to your newsletter. Thanks - Ashley 🙏🏻
I have a Sleep Number bed, and according to it, my HRV is low, but I can get a sleep score as high as 95, however, that is rare, usually runs in the 70's, & HRV is in 50-60 range. I do many of your tips, but I can't lift weights, and I can't go without eating at night. If I'm not full, I can't sleep, then end up getting up and frying eggs at 1 or 2 in the morning. Good video! .
Hey Sherry, Eating late is likely a factor in lower HRV reading during sleep. Check out michaelkummer.com/health/reasons-you-feel-hungry/ to fix your night eating.
Good review. I've done many and was wondering what else I could do to increase my HRV. I do most of them except the 48 hour fast,. I work on stress reduction and sleep the most. You did a great job outlining and explaining the details. Great job!
My HRV has been consistently in the mid-teens ever since I got an Oura ring a little over a year ago. I am over 60 years old and am on 3 different meds for high blood pressure. Sleep scores have generally been in the low 90s or some upper 80s. I do most (but not all) of the tips you recommend. Need to work on diet and exercise more though 🙂
What a good video. So well structured, full of relevant information, calmly presented, on the point. Subscribed and liked. I've been trying to improve my HRV for 9 days now, by implementing a new element to my before bed-routine. Already I can see results, the average HRV in the days before was around 62,8, now, 7 of 9 days it was significantly higher, even up to 81. Could it be that some people's HRV are extremely sensitive? It's like my heart reacts to every single change in my days. Two days I ran too much, and it dropped to 56 and even 48. After that 48 one, I rested all day long and I am planning to add another 3 days to fully recover. Today morning I woke up with a happy 67! I guess I have a sensitive heart.
Looks like different apps measure HRV in different ways. EliteHRV only goes up to 100, Oura and several others go up to 150. An HRV of 60 in EliteHRV would be the equivalent of 90 in the app that you're using. Siim Land, the longevity "expert", claims an HRV of 120+ using Oura, which is only around 80 in EliteHRV, which is good but probably not super human taking his age into consideration. He looks young, probably still in his 20's. His entire life revolves around longevity, which is cool as an experiment but not practical for most people. Also, measuring HRV during sleep would probably give better/higher result as your HR is very low. With the EliteHRV app I measure in the morning but that also means putting on the chest strap which kinda wakes me up (also the toilet trip). In any case measure the same way (in the morning lying down) using the same app every day will give you a number that is representative of your personal HRV.
The whoop measures skin temperature as opposed to core.I saw a test where a guy tracked core and skin temperature at night. Skin temperature went down during the night but core temperature slowly increased throughout the night.
Correct but as far as sleep is concerned, there is an inverse correlation between skin and core temperature. See www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2225580/
I'm extremely weak. I have been most of my adult life. My HRV is VERY low. Between 19-30 all week. I intermittent workout because I give up too soon with no results. I intermittent fast and extend fast. I'm working on cutting sugar out completely, but that's a work in progress. I do most of what you say on this video but don't feel like I see changes 😭 this is a really good video! Thank you.
Hi Viktoria! Thanks for the feedback and I’m sorry you’re struggling with increasing your HRV. Have you experimented with meditation and breathing exercises or devices like Apollo? See michaelkummer.com/health/stress-relief-gadgets/ for more on that?
@@MichaelKummer Covid wrecked my heart (chronic tachycardia) and my average hrv is 32 (I’m 27 and WAS healthy pre Covid). The cardiologist basically told me they don’t know what’s wrong or how to fix it so I am now exploring other more holistic options.
@@BM-fz9yc I'm not a doctor, but if I was in your shoes, I'd load up on organ meat (fresh or freeze-dried, especially liver), magnesium, bovine colostrum, Lumbrokinase and Nattokinase. I'd also try and reduce my stress as much as possible. So no tough workouts, alcohol and anything else that causes stress (good or bad).
@@BM-fz9yc yea I caused myself tachycardia from over exercise and under eating for years. It’s really scary especially since we’re young. I would also look into anything that can regulate and strengthen the nervous system. It’s possible that covid weakens and dysregulates it
42M and my hrv is around 16-24 30tops Keto, non drinker, and I'm a mail carrier (plenty of sun) Bedtime 8pm wake at 4 on a new purple mattress and use my Garmin crossover for hrv tracking. I'm cycling indoor and outdoor daily 7-20miles a day. For the past few years Not doing so well
There are a lot of factors that influence absolute HRV numbers, including how Garmin tracks it. Does it take an average from the entire night or day? Or does it measure peak HRV during deep sleep?
@@BlairChasteen The most representative measurements should be taken during deep sleep when there are no external influences. The second best time to measure is in the morning when you've been completely still and relaxed for several minutes. Anything else could lead to more or less irrelevant results. To confirm your Garmin's accuracy, I'd also try to measure using a chest strap or WHOOP or Oura. The latter takes continues measurements while you sleep and shows them in a graph. Does Garmin do that too or just show you one number?
@@BlairChasteenFirst thing I'd do is measure with a second device and see if the readings match. I'd also consider whether or not long-term keto can stress your body and suppress HRV. In other words, what happens to your HRV if you consume carbs? How does your HRV change if you don't exercise for a week? Maybe you're overtraining...
I suck at managing stress. Can you do a video on stress management and whoop stress monitor? Am l the only one stressing about managing their stress levels on the app constantly 😊 l’m sure my HRV would improve if l could manage this better.
I'm about to launch a podcast and one of the first 10 episodes will be on stress management. I'll announce it on my newsletter if you care to subscribe: michaelkummer.com/subscribe/
@@jeffreyemrich546 so mine was on average around 22 a month ago. I’ve gotten it up to the high 30s by doing daily meditation (I use headspace) and working out daily. I don’t know what’s helping more so I’ll continue to do both and let you know if I can get it up even higher next month. Good luck to you!!
@@Vegan4Change after months of hard work and dedicated meditation, relaxation techniques and sleeping pills, I’ve been able to maintain mid 30s. Hopefully in six months I can report back 40s and 50s. My lowest a year ago was 15
I'm so confused about what HRV actually is. Everybody says it's a measure of how your body reacts to stressors compared to how your body rests... but then you have to measure it when your body is at rest? How exactly do you get a measurement of how your body reacts to stressors if you're only measuring your HRV when you're at rest (in a deep sleep, as the video says)?
When you sleep, your body is working hard to restore from the stressors of the previous day. Since you're not distracted while in deep sleep, it's the best time to measure how your nervous system is doing as far as recovery is concerned.
I LOVE alll of these, thank you! Think it’s a little funny though when mentioning all the stuff that we used to do thousands of years ago before we had fire and then mention immediately after, temperature controlled mattresses like if we had that thousands of years ago😂
Thanks for watching it Travis! I used to schedule my fasts in the past (16/8 every day, 24h once a week, 36h once a month) but found that to be too complicated. So these days, I fast opportunistically and I might get a 24h fast every few weeks.
My HRV changes daily in the range of 41-74 over the last month with a average of 58. This confuses me as I'm 38, healthy, active everyday with advanced gym sessions 6-7 days a week. My sleep is the only thing that's poor and historically can't improve. I assume that's keeping the number low. It's interesting to know I'm in the "unhealthy" range but a friend of mine who doesn't workout, is morbidly obese and very unhealthy is in the "healthy" range... This seems to be far less important than it's touted to be. Interesting no one cared about this a few years ago too.
Absolute numbers aren’t nearly as important as relative changes over time. Also, there is another factor involved in interpreting HRV data. Check out the comment from Roy on michaelkummer.com/health/increase-hrv/ to learn more.
What do you think of Garmin HRV? My understanding is the hrv status is your overnight sleep hrv…and the body battery and stress use daily hrv recordings to provide stress scores. Would Garmin hrv be accurate and a good source?
Hey. I recently set up my Apple Watch to track my sleep and I’ve got some data back, to me it seems accurate but it says I got 6:28 hours of deep sleep when I sleep for a total of 8:47 hours. I’ve read that is extremely rare. My heart rate avg was 64bpm and my HRV was 75ms. I don’t know if this is any good. I’m 17 and male if this makes a difference. Could anyone explain this or tell me if this is healthy or not 🤷♂️
@@MichaelKummeri recently got an Oura ring and one of its features is to track HRV. Acdroding to the ring, my HRV averages around 16’ish, and tops out around 30ms. im not sure when the ring measures it, but it appears it measures ot throighout the day
@@joefishtale To calculate your readiness score, Oura measures your HRV during sleep (which is good). There could be countless factors for your relatively low HRV but the most common causes are stress, overtraining, alcohol or even hormone replacement therapy. Age plays also a role. How are your inflammatory markers (e.g., CRP)?
@@MichaelKummergood information. My CRP was 0.75 in January this year, and now 1.84 in July this year. Could possibly be overtraining, I was on 6 day double spit for most of that time and have recently moved it back to just 4 days a week, 1.5hr weightlifting sessions. Could have been overtraining related. Had no idea that hormones played a role in HRV.
@@joefishtale I'd experiment with a lower training load and more recovery work. Regarding hormones, I noticed a correlation (might not be a causation) between higher testosterone levels and a high RHR and lower HRV. Conversely, with lower T levels, my RHR drops dramatically and my HRV tends to be higher.
Great post ! I have some questions Is there big difference between Polar H10 Morpheus Whoop ? As well when comes to olde population (40-60 years old) and training for health and longevity What's better 2-3 cardio session a week at a slower pace 120-140 heart rate or maybe 1 slower session and 1 more hitt style?
Thanks Coach! I don't have any hands-on experience with either Polar or Morpheus but based on what I've read WHOOP is better at recovery and sleep tracking where (Polar) is likely better at fitness tracking. As far as training is concerned, I recommend a combination of HIIT, lifting weights and walking over endurance training (especially jogging).
My avg hrs on my apple heart app is about 24 and has been so for many months. I am a 61 female. I workout doing cardio and strength but find it exhausts me. 1 step forward. 2 steps back. I am wondering how to improve ???
Great information. Can having settings on 8 sleep not correct hurt sleep? I recently got it a few days ago & first night I only woke up once. I changed the setting and I woke up multiple times
If you set your Eight Sleep mattress to cold or too hot, it can definitely (negatively) impact your sleep. That's why I recommend making incremental changes to your temperature settings to find the temp that works best for you. Eight Sleep now also offers an Auto Pilot feature (at least in its beta app) that asks you in the morning how the temp was. Based on your answers, it can fine-tune the settings for you.
Thanks, Michael, I skipped back and forth to find the tips, and never found your "before and after" HRV. Can you reply with some of your own HRV data from your own experience with these health tips?
The difference between an HRV of 100 and 200 is actually only about 15% because RMSSD is a geometric scale. Also, very HRVs aren't necessarily a good thing. Check out the "How HRV Is Related to Fitness" section of michaelkummer.com/health/increase-hrv/ to learn more.
I've used the Fitbit Sense for a while to see how it would stack up to WHOOP but I wasn't impressed due to accuracy issues and lacking features that would help me gauge how my lifestyle choices would impact my HRV and other metrics. Check out michaelkummer.com/health/fitbit-vs-whoop/ for more information.
I'm sure walking on the treadmill for an hour CAN improve your HRV and depending on your other lifestyle factors it might not. Is the treadmill your only type of exercise? Also, there is nothing wrong with sauna bathing in the evening. In fact, it can help improve your sleep because the increase in core temp from the sauna will cause a subsequent drop in temperature.
In one day my hrv goes from as low as 12 to as high as close to 200 (usually it’s high when I’m sleeping). Which number is correct? I’m totally confused by this huge range in numbers whether I have a good hrv or bad.
It's perfectly normal for your HRV to change frequently as it reflects the competition between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branch of your nervous system. Due to those fluctuations, it only makes sense to measure HRV (for tracking purposes) when there are little to no external influences (e.g., during deep sleep). Sleep trackers such as WHOOP do exactly that.
@@niccayton398 The only thing anyone can tell you is the average HRV ranges (based on statistics). Average is not the same as optimal or healthy, so I wouldn't be worried about it. I'm unaware of any research indicating that your numbers are cause for concern.
They do but the Apple Watch doesn't measure it at times where it counts and there is no good way to interpret the data. Oura or WHOOP are much better choices for that.
@@bartb1014 Most health trackers and even bathroom health scales have a degree of inaccuracy. It is important to focus more on the trends than the precise number. Are you improving your health.
Health care costs are out of control. Going WFPB vegan can save money, pain and suffering from disease. Lower your chance of high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer by going vegan. Hospitals, doctors offices and schools should be places where good nutrition is taught and provided not places that contribute to disease and obesity. It is crazy the hospitals are feeding people the very food that caused the heart disease, high blood pressure or cancer that they are treating. Every person in the hospital should receive some nutrition education before being released. Every doctor visit should be an opportunity to educate patients about how food choices impacts their health outcomes. The fact that doctors do not get nutrition training as part of their training makes no sense. Medicare and Medicaid should require nutrition education as part of patient care. Focus should be on food choices.
I’m not sure I understand. Why do you need fire to eat meat or organs? Grilling your steak is a modern invention. That said, there was a reason why humans started using fire to cook meat but I still eat 80% of my meat and organs raw.
@@MichaelKummer oh no!! i literally just downloaded an app that keeps track of this and over the last few days (I've also had a cold) it keeps telling me that it's super low - like 18-25 and I'm freaking out. I workout everyday with 1 rest day on Sundays and have been doing this since I was a teen. How do I make it better if these readings are accurate?
@@sarahsimmons8921 If you have a cold, your HRV is likely lower as your body is battling the virus. You just have to wait it out. Also, unless your device measures your HRV during deep sleep, the numbers are likely meaningless because your HRV constantly fluctuates during the day. Last but not least, if you're not redlining every day during your workouts, you'll probably be fine with only one rest day. Listen to your body and get something like a WHOOP strap (michaelkummer.com/go/whoop) to figure out how your daily stressors are really impacting your body over time.
interesting video :) just want to point out that there are no scientific proof that humans are made to be carnivore but i would be happy to have the source where you get you choice from (like a scientific article). For me personally going vegetarian+fish has been the best combination
I don't think I said that humans are carnivores. We're carnivore-leaning omnivores and there are plenty of scientific studies that point in that direction (not to mention evolution), including www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210405113606.htm.
Your diet is very much determined by your location on earth, if you live in Alaska for example you aren’t going to be eating fruit and vegetables in the winter
To get $30 off WHOOP -- my favorite wearable to keep track of my HRV -- make sure you use the link michaelkummer.com/go/whoop.
Heart rate variability is a measure of how efficient your body is at recovering.
Here are the 10 points mentioned :
1 - diet. A natural diet with few carbs is recommended. Also, finish eating 3 to 4 hours before bedtime.
2 - hydration. Make sure to hydrate enough, especially if you are on a ketogenic diet.
3 - avoid alcohol. It severely impacts sleep, even just a couple drinks.
4 - Sunlight. Get outside a few times a day.
5 - go to bed early. This helps with your circadian rhythm.
6 - sleep quality. Wake up and go to sleep about the same time every day. A cool temperature is good in the bedroom.
7 - manage stress. Breathing techniques and a brain dump before bed are recommended.
8 - get out in nature. Even your backyard is beneficial.
9 - exercise. High intensity exercise in particular.
10 - intermittent fasting. Fasting 24 to 48 hours every so often is great for increasing HRV.
Thanks for summarizing :)
My HRV hovered around mid 30s to mid 55s. I could not break 55. I've now been incorporating strength training, meditation and modified my diet...today I saw my HRV increase to 67!
That's awesome, thanks for sharing that feedback!
That’s awesome. I’m in the same situation. 30-50 range. I’m in great cardiovascular shape but not great overall muscle strength….I’m planning on reducing cardio and increase weights. Curious though…What diet modifications did you make? I’m mostly paleo now.
@@matth9939consider balanced diet ...
My whoop says average 54 HRV at 47 and have been as low as 37 and as high as 61. Comparing yourself to others is a thief of happiness. Good vibes to all.
Good Information in a bunch
1. Avoiding red wine in the evening is my take away.
2. Using circadian rhythm is a challenge for me sometimes as I usually work in night shifts.
3. Protecting sleep is also a challenge as I sleep in living quarters where there's movement throughout the day and night.
4. Eating before sunset is also difficult for me, sometimes have to eat at late night due to Night working hours.
5. Hydration is very effective way in my life style.
6. Breathing is also very impactful for keeping up the HRV.
7. Writing in detail for task and dump it out of para sympathetic system is very nice way to de stress.
8. Nature is mother in real, it heals if we are open.
9. Exercise is the right stressor for response and adaptiveness of our body in long term.
10. Fasting in between weeks, is same as the intermittent exercise and followed by faster recovery for raising HRV.
You're most welcome!
Quitting coffee doubled my HRV for the positive
doubled? no shit!? damn!! I wonder if that's why mine fell off a cliff last night. Dropped to 29. night before was 40. I only have one cup of mushroom coffee in the morning (less caffeine than coffee) but yesterday I had a 32 ouncer of iced tea at lunch. I was so pissed this morning like what the hell! I slept great, didn't drink alcohol, did a cold plunge, ate good, had plenty of fluids etc etc. this could explain it. I was pissed and fasted since I woke up to try and shake shit up lololol.
Dear Micheal, you are a amazing guy. I see you gave response to most of the queries and questions. Amazing, helpful and kind. Thank you.
You’re most welcome!
I’m trying to learn about and improve my hrv. This is by far the best video I have found. Thank you! Subscribed.
Awesome! Thank you!
Every sentence you spoke is a gem. Love your content 🙏🏼👍🏽
I appreciate the feedback!!
You’re very wise, Michael! I found your video since I’ve noticed my HRV average on Apple health app is slightly over 30 and I’m 39. I do believe chronic emotional stress is the main culprit. I do have a 6 month old baby so getting proper sleep is a bit far fetched for me right now; but I will implement as many other tips as I can. I did lose all the pregnancy weight and then some and I eat quite clean. Just subscribed to your newsletter. Thanks - Ashley 🙏🏻
Thanks so much, I appreciate your support Ashley!
Mine is most recently 88/100 and I’m obese off work on disability and I am not sure why it’s so high but I am glad.
Do you meditate? How did you get it so high?
@@tinastanley9215 I was on antidepressants at the time so maybe that is it? Not sure.
Best overview ive heard on this ...thank you.
You’re most welcome Arthur!
Great information and insights Michael! Appreciate you doing this video👍🏼 keep it up!
My pleasure!
So much good information in this video, even 2 years after it was initially published. Thanks for making it!
Glad it was helpful!
I have a Sleep Number bed, and according to it, my HRV is low, but I can get a sleep score as high as 95, however, that is rare, usually runs in the 70's, & HRV is in 50-60 range. I do many of your tips, but I can't lift weights, and I can't go without eating at night. If I'm not full, I can't sleep, then end up getting up and frying eggs at 1 or 2 in the morning. Good video! .
Hey Sherry,
Eating late is likely a factor in lower HRV reading during sleep. Check out michaelkummer.com/health/reasons-you-feel-hungry/ to fix your night eating.
Good review. I've done many and was wondering what else I could do to increase my HRV. I do most of them except the 48 hour fast,. I work on stress reduction and sleep the most. You did a great job outlining and explaining the details. Great job!
Thanks Sheila! Glad it was helpful!
My HRV has been consistently in the mid-teens ever since I got an Oura ring a little over a year ago. I am over 60 years old and am on 3 different meds for high blood pressure. Sleep scores have generally been in the low 90s or some upper 80s. I do most (but not all) of the tips you recommend. Need to work on diet and exercise more though 🙂
Great video. Very informative. Thank you! This information is exactly what I have been looking for. Subscribed. 🙏🏼
Thanks for the sub!
liked and subbed. precise and on point. I trust my garmin instinct 2 on HRV and learnt about this after buying that.
Thanks for the sub!
Great explanation, thank You for simplifying it
You’re most welcome!
What a good video. So well structured, full of relevant information, calmly presented, on the point. Subscribed and liked. I've been trying to improve my HRV for 9 days now, by implementing a new element to my before bed-routine. Already I can see results, the average HRV in the days before was around 62,8, now, 7 of 9 days it was significantly higher, even up to 81. Could it be that some people's HRV are extremely sensitive? It's like my heart reacts to every single change in my days. Two days I ran too much, and it dropped to 56 and even 48. After that 48 one, I rested all day long and I am planning to add another 3 days to fully recover. Today morning I woke up with a happy 67! I guess I have a sensitive heart.
Thanks for watching!
Absolutely fantastic video 🤟 ..background music was top notch too
Thanks, I appreciate the feedback!
Looks like different apps measure HRV in different ways. EliteHRV only goes up to 100, Oura and several others go up to 150.
An HRV of 60 in EliteHRV would be the equivalent of 90 in the app that you're using.
Siim Land, the longevity "expert", claims an HRV of 120+ using Oura, which is only around 80 in EliteHRV, which is good but probably not super human taking his age into consideration. He looks young, probably still in his 20's.
His entire life revolves around longevity, which is cool as an experiment but not practical for most people.
Also, measuring HRV during sleep would probably give better/higher result as your HR is very low. With the EliteHRV app I measure in the morning but that also means putting on the chest strap which kinda wakes me up (also the toilet trip).
In any case measure the same way (in the morning lying down) using the same app every day will give you a number that is representative of your personal HRV.
Very helpful and detailed video - Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Very interesting video, thank you. I've been measuring my HRV with clinically validated chest strap since Oct 2018. I find it very useful
Thanks for sharing!
The whoop measures skin temperature as opposed to core.I saw a test where a guy tracked core and skin temperature at night. Skin temperature went down during the night but core temperature slowly increased throughout the night.
Correct but as far as sleep is concerned, there is an inverse correlation between skin and core temperature. See www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2225580/
I’m 58 but very physically active and fit. Lower BP and RHR so concerned my highest HRV is 43 and as low as 33!
I'm extremely weak. I have been most of my adult life. My HRV is VERY low. Between 19-30 all week. I intermittent workout because I give up too soon with no results. I intermittent fast and extend fast. I'm working on cutting sugar out completely, but that's a work in progress. I do most of what you say on this video but don't feel like I see changes 😭 this is a really good video! Thank you.
Hi Viktoria! Thanks for the feedback and I’m sorry you’re struggling with increasing your HRV. Have you experimented with meditation and breathing exercises or devices like Apollo? See michaelkummer.com/health/stress-relief-gadgets/ for more on that?
you may need to test your TSH hormone levels - bloodwork. Simply taking a tsh pill each day may help you a lot!
@@MichaelKummer I've never heard of it. Thank you
An excellent video and accompanying blog - just subscribed. Thank you!
Welcome aboard!
Per Oura my HRV is 16, so I need to do something. Thank you for your video.
You got it!
I’m 27 and my Hrv is 23 😭 been dealing with a lot of stress the past few years
Stress has a major (negative) impact on HRV!
@@MichaelKummer thank you for responding and great video! Working on increasing mine
@@MichaelKummer Covid wrecked my heart (chronic tachycardia) and my average hrv is 32 (I’m 27 and WAS healthy pre Covid). The cardiologist basically told me they don’t know what’s wrong or how to fix it so I am now exploring other more holistic options.
@@BM-fz9yc I'm not a doctor, but if I was in your shoes, I'd load up on organ meat (fresh or freeze-dried, especially liver), magnesium, bovine colostrum, Lumbrokinase and Nattokinase. I'd also try and reduce my stress as much as possible. So no tough workouts, alcohol and anything else that causes stress (good or bad).
@@BM-fz9yc yea I caused myself tachycardia from over exercise and under eating for years. It’s really scary especially since we’re young. I would also look into anything that can regulate and strengthen the nervous system. It’s possible that covid weakens and dysregulates it
Very well done video. Thanks 🤙🏽 🏝️🌞
Glad you enjoyed it!
42M and my hrv is around 16-24 30tops
Keto, non drinker, and I'm a mail carrier (plenty of sun)
Bedtime 8pm wake at 4 on a new purple mattress and use my Garmin crossover for hrv tracking.
I'm cycling indoor and outdoor daily 7-20miles a day. For the past few years
Not doing so well
There are a lot of factors that influence absolute HRV numbers, including how Garmin tracks it. Does it take an average from the entire night or day? Or does it measure peak HRV during deep sleep?
@MichaelKummer My morning report directly on the watch shows overnight however I do take snapshots during the day which show roughly the same numbers.
@@BlairChasteen The most representative measurements should be taken during deep sleep when there are no external influences. The second best time to measure is in the morning when you've been completely still and relaxed for several minutes. Anything else could lead to more or less irrelevant results. To confirm your Garmin's accuracy, I'd also try to measure using a chest strap or WHOOP or Oura. The latter takes continues measurements while you sleep and shows them in a graph. Does Garmin do that too or just show you one number?
@MichaelKummer It does read all night long I can see the ups and downs on a graph for the entire night.
@@BlairChasteenFirst thing I'd do is measure with a second device and see if the readings match. I'd also consider whether or not long-term keto can stress your body and suppress HRV. In other words, what happens to your HRV if you consume carbs? How does your HRV change if you don't exercise for a week? Maybe you're overtraining...
I suck at managing stress. Can you do a video on stress management and whoop stress monitor? Am l the only one stressing about managing their stress levels on the app constantly 😊 l’m sure my HRV would improve if l could manage this better.
I'm about to launch a podcast and one of the first 10 episodes will be on stress management. I'll announce it on my newsletter if you care to subscribe: michaelkummer.com/subscribe/
I’m hoping to get mine up. My average is 11ms. It stays around that day or night even in deep sleep.
Fingers crossed!
15:15 Good point about core temp/sleep cycle deltas, and the pod pro.
✌🏻
Thank you!
You're welcome!
Can a low HRV be a symptom of prolonged PTSD? Mine is so so low and I’m wondering if my PTSD is the culprit?
I definitely think that’s possible since stress is in the name and stress is a major sympathetic activator which lowers HRV.
I have the same history too. At 42 my HRV is averaged around 20-25. Hoping I can work on getting it up.
@@jeffreyemrich546 so mine was on average around 22 a month ago. I’ve gotten it up to the high 30s by doing daily meditation (I use headspace) and working out daily. I don’t know what’s helping more so I’ll continue to do both and let you know if I can get it up even higher next month. Good luck to you!!
@@Sarah8561 How is it going? Any higher HRV?
@@Vegan4Change after months of hard work and dedicated meditation, relaxation techniques and sleeping pills, I’ve been able to maintain mid 30s. Hopefully in six months I can report back 40s and 50s.
My lowest a year ago was 15
Excellent information, thank you
You're most welcome!
Very informative and new subscriber 👊🏼
Welcome aboard!
I'm so confused about what HRV actually is. Everybody says it's a measure of how your body reacts to stressors compared to how your body rests... but then you have to measure it when your body is at rest? How exactly do you get a measurement of how your body reacts to stressors if you're only measuring your HRV when you're at rest (in a deep sleep, as the video says)?
When you sleep, your body is working hard to restore from the stressors of the previous day. Since you're not distracted while in deep sleep, it's the best time to measure how your nervous system is doing as far as recovery is concerned.
Thanks for his video man.
You’re most welcome! Make sure to check out the blog post I linked in the description. It had some updates!
I LOVE alll of these, thank you! Think it’s a little funny though when mentioning all the stuff that we used to do thousands of years ago before we had fire and then mention immediately after, temperature controlled mattresses like if we had that thousands of years ago😂
We used to sleep in caves that were naturally temperature-controlled I guess.
thank you! very helpful!!
You’re most welcome!
Thanks for the vid man. How often would you do a 24 hour fast?
Thanks for watching it Travis! I used to schedule my fasts in the past (16/8 every day, 24h once a week, 36h once a month) but found that to be too complicated. So these days, I fast opportunistically and I might get a 24h fast every few weeks.
My HRV changes daily in the range of 41-74 over the last month with a average of 58. This confuses me as I'm 38, healthy, active everyday with advanced gym sessions 6-7 days a week. My sleep is the only thing that's poor and historically can't improve. I assume that's keeping the number low. It's interesting to know I'm in the "unhealthy" range but a friend of mine who doesn't workout, is morbidly obese and very unhealthy is in the "healthy" range... This seems to be far less important than it's touted to be. Interesting no one cared about this a few years ago too.
Absolute numbers aren’t nearly as important as relative changes over time. Also, there is another factor involved in interpreting HRV data. Check out the comment from Roy on michaelkummer.com/health/increase-hrv/ to learn more.
Stress, anxiety make a bigger difference than any of those. I’m living proof. Mine hit 173 (average 59 baseline) and I’m old and no athlete…….. ❤
What do you think of Garmin HRV? My understanding is the hrv status is your overnight sleep hrv…and the body battery and stress use daily hrv recordings to provide stress scores.
Would Garmin hrv be accurate and a good source?
I never had a Garmin watch but from what I've heard it should provide relatively accurate readings.
Hey. I recently set up my Apple Watch to track my sleep and I’ve got some data back, to me it seems accurate but it says I got 6:28 hours of deep sleep when I sleep for a total of 8:47 hours. I’ve read that is extremely rare. My heart rate avg was 64bpm and my HRV was 75ms. I don’t know if this is any good. I’m 17 and male if this makes a difference. Could anyone explain this or tell me if this is healthy or not 🤷♂️
I doubt that's an accurate reading but the only way to find out is to go to a sleep lab.
My HRV averages around 14ms.
I work out all the time, am in good shape and health. I wonder how changing my HRV would help me.
How and when do you measure your HRV?
@@MichaelKummeri recently got an Oura ring and one of its features is to track HRV. Acdroding to the ring, my HRV averages around 16’ish, and tops out around 30ms. im not sure when the ring measures it, but it appears it measures ot throighout the day
@@joefishtale To calculate your readiness score, Oura measures your HRV during sleep (which is good). There could be countless factors for your relatively low HRV but the most common causes are stress, overtraining, alcohol or even hormone replacement therapy. Age plays also a role. How are your inflammatory markers (e.g., CRP)?
@@MichaelKummergood information. My CRP was 0.75 in January this year, and now 1.84 in July this year. Could possibly be overtraining, I was on 6 day double spit for most of that time and have recently moved it back to just 4 days a week, 1.5hr weightlifting sessions.
Could have been overtraining related. Had no idea that hormones played a role in HRV.
@@joefishtale I'd experiment with a lower training load and more recovery work. Regarding hormones, I noticed a correlation (might not be a causation) between higher testosterone levels and a high RHR and lower HRV. Conversely, with lower T levels, my RHR drops dramatically and my HRV tends to be higher.
excellent video!
Thank you very much!
Great post !
I have some questions
Is there big difference between
Polar H10
Morpheus
Whoop
?
As well when comes to olde population (40-60 years old) and training for health and longevity
What's better 2-3 cardio session a week at a slower pace 120-140 heart rate or maybe 1 slower session and 1 more hitt style?
Thanks Coach! I don't have any hands-on experience with either Polar or Morpheus but based on what I've read WHOOP is better at recovery and sleep tracking where (Polar) is likely better at fitness tracking.
As far as training is concerned, I recommend a combination of HIIT, lifting weights and walking over endurance training (especially jogging).
@@MichaelKummer thank you for the answer Apreciate
My avg hrs on my apple heart app is about 24 and has been so for many months. I am a 61 female. I workout doing cardio and strength but find it exhausts me. 1 step forward. 2 steps back. I am wondering how to improve ???
The HRV measurement on Apple Watch is useless and meaningless. You need to measure your HRV during deep sleep to get actionable info.
Excellent video, very important for me and my biohacking passion!😁
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great information. Can having settings on 8 sleep not correct hurt sleep? I recently got it a few days ago & first night I only woke up once. I changed the setting and I woke up multiple times
If you set your Eight Sleep mattress to cold or too hot, it can definitely (negatively) impact your sleep. That's why I recommend making incremental changes to your temperature settings to find the temp that works best for you.
Eight Sleep now also offers an Auto Pilot feature (at least in its beta app) that asks you in the morning how the temp was. Based on your answers, it can fine-tune the settings for you.
Thanks, Michael, I skipped back and forth to find the tips, and never found your "before and after" HRV. Can you reply with some of your own HRV data from your own experience with these health tips?
Hey Carl!
I've shared some raw numbers in my blog post - see michaelkummer.com/health/increase-hrv/
Cheers,
Michael
I just stumbled onto you and your channel. Good stumble !! Thank you for the great HRV tips ❤
You look like Dr Andrew Huberman’s brother 😉
Lol...thanks man!
My heart rate variance hovers around 190-205 when I’m in the green and I still don’t know why it’s so much higher than everyone else’s.
The difference between an HRV of 100 and 200 is actually only about 15% because RMSSD is a geometric scale. Also, very HRVs aren't necessarily a good thing. Check out the "How HRV Is Related to Fitness" section of michaelkummer.com/health/increase-hrv/ to learn more.
Could be the device you're slusing. Not all hrv devices are created equal. Try the AIO Sleeve maybe
everyone has different HRV, it's about the pattern of HRV changes that matter not the actual numbers
@@Cenot4ph tell that to someone with an HRV in single digits.
Good video. Is there Fitbit sense any good for measuring this ?
I've used the Fitbit Sense for a while to see how it would stack up to WHOOP but I wasn't impressed due to accuracy issues and lacking features that would help me gauge how my lifestyle choices would impact my HRV and other metrics. Check out michaelkummer.com/health/fitbit-vs-whoop/ for more information.
Thanks you so much for video ❤
Could link breathing app please
Here you go: michaelkummer.com/go/othership
love it dude. I made a couple similar videos... we should collab at some point!
That would be cool!
Hi Michael! What is the healthy range for a 45 year old woman? Low end healthy range to high. Thanks :)
There is no simple answer to that but check out ruclips.net/video/nh3xVDNq9BQ/видео.html to get an idea.
@@MichaelKummer Thank you!
Can walking on the treadmill for 1 hour improve HRV and If you hit Sauna would you want to hit it in the AM due to body temp before sleep?
I'm sure walking on the treadmill for an hour CAN improve your HRV and depending on your other lifestyle factors it might not. Is the treadmill your only type of exercise?
Also, there is nothing wrong with sauna bathing in the evening. In fact, it can help improve your sleep because the increase in core temp from the sauna will cause a subsequent drop in temperature.
In one day my hrv goes from as low as 12 to as high as close to 200 (usually it’s high when I’m sleeping). Which number is correct? I’m totally confused by this huge range in numbers whether I have a good hrv or bad.
It's perfectly normal for your HRV to change frequently as it reflects the competition between the sympathetic and parasympathetic branch of your nervous system. Due to those fluctuations, it only makes sense to measure HRV (for tracking purposes) when there are little to no external influences (e.g., during deep sleep).
Sleep trackers such as WHOOP do exactly that.
Thank you
Subscribed
Thanks for the sub!
At what point is your average resting HRV too high? And what are some reasons it might be too high??
If you're 280ms+, you may have a heart condition.
@@MichaelKummer I’m talking about 100-120? I keep seeing 50-100 being the healthy range as a 28 year old
@@niccayton398 The only thing anyone can tell you is the average HRV ranges (based on statistics). Average is not the same as optimal or healthy, so I wouldn't be worried about it. I'm unaware of any research indicating that your numbers are cause for concern.
@MichaelKummer ok thanks
Thanks a Million 😁
You got it!
My hrv is always around 150, and i am not athletic nor i eat healthy often, however my weight is avrage to slim. What does that mean?
Probably nothing.
Thanks ❤
You're welcome 😊
Update?
Why are you wearing two watches? Better for Tracking??
One is an actual timekeeper (Apple Watch) and one is the WHOOP Strap!
good job ;)
Thanks 😁
Thank you
You’re most welcome!
Nice 👌🏼
Thanks 🔥
The Apple watch and the Oura ring both measure HRV
They do but the Apple Watch doesn't measure it at times where it counts and there is no good way to interpret the data. Oura or WHOOP are much better choices for that.
Oura also very inaccurate
@@bartb1014 Most health trackers and even bathroom health scales have a degree of inaccuracy. It is important to focus more on the trends than the precise number. Are you improving your health.
I just measured mine on the iPhone app and it’s only about 5 for two days 😢
Did you measure it during deep sleep? If not, the reading is likely not very meaningful.
My Fitbit showed 11 one night 8 the next so I stopped wearing it 😢
I’m starting to think low HRV is better for longevity
How so?
Kthanks
Welcome!
Health care costs are out of control. Going WFPB vegan can save money, pain and suffering from disease.
Lower your chance of high blood pressure, heart disease and cancer by going vegan. Hospitals, doctors offices and schools should be places where good nutrition is taught and provided not places that contribute to disease and obesity. It is crazy the hospitals are feeding people the very food that caused the heart disease, high blood pressure or cancer that they are treating. Every person in the hospital should receive some nutrition education before being released. Every doctor visit should be an opportunity to educate patients about how food choices impacts their health outcomes. The fact that doctors do not get nutrition training as part of their training makes no sense. Medicare and Medicaid should require nutrition education as part of patient care. Focus should be on food choices.
How do animal based food possible before fire 🔥🔥🔥🔥?
I’m not sure I understand. Why do you need fire to eat meat or organs? Grilling your steak is a modern invention. That said, there was a reason why humans started using fire to cook meat but I still eat 80% of my meat and organs raw.
All you have to do is develop afib.
could too much physical activity impact HRV? making it low?
Yes! Exercise is a stressor that can lower your HRV. While that’s usually only a temporary effect, chronic overtraining can keep your HRV low.
@@MichaelKummer oh no!! i literally just downloaded an app that keeps track of this and over the last few days (I've also had a cold) it keeps telling me that it's super low - like 18-25 and I'm freaking out. I workout everyday with 1 rest day on Sundays and have been doing this since I was a teen. How do I make it better if these readings are accurate?
@@sarahsimmons8921 If you have a cold, your HRV is likely lower as your body is battling the virus. You just have to wait it out. Also, unless your device measures your HRV during deep sleep, the numbers are likely meaningless because your HRV constantly fluctuates during the day. Last but not least, if you're not redlining every day during your workouts, you'll probably be fine with only one rest day. Listen to your body and get something like a WHOOP strap (michaelkummer.com/go/whoop) to figure out how your daily stressors are really impacting your body over time.
@@MichaelKummer just bought the woop thing. do you wear this all day and night?
@@sarahsimmons8921 Yes, I wear WHOOP 24/7.
interesting video :) just want to point out that there are no scientific proof that humans are made to be carnivore but i would be happy to have the source where you get you choice from (like a scientific article). For me personally going vegetarian+fish has been the best combination
I don't think I said that humans are carnivores. We're carnivore-leaning omnivores and there are plenty of scientific studies that point in that direction (not to mention evolution), including www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/04/210405113606.htm.
Your diet is very much determined by your location on earth, if you live in Alaska for example you aren’t going to be eating fruit and vegetables in the winter
I’d love to see the studies on the standard American diet…. It seems super popular 🙄. Love your shirt
Is HITT okay?
It sure is!
I have 52 hrv
Nothing wrong with that :)
he's trying to sell you a mattress
Who is he?
👋
👋
You light up the room, want to be youtube friends?
Sure, let's be friends :)