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Chantelle Pattemore Photography Firstbeat
trackers. Hoffman notes, however, “This tech is more of an
estimation of the pulse from the blood flow in the wrist. It’s
not as accurate, but improving constantly.” Furthermore, “It
takes some education and understanding for people to learn
from this data themselves.”
While your HRV can provide valuable insights into
your health and training, it’s important to remember that
balance is key – and its figures aren’t all you should take into
account. A number of other factors, such as cholesterol and
blood pressure, are fundamental to good physical health
and aren’t disclosed by your heart rate. And although HRV
analysis can enhance awareness of the impacts of stress, it
doesn’t allow you to comprehend the state of your mental
health on a larger scale. Furthermore, notes Geyer, “We
should remember that not all stress is bad.”HAVE HEART
But as people become increasingly interested in optimising
their health and training regime, HRV analysis affords a
solid basis from which they can learn. “It can be a catalyst
for making better decisions, as it shifts our focus to freshness,
recovery and wellbeing,” reflects Geyer. And with frequent
advancements in monitoring technology, “the accuracy of
devices will keep improving,” says Hoffman. “I wouldn’t
say it’s mainstream yet,” she adds, but she is confident HRV
technology will “become more available, so people can get
the valuable insights they need.”Jai Geyer (left) and Dave Ryding