itake8ez

posted: 7/4/2013 at 8:29 AM

Hi, Im 49 and been running for 15 years with some minor health issues. I have recently started monitoring my HRV and have noticed that it fluctuates greatly and I'm concerned by the sometimes very low number which can be in the 30's and then the next day it'll be in the 40's 50's or 60's. Is this common? my resting HR is 42 and my max is 185 (measured during 5k). I am menopausal with sleep issues and have experienced difficulty breathing for the last month which seems to happen every summer.

I recently discovered The Big Book of Endurance and have committed to MAF training. My MAF is in the 13-14 minutes and my most recent 5 K in March was low 24's. I cannot jog steadily and stay in MAF zone because my HR jumps too high, so i jog/walk to average 130 bpm but I'm able to go for 1-1.5 hours without a problem. I realize now that I'm aerobically unfit and want to build my aerobic fitness. I would love to run marathons again, but my last marathon 8 years ago ended with debilitating calf cramps which turned into a chronic problem and this is the only type of training that is giving me hope to be able to run that distance again, albeit much slower. I'm wondering if anyone else has had such large fluctuations in morning HRV and also if anyone has made a comeback from such a slow MAF. Thanks to anyone who can answer.

Buzzie

Bacon Party!

posted: 7/4/2013 at 2:13 PM
modified: 7/4/2013 at 2:14 PM

FWIW, I generally train MAF style and do measure HRV in the morning before I go out to run. (BTW, I'm 40-something.)

HRV is typically 75-110 when I consider myself healthy, recovered, non-stressed ... good to train.

When HRV dips to 60-75, I may lighten my planned workout ... lower effort, shorter duration or both.

Below 60 is recovery time ... time to really consider total stress load (training, work, life, diet, chemical, etc.), as I clearly have either gotten careless or just raced.

I'm currently in a re-building mode, so my MAF pace is slower; but, I know it will come back as I do the work.

There is a Low HR Training group here on RunningAhead that may be of help to you.

Liz

pace sera, sera

itake8ez

posted: 7/5/2013 at 9:45 PM

Buzzie, Thanks for the input. I will check out the Low HR training group. Just this morning my HRV was 73 which is 30 beats higher than yesterday. I'm going to see a cardiologist next week so hopefully ill get some answers. when I was in my 20s I was diagnosed with MVP but it went away and I think it may have returned. Thanks for your response.

runnerclay

Consistently Slow

posted: 7/6/2013 at 10:18 AM

Quote from itake8ez on 7/4/2013 at 8:29 AM:

I would love to run marathons again, but my last marathon 8 years ago ended with debilitating calf cramps which turned into a chronic problem and this is the only type of training that is giving me hope to be able to run that distance again, albeit much slower.

My maff started in the low 17's. 2 years and 3500 miles later I BQ'ed at 55(3:37:38).

Run until the trail runs out.

SCHEDULE 2016--

The pain that hurts the worse is the imagined pain. One of the most difficult arts of racing is learning to ignore the imagined pain and just live with the present pain (which is always bearable.) - Jeff

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Two Feet Under

posted: 7/6/2013 at 11:30 AM

How are you measuring HRV? Can it be done with a Garmin HRM?

joescott

posted: 7/6/2013 at 3:24 PM
modified: 7/6/2013 at 3:27 PM

If HRV means "heart rate variability" in this context, then the answer is yes. 610 and 910XT can be enabled to record HRV through use of Firstbeat's Athlete software. But I am a bit mystified by whatever "measure" these guys are assigning to HRV, as in HRV = 73, as this does not make sense to me, but then I probably have a lot to learn. I thought there were different statistical parameters (not just one figure) that were needed to characterize HRV.

E.g., a quick check of Wikipedia (fwiw!) turns up a whole slew of different ways to characterize HRV:

SDNN, the standard deviation of NN intervals. Often calculated over a 24-hour period. SDANN, the standard deviation of the average NN intervals calculated over short periods, usually 5 minutes. SDANN is therefore a measure of changes in heart rate due to cycles longer than 5 minutes. SDNN reflects all the cyclic components responsible for variability in the period of recording, therefore it represents total variability.
RMSSD, the square root of the mean squared difference of successive NNs.
NN50, the number of pairs of successive NNs that differ by more than 50 ms.
pNN50, the proportion of NN50 divided by total number of NNs.
NN20, the number of pairs of successive NNs that differ by more than 20 ms.^[21]
pNN20, the proportion of NN20 divided by total number of NNs.

- Joe

We are fragile creatures on collision with our judgment day.

itake8ez

posted: 7/8/2013 at 12:03 AM

I use Ithlete to measure HRV, but I'm not sure if HRV readings are useful for me considering the erratic fluctuations.

RunninOnion

posted: 8/22/2013 at 1:12 PM
modified: 8/22/2013 at 1:14 PM

Quote from Two Feet Under on 7/6/2013 at 11:30 AM:

How are you measuring HRV? Can it be done with a Garmin HRM?

The Garmin 610 and 910 support R-R recording. Once that's turned on, the .FIT file can be accessed and the HRV values calculated.

Downloading the file is not difficult and can be done either using FBA or Garmin Training Center. The Garmin forum, in the 610 sub-forum, has instructions.

FBA uses a FIT file containing R-R to calculate about a dozen values but there's no menu item for HRV and "HRV" does not appear in the docs. FirstBeat sells higher end (over $1k for the setup) software and hardware products that will take readings and calculate recovery.

HRV and MAF (Read 149 times)

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