Heart Rate Variability (HRV) guided training to improve performance: Latest publication using HRV4Training

In this study, the authors put to the test standard block periodization vs HRV-guided training, showing better results for the HRV-guided approach. Personally, I believe this paper is what I've been working for in the past decade.

It doesn't take much to understand that our capacity to handle stress is limited, and that stressors (training as well as lifestyle) can be better balanced by most of us. It is however far from straightforward to develop valid, reliable and easy to use instruments that can enable this process, to the point that new research and practical insights can be derived consistently by the use of such an instrument. 

More of this please!

> The principle
HRV helps us to quantify individual responses to stress. The hypothesis for HRV-guided training is therefore that by providing the most appropriate training stimuli in a timely manner, when your body is ready to take it, positive adaptations will occur and you will be able to improve performance

> The protocol
The HRV4Training app was used to collect data first thing in the morning. When the HRV baseline fell outside the normal values for an athlete, training intensity changed from high-intensity training to low-intensity training or rest

> Outcomes
Performance outcomes (VO2max, peak power output, ventilatory thresholds, and a 40-minute time trial) were all improved in the HRV-guided group, which also showed a better physiological profile (reduced CV HRV), highlighting a better response.

Learn more about the study, how you can use the same approach and monitor individual responses to stress, at this link