Thanks to Dr. Marc Bubbs for having me on the show to discuss HRV in team sports. Details and episode links below.

In Season 3, Episode 7 Dr. Bubbs interviews Dr. Andrew Flatt PhD to discuss applications of heart rate variability (HRV) monitoring in team sport athletes. Dr. Flatt reviews the basic physiology of HRV, how pre-season testing can inform your training and recovery plans, how in-season monitoring influences decision making, and new findings on HRV results in larger athletes, such as linemen in American football. Dr. Flatt also discusses how the “other 22-hours” in the day – sleep, long-haul travel, mental and emotional stress, etc. – impact the nervous system and HRV measures, and finally provides some practical tips on how to collect HRV measurements, validated apps, and red flags to avoid when interpreting results.

Summary of This Episode

7:00 – What Is HRV?

7:45 – What impacts HRV scores in athletes

11:00 – Pre-season HRV trends in team sport athletes

13:20 – Olympic vs. national level swimmer HRV values

25:00 – In-season monitoring in collegiate football players

33:00 – Strategies for improving recovery as competitive season progresses

40:00 – Monitoring – a tool to start a conversation

46:30 – Different “apps” to implement with clients

57:00 – Evolution of research in HRV and team sports

https://www.stitcher.com/podcast/dr-bubbs-performance-podcast/e/58826132?autoplay=true