Sunday, July 20, 2014

Here's something different I'm doing



Dr Kanodia has me monitoring Heart Rate Variability.  According to the latest research it is so much more valuable than just monitoring heart rate. Heart rate variability (usually known as HRV) is a relatively new method for assessing the effects of stress on your body. It is measured as the time gap between your heart beats that varies as you breathe in and out. Research evidence increasingly links high HRV to good health and a high level of fitness, while decreased HRV is linked to stress, fatigue and even burnout.  We’re using this to mitigate the effects of chemo and radiation along with understanding more about how my body responds to every day stressors.

I will measure my HRV, as well as my resting heart rate, every morning during a 1 minute test. After I have built up a baseline over a few days, the software algorithms compare my daily readings with a baseline to determine if any significant changes have taken place. These are reflected in traffic lights for today's work out and a chart to help me track trends.  Any significant changes and we can immediately order testing to see what causes the heart rate disruptions.

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