What is Heart Rate Variability?

It is believed that Heart Rate Variability (HRV) will become as common as pulse, blood pressure or temperature in patient charts in the near future. HRV has been an accepted standard medical test since 1996, and is now becoming more and more popular in the areas of space research, cardiology, endocrinology, autism research, sports science, anti-aging, mediation, and general health.

Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a 5 minute test that is non-invasive and taken while sitting comfortably in a chair. Heart rate variability (HRV) software measures the differences between the R-peak and lengths on an electrocardiogram (ECG). The R-peak is the highest point and can appear like the summit of a mountain.

Studies have shown that the greater the heart rate variability HRV score the healthier the heart. In contrast, a low HRV score has been linked to poor health, inability to cope with stress, and exhaustion.  

HRV evaluates the efficiency of the cardiac autonomic nervous system, and because of this HRV has become one of the most valuable predictors of the degree of risk for a sudden fatal heart attack.

Understanding your HRV score can be a valuable tool when attempting to make lifestyle changes to improve your overall general health. Or to optimize overall performance, slow the aging process, and to even improve your quality of sleep.  

Your overall Stress Index at a systemic level can also be determined by your HRV test. It will show if you have adequate energy reserves to cope with daily stress. Your Stress Index score is an early warning sign of potential health challenges ahead.

Sympathetic (fight or flight) vs Parasympathetic (rest, heal, regenerate, digest, detox)

HRV represents the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic (Vagus) branches of the autonomic nervous system. Sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves carry efferent (motor) signals to the heart and different signals to the brain for reflex functions.

You can think of the Parasympathetic nerves (rest, heal, and regenerate) as a braking system that slow the heart rate. This in turn will improve your heart rate variability score.

You can think of the Sympathetic nerves (fight or flight) as the gas pedal that accelerates the heart rate, lowering your heart rate variability score. It is of the utmost importance to have a healthy balance between the two, as the autonomic nervous system regulates back and forth between the two throughout the day.

When different types of environmental stressors negatively impact the body, the autonomic nervous system senses this stress and moves into sympathetic fight or flight mode. If the stressors are not properly addressed, the autonomic nervous system can stay chronically stuck in sympathetic fight or flight mode. This will lower your heart rate variability score, increase inflammation, cause incoherent heart rhythms, and can cause a cascade of health issues.

In order to move the autonomic nervous system back into a healthy parasympathetic/sympathetic balance, the underlying stressors must be detected, addressed, and cleared. Proper food and dietary supplements are needed to rehabilitate and fire up damaged and dysfunctional mitochondria to give your body the power it needs to heal and regenerate. It takes more mitochondria/cellular energy to get well, than it does to get sick.

Your Heart Rate Variability HRV testing will inform the practitioner how your Autonomic Nervous System ANS is functioning and your practitioner will then be able to place you on a Mitochondrial Wellness Protocol that can help you to increase energy, improve performance, and adapt better to stress.

~The above text is taken from The Fast Way to Slow Down Ageing by Sheri Dixon

HRV Publications by Dr Kucera 

Mitochondrial Therapy: Some Questions of Autonomic Regulation Mechanisms with Use of HRV Analysis
Some possibilities of autonomic nervous system management.

System Securing Integrity of Organism
Organism integrity, internal environment stability, homeostasis and homeodynamic.

Stress: Influence on Health
Stress – influence on health – management with help of mitochondrial medicine – autonomic nervous system – adaptation – heart rate variability.

“Active Air ” Inhalation Therapy: Autonomic Regulation Mechanisms with Use of Heart Rate Variability Analysis
Active Air inhalation demonstrates significant influence on the autonomic nervous system and its regulatory efficacy by eliciting a marked increase of efficiency of regulatory systems.

HRV Analysis under the usage of different electrocardiography systems
Methodical recommendations.
These methodical recommendations are prepared according to the order of
the Committee of Clinic Diagnostic Apparatus and the Committee of New Medical Techniques of Ministry of Health of Russia (protocol №4 from the 11-th of April, 2002) by the following authors: R.M.Bayevsky (Chair), G.G.Ivanov (Chair Deputy), L.V.Chireykin (Chair Deputy), A.P.Gavrilushkin, Ya.Dovgalevsky, U.A.Kukushkin, T.F.Mironova, D.A.Priluzkiy, U.N.Semenov, V.F.Fedorov, A.N.Fleishmann, M.M.Medvedev (Secretary General)

These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.