Credit: Getty
Strong Women
How heart rate variability is affected by the period cycle and hormones
By Chloe Gray
3 years ago
1 min read
Fitness trackers measure heart rate variability as a sign of recovery – but your period cycle could be throwing the reading off.
We’ve become accustomed to counting our steps, monitoring our heart rate and tracking our sleep – but the technology on smartwatches doesn’t stop there. Now, we can also monitor lesser-known markers, like blood oxygen levels and heart rate variability (HRV).
The latter may be niche, but it can actually be a useful indicator of our health – for example, it’s been associated with helping people track their infection and recovery from Covid-19.
What is HRV?
Put simply, HRV is the fluctuation in time between heartbeats. “A high HRV is a sign of being fit, rested and well – it means your heart rate is easily fluctuating and your body can adapt to situations.
A weekly dose of expert-backed tips on everything from gut health to running.
By signing up you agree to occasionally receive offers and promotions from Stylist. Newsletters may contain online ads and content funded by carefully selected partners. Don’t worry, we’ll never share or sell your data. You can opt-out at any time. For more information read Stylist’s Privacy Policy
Thank you!
You’re now subscribed to all our newsletters. You can manage your subscriptions at any time from an email or from a MyStylist account.