Paul Tunnell's LBP test 28-08-08

[Robh]

More on RLX/HRV from Juerg :-

Here is some ionfo about HRV ( heart rate Variability )
I got some very interesting mail concerning our discussions : RLX / Polar , HRV ( heart rate variability ) and LLL ( lower linear limit ) in our testing system.
We are in some discussion in our FaCT Center thread , and I would like to get some info out to everybody.
HRV :
A possible definition could be :
HRV is the beat-to-beat alteration in your heart rate.
Under resting conditions, a healthy individual will show periodic variation in the R-R interval, or simply put , there is no fixed time between 2 heart beats.
This rhytmic change in the heart beat is better known as RSA ( respiratory sinus arrhytmia ). Es in the word it will fluctuate with the phase of respiration - cardio-acceleration during inspiration, and cardio-deceleration during expiration.
The RSA is predominantly mediated by respiratory gating of parasymphathetic efferent activity to the heart;Vagal efferent traffic to the sinus node occurs primarily in phase with expiration and is absent or attenuated during inspiration.
This HRV actually disapears under atropine injections. ( Old school from my military time )

Now what can we do with HRV.
Reduced HRV may be used as a marker of reduced vagal activity. There may be a problem to distinguish reduced central vagal activity from reduced peripheral activity, but for us as average people it can help to see a " possible sympathetic overload on the syatem..
HRV is a good marker of acute stress. During a FaCT you will see a clear change in HRV with the first time nearly gone ( HRV down to 1 or 2 ).
The same is not just under physical stress , were earlier or later heart rate will increase clear and without doubt, but as well under mental stress, were the heart rate may not climb that high, but HRV clearly dropps. ( Pre start situation , public speech , exam stress, stress in traffic )
HRV seems to decline as well with age, resp. increases with exercises. This because exercises may presumably increase vagal tone.
HRV will decline after a meal , but may increase druing rest and sllep.
In short HRV appears to be a marker of 2 situations.
1. frequent activation ( short term dips in HRV in response to acute exercises or a general stress)
2. An inadequate response ( lon-term vagal withdrawal, resulting in the over-activity of the counter regulatory system - in this case, the sympathetic control of cardiac rhythm.)
Practical approach:
a) use HRV to figure out your minimal activity level, resp. figure out your maximal "cool down intensity , were we may use the full stroke volume with a minimal pressure situation. This could be very beneficial for cardiac rehabilitation , as well for minimal intensity controle after a race or in case of other possible injuries.
b) USe HRV instead of resting heart rate as a possible better marker of the vagal and the sympatetic balance situation in the body after , during or before a specific traiing will take place.
HRV is very interesting to observe in time zone changes ( Europe to northamerica as an example )
Physical stress combinded with mental stess can show a very strong decline in HRV.
What do other people with HRV ?
In medicine some people use HRV to predict the survival after heart attack. Over a half a dozen prospective studies have shown, tha reduced HRV predicts sudden deat in patients with MI, independant of other prognostic indicators such as ejection fraction.
A reduced HRV appears as well to be a marker of fatal ventricular arrhythmia..
Other studies show a direct link between reduced HRV and negative emotions, such as anxiety and hostility.
They than make a connection between CHD and anxiety and low or reduced HRV and MI.
Back to the athlets.
We believe that with some more datas on HRV and trainng , we may have another simple tool to track down possible overloads , so we can early enough intervene with some recovery type of work outs , bevore the "alarm phase " moves over into overload and failure . ( Hans Selye )
Hope this ideas will give you something to think about . Have fun, if you get stressed during reading check your RLX on your watch and you will be surpirsed how true the above story is.
Cheers Juerg
Actual Rlx just now behaviour I started to write this article 35 now in the middle of it 15. Heart rate no change 59 - 62 . Hmm interesting
Okay now relaxing for 45 sec RLX now on 26.

[Robh]

Some more explanations :-

LLL = lower linear limit = short the lowest heart rate you should have to still "stress " your cardio vascular system , or the highest you should go , if you are sick.
It is very often identical with the Polar lower own zone or with RLX at 4ms

ULL = Upper linear limit. The highest heart rate you should go in a hard race to still have an optimal performance.
ULL is as well the HR , where you have the optimal SV (stroke volume )

LPB = Lactate balance point , which is the point , where , if you go above lactate is in the system and can be measured , as where if you go below lactate disappears from the system.

[Robh]

Before I got Paul to do the LBP test I did the following initial assessment...

Date of Birth
Body height
Body weight
Resting heart rate (laying down)
Orthostatic heart rate on bike.
Polar fit test
RLX (HRV variability)
Blood pressure
Resting O2 sat
Resting breathing frequency
Resting lactate
This takes about 15 minutes.

Brief run down of procedure :-
1. Measured Paul's weight which is used for the Polar fit test and for LBP power to weight ratio..
2. Took a resting heart rate as Paul laid down for 3mins.
3. Changed the user settings on the Polar to suit Paul so I could preform the 5 minute fit test.
4. Took Paul's blood pressure.
5. Took a measurement of HR, oxygen saturation, breathing frequency, RLX whilst stationary on the bike.
6. Took a lactate reading at rest.
7. Started Paul on the ramp test at a low wattage figure to catch the HR figure when RLX was 4ms.

[Michelle]

[quote="Robh"]Reduced HRV may be used as a marker of reduced vagal activity

[Robh]

Hi Michelle,

Bare with me here as there is so much stuff to learn with FaCT to get your head round. The courses for Level I & II were 2 days in total so I'm learning all the time and will never stop learning...

Quick look on google :-

Vagus’ means ‘wanderer’ — and that is indeed what these nerves are. Attached to the brain stem, and emerging through the base of the skull into the neck, the right and left vagus nerves innervate through their branches a widespread range of body parts, from the head down to the abdominal organs.

One of a pair of nerves that originate in the medulla oblongata, and extend down into the thorax and abdomen to innervate the heart, lungs, and parts of the alimentary canal. The vagus nerve carries motor neurones to the muscles which facilitate swallowing, and to both afferent neurones and efferent neurones of the parasympathetic nervous system.

Hope that helps Michelle...

FaCT uses HRV for cardiovascular fatigue...This figure changes daily and I measure it every day when on the bike to monitor what my cardio system is doing. E.g when I'm riding at the start of the ride I run the Polar Ownzone fucntion and this test gives me a heart rate that has a HRV of 4ms. So after 3 days rest I've seen my lower ownzone value as high as 132bpm. This means if i ride below 132bpm I'm not stressing my heart, after 3 days of training it drops every day and can get down to 108bpm. So if I'm feeling tired and I wanted to ride and not stress my heart I would see what my lower ownzone number is for tha tday and ride below that heart rate.

Using power my watts figure for a recovery ride was 147 watts last year, any rides under this figure was deemed a recovery ride so no stimmulus to your body. But how can you have a fixed number when your body is a physiological system which is not predictable.

I wonder how many people have a Polar which has ownzone? Now they know what they can use it for now....

Rob

[Robh]

Paul & Slyv,

This is for you from Andrew @ FacT-Education :-

The combination of FaCT testing with the power training will show the benefits of having an objective measurement tool to see if the training is having the expected affects on the body.

Likewise, for those racing in HUGE endurance events like the 12 hour time trial (or Ironman). We often find that it takes 2-3 weeks to begin to feel normal after Ironman...and the results on LBP tests back that up. See what happens if you can convince them to do NOTHING for 3 days...they might be surprised that they are better after sitting on the couch.