Using Heart Rate Variability to Measure Stress Response and Optimize Health

When embarking on an exercise program it is natural to focus most of your attention on workouts because without the stimulus of appropriate exercise done at the correct frequency, intensity and for the right amount of time you will not make progress.   However it is easy to lose sight of the fact that exercise is a stimulus and stressor and that progress actually occurs duringrecovery from exercise!

So while providing the correct amount of exercise stimulus is important -- optimizing recovery is as or more important.  This is particularly the case as we get older because our ability to recover from exercise stress tends to decrease as we age.    There are many factors which affect our ability to recover from and improve from exercise including adequate sleep, breathing patterns, hydration, nutrition, and mental ability to relax to name a few.

The art of exercise often comes down to knowing when you are training to much or too hard and NOT recovering adequately. This is particularly true as you get older and for serious athletes who must walk a knife edge between exercising enough and at a high enough intensity and allowing for adequate recovery.

The great news is that there is a highly accurate way to easily check your recovery status/stress response by monitoring heart rate variability or HRV for short.     HRV refers to the fact that the time between each heartbeat continuously varies!      The picture at the beginning of this article shows the variation in time between each beat of the heart measured with an electrocardiogram.     Even though the time between each heart beat is always varying your heart rate as expressed as the number of heart beats per minute can be steady at times.

So for example, an average heart rate of 60 beats per minute (bpm) does not mean that the interval between successive heartbeats is exactly 1.0 sec, instead they may fluctuate/vary from 0.5 sec up to 2.0 sec.   During exercise, HRV decreases as heart rate and exercise intensity increases. HRV also decreases during periods of mental stress.

As a general rule of thumb we want to see HIGHER Heart Rate Variability.    Higher HRV indicates that your Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) is in a highly responsive state and able to quickly adjust to changes and challenges to optimize homeostasis (homeostasis refers the fact that any living thing must maintain a consistent internal environment to maintain life so your body must constantly adjust to changes such as increased temperature, muscle activity, lightness, darkness, etc. to keep all the cells and organs functioning)

HRV is regulated by the autonomic nervous system (ANS) which controls the function of our internal organs such as heart, lungs, intestines, level of arterial tension, etc.    The ANS has two parts:  Sympathetic and Parasympathetic. 

The sympathetic nervous system is often considered the "fight or flight" system, while the parasympathetic nervous system is often considered the "rest and digest" system. In many cases, these systems have "opposite" actions where one system activates a physiological response and the other inhibits it. 

Parasympathetic activity decreases heart rate and increases HRV, whereas sympathetic activity increases heart rate and decreases HRV.    Recovery and stress relief is all about increased parasympathetic activity.  

When there are inappropriately high levels of Sympathetic Activity and low levels of Parasympathetic Activity – particularly for prolonged periods of time – you cannot recover from stress and sooner or later you will begin to experience physiological symptoms and physical performance decrements.

HRV and Heart Disease

When your Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) is inhibited your HRV is low and directly influences stress on your heart.   An under-active (PNS) and overactive Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) is a direct cause of high blood pressure, inflammation, and heart disease.   In fact research shows that the PNS activity of patients with heart disease is one-third lower, on average, than that of a healthy individual.

Measurement of HRV

Measurement of HRV allows you to know how your body is responding and adapting to all the stressors in your life including exercise BEFORE you experience symptoms or a decrease in physical performance.    By measuring HRV each morning upon waking before you rise from bed or eat or drink anything you can very accurately track your recovery status/stress response.   To measure your HRV you need a chest strap type heart rate monitor that puts out a Bluetooth Signal so it can connect to your mobile phone.      Most chest strap monitors do put out a Bluetooth Signal.    Then download one of several HRV apps for your phone such as this excellent app:  https://elitehrv.com/ 

Follow the directions to set-up the app and connect your monitor to the app.   Then in morning put on your monitor and let the app run for 2 minutes or so.    Record the HRV numbers and look at them over a couple of days.   It will take a few days before the numbers will become meaningful. Take notes on your workouts to see the correlations between your numbers and how you feel. The numbers are related to you and are not useful unless you can compare it to your previous data (furthermore, different apps use different algorithms, so the numbers between apps will be different, as well). You can use recommendations from the app as rough rules of thumb, but rely mostly on your numbers relative to previous numbers to track recovering and stress response.

Salmon Roe – The Super-food You Never Heard Of!

Just about everyone has heard that s  farm-raised salmon contains very little Omega 3 fatty acids so choose Wild Alaskan Salmon whenever possible).

Salmon can be a very healthy addition to your diet due to high levels of beneficial Omega 3 Fatty Acids and a unique Anti-Oxidant called Astaxanthin which gives Salmon its color (NOTE:

Salmon roe may be one of the best kept secrets out there.    Salmon roe – often known as salmon caviar – is Salmon eggs from female salmon.     Like most eggs salmon roe is incredibly nutritious and delicious! 

Salmon Roe is high in protein, vitamins, and a particularly potent form of Omega 3 Fatty Acids.   The two most bio-active types of Omega 3 Fatty Acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).       EPA and DHA are present in fatty fish such as salmon, but Salmon Roe contains these essential fatty acids in phospholipid form.    Our cell membranes are composed of a phospholipid layer.   The phospholipid form of EPA and DHA is much easier to absorb into your cells which is where the benefits are derived.

Salmon Roe and prevention of Dementia and Alzheimer’s

The highly bioavailable form of DHA in salmon roe allows it to be transported efficiently across the blood/brain barrier.    People prone to dementia have an impaired ability to transport DHA across the blood/brain barrier so DHA is not able to get to the brain cells.   DHA is vital for the brain and its development.   Regular DHA from fish oil is often not able to get past the blood brain barrier in people prone to dementia, but salmon roe can deliver this critical nutrient to brain cells.

If able to get across the blood/brain barrier, DHA promotes brain glucose uptake (blood sugar uptake) by regulating the structure and function of special proteins called glucose transporters located in the blood-brain barrier.      Getting enough glucose into brain cells is critical for preventing the build up of Amyloid-Beta Plaque and Tau tangle formation which is the hallmark of Alzheimer’s Disease.

Other Nutrients in Salmon Roe

As mentioned above salmon roe contains highly bioavailable EPA/DHA – in fact salmon roe has 3.5 times the amount of these essential fatty acids than salmon itself!  One ounce of salmon roe contains 6 grams of protein and high amounts of vitamins B12, C, E, Folate, Thiamine and the critical mineral selenium.  Like salmon – salmon roe contains high amounts of the highly effective antioxidant Astaxanthin.  If you are not familiar with Astaxanthin check out this previous blog-post on its many benefits:http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2017/04/astaxanthin-anti-oxidant-superstar.html

How to Prepare Rice and Potatoes to Reduce Calories

Yes you heard that right – how you prepare complex carbohydrates like rice and potatoes can make a big difference in the amount of sugar, starch and calories you absorb when you eat them!    To understand how this occurs let’s look at the three types of carbohydrates:  sugars, starches and fibers.

All sugars are converted into glucose (your body’s preferred carbohydrate source) to be used for cellular energy.      Starches are simply multiple sugars hooked together and when eaten are broken down into sugar again.

Fiber also consists of multiple sugars hooked together but human beings lack the enzymes necessary to break fiber down into sugars again.   So long story short even though there are calories and sugar present within fiber we do not absorb any of them!    

Fiber has many benefits to our digestive system including helping with satiety (feeling satisfied); reducing cholesterol; and providing “food” for the good bacteria which inhabit our intestines.

How to Prepare Rice and Potatoes to Lower sugar/starch and reduce calories absorbed

Scientists have discovered that you can convert a significant amount of starch to a form of starch known as “Resistant Starch” simply by cooking it, refrigerating it and then re-heating it.   To put some numbers to it a cup of rice has about 240 calories.   Prepared properly calories can drop by 50 – 60% WITHOUT affecting the taste AND providing many collateral benefits!

Here is here is the preparation process:

Bring water to a boil

Then add one teaspoon of coconut oil – this was used in an experiment testing the process, but the main effects are caused by cooking, cooling for 12 or more hours then reheating!

Add rice and boil for 20 – 25 minutes.

Refrigerate the rice for 12 hours

Then reheat the rice and eat or eat cold if you prefer – adding a small amount of a healthy oil like Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil prevents clumping and improve texture and taste for many.

This process boosts resistant starch by 10 times.

Metabolic Benefits of Resistant Starch

Resistant Starch is not fully digested and absorbed and instead ferments in the large intestine and is turned in short-chain fatty acids (SCFA’s) by bacteria.    These SCFA’s feed the beneficial bacteria in the colon.

We only absorb 2 calories per gram of resistant starch compared to 4 calories per gram for regular sugar and starch, yet resistant starch is very effective at satisfying hunger and produces high levels of satiety.

Resistant starch can help lower blood cholesterol and fatand has been shown to reduce the production of new fat cells.   The SCFA’s produced from resistant starch also reduce the release of sugar by the liver thereby increasing the amount of fat burning!

There is also a significantly reduced insulin response to resistant starch which is VERY important.    Constant high levels of insulin in response to high levels of sugar and other non-fiber carbohydrate intake reduces the cells insulin sensitivity and overtime this can result in Type 2 Diabetes!    This has big ramifications for the treatment of this form of diabetes which is sky-rocketing.

The effect on glucose and insulin metabolism is very impressive. Some studies have found a 33-50% improvement in insulin sensitivity after 4 weeks of consuming 15-30 grams per day.

Resistant starch may help prevent and reduce existing irritable bowel syndrome, diverticulitis, constipation, and ulcerative colitis.

Resistant starch can help balance immune response in the gut by balancing the production of immune cells and inflammatory chemicals.

Other Ways to Boost Resistant Starch Intake

Another great source of resistant starch is potato of all types.   Like rice simply cook then cool for 12 hours and eat cold or reheat.    Fine to add some healthy oil or reheat in water to change consistency and reheating in a microwave is fine.

Other food sources of resistant starch include green bananas, cashews, and raw oats.    You can also boost intake by using raw potato starch powder (Bob’s Red Mill Potato Starch) which is easy to add to food and shakes and has very little taste.    Benefits will max out at 32 grams of resistant starch per day and start slowly to allow your digestive system to adjust.

It takes 2 – 4 weeks for the production of short chain fatty acids to increase and notice all the benefits!

Vitamin D Optimization to Prevent Illness in Winter

Vitamin D is constantly in the news and for good reason.    Optimal levels of Vitamin D have been linked to a host of benefits including prevention and treatment of many key diseases ranging from Osteoporosis to improved heart health with reduction in heart attack risk to prevention of many different types of cancer.  Optimal Vitamin D levels also help prevent acute illness's like colds and flu!

The ideal way to get optimal levels of Vitamin D is to let your body create it through Safe Sun Exposure (see previous blog on this subject here:  http://workoutanytime.blogspot.com/2016/08/the-facts-on-safe-sun-exposure-and.html  However this is easier said then done, and too much sun is clearly a strong risk factor for skin cancer!      Enter Vitamin D supplementation.

The amount and form of Vitamin D supplementation has changed substantially based on lots of emerging research.    The form that should be taken is Vitamin D-3 NOT D-2 form and all experts agree on this!     However when it comes to dosage things get much trickier.      The confusion comes because Vitamin D is really a powerful compound and functions as a hormone in the body.    As such it has profound impact on virtually every system in the body.    In addition it is possible, although very rare, to overdose on Vitamin D supplements so more is NOT always better!

To insure you are taking the right dosage you need to test your levels of Vitamin D.    The test you want is called a 25(OH)D blood test and is offered by all major labs.   You can either ask your doctor to order this test for you OR you can order an in-home test.   You just prick your finger and put a drop of blood on the enclosed paper and send back in to the labs.    You can also order your own blood test online and go to a lab to have blood drawn in the same way your doctor orders the test.   For more information on testing go here:  https://www.vitamindcouncil.org/testkit/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwh_bLBRDeARIsAH4ZYEPhv0MVkO5_S7USZZ8bwVlt5A3vPWGbBFFIbJiB8Wtva0x-IDH7UmQaAlGkEALw_wcB#

Ideal versus Acceptable Blood Levels of Vitamin D

There is a big difference between what is considered “acceptable” or okay and ideal blood levels.    Almost all negative vitamin D studies contain a big flaw - they use a fixed dose for people in the study instead of testing and retesting to determine the optimal dosage to achieve ideal blood levels.  In virtually every case when dosage is optimized for the individual there are significant positive results in preventing acute illness, and improving function throughout the body. 

Here are the classifications of different blood levels of Vitamin D. according to the Vitamin D Council:

0 – 30 ng/ML is very low and considered a deficiency

30 – 39 is better but still insufficient for optimal health and disease prevention.

40 – 100 ng/ML is optimal

Above 150 ng/ML is toxic!

The key is to test and if low take a supplement then retest 2 – 3 months after regular vitamin d use because each person is different in how much supplementation they need based on many factors including sun exposure and skin type.     The RDA for Vitamin D for infants is 400Iiu/10mcg.    For Children 1 – 13 and adults through age 70 the RDA is 600iu and for those over 70 the RDA is 800iu.

Unfortunately, this is way too low to get many people into the sufficient much less optimal range so  testing is really worthwhile.   In many cases people need 4,000 – 10,000 or more iu's per day for at least a month to get where they need to be for optimal health!

Preventing Vitamin D Toxicity through the Co-Administration of Vitamin K-2

Like many vitamins Vitamin D has a co-factor or other vitamin that helps it perform its function better and in a more balanced fashion, and that other vitamin is Vitamin K-2 (not to be confused with K-1 found in many plants).    In an ideal world, you can get all the Vitamin K-1 you need from eating plenty of green, leafy vegetables, and your body can turn it into K-2.   Unfortunately, this conversion is lacking in many people.

More importantly K-2 is not easily toxic and can be taken with Vitamin D.    K-2 is best taken as a supplement as MK7 version which has been heavily researched and shown to improve bone health and prevent arterial calcification which can potentially occur with too much Vitamin D.     For a more complete understanding behind how K-2 works with Vitamin D and why it is a great idea to take the MK-7 form of K-2 with Vitamin D check out this article from Dr. Mercola:   http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/03/26/the-delicate-dance-between-vitamins-d-and-k.aspx

Taking 100 – 200 mcg per day of Vitamin K-2 will help optimize the effects of Vitamin D and minimize risks associated with Vitamin D Supplementation.

Chili Peppers Can Help Prevent Strokes and Heart Attacks

Really?  Yes really!   A study conducted a longitudinal analysis with 22,811 men and women.  As reported in the December 2019 Journal of the American College of Cardiology “…regular consumption of chili pepper is associated with a lower risk of total and CVD death independent of CVD factors or adherence to a Mediterranean diet.”

Pepper eaters had a 40% lower risk of having a fatal heart attack, and their stroke risk was 50% lower!  

So how do peppers lower risk?   Chili peppers contain a plant chemical called capsaicin which is responsible for its hot and spicy jolt.  Capsaicin is concentrated in the seeds and white inner membranes of peppers.

Capsaicin is produced to protect peppers fungus growth.    When ingested it tricks the brain into perceiving heat where it touches the body.    This stimulation of nerves helps block pain and is why topical capsaicin creams can be very helpful for pain.  It exhausts the levels of “substance P” which plays a role in transmitting pain signals to the brain.

Another study showed that Capsaicin can help lower blood pressure by boosting transient receptor vanilloid 1 (TRPV1).     Yet another study published in the American Heart Association Journal Circulation found that using a pain cream with Capsaicin reduced damage to the heart during a heart attack.

While there are many benefits to capsaicin-containing foods, eating chili peppers is not for everyone. Some people cannot tolerate the compound or the flavor, while others may find it upsets existing conditions.

For most people, however, eating chili peppers will be a beneficial way to get added nutrition, and may prove to be beneficial for heart health. Do not take a capsaicin supplement or use a cream without consulting with a qualified health care professional.

The Most Effective Strength Training Program in the World: Blood Flow Restriction Training

Blood Flow Restriction Training was first pioneered in Japan 50 years ago and was called “Kaatsu”. Ka means "additional" and atsu means "pressure." In America the method is called "blood flow restriction training," (BFRT) and involves performing strength training exercises while restricting blood flow to the extremities.

One of the many benefits BFRT is that you can use just 30 to 50 percent of the weight you'd normally use while still obtaining the maximum benefits of heavy resistance training.

Cuffs or bands are used that are just tight enough to allow arterial blood flow but not venous flow. The cuffs are placed on the upper arm between the shoulder and top of the bicep and at the top of the thighs right under the gluteal muscles.  BFRT causes lactic acid and other waste products to build up triggering a local and systemic response that provides you with all the benefits of lifting heavy weights without the associated risks and stresses on joints and tissues. 

For this reason, it's a great strategy for those with injuries, older people who cannot safely tolerate loads, and those who are recuperating from an injury or anyone who wants all the benefits of heavy resistance training without the risks!   

How does BFRT Work?

The concept idea behind blood flow restriction training is to restrict blood flow using a band around the upper portion of the arm or leg being worked. This creates a metabolic disturbance that has local and systemic effects:

1. A safe decrease in oxygen along with an increase in the acidity of the muscle tissue stimulates protein synthesis through an adaptive response to the stressor.

2. The central nervous system also senses the challenge and compensates by increasing sympathetic tone, heart rate, ventilation and sweating.  This generates a tremendous cardiovascular response and benefits along with accentuated hormonal response.

3. Although using light weights by reducing oxygen levels muscles are forced to use anaerobic pathways and Type 1 Endurance Muscle Fibers are quickly fatigued so muscles turn on the fast-twitch  Type 2 fibers which is what is required to make significant gains in strength and muscle size.

The low oxygen conditions generated through BFRT causes the release of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) and Hypoxia-Inducible factor-1 alpha (HIF1A).  These factors generate a systemic affect throughout the entire body causing a robust increase in micro-circulation and blood vessel growth and repair.   Through this mechanism BFRT has been shown to increase muscle stem cells by 300% after 8 days of training.

BFRT also results in a very significant boost in Growth Hormone on par with the response to very heavy weightlifting.     

BFRT also lowers myostatin which puts the breaks on muscle growth, and it produces these many powerful benefits while inflicting much less muscle damage.  

Unexpectedly muscle growth occurs throughout the body because of the systemic effects.      The systemic increase in Growth Hormone also drives overall muscle growth.

BFRT Training Protocol

A typical training session uses three sets of 20 – 30 repetitions per set for 3 – 4 sets using half or less of the resistance you'd normally use. Rest between sets is short with typical rest time being 20 - 30 seconds.

Could BFRT Cause Injury such as Deep Vein Thrombosis?

Properly executed BFRT uses special inflatable cuffs that do not allow arterial blood flow to be cut off, so this IS NOT the same as putting a tourniquet on and is quite safe.   In fact, it is heavily used for cardiac and stroke patients in Japan.   The systemic effects of circulatory growth factors often result in improved circulation and lower blood pressure.  It is important to use cuff’s designed specifically for this process.

High Quality BFRT Equipment

There are several great companies providing specially designed BFRT cuffs that fit any arm or leg and provide the ability to apply a precise amount of pressure through a simple, small hand-pump attachment.   These high-quality systems do not allow you to apply to much pressure which could shut down arterial blood flow.   High quality systems include:

https://bstrong.training/ - an outstanding system at a much lower cost than the original Kaatsu system below

https://www.kaatsu-global.com/index.cfm?Action=Store.Details&pid=11– original BFRT System

Contraindications for BFRT

• Women who have had a mastectomy with or without radiation and/or an axillary node dissection should not use blood flow restriction training.
• People in hemodialysis who have arterial venous fistulas. Avoid doing blood flow restriction on the affected limb
• Pregnant women should not use BFRT
• Cuffs should never placed on injured sites.

For more information on Blood Flow Restriction Training check out this video with one of the leaders in this type of Training Dr. Jim Stray-Gunderson:  https://youtu.be/KXh2THPc984

Is Walking Downstairs Better than Walking Up Stairs?

Believe it there are clearly big benefits to walking downstairs!  A study actually tested the benefits of walking downstairs.   The study was done with obese woman who were 60 or older.  They divided the group into two groups of 15 woman – one group walked up stairs and one group walked downstairs.

For the downstairs group they took an elevator up and walked downstairs.    The other group walked up and took the elevator down.    Both groups did their workout 2 times per week for 12 weeks.

Average HR during downstairs walking was about 23 beats per minute lower in this group compared to the group that walked up stairs.  Resting heart rate and systolic blood pressure decreased more in the group that walked downstairs, and only the group that walked downstairs had an increase on bone mineral density.    In addition, triglycerides, cholesterol, glucose, insulin all dropped in the downstairs walking group only.    The downstairs walking group also saw an increase in HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol) while the other group did not.  Finally, the downstairs walking group shoulder a greater increase in strength than the other group.

Why did this happen?   The key is that the downstairs walking group were mostly using eccentric contractions to control their descent while the other group used concentric contractions where the muscle shortens under tension.   

Both forms of contractions are important, but we tend to neglect eccentric muscle contractions because it is more difficult to train this function.   This is where machines like the reACT Trainer (www.reacttrainer.com) come in handy since it makes it easy and safe to focus on eccentric muscle function like walking downstairs.