Unlocking the power of heart rate variability (HRV) is revolutionizing endurance training. It tracks the time variation between heartbeats, revealing the balance between the body’s sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems.
Documenting HRV in your TrainingPeaks account for analysis helps athletes unlock insights into their body’s response to training, stress and recovery. Learn how to utilize your HRV data for peak performance and injury prevention as you train.
![female athlete using TrainingPeaks how to interpret HRV in training](https://wpassets.trainingpeaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/23104924/22012-Blog-1200x675-1-1024x576.jpg)
How to Interpret HRV to Reduce Stress and Increase Performance
This comprehensive article explains how monitoring your HRV in training can help you pinpoint stressors that are hindering your performance.
HRV Monitoring in the Base-Building Phase
Monitoring your HRV can provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of your training, even during the pre-competition phase.
![A woman looking at her running watch](https://wpassets.trainingpeaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/05105752/21072-monitoring-hrv-build-phase-blog-1200x675-1-1024x576.jpg)
![a masters male runner going up a set of bleachers in a stadium](https://wpassets.trainingpeaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/08114347/21022-Blog-1200x675-1-1024x576.jpg)
Why Masters Athletes Should Monitor Their HRV
Heart rate variability generally declines as we age. But it’s not all doom and gloom for masters athletes, who can use HRV as a valuable metric to train and recover efficiently.
Measuring Mental Stress With HRV
You may think training is your biggest stressor, but daily life may play a bigger role. Find out how to manage stress for better recovery and performance.
![image of an athletes measuring mental stress using HRV on TrainingPeaks app](https://wpassets.trainingpeaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/03120655/20046-Blog-1200x675-1024x576.jpg)
![a swimmer under the surface during a freestyle stroke as bubbles surround him](https://wpassets.trainingpeaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/29141530/11295-how-monitoring-your-heart-rate-variability-helps-you-avoid-overtraining-700x394.jpgwidth700height394ext-1024x576.jpg)
Monitoring HRV to Avoid Overtraining
Tracking your heart rate variability provides additional insight into your readiness to accept training load, helping you ward off injury, illness and overtraining.
How to Use HRV to Predict Illness & Injury
Nobody wants to deal with illness or injury. Here are a few ways to use HRV to understand your body’s response to stress and avoid both.
![a smartwatch on the wrist of a person showing a heart symbol and waiting to read the heart rate](https://wpassets.trainingpeaks.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/19153911/blog-1200x675-1024x576.jpg)