Man vs. Machine: The Quest for Peak Human Performance in the Age of Technology and Biometrics

Ever wonder why some athletes are more prone to getting hurt or hit a wall more frequently than others? Or, why some competitors never seem to tire out or miss a match because of illness, fatigue or injury? What about the rise in age-defying professional athletes maintaining their high level of competitiveness against a growing number of elite young challengers? Did you know there is a Japanese professional soccer player who is over 50 and still plays in the top division in that country? Awesome, right!?

Science and technology have never been so woven into the pursuit of optimal human performance as they are today (excluding, say, Ivan Drago from 1985’s Rocky IV). Biometrics — data compiled in various forms for immediate consumption, analysis and application to help you the athlete become the best version of whatever it is you are attempting to become/train for/compete at — is a hot topic now in sports performance and medicine. Within the myriad of apps, wearables and devices, Heart Rate Variability (HRV) is a newer kid on the block and, possibly, the most interesting biometric technology available for pros and weekend warriors alike to gain the ultimate advantage in peak performance.

HRV has been around for decades in medical science, but more recently companies like Whoop, Oura, iThlete, Elite HRV and HRV4Training have packaged it into a consumer usable format to guide training, recovery and competition. Some are 24-hour wearable devices (Whoop and Oura), while others utilize an app on your mobile device paired with a chest strap (e.g., Polar), finger probe or your phone camera to allow you to take a spot measurement (ideally first thing in the morning). The short and sweet is that HRV is a physiologic indicator of the balance between the two arms of the autonomic nervous system: your run from danger system (Sympathetic); and, your rest and digest system (Parasympathetic). Being a little more tilted toward the parasympathetic system is a sign your body is more physiologically primed for training and competition.

HRV devices provide the user daily scores reported in numerical form and also in a red/yellow/green color format. Depending on what device you are using, you may also receive trend data on sleep and stress. The value of using this information is that it can help an athlete gauge how various behaviors and habits influence their physiology (stress/recovery balance) and also provide objective data to help them decide if today is a good day to train/compete or to rest/recover. Trend data can also indicate whether or not an individual is becoming ill, increasing their risk for injury and possibly developing over training syndrome. Small studies comparing athletes using HRV to those who did not have found the former have better performance outcomes and fewer injuries.

Prices range from free apps (not including the cost of a chest strap or finger probe) to several hundred dollars for daily wearable products. Some individuals find it helpful to have a knowledgeable person in their corner helping them interpret and apply their HRV data.

In a world where technology is becoming more interlaced into human experience, HRV may be a tool that is more sensitive than our own perception about performance level, wellbeing and readiness to compete. If you are looking for that thing to unlock your untapped potential for a meaningful, sustained improvement in performance and wellbeing, HRV could be your huckleberry.

Originally published in the Fall 2021 issue of Spoke+Blossom.