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The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka

236. What Is Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and How Do You Improve It?

The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka

Gary Brecka

Health & Fitness

4.8 • 3.1K Ratings

🗓️ 15 January 2026

⏱️ 11 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Note: This episode was originally recorded and first released on June 27, 2024. We’re resurfacing it because the conversation is more relevant than ever, and the insights remain as timely today as they were when first published. Your heart doesn’t beat like a metronome, and that variability between beats reveals everything about your body’s ability to handle modern stress. I get tons of questions about HRV, and here’s what you need to understand: HRV measures the balance between your sympathetic nervous system (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic nervous system (rest-digest), and research published in Frontiers in Neuroscience shows it’s a powerful non-invasive biomarker linked to mental and physical health. CLICK HERE TO BECOME GARYS VIP!: ⁠https://bit.ly/4ai0Xwg⁠ Thank you to our partners H2TABS: “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: ⁠https://bit.ly/4hMNdgg⁠ BODYHEALTH: “ULTIMATE20” FOR 20% OFF: ⁠http://bit.ly/4e5IjsV⁠ BAJA GOLD: "ULTIMATE10" FOR 10% OFF: ⁠https://bit.ly/3WSBqUa⁠ SNOOZE: LET’S GET TO SLEEP!: ⁠https://bit.ly/4pt1T6V⁠ COLD LIFE: THE ULTIMATE HUMAN PLUNGE: ⁠https://bit.ly/4eULUKp⁠ WHOOP: JOIN AND GET 1 FREE MONTH!: ⁠https://bit.ly/3VQ0nzW⁠ AION: “ULTIMATE10” FOR 10% OFF: ⁠https://bit.ly/4h6KHAD⁠ A-GAME: “ULTIMATE15” FOR 15% OFF: ⁠http://bit.ly/4kek1ij⁠ PEPTUAL: “TUH10” FOR 10% OFF: ⁠https://bit.ly/4mKxgcn⁠ CARAWAY: “ULTIMATE” FOR 10% OFF: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Q1VmkC⁠ HEALF: 10% OFF YOUR ORDER: ⁠https://bit.ly/41HJg6S⁠ RHO NUTRITION: “ULTIMATE15” FOR 15% OFF: ⁠https://bit.ly/44fFza0⁠ GOPUFF: GET YOUR FAVORITE SNACK!: ⁠https://bit.ly/4obIFDC⁠ GENETIC METHYLATION TEST (UK ONLY): ⁠https://bit.ly/48QJJrk⁠ GENETIC TEST (USA ONLY): ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3Yg1Uk9⁠ Watch  the “Ultimate Human Podcast” every Tuesday & Thursday at 9AM EST: YouTube: ⁠https://bit.ly/3RPQYX8⁠ Podcasts: ⁠https://bit.ly/3RQftU0⁠ Connect with Gary Brecka Instagram: ⁠https://bit.ly/3RPpnFs⁠ TikTok: ⁠https://bit.ly/4coJ8fo⁠ X: ⁠https://bit.ly/3Opc8tf⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://bit.ly/464VA1H⁠ LinkedIn: ⁠https://bit.ly/4hH7Ri2⁠ Website: ⁠https://bit.ly/4eLDbdU⁠ Merch: ⁠https://bit.ly/4aBpOM1⁠ Newsletter: ⁠https://bit.ly/47ejrws⁠ Ask Gary: ⁠https://bit.ly/3PEAJuG⁠ Timestamps 00:00 Intro of Show 01:30 What is Heart Rate Variability? 02:26 Link between HRV and Cardiovascular Health 03:18 Factors that Impact HRV 04:28 Measuring and Analysing HRV 06:27 Impact of Chronic Stress on HRV 07:13 Actionable Steps to Improve HRV Disclaimer: This podcast is for informational purposes only and does not provide medical advice. It is not intended for diagnosing or treating any health condition. Always consult a licensed healthcare professional before making health or wellness decisions.  Gary Brecka is the owner of Ultimate Human, LLC which operates The Ultimate Human podcast and promotes certain third-party products used by Gary Brecka in his personal health and wellness protocols and daily life and for which Ultimate Human LLC and / or Gary Brecka directly or indirectly holds an economic interest or receives compensation.  Accordingly, statements made by Gary Brecka and others (including on The Ultimate Human podcast) may be considered promotional in nature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

If you've never heard of HRV, you're not alone.

0:02.0

Today we're exploring a fascinating, highly impactful topic, heart rate variability.

0:07.0

Heart rate variability, or HRV, is the variation in time intervals between heartbeats.

0:13.0

Unlike your heart rate, which measures the number of beats per minute,

0:17.0

HRV looks at the precise intervals between each beat. So a higher HRV indicates a well-functioning, adaptable, autonomic nervous system,

0:25.6

while a low HRV can be a sign of stress, fatigue, or other health issues.

0:30.6

So HRV is a powerful indicator of your body's autonomic nervous system,

0:34.6

which controls involuntary functions like heart rate, digestion, and your respiratory rate.

0:39.8

It reflects how well your body can adapt to stress and maintain balance. Monitoring so you can

0:44.7

improve your HRV will lead to significant benefits in your overall health, stress resilience,

0:50.1

and your physical performance. So here are some actionable steps. Number one and most important.

1:07.9

Hey guys, welcome back to the Ultimate Human podcast.

1:10.7

I'm your host, Gary Bre Brecka human biologist,

1:12.8

and today we're exploring a fascinating, highly impactful topic, heart rate variability.

1:18.5

I get tons of questions about HRV, and if you've never heard of HRV, you're not alone.

1:23.7

But by the end of this episode, you'll understand why it's an essential metric for optimizing

1:28.0

your health and your performance. So heart rate variability or HRV is the variation in time

1:34.5

intervals between heartbeats. Remember, if you have 60 beats a minute, that doesn't mean that

1:40.8

your heart beats once every second. It means that it's beat 60 times in a minute,

1:46.0

but the variation between those beats could be anywhere from a partial second to more than a second

1:52.2

to two seconds. So this, unlike your heart rate, which measures the number of beats per minute,

1:57.8

HRV looks at the precise intervals between each beat. So a higher HRV indicates

...

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