Published Jun 12, 2024

How & Why to Strengthen Your Heart & Cardiovascular Fitness

Andy Galpin delves into heart physiology, VO2 Max, and heart rate insights, revealing how to fortify cardiovascular fitness and the science behind human endurance.
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  • Heart Rate

    Understanding heart rate is crucial for assessing fitness levels. explains that while maximum heart rate decreases with age, it doesn't change significantly with fitness levels. Resting heart rate, however, can indicate cardiovascular improvements, as a lower resting heart rate often signifies better fitness 1. He emphasizes the importance of heart rate variability (HRV) and its role in health and performance metrics 2.

    Your heart rate at any given intensity is very important. If you're running at a standard pace and your heart rate decreases over time, it represents a significant improvement in cardiovascular fitness.

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    Monitoring these metrics can provide valuable insights into one's cardiovascular health and readiness for physical activity.

       

    HRV

    Heart rate variability (HRV) is a key indicator of cardiovascular health and stress levels. describes HRV as the variability in the time intervals between heartbeats, which can be measured using various technologies 1. This metric has been linked to cardiovascular health, mental health, and athletic performance.

    HRV has been associated with cardiovascular health, mortality, mental health, depression, anxiety, and athlete readiness.

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    Understanding HRV can help in assessing overall fitness and recovery, making it a vital sign to monitor regularly 3.

       

    Training

    Different training intensities have unique impacts on heart rate and cardiovascular fitness. highlights the benefits of both low and high-intensity exercises, noting that each type challenges different aspects of the cardiovascular system 4. Low-intensity exercises improve VO2 max over time, while high-intensity intervals can yield similar or greater benefits in a shorter period.

    Enhancing my ability to deal with high-intensity exercise is similar in terms of increasing mitochondria biogenesis.

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    Incorporating a mix of both intensities can optimize cardiovascular health and performance 5.

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