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SmO2 and Base

The Moxy’s SmO2 Sensor Helps Make Base Training Even More Effective

SmO2 and Base Richard Wharton Online Bike Coach Garmin Connect Image 1
Saturated Muscle Oxygen can make Base Training even more effective. Look for a rise in SmO2 at a known low intensity. Then, gently raise the intensity to find that SmO2 ‘sweet spot’ of aerobic training.

 
 

This week on my VQ Velocity Virtual Studio, we are focusing on a week of Periodization and Taper. We are not performing hard intervals, but instead, we are focusing on easier rides. I wear my Moxy for all my rides, but most of the time, I focus on Desaturation and Resaturation. This blog post is about SmO2 and Base training. We can use the Garmin Connect Ecosystem to highlight the PHYSIOLOGICAL BENEFITS of low-intensity rides.

SmO2 and Base Oxygen Saturation Levels

SmO2 and Base Richard Wharton Online Bike Coach Garmin Connect ThB Image 2
When you first start a ride, the body just isn’t ready for the strain. With proper warmup and vasodilation, SmO2 rises, ThB declines, and you’re achieving the benefits of ‘Base’!

SmO2 (Saturated Muscle Oxygen) readings show cyclists just how much Oxygen Supply is in the muscles. When a cyclist is riding for BASE, there should be plenty of oxygen available. As a ride progresses, the body warms up, and the blood vessels dilate. This offers the muscles more available oxygen. Think of SmO2 as ‘Volts’ in a car battery. When there’s a heavy draw on the engine (Demand), the volts may drop, like when the ignition is engaged. On electric vehicles, computers monitor watts (torque), volts, and Amps. I compare Amps with Total Hemoglobin, which I’ll discuss later in this post.

SmO2 and Base Richard Wharton Online Bike Coach Garmin Connect ThB Image 4
Patented Warmup. Create just a wee bit of strain, then recover, and watch your SmO2 and ThB values climb over 20-27 minutes (~200-300 Calories).

Since 2012, when I first started using SmO2 monitors from Moxy, I’ve discovered that SmO2 reveals great information about Base Training. When you first place a Moxy monitor on the left Lateralis, you usually get a reading of about 30-60% SmO2. I call this ‘Active Resting SmO2’. As you warm up, SmO2 will definitely drop a bit. If a cyclist or runner does NOT perform my trademarked Warmup Protocol, SmO2 dilation does NOT reach its’ full potential, and in my opinion, restricts some of the benefits of visualizing this feature. But IF the cyclist DOES perform my Warmup Protocol, then SmO2 can become a highly effective, visual method of visualizing just what Base provides.

Base Training Is an Energy-Positive Ride

Watch this 30-second advertisement for Del Monte Green Beans. Specifically, watch what happens when this young lady goes on a bike ride. This is EXACTLY what a ‘Base’ Ride should provide a cyclist or a runner. It should be ‘Energy Positive’ for mental wellness and spiritual fulfillment. It’s literally the way most of our bike rides should occur. The time you spend out there performing this may depend on goals, etc., but SmO2 can provide a window into exactly what is happening when a ride like this occurs.

SmO2 and Base Lead to Greater ‘Volts’ of Available Power, While Drawing Less ‘Amps’ (ThB) for the Same Amount of Physical Output

In this graph, you can see how my post-warmup Base ride begins with roughly 52% SmO2. While power output changes very little, vasodilation occurs, and available SmO2 rises at roughly the 45:00 mark, with a small dip in power output. The Smo2 continues to rise after that, until I perform a single 1-minute standing effort to change my saddle position.

***Standing Power is INCREDIBLY INEFFICIENT.

If you watch old videos of Alberto Contador, there are times before he had a serious crash, when he would climb seated, and honestly, he was a GC or stage threat. After his crash and long recovery, his body was never the same, and he climbed standing for even longer periods of time. It was very powerful, but very costly. 

However, after that single effort, SmO2 rose further, with little change in power.

Why Did SmO2 Start to Decline at the 1-hour mark?

mO2 and Base Richard Wharton Online Bike Coach Garmin Connect ThB Image 3
This is where I wish I had some coding knowledge. I would build a Garmin app that would run a 1-minute graph of SmO2 and ThB, along with recent Ceilings and Floors, so I could better visualize each parameter and make a more informed choice about intensity and nutrition or hydration.

Right around the 1:05 timeline, SmO2 began to decline. When we use Garmin Connect to zoom in, we can see that it began with a slight rise in power output. This was further exacerbated by another minute of standing and pedaling. SmO2 dropped further. Once I sat down, SmO2 Resaturated, but then continued its’ decline back to around 50%.

Why did this happen? Well, let’s look at the OTHER data point that we get when we ride with a Moxy; ThB.

What is ThB?

ThB stands for ‘Total Hemoglobin’, and it’s based on Millimols per Deciliter of volume. It’s the total count of red blood cells in your overall system. Hemoglobin is a protein that carries Oxygen to the Muscles. It’s another window into the ‘SUPPLY and DEMAND’ side of the SmO2 Equation. The more ThB we have, the more ‘AMPS’ we have available to help provide fresh oxygen to the muscles, to help keep SmO2 high.

Right around the 1:05 mark, when my SmO2 began to decline, Total Hemoglobin, which was declining from minute 33:00 to that point, began to rise. After the final standing moment, it rose further, and rose until I quit the ride at the 1:15 mark. So, SmO2 declines and ThB rises, for the same amount of power.

Now, this is CONJECTURE, because I AM NOT A SCIENTIST. But my own speculation is that I was getting short on blood sugar. I always ride these easier rides in a fasted state. It’s a way to train my body to burn more fat over time, as long as I don’t push too hard. But there are only between 800 and 1200 calories of carbohydrate in the circulatory system at any time, and in the 30 years that I’ve been cycling, my body tends to change at roughly 1200 calories, WITH CARB SUPPLEMENTATION. Without Carb supplementation, I think it’s very feasible to ‘see’ the body switching energy systems or becoming less efficient. At this point, I had burned roughly 800 calories, and had consumed nothing more than water (and probably not enough of that). Hence, ThB rose, SmO2 declined, while power and basic heart rate remained neutral.

Use Your Moxy SmO2 And Keep It HIGH!

SmO2 and Base Richard Wharton Online Bike Coach Garmin Connect ThB Image 5
For roughly the same amount of power, my body responded with less stress. Once I used up my blood sugar (I was in a fasted state), the body began looking elsewhere for energy, and my SmO2 and ThB both changed to become less efficient, while power stayed the same.

My personal SmO2 Floors and Ceilings are as such, but your own zones may vary.

  • My Max Recovery Saturation is at 80%. I rarely get there on an active bike ride, so 70% means my Muscles are being resupplied with fresh Oxygen and are ready for another effort.
  • My Active Base Saturation is between 40 and 70%. When I ride at those SmO2 intensities (remember, harder is lower, easier is higher), my body is using energy to make energy in my  mind, and these are fruitful, fun, functional rides.
  • An SmO2 below 20%, and usually below 17% puts me on ‘BORROWED TIME’, and is my Vo2Max range of intensity. It’s also unustainable for long periods.
  • An SmO2 between 20 and 25% is a great Threshold Intensity for me, regardless of the old-school heart rate and wattage values that have traditionally yielded these zones.

If you really want to get a window into your body, SmO2 (and ThB) provide real-time value to help you optimize your ride. Once you know your numbers, you can always try to track gains in power or loss in weight over time. You can also watch ThB to see if you’re perhaps in need of some carbs, or may even be approaching a bonk.

I’m going to continue to share my observations. If you own a Moxy, let me know if you see similar phenomena. I’d love to learn more.

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

Using SmO2 for Threshold Intervals

SmO2 Provides Real-Time Physiological Info

Textbook SmO2 desaturation and Vo2 tipping point
Moxy SmO2 values give you an instant, physiological value for what is, and what isn’t, sustainable. It’s a noninvasive way to get accurate, autonomic data about aerobic and anaerobic tipping points.

Here is yet another example of the utility of an Smo2 sensor. This workout was performed by a client as well as myself last week. The goal of the intervals was to improve fitness at Lactate Threshold.

I may be a bit old-school, but I’ve essentially distilled cycling workouts to three simple levels of intensity; Breathing, Heaving, and Gasping.

  • Breathing workouts are easier, they’re aerobic, and they’re meant to improve Economy and Stamina. They burn mostly fat, but they’re on the easier side.
  • Heaving Workouts are harder, but they’re sustainable for up to 60 minutes. These would be ‘Speed’ or ‘Threshold’ type workouts.
  • Gasping workouts are super-hard, with high heart rates and respiratory rates, and they can’t be sustained for more than 6 or 8 minutes.

SmO2 works better than heart rate in all three of these types of efforts.

SmO2 – Saturated Muscle Oxygen

Moxy’s SmO2 sensors measure the amount of oxygen in your muscle. I tend to use it on my left quad, and sometimes on my left deltoid. When either my clients or myself uses it on the left quad, we get a great range of saturation, from 2-80%. With proper placement and use over time, we can get a really solid and consistent value for finding the highest sustainable power output, aka, “THRESHOLD”. When SmO2 drops BELOW that value, well, you’re on “Borrowed Time”.

Get SmO2 too low, and you're on Borrowed Time
Get SmO2 too low, and you’re on Borrowed Time.

Here are several GREAT examples!

THRESHOLD INTERVALS ARE ABOUT SUSTAINABILITY

Everyone knows about Heart Rate Zones. We’ve been using them, plus Wattage Zones now, for Decades. But the Heart tends to drift. Our bodies tend to act like bad oil filters; we work harder internally for the same external output over time. However, when we employ SmO2 sensors, and we know right where we are in terms of what the balance of Oxygen Supply and Demand is, well, we can get more work done. We can sustain this intensity more acutely. When we finally ‘Tip Over’ the Threshold, well, SmO2 shows that we’re on ‘Borrowed Time’.

Let’s Zoom In on these Intervals. We’ll start with an 8-Minute effort. This set of intervals was a ‘Reverse-Fibonacci’, and it was a set of 8-minute, 5-Minute, then 3-minute, 2-minute, and finally 1-minute intervals, with equal recoveries. It’s modeled after a Ronneveld Study, but I’ve been using regular Fibonacci efforts (1,1,2,3,5,8 sequence) for decades on the advice of Dr. Conrad Earnest, my mentor.

SmO2 captures Tipping Point Between Threshold and Vo2.
I included the ThB (Total Hemoglobin) on this image because it shows how the heart and lungs continued to work, harder and harder, to get oxygen to the muscles, even while the muscles were becoming less and less efficient. Craig’s ‘Tipping Point’ or ‘Threshold’ for Oxygen Supply and Demand is right at 17%. For the first half of the effort, he was riding with sustainable power. However, once he got to 17%, it dropped sharply, and he ‘Tipped’ into Vo2max territory, which is ‘BORROWED TIME’.

 

Next, let’s look at the 5-minute Interval.

5 Minute Interval at Threshold Using Moxy SMO2
Here it is again – wattage is fairly uniform, but ThB continues to rise, showing the strain, and right about the middle of the interval, just above the 17% Value, Smo2 starts to drop in to ‘Borrowed Time’.

 

Here’s the SmO2 Value for the 3-minute Effort.

3-Minute SmO2 and Thb Value Tipping Point.
For the 3-minute effort, You can see how SmO2 dives down to 16-17% early, then he literally holds it right there for the duration of the time period, until the LAST 30 SECONDS. The difference in wattage begins at the first red arrow. He shifted and pumped out more watts to finish. This led to a lowered SmO2 and near-exhaustion.
***also note: ThB for the middle part of the effort plateau’d. We don’t use THB as much as we should, but it’s another great indicator that a physiological intensity is sustainable – or not.

 

At 2 Minutes, and over 600 KiloJoules of Work Performed Thus Far, It’s Hard To Get Below Threshold

 

2 Minute Interval at Threshold Using Moxy SMO2
If this workout had been 3,2, and 1-minute intervals, we would have worked hard to get SmO2 Below that 17% value early, and to try and hold it there as long as possible. But after numerous high-quality efforts, SmO2 won’t dip, and this becomes, once again, a THRESHOLD EFFORT. Which was the goal.
The RISE in SmO2 at the vertical line occurs because he Stood, off the saddle. This changes muscle dynamics and force. He dropped from 100 to 60 rpm, and while power went up, he once again, WAS ON ‘BORROWED TIME’!

 

The Grand Finale; a 60-Second Effort!

1 Minute Interval at Threshold Using Moxy SMO2
For a 1-minute effort, we’re almost completely past the tipping point. I placed the vertical marker at 16% and you’ll see that the value stays BELOW that number EVEN AFTER THE EFFORT ENDS. The entire effort was performed well north of 300 watts, and this yielded a LARGE metabolic penalty. ThB continued to rise and while we can’t add another metric to the chart, Heart Rate was well above 95% of HRR.

Moxy and SmO2 are POWERFUL Tools

You all know – I have promoted wattage and power and kilojoules since FOREVER. But going forward, I’m going to be more nuanced. The body is a machine, but it’s a machine with huge variations in recovery, genetic ability, and psychological, almost psychotic abilities to suffer. Using a Moxy and SmO2 to determine the ‘Goldilocks’ intensity for Threshold Intervals gives us an ideal intensity FOR THAT DAY, FOR THAT MOMENT, FOR THAT DURATION. If you’re a Moxy owner, try to find your ‘Tipping Point‘ of desaturation, and then back off JUST ENOUGH to give it a sustainable, but powerful effort. Try it on a hill. After all – we don’t live on a Space Station.

I just did that this weekend, when I rode a couple of hills on a route that was unfamiliar. I used another feature on the Garmin, the ‘ClimbPro’ option (I’ll have to talk about that in another post), but here’s how it worked.

Richard Wharton Using Moxy when Climbing a Hill
This was a 6-minute hill, give or take, on an unfamiliar route. Average gradient was about 7%. I followed the ClimbPro until I knew that I was maybe 700 Meters from the end of the effort. Looking at the SmO2 data, I kept the Saturated Oxygen above 25%, and when I knew where the finish was, I increased the power EVER SO SLIGHTLY until it dipped down to about 20%. In this graph, you can also see the deflection point of ThB, and then the continued rise once I pushed it past the Tipping Point.
I was on Borrowed Time, but I knew where time could stop.

 

Get a Moxy and Use SmO2 For Accurate Training and Sustained Efforts At Power.

I know this is HIGH NERD STUFF. But it’s fascinating, and it’s useful. If you own a Moxy Monitor, use the Steve Neal Field and the lap function, and watch for your ‘Tipping Point’, indoors or out. You don’t want to be on ‘Borrowed Time’ for those longer intervals or hills!!!

Thanks for reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

If you like what you’ve just read, then

Steve Neal’s Moxy Field

Coach Steve Neal’s Moxy Field Is INCREDIBLY EFFECTIVE!

Steve Neal Garmin Connect IQ Field
Steve Neal is one of the most experienced cycling and endurance coaches out there. He’s also a Moxy User, and knows how to get the most out of your investment.

Steve Neal is one of the most successful and qualified coaches that I know. He and I have followed a similar path. We both owned Cycling Studios. He and I have worked together to employ features in PerfPro Studio. He is a pioneer in Diaphragm breathing protocols. But most recently, he built a Garmin Connect Field that highlights EXACTLY what we need to know in regards to Saturated Muscle Oxygen!

Saturated Muscle Oxygen (SmO2) is a metric that uses NIRS (Near Infra-Red Spectroscospy) to measure Saturated Muscle Oxygen levels and Total Hemoglobin Counts (ThB). The product that Steve Neal and I both use, the Moxy Monitor, is a lab-accurate device. Here’s how Steve and I use it in workouts.

Steve Neal Uses Moxy Monitors to measure SmO2.
The Moxy is a noninvasive, durable NIRS sensor that is tuned to transmit SmO2 and ThB data to Garmin Head Units and Watches.

 

 

 

 

When a muscle contracts, it uses oxygen in the process. Moxy Monitors basically measure “Supply” (Smo2) based on “Demand”, which is measured in watts. It’s a merge of Physiology and Physics.  Muscles and Lungs (Oxygen) are augmented with the measurement of heart rate, all of which I have been studying for decades.  However, at certain levels of intensity, and depending on the muscle group being measured, the Moxy can help identify what I call “Floors”, or “Ceilings”. A “Floor” is an SmO2 intensity that can be sustained under duress. If intensity rises, the SmO2 will decline and can predict exhaustion. If SmO2 rises, we know the cyclist is riding at different levels of aerobic (sustainable) intensity.

STEVE NEAL’S MOXY FIELD ON GARMIN CONNECT IQ

Steve’s Moxy Field helps Moxy owners optimize the Physiological Impact of EACH and EVERY INTERVAL and RECOVERY. The concept is simple. The cyclist places their Moxy Monitor on a muscle group (I prefer the Left Lateralis). They then head over to the Garmin Connect IQ Field on their mobile phone or via Garmin Express, and download this Custom Field. In the Settings Tab, the cyclist will enter the specific Moxy ANT+ or BLE code for that unit. They also enter the location where the Moxy will be placed. I’ll talk about different locations and what they can tell us in a bit. Finally, the cyclist places the Custom IQ Field on their Garmin Ride Profile.

My profile screen looks like this:

Steve Neal Moxy Lap Field Garmin Connect IQ Field 4
The Steve Neal Moxy Lap Field is on the bottom of this screen. It eliminates the ThB Field, and replaces it with Instant Smo2 %. The number on the Right is the ‘Lap’ Average SmO2. It will change colors as the average rises and falls in the context of the lap, and the available Oxygen in the blooodstream.

The Steve Neal Moxy Field is used in conjunction with the ‘Lap’ Button. It eliminates the view of Total Hemoglobin, or ThB. The Field gives a lot of information in a small package.

You get:

Steve neal Moxy Lap Field Description
As important as the Instant SmO2 value is, it’s the COLOR and VALUE of the number on the RIGHT that is so critical. This is where having a BIG, HUGE, HEAD UNIT, like the Garmin 1040, comes in so handy. If Garmin still made their Head-Up Display, I swear, I’d ask them to include custom fields like this one in their options for fields.
  • Instant SmO2
  • Lap Average SmO2
    • and based on the color of the Lap Average SmO2, you can determine whether your SmO2 is RISING, FALLING, or is STABLE.
    • Red is Falling, Black is Stable, and Blue is Rising.

USE STEVE NEAL’S MOXY FIELD DURING A WORKOUT

Now, the results can be individualized, but the general trend for a workout might go like this:

First, have a look at this blog post and video that explains how I use the Moxy to determine proper warmup and preparation for a ride.
Moxy Monitor Warmup Protocol – Online Bike Coach

Then, look at the Steve Neal Moxy Field, and when an interval of, say, 3 minutes begins, hit the ‘lap’ button. As intensity increases, Smo2 will decrease, and the Lap Average SmO2 will also decrease. However, 3 minutes can be an eternity of effort. Intensity has to be modulated in order to complete the task. Using the Steve Neal Field, I can identify an Oxygen Demand which is SUSTAINABLE, and then I can watch the AVERAGE, trend down towards that value. If I’m near the end of the interval, and I feel like I have a little more to give, I can INCREASE INTENSITY, and DECREASE available Smo2, switch to an anaerobic energy system, and basically ‘Leave With Nothing Left’. Hit the lap button at the end of the interval, and you can watch the SmO2 value RISE to Maximum Resaturation, which is also a great time to replenish any carbs or rehydrate. Over the course of several intervals, it becomes easier to identify a ‘Floor’ of Smo2, below which you’re on seriously borrowed time. Steve Neal has several Diaphragm Breathing Protocols that affect Smo2 levels and can improve both Stamina and Strength for endurance and intensity days on the bike.

Looking at Moxy Results On Garmin Connect After A Ride

I recently performed a set of intervals on my Virtual Studio at app.vqvelocity.com, with a client who also had a Moxy Monitor. I am in California; he is in Massachusetts. We were both using Steve Neal’s Moxy field, and we both had the Moxy Monitor on our Left Lateralis. The interval set was 14 minutes long, with intensities at 120% of FTP for 22 seconds, and 8 seconds of recovery at 50% of FTP. But the WATTAGE GOALS FOR THE WORKOUT CHANGE WITH THE VALUES that show up on Steve Neal’s Moxy Field. This interval effort is what I call a ‘Push’. Let me explain.

VQ Velocity 22-8 intervals 2 sets
I created this interval set because the metabolic response to a stimulus is about 25 seconds. It also takes about 8 seconds to reset the ATP in your legs when recovering. The 22-8’s have some intensity and recovery overlap, but they yield a VERY high overall normalized and actual average when properly employed. They’re actually a “Threshold” workout…

The overwhelming research on cycling reveals that the sport is overwhelmingly aerobic in its’ demands. Sure, we love to talk about intensities and intervals for brief moments here and there, but when the ride is over and uploaded, it’s our AEROBIC economy that makes such a difference. The goal of training, therefore, is four-fold; we want to improve STAMINA, STRENGTH, SPEED, and SKILL. Aerobic Power and economy is akin to Stamina, and that’s what we were focused on in this effort. But you can ‘see’ whether you’re aerobic or not, via the Steve Neal Moxy Field. A cyclist can also see when they’ve tripped over that line of Threshold, and they’re dipping into their own, personal, time-limited, “Well of Despair”! The second-by-second watts are less important here. What IS important is getting the cyclist to their own, personal, average SmO2, that is both painful, but yet also sustainable. This workout was a Threshold Workout, and the Moxy data shows just that. Aerobics is the ‘Push’ of Economy and Stamina. Anaerobic Intensities and Vo2Max efforts, are the ‘Pull’.

Garmin Connect Moxy Quad Watts Heart Rate
This is a screen report from the Garmin Connect File. Steve’s Moxy Field showed me a cumulative average and an idea of intensity that I just can’t get from traditional heart rate. If you look at the grey data points, which is SmO2, you’ll see that around minute 40, SmO2 began to rise. Why? Look at the RECOVERY WATTS in purple. I began to take those 8 second recoveries more seriously, and my Saturated Muscle Oxygen rose in accordance. ‘ON’ Power stayed high, and this allowed me to do MORE of the ‘Work’, which is beneficial.

On my first interval, I hit the ‘Lap’ button on my Garmin 1040 Solar, and rode at the varying intensities that the workout prescribed, until I hit a value of Saturation below 20%. The stochastic nature of the intervals within the set show perpetual swings of wattage, but the SmO2 drifted between 14 and 18%. For the First Interval Set, I averaged 17% for SmO2. Average power? 292 watts. This is WELL ABOVE the predicted Thresholds that have been set for me by numerous other Threshold Calculators. The second Interval? 20% SmO2 with power at a more modest 261 Watts, still above my ‘Calculated” Threshold. Traditional Heart Rates? They were 172 bpm and 168 bpm, both arguably UNDER my claimed Threshold of 173 bpm.

Steve Neal Moxy Field With SmO2 Wattage and DFAA-1
Here’s the second set. I wanted to show the SmO2 values with DFAA-1 values from AlphaHRV, which is another great Field found in Connect IQ. I use both fields, but I find that Moxy ‘Floors’ are more acute than the ‘rolling 2-minute’ value that we commonly use to calculate DFAA-1. 

Moxy Values are more accurate and precise than traditional Heart Rate and Wattage Claims for Threshold Values. They also highlight FATIGUE and arguably, DEHYDRATION or a BONK. That’s another discussion for another day, but the gist of it is this; We’ve had this tool for about 10 years now, but it required mental calculation to determine Aerobic and Anaerobic Thresholds. Now, with the Steve Neal Moxy Field, we get Instant values, Average Values, and a Trend, which is worth its’ weight in gold.

CONCLUSION

Everyone knows how much I love power meters. More recently, I’ve fallen in love with the study of Heart Rate Variability. I love how that works with our bodies in a more holistic way. With the release of Steve’s Moxy Field, we now have the tool to observe thresholds acutely, and then determine ways to dive through them, stay at or just above them, and recover from efforts more effectively.

I’ll save the next blog post for another aspect of Steve Neal’s Moxy Field, where we will look at the same workout, but from the aspect of the LEFT DELTOID. The numbers are going to be more nuanced, but they continue to reveal some INCREDIBLE, REPEATABLE, NONINVASIVE information.

Until then, ENJOY THE RIDE!

 

3 Weeks of HRV Stress Readings

HRV Stress Readings Can Help You Look at the Holistic Fitness Picture

Garmin Connect HRV Stress 4 weeks report
The Garmin Connect HRV Stress Report is one more tool in Garmin’s tool chest. I use it prior to my indoor rides, to try and determine how best to proceed with my daily rides. If I have a high reading, a low sleep score, and a strained HRV Status, well, I’m goin’ back to bed.

I’m now 3 weeks in to taking a morning HRV Stress reading, and I’ve missed just a few days so far. It’s not fun, it’s probably 3 minutes where I wish I was doing something else or warming up for a bike ride, but it IS providing that ‘+1’ metric that can tell me whether I’m achieving my results, or if there’s something else going on that may require a day off, a lower intensity ride, or maybe just work to get some real stress out of my life.

HRV Stress and Life In General

Garmin Connect HRV Stress Explanation Page 1
I THINK this measurement is looking at my Heart Rate Variability as an “RMSSD“, which means “Root Mean Square of the Successive Differences”, or, ‘How Variable is Variable’?

If you’ve been reading this blog, or you know me, well, you know I’m a pretty reactionary individual and my right-brained ADD has led me to this point in life. I had a stable existence until 2010, when I got divorced and began trying to grow my studio. I left that location in 2012, opened two locations in retail spaces in 2013, got remarried in 2014, dealt with the loss of the studios in 2015 and 2017, became homeless in 2018 (thanks, Dallas DPD), and moved to Reno, NV in 2019.

Then, in late 2022, my wife and I relocated (Temporarily) to Pueblo, Colorado.  We almost immediately realized it was a mistake, and moved all the way back, to Sacramento, California. Since we arrived, we’ve lived in 3 Airbnb’s. In December, we bought a house that is a complete lemon. It’s been a struggle, figuring out how to make a living out here. We are broke, and we are broken. We are stuck here in this valley while we try to dig our way out of a house that is more shelter than home.

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That’s a LOT of STRESS.

I gained weight. I lost fitness. My bikes took months to come out of storage. We suffered the worst winter in Sacramento and Tahoe area in decades. Until recently, we had literally ridden outside TWICE since December. If this isn’t a midlife crisis, I can’t imagine what a real crisis really is. That’s why I’m so interested in what the Garmin Connect Features are providing. I’m actually seeing some great results. My clients are as well. But we are all riding LESS, and riding LESS INTENTLY than before. This is anathema to my three decades of pushing watts, pushing w/kg, pushing some PHYSICAL RESULT, instead of LISTENING TO A PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE.

I mentioned in my previous post, that I was using HRV Status overnight to try and ensure better preparation for daily rides. This is step 2. I get up, make coffee, look at my overnight HRV Status, Glance at my Sleep Score (The Muse EEG seems to be more accurate), and then, while it’s still quiet and I’m still processing that magic first cup, I put my chest strap on, wait 30 seconds, stand up, breathe in and out for 30 seconds, then tap the ‘MEASURE’ button and watch the timer count down.

HRV Stress LEVELS

HRV Stress Explanation Page 2
This is the chart for Garmin’s HRV Stress values. I really don’t know how I’ll ever get below a 30. Maybe when I hit the lottery, or the house gets finished, or the client load is full, or….

I really ought to run a video of the recording process, but for you readers and viewers, you’d probably end up sticking a needle in your eye, out of boredom. IF I had the ability to record this information, one would see an initial low reading, then a rise, then a plateau, then maybe a fall. If I get to 64 beats per minute, I’m usually happy, but it doesn’t stay there.

Tight Band HRV Status
I usually do get called out for being an uptight, overly passionate grouch, but I really thought I was making gains in the sleep department. Maybe not.

A professional coach who knows MUCH MORE about HRV than I do, Jim Galanes, commented about my earlier post on HRV Status. He mentioned that my HRV range was both ‘Tight’ and ‘Low’, meaning high stress. My resting HR, which was once in the low 30’s, is now in the mid 50’s. I’m not sure whether this is just a product of age, or if it’s stress related, but I’d love to get six hours of sleep every night. Right now, it’s maybe 4 before a 60-90 minute awakening, and finally, a return to sleep, before waking up right at 3:58am, just before the alarm goes off.

HRV Stress – What’s Holding Me Back?

I think my parasympathetic nervous system is probably holding me back. I AM happy about the fitness gains I’ve made have been DESPITE this handicap. There is always the hope that things will improve, that income will be steady, that my wife will be happier, that the house repairs will approach completion. What’s even more frustrating is that I’ve made investments to improve these values. A better mattress… a better pillow… 96 ounces of water or more every single day…. no beer or wine. I’ve given up sugary drinks and I don’t drink caffeine after 2pm.

HRV Stress Explanation Page 3
Try doing ANYTHING for 3 minutes without distraction. It’s not easy. My mind wanders. I think about past and upcoming performances and the house.  My wife’s well-being pops up, and I drift to her family, my family, the dog. The second I get a solid week of low HRV Stress scores, I’ll make sure to write about it. Maybe that will lead to the ensuing expectation of good workouts…….

As I write this, my wife is dealing with an attempt to access healthcare. We’ve spent 90 minutes on the phone, for three days, just to find a General Practitioner. The website is out of sync with the provider’s list. There are literally no doctors available. Everything has become more complicated as we’ve aged. I haven’t even begun to investigate the DAILY STRESS that the Garmin Fenix is measuring, so maybe that’s just it – a Holistic attack on a body, from work, family, training, performance, society. There has to be a middle ground somewhere. Maybe Garmin’s HRV Stress is telling me that it’s not here, not now.

This is why the Sociopaths Keep Winning. They sleep, and sleep well, because they have no conscience.

I just want 7 hours of sleep, a healthy heart, and the fitness for some good cycling adventures with my wife.

Thanks for Reading, and ENJOY THE RIDE!

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Garmin Connect HRV Status – Bad Night

The Garmin Connect HRV Status Predicted the Obvious – Acute Illness

Garmin HRV Overnight Crisis
Take a look at the 3 values this Garmin HRV Status Graph is showing; Empirical baseline for me is about 26-31ms. The 7-day rolling average is about 26ms. HOWEVER – It’s the THIRD metric, the OVERNIGHT AVERAGE , that led me to cancel my workout for the day. Furthermore, the increased quality and quantity of my workouts over the last week led to a lower 7-day rolling average, with coincided with an over-reach in my overall training volume.

I have been wearing a Garmin Fenix 6 Pro for at least two years. I gave up wearing a watch at some point in the late 1990’s I think. Getting a watch on my right wrist (I am left-handed) took a while to get used to again. But one of the most important features in the watch is the overnight HRV Status.

The Fenix 6 uses NIRS to measure HRV status when I am asleep. It uses this information to count the minutes I spend in DEEP, LIGHT, and REM Sleep. It also records my waking moments.

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I HAVE OBSESSED OVER MY SLEEP QUALITY AND QUANTITY FOR A DECADE

I first began to notice that I was a poor sleeper in my mid 30’s. Allen Lim, a famous coach and product developer, talked in an old CyclingNews, about employing the ZEO Sleep Coach with his athletes on Grand Tours. Apparently one of the top cyclists in this current era, Tadej Pogacar, has the ability to sleep deeper, longer, than his peers, and this reflects in his ability to perform in these epic races. Mikaela Shiffrin, the record-breaking skier, apparently has the ability to sleep TEN HOURS, and NAP between runs on the course! This HAS to yield a positive effect!

I studied my sleep with that ZEO Sleep Coach until it fell apart and the company went bankrupt. More recently, I purchased a MUSE S EEG sleep tracker to replace it. I LOVE the information it gives me, but I have had a terrible time INTERPRETING THE DATA INTO USEFUL APPLICATION. In other words, I still haven’t conquered good sleep, and now that I am older, it’s hampering my performance.

FINDING AN ANSWER

One of the foremost experts in HRV Analysis is Dr. Marco Altini. He created an app that measures HRV in the morning, and comes up with a score to help determine the best approach to training that day. Honestly, he’s not a big fan of the Garmin Connect HRV Status, but I respect his contribution to the base of knowledge.

Dr. Altini QUIT DRINKING ALCOHOL.

His overnight HRV Values improved, his sleep improved, his workouts improved, and his weight improved. EVERYTHING improved.

SO…… For Lent, I (mostly) gave up drinking alcohol.

Now, I’m not going to claim to be a ’12-stepper’. I am not ‘Sober’. I just quit drinking alcohol every night, and focused on exercise and sleep.  You know what? My HRV Status improved. As it improved, my workouts improved. As the workouts improved, the weight has begun to improve. For four weeks, I have been about 95% alcohol-free, and this has led to better everything. Combine that with about 96-112 ounces of water every day, and things are starting to happen.

Until last night.

HRV Status Indicates Illness

My wife and I ate dinner out, and we combined it with drinks. I had not had a drink in about 10 days. The new restaurant, combined with the alcohol, sent my overnight HRV Status from a Baseline of 26 to 31 milliseconds between beats, down to 18 milliseconds. I slept poorly, and got sick around 1am. I was sweating in the sheets. It was a mild case of food poisoning, along with alcohol overconsumption. Now, I will discuss Garmin’s ‘Sleep Score‘ in another post, but the overnight HRV Status put me in the ‘RED’ zone, and I begrudgingly canceled my workout with my clients on VQVelocity.com, and instead, loaded up a replay.

I RARELY get sick, and I NEVER cancel workouts, live or recorded. No, I was not hung over. I was sick, dehydrated, and fatigued. The hours before a workout are critical; and I did not get quality recovery.

The Garmin Connect HRV Status recorded, and accurately warned me, to hold off on exercise, and instead, to take it easy and recover. HOURS into my day, I got a reminder on my watch that, yes, my day of recovery had led to, well, a recovery. I’ll try for a good night’s rest tonight, and should be okay for exercise tomorrow.

It’s Not The Night Before That Counts – It’s ALL the Nights Before That.

There’s an older Sports Psychology book  by Dr. Charles Garfield. There’s an interview chapter that I believe is relevant. The athlete, who was a high jumper, said, “It’s not the night before that counts, but all the nights before that.” I think Garmin’s HRV Status chart is now providing one more visualization of that. A good workout, a good series of workouts, depends on holistic consistency. It depends on a good night’s rest. It depends on weeks of good nights of rest. An athlete’s hydration needs to be optimal. I’m returning to a state of minimal alcohol intake. Not only do I want a balanced HRV status, I want a higher overnight average, that shows a true state of rest. Waking up a million times between sunset and sunrise is NOT HEALTHY OR PRODUCTIVE.

Garmin Fenix 6 Pro HRV Status
This is an image of my 7-day HRV Status from the face of my Garmin Fenix 6. It’s what I look at when I wake up around 4am most mornings.
Garmin Fenix HRV Status Bar
This is the parent menu of the previous graph, taken at a later date. “Temper Action With Wisdom”. If my HRV Status is scraping the bottom, well, I’m taking some time off. I’ll also refocus on hydration and abstinence from alcohol, just to ensure that there are no variables or outliers that may affect my recovery.

I know there are experts who will disagree with the information that the Garmin Connect ecosystem is providing. There are definitely issues with wrist-mounted or finger-mounted datapoints. But this is what I, we, you, the reader have PAID FOR with your investment in Garmin Hardware. Vicariously, it’s the information we need to observe and alter from the Garmin SOFTWARE that also matters.

I want to stay within this ecosystem long-term, and see where it leads. There’s relevant, important information being provided. I just don’t think there has been a long-term review OF that information. Let’s see where all of these data indicators lead. I myself am pretty excited!

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