Why is Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Such a Valuable Health Indicator?

Staff from ANS Analysis, a leading HRV technology company, joined the Eng3 team at the Integrative Healthcare Symposium. An ANS Analysis representative measured Heart Rate Variability before, then during a NanoVi session. The IHS attendees were tested while wearing a chest strap monitor to accurately measure HRV. Heart Rate Variability works by measuring the micro-fluctuations in the rhythm of the heart beat.Heart Rate Variability is an excellent indicator of the balance of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The parasympathetic aspect of the ANS is responsible for “rest and digest” and is key to good sleep, positive mood, and strong immunity. Parasympathetic activity is the de-stress side of things while sympathetic nervous system activity gives us “fight or flight” capability. Stresses of modern society tend to over-activate sympathetic activity. This releases stress hormones into the system and (unless you need to fight or flee) can lead to burnout, fatigue, and mood disorders. Ultimately, the ANS should be balanced which for almost all of us means increasing the parasympathetic response and decreasing the sympathetic response of the autonomic nervous system. Because it reveals the status of the ANS, Heart Rate Variability testing is a valuable tool for all aspects of health and performance.

For many years, HRV testing has been used to show the benefits of the NanoVi. Integrative Healthcare Symposium attendees were eager to be tested and multiple tests were done. The results were overwhelmingly positive. The two test results below illustrate how the NanoVi device can be used to improve balance in the autonomic nervous system.

The graphs below, which are of females aged 47 and 45, show a positive reaction to the NanoVi session within only 10 – 15 minutes. For each case, HRV results before NanoVi use are shown on the left and results after the session has started are on the right. Outcomes were similar so both graphs show:

• A decrease of sympathetic activity (fight or flight response) measured by the Stress Index (SI) – red bar
• An increase of parasympathetic activity (rest and digest processes) measured by the Root Means Square of Successive Differences (RMSSD) – blue bar
• A consistent median Heart Rate (HR) – purple bar