Why I stopped using HRV apps
I loved the idea of an app that could tell me to train or not to train, to go easy or go hard. Not having to make that decision was a relief.
However, the current crop of HRV apps are more hazard than help.
After using them for a couple years, I did a two-month, daily comparison of three recovery tests:
- Elite HRV
- ithlete Pro; and
- A manual orthostatic recovery test.
Of the three tests, both HRV apps gave me false positives, especially ithlete. A false positive–telling me to train when I should rest–should not happen. In contrast, the OSHR always reflected how I felt or warned me in advance that something wasn’t right.