Revolutionizing wellness industry with digital physiological modeling
Athlete wellness by Repose platform brings near lab accuracy physiological insights to
guide wellness in a proactive way by addressing the critical pillars of wellness
Science Behind Athlete Wellness
Amidst the noises of our lives, we often fail to listen to the unceasing rhythm within us. The rhythm that pumps life into us. The rhythm that expels toxins and spreads nourishments throughout our body. As life shifts between stressed and relaxed states, so does the rhythm of our heartbeat rise and fall often. Listening to this fine-tuned instrument reveals a lot about how we meet our daily demands to keep our bodies functioning. With this as the parameter of research interest, Repose is built to analyze the variability of heartbeats (HRV) to meet our demands.
What is HRV?
HRV or Heart Rate Variability is the variation in the time period of consecutive heartbeats. Human heartbeats aren’t always even and timely but are prone to variations. For example, during a roller coaster ride, the heart beats quicker, reducing the time difference, thus a low HRV. After the ride, our body starts to relax, the beats slow down, and consequently, the HRV starts to increase.
This physiological phenomenon of the heart is highly related to the two branches; sympathetic and parasympathetic branches of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS). While the sympathetic branch takes the lead in initiating a "fight or flight" response, the parasympathetic branch activates the relaxation mode after the fight or flight response. This link with the (ANS) Autonomic Nervous System makes HRV a reliable clinical parameter for diagnosing cardiovascular parameters.
How is HRV related to stress?
HRV fluctuates throughout the day due to internal and external factors. One such important factor is stress, which can be either physical or emotional. Under stressful conditions, the fight or flight response (sympathetic nervous system) is triggered to release various hormones, which induces increased heart rate. Due to this, the pace of heartbeat increases, the variations between the time period of each heartbeat decreases, therefore, leading to a low HRV. Thus, stress holds an inversely proportional relationship to HRV that helps in active stress-tracking.
How is HRV related to recovery?
HRV fluctuates throughout the day due to internal and external factors. One such important factor is stress, which can be either physical or emotional. Under stressful conditions, the fight or flight response (sympathetic nervous system) is triggered to release various hormones, which induces increased heart rate. Due to this, the pace of heartbeat increases, the variations between the time period of each heartbeat decreases, therefore, leading to a low HRV. Thus, stress holds an inversely proportional relationship to HRV that helps in active stress-tracking.
How to understand sleep quality?
As unique as our fingerprints, our own sleep preferences and patterns are unique to us. Sleeping 7 to 8 hours per day is not a one size fits all solution. The purpose of sleep is to recover and restore the body and mind. As our stressors are different, so are our recovery patterns.
Each night, we move through multiple stages of sleep, cycling through each one as the mind and body activate different systems of restoration. The deepest stage of sleep is associated with especially rich health benefits, including muscle reparation, bone density growth, and preventing cognitive decline. With greater time spent in deep sleep, we can wake more restored. The last half of our natural sleep accounts for the majority of our REM sleep - the sleep responsible for learning, understanding, and processing REM sleep improves reaction times, aids in knowledge retention, and alleviates anxiety and mental disorders. Because it occurs at the tail end of your sleep, losing just 25% of total sleep could mean up to a 90% reduction in REM sleep.
“Understanding the quality time spent in each of our different sleep stages and the time taken to fall asleep provides an estimate of the quality of sleep and in turn, the recovery gained.”
How does Repose monitor physical activity?
HRV fluctuates throughout the day due to internal and external factors. One such important factor is stress, which can be either physical or emotional. Under stressful conditions, the fight or flight response (sympathetic nervous system) is triggered to release various hormones, which induces increased heart rate. Due to this, the pace of heartbeat increases, the variations between the time period of each heartbeat decreases, therefore, leading to a low HRV. Thus, stress holds an inversely proportional relationship to HRV that helps in active stress-tracking.
