TL;DR - I’m exploring why my HRV has been trending lower despite feeling strong and healthy. Over the next few months, I’ll test interventions around training, cardio, fasting, and supplementation — and share what I learn along the way during my HRV Improvement journey.
I bought my first Oura Ring back in 2018 — mostly because I wanted access to Heart Rate Variability (HRV) data. I already had a Fitbit, but at the time Fitbit didn’t offer HRV, and I was convinced this metric had real potential for understanding overall health and recovery.
Fast forward to 2025, and I’m still fascinated by this number. Lately, I’ve noticed fluctuations and a downward trend in my HRV, which has made me curious to dig deeper — not just to interpret the number, but to really understand what it represents.
Frankly, my HRV seems lower than I’d expect for someone as active and healthy as I feel. I have decided to focus on HRV improvement. I want to figure out if this is a result of lifestyle factors, training load, or just natural age-related changes — and see if I can improve it.
Why I’m Writing This
This post marks the beginning of that exploration. My goal is to document what I learn about HRV — how it’s captured and calculated, its strengths and limitations, what insights it can (and can’t) provide, and ultimately, how to improve it.
I’ll keep things conversational but include technical notes for anyone who wants to go deeper. My hope is that by sharing this process, anyone tracking HRV — especially other Oura users — might find something useful too.
Along the way, I’ll highlight where these HRV concepts show up in the Oura app and how I plan to use my own data to guide lifestyle changes and (hopefully) see positive trends.
Questions I trying to answer...
- Is my current HRV a result of cumulative fatigue from weight training?
- How does Zone 2 training affect HRV (and RHR) over several weeks?
- What lifestyle changes have the biggest effect on my HRV improvement?
- Does intermittent fasting influence my HRV and recovery?
- Can supplementation meaningfully improve my HRV?
- Am I stumbling onto a broader health risk or concern?
- See full list of question here...
My Current Baseline
I’m currently about 180 pounds and in a massing / gain phase, sitting around 10% body fat and gaining roughly 0.25–0.5 lbs per week until I hit 190 lbs or February 1; whichever comes first.
I typically lift 4–5 times a week, follow a structured nutrition plan, and cut caffeine off by noon to avoid impacting sleep quality or HRV.
Overall, I feel like I’m in great shape. My VO₂ max is around 43 according to Oura — solid for my age, especially considering I work a desk job and don’t do regular cardio (yet).
For general reference here are previous blogs entries that help paint the broader baseline picture.
Workout Consistency: My workout consistency here.... and here...
Nutrition and Weight Management: How I manage my weight and nutrition approach here...
Training Programming: What I use for my training programming here...
Sleep Consistency: Documented my sleep patterns here...
I know HRV naturally changes over time, but I’m curious to see if I can optimize it — to make it a better reflection of my current health and silence any growing concern.
My Approach is Dumb
In an ideal world, I’d test one variable at a time. But I’m not that patient — and frankly, some interventions are easy to layer together. So I’ll likely be running1–3 interventions at once, documenting as I go. I will use Oura tags in accordance with each intervention to help identify any trends.
My Planned HRV Improvement Interventions
Training Load & Recovery Cycles
I’ve wondered whether my current training intensity and timing are creating more cumulative fatigue than I can recover from, thus lowering my HRV.
From a training perspective, my weekly workload has been consistent with no major regressions. However, my HRV seems to say otherwise. I also train at 5 AM, and sometimes the limited sleep or early wake-up could be adding to overall fatigue.
Plan:
- Schedule structured deload weeks every 4–6 weeks, tagged in Oura for easy comparison.
- Trial every-other-day training instead of back-to-back lifting days to improve recovery.
- Aim for more sleep on rest days to support recovery.
Expected outcome: clearer insight into whether spacing out training and improving sleep boosts HRV.
Zone 2 & Cardio for HRV Improvement
My research consistently shows that low-intensity cardio supports autonomic balance, parasympathetic tone, and recovery. It should also help lower resting heart rate.
Plan:
- Add 20–30 minutes of Zone 2 cardio (bike, jog, or row) at least 3x per week.
- Track HRV and resting HR over a 4–6 week block.
- Adjust duration and frequency if improvements plateau.
- Use the Morpheus Training System to plan and track cardio training
Expected outcome: stronger aerobic base, lower resting HR, and more stable HRV.
Intermittent Fasting & HRV Improvement
I’ve practiced intermittent fasting in the past, mostly for weight management — but this time, I’m chasing the other benefits. Research suggests fasting can improve autonomic balance, lower blood pressure, and reduce arterial stiffness, though results depend on how the body handles the stress.
Plan:
- Alternate between 16:8 fasting windows and regular meal-timing weeks.
- Maintain hydration and consistent training.
- During the fasting window, consume Essential Amino Acids (EAAs) to help preserve muscle mass and maintain ketosis (since carbs have the greatest impact).
Expected outcome: determine whether fasting enhances recovery and cardiovascular health — or if it adds unnecessary strain on HRV.
Supplementation for HRV Improvement
I already take what I consider the foundational supplements, but I’m adding a few more that may support recovery and nervous system health.
Plan:
- Add Magnesium Taurate (before bed) to enhance parasympathetic activity, sleep quality, and nervous system recovery.
- Add Curcumin (AM/PM) for anti-inflammatory and arterial support.
Expected outcome: it may be tough to isolate results since I’m stacking interventions — but that’s part of the experiment. I’ll rely on HRV trends and subjective recovery notes to interpret impact.
Lets Goooo!!!!!
I’m excited to finally get this out of my head and on paper — if for no other reason than to calm the noise. Writing helps me process what I’m learning, and maybe it’ll help someone else too.
The beauty of wearables like Oura isn’t just in the numbers — it’s in how they let us observe change. Each of these interventions is a chance to listen a little closer to what my body is saying.
Over time, I hope this approach not only raises my HRV but also eases any concerns I have about my current numbers — whether through knowledge, experimentation, or an informed conversation with my doctor.
Let’s go.