Readiness Score Doesn't Match How I'm Feeling

Sometimes, the morning readiness score will not reflect how you are feeling. There are a few things to keep in mind when this happens:

Your baseline is established not only to learn your "normal" HRV range (which is a very individual range) but also how much fluctuation is normal for you. A change in HRV that indicates an issue for you could indicate a balance for someone else. As with any metric, HRV should be evaluated alongside how you are feeling - if the app is giving you a 10, but you feel unable to handle any amount of physical stress that day, don't push it!

Our HRV score is based on the RMSSD value and will go up as your parasympathetic nervous system activity increases. When you receive a readiness score of 1-3 on the parasympathetic side, the app indicates that your HRV has risen rapidly as a result of your autonomic system being overtaxed, meaning your body could be in deep recovery mode. Now, if you feel that this is inaccurate, keep in mind that the app also has to learn what a normal fluctuation of HRV is for you; everyone's HRV range from day to day is different. More on that here: 

What is the Coefficient of Variation

Another thing to consider when your readiness score does not match how you feel is context. Think about how you slept, exercised, hydrated, ate, and felt mentally the day before. All of these can have a significant influence on your HRV, even if you feel fine. 

Of course, if you want detailed, personalized guidance on using HRV to improve your health and training, the best option is to seek the advice of a professional! We have a list of coaches who are familiar with using HRV with their clients here: https://directory.elitehrv.com/

It can also be beneficial to seek the guidance of a functional medicine doctor if you are having trouble figuring out why your body is functioning a certain way (or not).