6 Comments

Fascinating stuff. I have noticed overall lower levels of anxiety and stress response in myself after consistent weeks of exercise at a lower heart rate/effort. Good to know there’s science to support it.

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Sep 7Liked by Marco Altini

Thanks, Marco, for your article and for the great work you're doing to clarify HRV. Low-intensity exercise, which lowers cortisol levels, can offer several health benefits, such as better stress management, enhanced immune function, improved cognitive performance, and overall well-being. These benefits can be both immediate and long-term, making low-intensity exercise a valuable addition to a balanced lifestyle and recovery strategy. I believe many athletes and coaches are underestimating its importance.

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Sep 7Liked by Marco Altini

Very interesting, thanks!

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Sep 6Liked by Marco Altini

Fascinating, Marco. I dug into the Seiler study, participants in the <VT1 conditions trained at 68% MaxHR / 61% VO2Max. Interesting to note that this is a level of intensity that, according to the first study you mention, does increase mean cortisol.

I'm going to experiment with taking HRV pre/post at different "easy" intensities and see if I can determine a personal "Easy Zone." Thanks for the inspiration!

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Sep 6Liked by Marco Altini

Love this! Talk to my patients frequently about the importance of variability and spending more time on the low need then they think.

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Wow! It’s the reason why on the test day I prefer to take a 1-hour walk (even just running errands) rather than staying on the couch and feeling the benefits the next day!

I don’t know if this applies to me that I have a high training volume or if it can be useful for everyone.

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