Mind the Ice: Safety First

Seriously, icy conditions can be deadly. This morning, we had to abandon the bikes because of the dangerous driveway and downhill road out of the estate. Safety always comes first, so never underestimate ice on roads or paths.

Alcohol and Recovery: Finding the Balance

Now that the Christmas festivities are over, it’s a good time to talk about alcohol and its impact on your recovery and overall health. Moderation is key.

Research shows that small, daily amounts—about one unit—can be associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke, potentially decreasing overall mortality. However, consuming alcohol in larger quantities can impair recovery by reducing heart rate variability (HRV), lead to poor dietary choices, and negatively affect training compliance.

For those using the HRV4Training app or a WHOOP wristband, you can track your HRV daily. HRV measures the time between heartbeats in milliseconds. Higher HRV indicates a more parasympathetic state, which is your “rest and digest” mode. This state supports recovery, relaxation, and the body’s ability to cope with stress. In contrast, the sympathetic nervous system, often called “fight or flight,” dominates during intense exercise or stressful situations.

HRV and Exercise: Optimizing Recovery

During interval training sessions, your body alternates between sympathetic (work intervals) and parasympathetic (recovery intervals) states. The faster your nervous system can switch back to parasympathetic, the better your recovery. Practice improves this response.

I personally participated in a recent study examining how deliberate rest during exercise improves HRV. The experimental group, including myself, paused for one minute every 15 minutes during runs or bike rides and took more frequent stops during interval sessions. This allowed our bodies to enter parasympathetic mode more often, resulting in better recovery and higher morning HRV scores.

Fitter athletes naturally switch quickly between states, while less fit individuals may benefit from structured rest during training. This research is ongoing, showing how HRV monitoring is a cutting-edge tool for personalizing recovery.

Using HRV to Monitor Alcohol and Health

HRV can help you assess how alcohol affects your recovery. If you drink and notice a drop in HRV the next morning or an increase in resting heart rate, it’s a sign your recovery was impacted. If HRV remains stable, your body handles the alcohol without affecting recovery significantly.

Use your daily HRV readings to track whether your drinking is moderate and to detect early signs of illness or overtraining. A declining trend in HRV can indicate that your body is under stress. Keep me informed if you notice your HRV dropping, as I rely on you to monitor your scores.