Summary
Cross-sectional study found that adequate sleep (6+ hours) protects against the negative HRV effects of inadequate exercise. Short sleepers show worse HRV even with regular exercise.
Methods
Cross-sectional analysis of sleep duration, exercise, and HRV relationships
Key Findings
- Sleeping 6+ hours had protective effect on HRV
- Short sleep impaired restorative processes
- Inadequate exercise + short sleep = lowest HRV
- Sleep may be more foundational than exercise for HRV
Limitations
Cross-sectional design cannot establish causation
What This Means for You
Sleep might matter more than exercise for HRV. If you're training hard but sleeping poorly, prioritize sleep. Six hours appears to be a minimum threshold for maintaining healthy HRV.
Source
Read the original paper in European Journal of Applied Physiology ↗
Added to HRV Zone: 2025-01-07