(Heart Rate Variability)
Definition:
If the time between different heartbeats is t1 , t2 , t3 , … , tn milliseconds , then HRV is the mathematical variability between these intervals .
From clinical observation , it has been ascertained that low HRV is strongly correlated with further myocardial infarctions (MI) after a first MI .
In general , it is strongly suspected that low HRV is a macro-indicator of the vulnerability of an organism to a sudden shock .
Theory:
Bah.
KISS
Cells and nerve complexes optimize on heartbeat and breath.
Heartbeats during Inbreath accelerate .
Heartbeats during Outbreath decelerate .
Chaotic processes can be entrained .
Evolutionary :
1 .Gradual selection pressures operate at extremes .
2 .But today’s extremes are tomorrow’s survivor norms .
Combine the two principles over time :
Organisms without drop-dead immune systems like sharks or crocodiles are driven to evolve into more-and-more specialized forms by competition from their relatives . Since each competition takes place in a finite arena , the organism evolves to fit the arena . If the arena changes , the organism cannot handle the change and becomes an ex-organism .
The relevance to HRV is that the environment (arena) of each cell in a creature with a heart and lungs are governed by two macro-factors :
Energy (ie oxygen and glucose) is more available during the systolic pulse and less available during the diastolic pulse . Waste products have to be removed .
Evolutionary systems zero in on this difference and optimize for glucose and oxygen availability during inbreaths . Metabolic rates are at a maximum and waste products build up (since , by definition , the cell is at a relative extreme) .
This is expanded upwards into nerve-complexes : ie
Inhalation is accompanied by stimulation of the sympathetic nervous system of fight-or-flight.
Expiration is accompanied by stimulation of the para-sympathetic nervous system of recuperation .
The breathing rate has a direct influence on the cellular metabolic rate . More important , the neural and hormonal paths developed to control this has a single point-of-influence : the breathing rate .
The question here is : why can the breathing rate still be under conscious control ?
The answer seems to be that there are too many receptors monitoring the breathing process : the movement of muscles and skin-pressure receptors .
There is also a meme-connection : knowing when to fight-or-flee when the only input is sociological has a major survival advantage . (If the king gives you a hate filled glance , run like hell)
How it may seem , humans can control their breathing rate consciously . This affects their nervous system and ultimately their cells .
Yoga is one discipline that uses this interface . But it is slow . Western science gives various routes which are quicker .
Biofeedback and entrainment might not give wisdom , but it can teach you to do the same tricks in a few hours as a fakir spent a lifetime in mastering .
So what we do is combine western electronics with eastern mysticism to form a result which is repetitive on demand .
There are two types of this system:
! . Continuous feedback (like in bio systems or sociological systems).
2 . Interrupted feedback (or quantal feedback) . This is the usual modality with humans sociological systems .
The usual evolutionary path is from big chunks to smaller chunks of info. The chunks get smaller , but in real life they do not go infinitesimal . The only way it can do that is by superposition , in which case the basic assumptions that something is identifiable is no longer valid .
Essentially , a quantal universe is unstable . And may you have joy of that observation.
To get back to HRV.
HART
Training heartbeat then simply involves :
- Taking a measurement of blood pressure and heartbeat (Standard BP instrument)
- Input Heartrate into HART program. (say 90 beats per minute)
- Set target Heartrate (say 70 bpm)
- Input breathing rate (eg 6 per minute)
- Breathe according to forced timing , while watching entrainment of heartbeat on screen. This enforced entrainment is per inspiration and expiration .
- Check Bloodpressure and heartbeat at end .
The Breathrate driver’s width fluctuates according to the chaotic driver input.
This is a KISS system..It cannot get simpler .
Andre
