I used Whoop for over a year. the first month, it wasn’t accurate at all, but I switched to a bicep band and from then on it was great! The HR tracked with my Tickr and Apple Watch! I learnt a lot about recovery and found their podcasts to be informative. However, after a year, I felt like I had learnt what I need to from the app. I also started using an Apple Watch app called Autosleep recently. The app also gives me a ‘readiness’ score based on HRV and sleep so it pretty much does the same thing for around 30 buck a year, instead of a month. the data is not quite as in-depth as the Whoop, but it is enough for me…and a fraction of the price! Either way, HRV is an interesting metric and indicator and I will certainly be seeing an eye on mine in the future.
I have both AutoSleep and HearthWatch - practically all you need.
I just started using Whoop a week ago and I am very curious about how it goes using the Strain Coach. I wonder if it is best to use it to get the “optimal” level of strain everyday, or if it will be better to overreach periodically to increase fitness, knowing that there will be additional recovery. When I’m riding more outside I can imagine more days that exceed optimal, but off season when I’m on the trainer more it is easier to control the strain level.
I would be be interested in any insight that you develop
Brief update I received my whoop band yesterday, let’s see how it goes. The band, sensor, fit itself ok, but first impression not really good updating firmware was a bit annoying had to try several times, then the “syncing”-process is really slow when I compare it to syncing my Garmin watch. I don’t know if it’s because my profile is empty and the system was setting up…but not impressed! Did anyone else experience same?
@JC2020 Congratulations. I have not had bad experiences with firmware updates. Occasionally, I have had Bluetooth pairing issues where I had to go to settings on my iPhone and select “forget this device” and re-pair. Not sure why. Has happened three times in six months. It does take a while to “learn” you but not having had a Garmin watch for several years, I do not really have a comparison. I usually have the app running all the time so syncing is quite instantaneous.
@stevecalcaterra I have recently started using the strain coach to guide workouts since I do not have a training plan that I am currently following. Haven’t been using it enough this way to have an opinion one way or another. I would think periodically overreaching is desirable and my weekend rides are usually over-reaching. During the week it is difficult to overreach due to time constraints. I have had several instances of high recovery mid-week that is a bit frustrating as I cannot always meet that level and my weekly PA states that my training is “sub-optimal.”
I agree that using the indoor trainer really helps manage the strain. Even then mid-week sessions can be difficult due to time.
I want to start a new training plan and see how the two sync up, if at all.
Another brief update. I recently switched to the bicep strap for my Whoop. It is more comfortable than the wrist (although a wore a watch for years and used to feel naked without it) especially for sleeping. I have noticed that the bicep location, the heartrate measurement tracks much closer to that of the HR strap (Tickr of course). The wrist location tended to read low especially at reduced efforts. It tracked closer as intensity increased. Will see if it changes any of my reported results.
I finally got a week where training was near optimal by using the strain coach to match the recommended effort based on my recovery score. My sleep has largely been optimal since I started using Whoop. As work stress has alleviated the quality of my sleep has improved a little to where I don’t feel like I need as much. I am also seeing the benefit of the occasional nap in the afternoon after a large effort (18+ strain).
My plan is to continue with Whoop for the next six-months, which will be one year of continuous use. As there appears to be some value in tracking respiratory rate as an early warning for COVID (and probably other illness) I am going to keep at it.
Also an update from me, starting week 3 with whoop, so far am quite happy with it, using the strain coahc already has helped me, since am going to the gym for some crossfunctional fitness twice a week and balancing it with my sufferfest training plan, I must say it’s tough to marry them. wish I could really choose which days I want to ride and the plan to adjust, today I do it manually.
Back to whoop, this week i had trained, hard (strain at 16.3 for riding HHNF I was of but on what should’ve been my second rest day (per suf plan) WHOOP said I was “primed for strain” , so I tried ATTACKER, and felt good, day after same so trained on the bike, and today at Gym and it was one of my best sessions in the gym. So far quite happy with Whoop. As a final side note, i even use it to broadcast my HR to suff, have compared it to my garmin watch and practically same readings. so will still keep using the Whoop.
Anyone here use do coffee rides or extended rides with a break? I’m trying to figure out if it makes any difference to the Whoop app if I call those two rides (which is what Whoop seems to want to do), or if it would be better to edit it after to make it one long ride
I usually have a 15-20 minute break in the middle of rides >3 hours. I just accept that Whoop splits it into two separate rides. I think the only benefit would be how it reports your “time spent at x% of HR is less than/ greater than.”
On outdoor rides I let Whoop do whatever. When on the trainer on I use the Strain Coach as it does not always pick up the activity. At least not in a timely fashion.
Thanks - I assumed that it might not matter since Whoop is supposed to be picking up all of the effort as it builds up through the day - I am not sure that it even really matters for the calculations that it makes, but thought that I would float the question out there
I don’t use Whoop, but I do use the HRV4Training app to measure HRV every morning. I use the static protocol just after wake up, still lying in the bed, and for 2-min (they say 1-min would be enough).
Also, I track my day and night using a Garmin VivoSport and use MyFitnessPal (MFP) to register everything I eat.
Although the results come apart, I have a good track of HRV (together with all data the app collects), sleep quality and hours, and calories.
I set MFP to basically calculate my baseline calories needed as an inactive person so that I can add what I eat and what workouts I do. In addition, I register my weight there too.
Regarding HRV, although I am very consistent with the way I measure HRV (2-min register just after wake-up and still on the bed), my register has been showing no good correlation with recovery.
According to the population overview (see image below) my HRV is very very low.
I am considering a change to an orthostatic HRV measurement protocol, but it would take months for a new baseline, it is more time consuming, and the HRV4T blog says they couldn’t see important differences against the static version of the test I have been doing.
Anyone here to comment on the experience with HRV.
I’m using HRV Training (same protocol as yours), too.
My baseline is also lower compared to my age group. But that’s not an issue for me.
The rMSSD value is just one value for calculating the recovery points. And it depends also, how you awake (alarm clock) or if you have to go to toilet. A full bladder could influence the sympathetic nervous system.
Just one medical hint: a lower rMSSD in the morning can also be a result of sleep apnea, but probably somebody can tell you that 
You will probably get clearer results for the recovery points if you use the sliders (fatigue, sleep, etc.) more to the left or right… This could generate some clearer results regarding correlations, too.
Sometimes my recovery points are below my baseline (yellow), but I’m feeling fine. So I don’t adjust my training automatically, I’m evaluating my training load and other stressors. Most of the time I find the right balance between numeric values and subjective feeling. If it is in the red range, I definitely know why 
This is where COVID hit me… (of course no sports for 4 weeks)
And this is normal…
Also the HRV Trends and coefficients of variations will give you a very valuable hint, if you’re coping well with training (and all other stressor).
So my key message is:
- Use the numbers wisely
- Evaluate the trends
- Cross check with your daily life
- Listen to your body and trust your feelings
- Ahhm, we are in Sufferlandria… Have fun when suffering (in a healthy way)
Hi @Oliver.Pix,
Thanks for all the comments.
As a scientist, I try to keep all variables under control. You are right about a full bladder, I knew but was not considering it as I kept the same every morning. Now I will slightly change the routine, going to the toilet and getting back to bed for 5 min before measuring HRV for 2 minutes. I track the camera reading and it is always consistent and considered optimal; actually, I found it better (more reliable) than using an HR chest band connected using BLE.
I did it today (the toilet routine) and couldn’t notice any important difference, but let’s see the long term.
Fortunately, I have no sleep apnea problems. Indeed, lately, I do feel really OK with my sleeping and Garmin says the same.
Also, I use all the sliders to complement data for HRV4T.
I don’t know why they do not take the TSS values directly from Strava or elsewhere, I feel quite annoyed to have to get it and insert into the HRV app. But now I think I will start to add it consistently as another piece of info about physical stress load.
Here are some of my results, in general, it seems I am copying well.
I also use Elevate for Strava to track my Fitness Trend.
I finished a 12-weeks plan (All-purpose Advanced with strength), had 1-week free riding and I am now in the second week of a Full Century Advanced with Strength and with outdoor cycling on weekends. Let’s see how my body will deal with the new FF numbers and extra loading.
Yesterday, I did AVDP after a sequence of rides and strength training, I definitively was not that fresh and struggled to finish it, but this morning HRV and HR were still OK.
I started using HRV in 2017, before being a Sufferlandrian. At that time my HRV used to be higher and I could see the overload (in the app) when it happened. Maybe, the shorter but more intense routine using The SUF plan is better to avoid an easy overload due to long hours on the bike weekdays + weekends (also associated with less rest).
Regarding the TSS import: I’m able to import my activities with TSS from Strava, so you can perhaps try to disconnect HRV Training from Strava and then reconnect it again. I am also able to pull my HRV Training data to Trainingpeaks.
Your base line values are indeed looking okay at the moment. Just another idea: Probably you’re training a little too much on the “hard” side, which could be an explanation for the lower HRV in general. How is your training polarization in HRV4T?
Mine is looking like this:
Best wishes
Oliver
Thanks again @Oliver.Pix.
My polarization is OK. I am coming from the 2 last weeks of an All-purpose plan (which are easy, tapering for the FF), then I did one free week when I rode not pushing hard. Last week I started a new plan.
Using HR (77% maximum) I have 91% polarization.
I don’t know exactly the threshold for Power, mine is showing 194W, which is 75% of FTP and it results in a 91% polarization too. What do you suggest as a threshold for Power?
Using RPE it says 75%, which is acceptable too.
I am still struggling to get TSS automatically from TP. I reset Strava and TP links and it is not working.
I can get all the data and send info to, except by the TSS.
Do you have a premium account in TP? Maybe they are limiting that feature for premium.
Best,
Alvaro
The polarization based on heart rate looks fine then, especially if your RPE and power are matching.
I’m using my heart rate of approximately 135-140 which matches the LTP (Lower Threshold Power) in XERT.
Since it seems, that you have a big interest in a scientific approach, I can definitely recommend XERT as an additional tool. It will take some time to get into it, but it’s very useful as an addon…no replacement for Sufferfest (as a Knight I can never leave the castle anyway 
)
Regarding the TSS import you could contact the guys at HRV4T to have a look, they are really responsive.
Best wishes
Oliver
Great @Oliver.Pix , a Knight never leaves the castle.
Yes, HRV4T support is really good and quick, I have tried it before.
I asked about TSS import and they answered it is limited by TP for premium accounts.
I will have to keep logging it manually. I did it for the last 2 months and I will carry on from now.
Thanks for mentioning XERT, I have never tried it, but I will.
I tried once Golden Cheetah and also did the free trials with WKO4 and WKO5.
Sufferfest fits me perfectly, I like the community and the testing and plans showed me good results. Also, I got used to indoor training during weekdays and it is very practical (saves time) to have music, video, and a “funny” structured workout. On top of that, I am doing good use of yoga and strength sessions.
I’m curious if anyone follows a training plan and how you manage waking up with poor HRV/RHR/recovery score data and getting the best out of the plan? I can postpone workouts as I’m not planning a race or anything, just looking to build fitness. I see quite a few hard Monday workouts on my plan and assume I’ll have some low Whoop scores on the Tuesday strength/cadence days. Any insights would be much appreciated!
I used to track HRV on my Garmin 1030 and then I stopped.
Xert’s designation of “tired” does not seem to correlate to anything in the real world.
I have found paying attention to my own body is just as good for detecting fatigue as any device, especially something that requites a great deal of effort, and costs a great deal of money.