She does “everything right”, but so far sees little effect

Question: Hello. I am 25 years old and read your book last October. I also bought a Garmin watch. I’ve had a problem with high heart rate and low HRV, and after I started using the watch I’ve realized that I’ve been pushing myself way too hard.

I have a history of traumatizing experiences, but this was 8 years ago. I have been admitted to hospital and have been examined with a 72-hour ECG and exercise stress test, as well as an ultrasound of the heart twice. The conclusion was that I have a high resting heart rate because I am a woman, and cardio training or beta blockers were recommended, which I refused.

I was also diagnosed with celiac disease at the same time last year. I go for daily walks, but my heart rate goes up to 160 just from walking up a small hill, and averages around 140 when I just go for a leisurely walk in the neighborhood.

According to Garmin, my VO2 max was 41 (good). I am also attaching curves of HRV from November last year and July this year, with little change. I have now taken a break from strength training for a period. My job as an occupational therapist and the housework at home take a lot of energy from me, and I am often under a lot of stress.

I have carefully tried cold showers, changed my diet completely (read the book Glucose Goddess), I only eat during the day, stopped drinking alcohol completely, stopped consuming ultra-processed food and drink, established a sleep routine, and I use red light therapy. In addition to all this, I also attend weekly restorative yoga and perform breathing exercises daily. Still, I see little effect.

I switched from Garmin to WHOOP, so that I don’t have to constantly see my heart rate and can more easily track habits. I have requested extended blood tests from the doctor, but am being referred to a psychologist because the GP thinks it could be PTSD. I don’t think that’s true, as I’ve had treatment before and feel at peace. I have only checked that I have decent levels of the most common vitamins and minerals.

I am at a loss and don’t know where to turn. Hoping for an answer.

Answer: Hey you, this certainly sounds tiring! The picture you attached shows a low HRV of 20-24. There can be many reasons for the high heart rate. It is natural to take extended blood tests to rule out deficiencies. I would also have food intolerance tests carried out. There can be more and other problems than celiac disease in relation to the diet.

It is very good that you have made the good lifestyle choices that will probably help you, even if the measurements do not show any clear change yet. It may be something that will come to light over time. Paradoxically, it can also be a bit stressful to work so hard to calm down. The frustration you feel at not seeing results can also contribute to the stress. Maybe you can get a little better at doing nothing?

I’m not sure if it’s a good idea to just use Whoop. It may be easier to identify the small nuances in stress level on the Garmin watch. . . You can, of course, try to only use the Garmin occasionally for concentrated exploration of techniques that should provide rest.

In any case, your fitness is good enough, so no need to push yourself into cardio training. It may be an idea to try beta blockers. It lowers the effect of adrenaline and may be worth testing out. I personally believe that this can be a good medicine in such cases as you describe. I recommend that you talk to your doctor.

Good luck!
Regards, Dr. Torkil