It’s very common to hear people say things like:

“My HRV is only 42 — is that bad?”
“My friend’s HRV is 95 and mine is 55… am I less fit?”

These comparisons seem logical, but they’re based on a misunderstanding of what HRV actually represents.

HRV is not a universal score. It is a deeply individual marker of nervous system regulation.  Comparing HRV between people is like comparing resting heart rates or lung size — the raw numbers don’t tell the whole story.

HRV Reflects Your Nervous System, Not a Global Scale

HRV measures how your autonomic nervous system regulates your heart beat-to-beat.

That regulation is influenced by:
• Genetics
• Heart size and structure
• Baseline autonomic tone
• Training background
• Body size
• Age

Two people can have equally healthy and adaptable nervous systems, yet show very different HRV values.

One person’s normal might be 35. Another’s might be 85. Both can be well recovered and functioning optimally.

Heart Size and Physiology Matter

People with larger stroke volumes and different cardiac structures often show different HRV ranges.

Factors like:
• Body size
• Endurance training history
• Genetics

all influence how the heart is regulated at rest.

This means higher HRV doesn’t automatically mean “more fit,” and lower HRV doesn’t automatically mean “less healthy.”

It simply reflects how your system is wired.

Why Absolute Numbers Don’t Predict Readiness

A single HRV value doesn’t mean much without context.

For example:
• A person whose baseline is 70 and reads 55 may be under significant stress
• A person whose baseline is 40 and reads 42 may be well recovered

The number itself isn’t the story.  The relationship to your normal pattern is what matters.

Trends Matter More Than Comparisons

The most useful HRV insights come from observing:
• Your baseline range
• How HRV responds to training
• How it reacts to stress, illness, and recovery

Your trends tell you whether your system is adapting, compensating, or struggling.

Someone else’s HRV tells you nothing about your recovery.

Why Social Media Comparisons Are Misleading

It’s easy to see high HRV screenshots online and assume higher = better.

But without context, those numbers are meaningless.

You don’t know:
• That person’s baseline
• Their age
• Their genetics
• Their training history
• Their body size

You’re comparing different nervous systems, not different recovery states.

The Big Takeaway

HRV is a personal metric, not a competition.

Your numbers only make sense relative to your own baseline and trends over time. Comparing HRV values between people leads to false conclusions and unnecessary worry.

The goal isn’t to have the highest HRV.
The goal is to understand your normal — and how your body responds to stress and recovery.