HRV by age
This calculator needs JavaScript. The quick-reference table below works without it, and the formula is just above it.
How it works
Compare with your own baseline, not with other people. Two healthy people of the same age can differ by 50 ms or more, because of genes, fitness, and how and when they're measured. A drop below your own usual means something; sitting below someone else's doesn't.
The numbers below come from 5-minute ECG readings taken lying down during the day, in 1,906 healthy adults in Germany. They're rMSSD. Your wearable may differ: Apple Watch saves HRV as SDNN, a different measure, and most rings and bands report rMSSD from overnight readings, which tend to run higher than daytime ones. So use this table only to see that your number is in a normal range, not to rank yourself.
range shown = average ± 1 standard deviation for the age band, as reported in the study (roughly two in three people fall inside)
Quick reference
| Age | Women | Men |
|---|---|---|
| 25–34 | 42.9 ms (most: 20–66) | 39.7 ms (most: 20–60) |
| 35–44 | 35.4 ms (most: 17–54) | 32.0 ms (most: 16–48) |
| 45–54 | 26.3 ms (most: 13–40) | 23.0 ms (most: 12–34) |
| 55–64 | 21.4 ms (most: 9–33) | 19.9 ms (most: 9–31) |
| 65–74 | 19.1 ms (most: 7–31) | 19.1 ms (most: 8–30) |
How Auralo does this
Auralo never compares your HRV with anyone else's. It builds your own 30-day baseline from the same device each night, so a change means a change in you, not in the formula. It shows how far today sits from your usual, and, after three weeks, what HRV it expected given yesterday's training, sleep and alcohol, next to what you actually got.
Questions
Is a low HRV bad?
Not on its own. HRV differs a lot between healthy people. What matters is a clear drop below your own usual, especially with a higher resting heart rate.
Why is my Apple Watch HRV lower than these numbers?
Apple Watch saves SDNN, not rMSSD. The two aren't directly comparable, so compare your Watch only with itself.
Can I raise my HRV?
Regular aerobic exercise, enough sleep, less alcohol and managing stress all tend to help over weeks. Day to day, it moves with training, sleep, illness and alcohol.
Is this medical advice?
No. It's wellness information. If you're worried about your heart, talk to a doctor.
Sources
- Voss A, Schroeder R, Heitmann A, Peters A, Perz S. Short-term heart rate variability: influence of gender and age in healthy subjects. PLoS ONE 2015;10(3):e0118308 (Tables 5 and 7).
- Shaffer F, Ginsberg JP. An overview of heart rate variability metrics and norms. Front Public Health 2017;5:258.
- Apple Developer documentation: heartRateVariabilitySDNN (Apple Health stores HRV as SDNN).
Wellness information, not medical advice. If you have a health condition, follow your clinician's guidance.