Using heart rate recovery during workouts to assess performance - Peter Attia MD

Aug 13, 2025

Intro

This is a quick summary of Using heart rate recovery during workouts to assess performance from Peter Attia MD. It’s a great watch — we’re breaking it down so you can try the HRR check in your own sessions today. Be sure to watch the full video for all the details.

Key Points

Heart‑rate recovery (HRR) in the first 60 seconds after a hard interval is a strong field‑measure of sympathetic‑parasympathetic balance and predicts performance better than morning HRV when measured correctly.
Aim for ≥30 beats of HR drop in the first minute of a 4‑minute recovery; on good days you may see 45 bpm drop, while a low recovery (e.g., 18‑24 bpm) signals higher sympathetic tone and likely reduced power output.
Use HRR as an on‑the‑fly gauge: if recovery is falling across intervals, consider scaling back or switching to an easier zone (e.g., Zone 2) to preserve quality.
Psychological resilience matters – sometimes pushing through a “bad” workout can have mental benefits, but the physiological benefit may be limited.

Workout Example

Warm‑up 10‑15 min easy ride (Zone 2).
Hill repeat interval: 4‑minute effort up a steep short hill (or equivalent high‑intensity effort).
Immediately after reaching the top, hit the lap button and start a 60‑second HR recovery timer.
Record the drop in heart‑rate during that minute. Goal: ≥30 bpm drop.
Follow with a 4‑minute active recovery (easy spin) and repeat the interval for the desired number of repeats (e.g., 5‑8 reps).
If HRR drops below 30 bpm on early reps, consider reducing intensity or switching to a lower‑intensity session.

Closing Note

Give this HR‑recovery check a try on your next hill repeat or interval day—adjust the paces to your own thresholds in the Pacing app and see how your recovery numbers guide you. You’ve got this, and the data will help you train smarter!