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Recovery & HRV

Vagal tone

DEVagustonus

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Vagal tone describes the baseline activity of the vagus nerve, the primary parasympathetic pathway connecting the brainstem to organs including the heart, lungs, and gut. Higher vagal tone is associated with efficient heart-rate slowing during exhalation, faster post-stress recovery, and lower systemic inflammation. It is commonly estimated from RMSSD or high-frequency HRV. In longevity contexts, strengthening vagal tone through breathwork, exercise, and sleep is considered a modifiable resilience factor.

Sources

  1. Thayer JF, Lane RD. (2007). The role of vagal function in the risk for cardiovascular disease and mortality. *Biological Psychology*doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2005.11.013
  2. Malik M, Bigger JT, Camm AJ, et al.. (1996). Heart rate variability: Standards of measurement, physiological interpretation, and clinical use. Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. *European Heart Journal*doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.eurheartj.a014868