The newly crowned cyclocross world champion spoke openly about his measurement data in the Whoop podcast. The Whoop tracking system is one of his tech sponsors. Van der Poel spoke about two parameters: Heart rate variability and resting heart rate. These values are well above the usual level in high-performance sport.
Heart rate variability measures the temporal variation between individual heartbeats, usually during the night-time rest phase. It serves as an indicator of the state of the autonomic nervous system and the level of regeneration. Van der Poel's value exceeds 200 milliseconds. The Dutchman explained: "I have a really high HRV. I think it's partly genetic, but physical condition also plays an important role. It definitely makes me stronger and allows me to recover better."
Resting heart rate and cardiovascular adaptation
Van der Poel recorded an average resting heart rate of 38 beats per minute. However, his Whoop device registered a low of 34 bpm. "The average is 38. The lowest I've recorded on Whoop is 34, which is really low," said the Alpecin Premier Tech rider. He added: "But many endurance athletes have that: the heart is very well trained. Cyclists generally have a pretty low heart rate."
These values are typical of an extremely adapted cardiovascular system. They are the result of years of aerobic work and accumulated training volume. In endurance sports, a high HRV is often associated with better stress processing and more efficient regeneration between intensive sessions.
Openness for data and regeneration
Many riders keep their physiological parameters secret. Van der Poel doesn't see this as a problem: "To be honest, it doesn't bother me. Of course, other people and competitors can learn a bit from it, but in my opinion it won't make any difference. Some athletes are very reticent about it, but I've never had a big problem with it."
Van der Poel named specific routines that help him to maintain good regeneration values. He avoids red meat, reduces or completely eliminates alcohol and takes magnesium before sleep to promote muscle relaxation. He also mentioned reading as a ritual in his sponsor's podcast, directly before sleep. These adjustments may seem small at first glance, but they are part of his ability to switch between road races, cyclocross competitions and MTB events.
Conclusion
For most people, values like those measured by Mathieu van der Poel would be a reason to go to the doctor and get checked out. For the top rider, however, it is a sign of an outstanding state of fitness. Although these measurements alone do not win races, they are an important part of the Dutchman's overall performance.
Leon Weidner
Working student
