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(HRV) as a Tool for Diagnostic and Monitoring Performance in Sport and Physical Activities. JEPonline 2013; 16 (3): 103-131. The dynamic autonomic responses during exercise can be measured to give actionable information for training by analysis of the ECG to determine heart rate variability (HRV). While application of HRV has been applied to predict sudden cardiac death and diabetic neuropathy in assessing disease progression, recent studies have suggested that it may be applied to exercise training. In this review, we present the rationale for measuring HRV. We describe the different variables used and what they can tell us about the autonomic nervous system. The use of HRV in detecting changes in exercise intensity is presented, along with evidence that gender and age changes may affect autonomic HRV. Lastly, we illustrate how HRV measurements taken immediately post-exercise have proven to be useful in measuring and monitoring training load to proscribe workouts and/or prevent overtraining. Despite the studies that vary widely in their application to different training levels of athletes being tested and HRV measures used, the standardization of methodologies and results should help accelerate the use of HRV in sports training.