Heart Rate Variability Relates with Competition Performance in Professional Soccer Players

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) is widely used in professional soccer players as a tool to assess individual response to training load. Different devices and methods are available for HRV assessment. The relationship between HRV and competitive soccer matches performance is not documented. Methods: We monitored HRV in professional soccer players throughout a game season. Measurements were performed with a portable lightweight device in weekly 5 min sessions from which we obtained the value of the square root of the mean squared differences of successive beat-to-beat intervals (rMSSD). Game parameters of run and velocity were collected. Results: Twenty-seven players were monitored with a total of 121 observations. The rMSSD significantly related with the total distance covered (p = 0.036) and with the distance covered running at >15 km/h (p = 0.039) during soccer games. Conclusions: HRV was associated with competition performance in professional soccer players.

[1]  Wojciech Zareba,et al.  2017 ISHNE-HRS expert consensus statement on ambulatory ECG and external cardiac monitoring/telemetry. , 2017, Heart rhythm.

[2]  Karim Chamari,et al.  Monitoring training load and fatigue in soccer players with physiological markers , 2017, Physiology & Behavior.

[3]  N. Selvaraj,et al.  Assessment of heart rate variability derived from finger-tip photoplethysmography as compared to electrocardiography , 2008, Journal of medical engineering & technology.

[4]  Claudio Cobelli,et al.  Power Spectral Analysis of Heart-Rate Variations Improves Assessment of Diabetic Cardiac Autonomic Neuropathy , 1992, Diabetes.

[5]  Greg Atkinson,et al.  Monitoring Fatigue During the In-Season Competitive Phase in Elite Soccer Players. , 2015, International journal of sports physiology and performance.

[6]  J. Fleiss,et al.  Frequency domain measures of heart period variability to assess risk late after myocardial infarction. , 1993, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

[7]  Maurizio Bertollo,et al.  Heart rate variability discriminates competitive levels in professional soccer players. , 2017, Journal of strength and conditioning research.

[8]  Anthony S Leicht,et al.  Cardiac autonomic adaptations in elite Spanish soccer players during preseason. , 2013, International journal of sports physiology and performance.

[9]  John Collomosse,et al.  Deep learning with wearable based heart rate variability for prediction of mental and general health , 2020, J. Biomed. Informatics.

[10]  J. Fortrat,et al.  Heart rate variability in the standing position reflects training adaptation in professional soccer players , 2016, European Journal of Applied Physiology.

[11]  Liang Wu,et al.  An optimization study of the ultra-short period for HRV analysis at rest and post-exercise. , 2020, Journal of electrocardiology.

[12]  M. de Hoyo,et al.  Heart Rate Variability: a Follow-up in Elite Soccer Players Throughout the Season , 2015, International Journal of Sports Medicine.

[13]  V. Somers,et al.  Heart Rate Variability: , 2003, Journal of cardiovascular electrophysiology.

[14]  A. Frontera,et al.  Smart-watches: a potential challenger to the implantable loop recorder? , 2016, Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology.

[15]  Richard L. Verrier,et al.  ISHNE-HRS expert consensus statement on ambulatory ECG and external cardiacmonitoring / telemetry , 2017 .

[16]  F. Nakamura,et al.  Soccer Matches but Not Training Sessions Disturb Cardiac-Autonomic Regulation During National Soccer Team Training Camps , 2020, Research quarterly for exercise and sport.

[17]  G. Breithardt,et al.  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. , 1996 .

[18]  Stephen B. R. E. Brown,et al.  Assessing New Methods to Optimally Detect Episodes of Non-metabolic Heart Rate Variability Reduction as an Indicator of Psychological Stress in Everyday Life: A Thorough Evaluation of Six Methods , 2020, Frontiers in Neuroscience.

[19]  Andrew E. Kilding,et al.  Training Adaptation and Heart Rate Variability in Elite Endurance Athletes: Opening the Door to Effective Monitoring , 2013, Sports Medicine.

[20]  H. Kinnunen,et al.  Feasible assessment of recovery and cardiovascular health: accuracy of nocturnal HR and HRV assessed via ring PPG in comparison to medical grade ECG , 2020, Physiological measurement.

[21]  G. Casolo,et al.  Heart rate variability during the acute phase of myocardial infarction. , 1992, Circulation.

[22]  Jinying Dong,et al.  The role of heart rate variability in sports physiology , 2016, Experimental and therapeutic medicine.

[23]  S. Cerutti,et al.  Advances in heart rate variability signal analysis: joint position statement by the e-Cardiology ESC Working Group and the European Heart Rhythm Association co-endorsed by the Asia Pacific Heart Rhythm Society. , 2015, Europace : European pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac electrophysiology : journal of the working groups on cardiac pacing, arrhythmias, and cardiac cellular electrophysiology of the European Society of Cardiology.

[24]  S. Malpas,et al.  Heart-Rate Variability and Cardiac Autonomic Function in Diabetes , 1990, Diabetes.