Cardiac Autonomic Profile of Soccer, Field Hockey and Basketball Players: A Comparative Study

Abstract

Background: Heart rate recovery (HRR) and heart rate variability (HRV) provide information about cardiac autonomic control; which indicates the physical fitness level of athletes in different sports. Objectives: The purpose of our study was to compare HRR and HRV profiles in collegiate male soccer, field hockey and basketball athletes, at rest and following activity. Methods: Fifty-five male collegiate athletes (20 soccer, 18 field hockey and 17 basketball players) were recruited on the basis of inclusion criteria and exclusion criteria. HRR was obtained following a bout of sub-maximal exercise on a treadmill. Measures of HRV were assessed at rest and during the last 5 minutes of a 15-min recovery period post-exercise. Results: Soccer players showed the highest and basketball players recorded the lowest resting root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). The value of RMSSD for basketball group was significantly lower than both soccer (P < 0.001) and field hockey (P = 0.015). At rest, normalized low frequency (LFnu) and low frequency-high frequency ratio were higher for the basketball group (P < 0.05). Basketball players showed significantly faster heart rate recovery than soccer (P= 0.017) and field hockey players (P < 0.001). The post-exercise LFnu value was higher in basketball players when compared with soccer players (P = 0.02) as well as field hockey players (P = 0.001). Conclusions: The results of the present study suggest that basketball players exhibit greater sympathetic outflow, at rest and following activity. The autonomic profiles of soccer and field hockey players were found to be comparable.