Abstract
BackgroundHeart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) indices are established tools to detect abnormal recovery status in athletes. A low HR and vagally mediated HRV index change between supine and standing positions reflected a maladaptive training stress-recovery status.ObjectivesOur study was focused on a female multistage cycling event. Its overall aim was twofold: (1) quantify the correlation between (a) the change in HR and HRV indices during an active orthostatic test and (b) subjective/objective fatigue, physical load, and training level indicators; and (2) formulate a model predicting the stress-recovery status as indexed by and ΔLnRMSSD (defined as the difference between standing and supine mean RR intervals and LnRMSSD, respectively), based on subjective/objective fatigue indicators, physical load, and training levels.MethodsTen female cyclists traveled the route of the 2017 Tour de France, comprising 21 stages of 200 km on average. From 4 days before the beginning of the event itself, and until 1 day after its completion, every morning, each cyclist was subjected to HR and HRV measurements, first at rest in a supine position and then in a standing position. The correlation between HR and HRV indices and subjective/objective fatigue, physical load, and training level indicators was then computed. Finally, several multivariable linear models were tested to analyze the relationships between HR and HRV indices, fatigue, workload, and training level indicators.ResultsHR changes appeared as a reliable indicator of stress-recovery status. Fatigue, training level, and displayed a linear relationship. Among a large number of linear models tested, the best one to predict stress-recovery status was the following: 1,249.37+12.32V̇O2max + 0.36 km⋅week–1−8.83 HRmax−5.8 RPE−28.41 perceived fatigue with an adjusted R2 = 0.322.ConclusionThe proposed model can help to directly assess the adaptation status of an athlete from RR measurements and thus to anticipate a decrease in performance due to fatigue, particularly during a multistage endurance event.
Highlights
Physical training must combine workloads and recovery periods (Bishop et al, 2008)
In a previous study on well-trained female cyclists, we have demonstrated that during a multistage event, Heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) indices evolved along the event in correlation with the daily physical load (Barrero et al, 2019)
We studied the evolution of HR and HRV indices throughout the cycling event in our previously published study (Barrero et al, 2019)
Summary
Physical training must combine workloads and recovery periods (Bishop et al, 2008). An optimal match between these two parameters is requested to avoid fatigue accumulation and reach the best individual physical performance level. The individual optimal balance between work and recovery is difficult to achieve, especially for highly trained athletes. Having relevant indicators of the exercise stress-recovery status could be a real advantage for individual athlete’s monitoring. The aim of this study was to provide a new tool for coaches to help them to assess the athlete’s individual fatigue level. Heart rate (HR) and HR variability (HRV) indices are established tools to detect abnormal recovery status in athletes. A low HR and vagally mediated HRV index change between supine and standing positions reflected a maladaptive training stress-recovery status
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