Key result
Heart rate variability (rMSSD) was associated with total distance covered and distance covered running at >15 km/h during professional soccer games.
Why the study?
Heart rate variability is widely used to assess individual response to training load, but its relationship with competitive soccer match performance has not been documented.
Does heart rate variability (HRV) correlate with competition performance in professional soccer players?
Observational (n=27)
Does heart rate variability (HRV) correlate with competition performance in professional soccer players?
Heart rate variability (specifically rMSSD) is significantly associated with physical performance metrics such as total distance covered and high-speed running distance in professional soccer players.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Portable HRV monitoring may aid athlete training load; leaves open performance links and clinical translation.
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.
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Malagù et al. (2021) conducted an observational in Professional soccer players (n=27). Heart rate variability (rMSSD) was evaluated on Total distance covered and distance covered running at >15 km/h during soccer games (p=0.036). Heart rate variability (rMSSD) was associated with total distance covered and distance covered running at >15 km/h during professional soccer games.
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