The effect of active vs. supine recovery on heart rate, power output, and recovery time

The purpose of this research was to compare the effectiveness of two different post-exercise recovery methods, active and passive, on the heart rate (HR), peak power (PP), average power (AP) and time to Baseline Active Heart Rate (BAHR) following three short (10 s) bicycle sprints. Fourteen males (mean age: 21.0±0.7 yrs) participated in the study. Each participant performed two separate trials that included three maximal Wingate rides of 10 s each. In one trial each ride was followed by a two-minute supine recovery. In the second trial each ride was followed by a two-minute active recovery that involved walking on a treadmill at 1.5 mph with a 2.5% grade. Heart rate was recorded every 20 s during the recovery periods, and PP and AP were obtained during the cycle rides. Time to recovery was recorded following the third (and final) ride in each trial to determine the time required to return to a pre-determined recovery heart rate. This HR value was determined in a pre-test by recording the HR of each participant while walking on a treadmill at 1.5 mph with a 2.5% grade. Results showed supine recovery resulted in significantly lower HR at each 20-s interval and overall (p<0.01). Additionally, supine recovery resulted in a significantly shorter time to BAHR (10.8±9.0 min) compared to the active recovery (30.5±18.2 min; p<0.001). There was no difference in PP or AP for any rides between the two recovery modes (p>0.05). Heart rate and time to BAHR were significantly lower following supine recovery compared to active recovery; however, this decreased HR did not have an effect on peak or average power.