HRV-Guided Training for Professional Endurance Athletes: A Protocol for a Cluster-Randomized Controlled Trial

María Carrasco-Poyatos, Alberto González-Quílez, Ignacio Martínez-González-Moro and Antonio Granero-Gallegos
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María Carrasco-Poyatos: Department of Education, Health and Public Administration Research Center, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Alberto González-Quílez: Department of Education, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain
Ignacio Martínez-González-Moro: Department of Physiotherapy, Physical Exercise and Human Performance Research Group, University of Murcia, 30001 Murcia, Spain
Antonio Granero-Gallegos: Department of Education, Health and Public Administration Research Center, University of Almeria, 04120 Almeria, Spain

IJERPH, 2020, vol. 17, issue 15, 1-12

Abstract: Physiological training responses depend on sympathetic (SNS) and parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) balance. This activity can be measured using heart rate variability (HRV). Such a measurement method can favor individualized training planning to improve athletes’ performance. Recently, HRV-guided training has been implemented both on professional and amateur sportsmen and sportswomen with varied results. There is a dearth of studies involving professional endurance athletes following a defined HRV-guided training protocol. The objectives of the proposed protocol are: (i) to determine changes in the performance of high-level athletes after following an HRV-guided or a traditional training period and (ii) to determine differences in the athletes’ performance after following both training protocols. This will be a 12-week cluster-randomized controlled protocol in which professional athletes will be assigned to an HRV-based training group (HRV-G) or a traditional-based training group (TRAD-G). TRAD-G will train according to a predefined training program. HRV-G training will depend on the athletes’ daily HRV. The maximal oxygen uptake (VO 2max ) attained in an incremental treadmill test will be considered as the primary outcome. It is expected that this HRV-guided training protocol will improve functional performance in the high-level athletes, achieving better results than a traditional training method, and thus providing a good strategy for coaches of high-level athletes.

Keywords: HRV; endurance training; training performance; high level athletes; VO 2max; running (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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