Heart Rate Variability Threshold Values for Early-Warning Nonfunctional Overreaching in Elite Female Wrestlers

• DOI: 10.1519/jsc.0b013e31826caef8
• Publication Date: 2012-08-13T19:04:04Z
• Authors: Ye Tian; Zi-hong He; Jie-xiu Zhao; Da-lang Tao; Kui-yun Xu; Conrad P. Earnest; Lars R. Mc Naughton
• Keywords: Supine position; Overtraining

Functional overreaching (FOR) represents intense training followed by a brief reduction in performance and then rapid recovery (<2 weeks) supercompensation. Nonfunctional (NFOR) occurs when the reduced continues ≥3 weeks. Heart rate variability (HRV) is promising tool for detecting NFOR. In this study, authors examined HRV thresholds 34 elite female wrestlers (mean ± SD: age 23 3 years; height 165.6 6 cm, weight 63 8 kg) FOR/NFOR during before 11 major competitions. Supine was analyzed weekly at same time of day using frequency domain methods. The observed that index, square root mean sum squares differences between adjacent R-to-R intervals (rMSSD, milliseconds), denoting parasympathetic tone, showed those responding normally to (82.76 ms, 95% confidence interval 77.75-87.78) be significantly different showing decrease (45.97 interval, 30.79-61.14) or hyper-responsiveness (160.44 142.02-178.85; all, p < 0.001). Similar results were mixed sympathetic signal standard deviation NN (ms): normal (65.39; 62.49-68.29), (40.07; 29-51.14), hyperresponse (115.00; 105.46-124.54; 0.001) synonymous components. An examination shows narrow band surrounding response compared with broader bands accompanying adverse responses. Thus, severe perturbations both above below responses lasting >2 weeks indicated an athlete's transition NFOR and, hence, are useful assessing possible overreaching/training.