Individual training prescribed by heart rate variability, heart rate and well-being scores in experienced cyclists

Purpose: Optimizing the training of endurance athletes involves the nuanced balance between overload and recovery. Monitoring recovery effectively requires integrating multiple variables. This study evaluates the efficacy of training protocols guided by vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Alfonso, Carla|||0000-0001-7977-6474, Clarke, David|||0000-0002-1520-5426, Capdevila Ortís, Lluís|||0000-0002-7319-4745
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2025
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:318556
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/318556
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1038/s41598-025-13540-z
Access Level:acceso embargado
Palabra clave:HRV
Fatigue
Recovery
Psychophysiology
Autonomic nervous system
Periodization
Descripción
Sumario:Purpose: Optimizing the training of endurance athletes involves the nuanced balance between overload and recovery. Monitoring recovery effectively requires integrating multiple variables. This study evaluates the efficacy of training protocols guided by vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV), resting heart rate (RHR), and subjective well-being (WB) scores in enhancing cycling performance. It also explores the relationships between physiological and subjective measures. Method: Twenty-eight experienced male cyclists were divided into three groups: vmHRV-only (Group 1), vmHRV+WB (Group 2), and vmHRV+WB+RHR (Group 3). Over 40 days, participants recorded daily vmHRV, RHR, and WB scores and followed customised training protocols. Pre- and post-intervention cycling tests assessed maximal power (Pmax), 1-min, 5-min, 20-min, and functional threshold power (FTPTM). Daily data analysis included correlation and autocorrelation function (ACF) assessments to evaluate trends and individual variability.Results: Across all groups, significant performance improvements were observed for 1-min, 5- min, 20-min, FTPTM, and FTPTM/kg. Group 3 showed the greatest improvements, particularly in 5-min and 20-min efforts (310.560 to 337.971 watts, and 260.955 to 284.564 watts, respectively). ACF revealed stress as having the highest day-to-day consistency among subjective measures. Individual correlations revealed diverse strengths of the relationships between physiological and subjective markers.Conclusion: Combining vmHRV, RHR, and WB offers a more nuanced assessment of athlete readiness and enhances training outcomes compared to vmHRV-only guidance. The study underscores the value of integrating physiological and subjective measures for personalising training protocols and highlights future directions for improving monitoring systems with advanced analytics.