The aim of the present study was to verify the validity of using exercise heart rate (HRex), HR recovery (HRR) and post-exercise HR variability (HRV) during and after a submaximal running test to predict changes in physical performance over an entire competitive season in highly trained young soccer players. Sixty-five complete data sets were analyzed comparing two consecutive testing sessions (3-4 months apart) collected on 46 players (age 15.1 ± 1.5 years). Physical performance tests included a 5-min run at 9 km h(-1) followed by a seated 5-min recovery period to measure HRex, HRR and HRV, a counter movement jump, acceleration and maximal sprinting speed obtained during a 40-m sprint with 10-m splits, repeated-sprint performance and an incremental running test to estimate maximal cardiorespiratory function (end test velocity V (Vam-Eval)). Possible changes in physical performance were examined for the players presenting a substantial change in HR measures over two consecutive testing sessions (greater than 3, 13 and 10% for HRex, HRR and HRV, respectively). A decrease in HRex or increase in HRV was associated with likely improvements in V (Vam-Eval); opposite changes led to unclear changes in V (Vam-Eval). Moderate relationships were also found between individual changes in HRR and sprint [r = 0.39, 90% CL (0.07;0.64)] and repeated-sprint performance [r = -0.38 (-0.05;-0.64)]. To conclude, while monitoring HRex and HRV was effective in tracking improvements in V (Vam-Eval), changes in HRR were moderately associated with changes in (repeated-)sprint performance. The present data also question the use of HRex and HRV as systematic markers of physical performance decrements in youth soccer players.

The aim of this study was to examine if the pattern of fluid intake with a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution during 4 h recovery from prolonged, submaximal running would influence the subsequent endurance capacity. Seven well-trained athletes aged 19.8 +/- 0.3 years (mean +/- s(mean)) took part in the study, which had university ethical committee approval. They ran at 70% VO2 max on a level treadmill for 90 min (T1), or until volitional fatigue, whichever came first, on two occasions, at least 7-10 days apart. Four hours later, the subjects ran at the same speed for as long as possible (T2), as a measure of their endurance capacity. During the 4 h rehydration recovery period, the runners were allowed to drink a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution (6.9% Lucozade-Sport; sodium, 24 mmol l(-1); potassium, 2.6 mmol l(-1); calcium, 1.2 mmol l(-1); osmolality, 300 mOsm kg(-1)) ad libitum on one occasion. On the other occasion, the volume of the same fluid was prescribed from calculations of the body mass loss during T1 (2.6% of pre-exercise body mass). All subjects completed the 90 min run during T1 on both trials. However, during T2, in the prescribed intake trial, the exercise time to exhaustion was 16% longer (P< 0.05) than during T2 in the ad libitum trial (69.9 +/- 9.1 vs 60.2 +/- 10.2 min). Although there was no difference between conditions in the total volume ingested (1499 +/- 155 vs 1405 +/- 215 ml), the volume of carbohydrate-electrolyte solution ingested in the fourth hour of the rehydration recovery period was greater in the prescribed intake trial than in the ad libitum trial (258 +/- 52 vs 78 +/- 34 ml; P< 0.05). The amount of glucose ingested in this period during the prescribed intake trial was also greater than during the ad libitum trial (17.8 +/- 3.6 vs 5.4 +/- 2.4 g; P< 0.05). There was a higher blood lactate concentration at the start of T2 in the prescribed intake trial than in the ad libitum trial (1.12 +/- 0.20 vs 0.94 +/- 0.09 mmol l(-1); P< 0.05), but there were no differences in blood glucose, plasma insulin, free fatty acid concentrations or urine volume between trials. The results of this study suggest that drinking a prescribed volume of a carbohydrate-electrolyte solution after prolonged exercise, calculated to replace the body fluid losses, restores endurance capacity to a greater extent than ad libitum rehydration during 4 h of recovery, even though the total volumes ingested were the same between trials.