Analysis of the physiological response in junior tennis players during short-term recovery: Understanding the magnitude of recovery until and after the 25 seconds rule

Abstract

Literature lacks evidence about the physiological recovery of tennis players between points. This study aimed to: (i) verify the heart rate (HR) and oxygen uptake (V̇O2) recovery variance in young tennis players from the end of a tennis drill until the 25-s mark and onwards (65-s limit), performed at several intensities, and (ii) test the curve fitting that better characterizes the players’ HR and V̇O2 recovery, from the end of the drill until the 65-s mark. The sample was composed of 13 male tennis players (age: 16.80 ± 1.61 years) recruited from a National Tennis Association. Players were instructed to perform a drill test (“two-line drill wide mode”) based on an intensity increment protocol. Three levels of intensity were used based on the reserve HR and V̇O2. A significance level effect was observed on the HRreserve and V̇O2reserve ( P < .001). At all three levels of intensity, the first 25 s were enough to significantly ( P < .001) recover the HRreserve and V̇O2reserve. The same significance trend ( P < .001) was maintained until the 65 s but with a lower magnitude over time. Overall, the HR and V̇O2 curve fitting indicated a cubic relationship at the three levels of intensity (except the V̇O2 at the first level). Considering the specific test performed, players significantly elicited their physiological profile for every additional 10 s (after the 25-s rule) in the three levels of intensity performed. Despite this being a drill test and not a competitive point, coaches, players, and tennis organizations should be aware of these findings.

Relationship between Oxygen Uptake Reserve and Heart Rate Reserve in Young Male Tennis Players: Implications for Physical Fitness Monitoring

“…This consisted of a two-line-wide mode drill test. Players had to alternate between hitting a wide forehand and a wide backhand [ 13 ]. A ball machine (Spinfire 2 Pro, Melbourne, Australia) was used to throw the balls with constant velocity (mean: ~78 km/h), always alternating the direction of the ball in the same sequence.…”

“…VO 2 (mL/kg/min) was measured only during the recovery time after each stage. Therefore, VO 2 at the end of each level was estimated through backward extrapolation by individual linear regression based on the HR–VO 2 relationship [ 13 ]. Mean records every 10 s, up to the 30 s limit, were measured and registered.…”

“…Nevertheless, as far as is understood, it appears that this is not a standard procedure used by researchers and coaches in the tennis context. There are studies that have used VO 2reserve and HR reserve to understand the exercise intensity or prescription [ 13 , 14 ], and others have used VO 2max or HR max [ 15 , 16 ]. Therefore, it could be argued that researchers and coaches use one or the other without any reasoning behind the choice.…”

Applications of Machine Learning to Optimize Tennis Performance: A Systematic Review

“…Matches are characterized by intermittent periods of high-intensity activity lasting 4-10 s, combined with brief recovery periods of 10-20 s and longer rest intervals of 60-90 s [2,8,9]. Essential tennis skills, including technique, coordination, focus, and tactics, may not be used in long-lasting matches if the athlete is not in excellent condition due to rapid exhaustion, which can affect nearly all tennis-specific skills [3,10,11].…”