Association of Heart Rate Variability and Simulated Cycling Time Trial Performance

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine if an abnormal HRV status would have negative effects on simulated individual time trial (ITT) performance in recreational cyclists. Recreational male (n=23, 42.8±8.3 years, 78.0±11.0 kg) and female (n=2, 37.0±6.8 years, 68.0±4.4 kg) cyclists completed simulated indoor 40-minute ITTs (40TT) over ten weeks. Participants were asked to complete simulated 40TTs under two HRV conditions: HRV normal values and HRV abnormal values. Participants recorded daily morning HRV readings to determine HRV status. Each participant performed all 40TTs on their personal indoor bike trainer and bike without external race simulation (e.g., Zwift). All cycling performance data were recorded on personal bike computers and submitted via a Qualtrics survey. A total of 138 ITTs (Normal = 75; Abnormal = 63) were assessed for relationships between HRV status and performance outcomes using a linear mixed-effects model with Cohen’s D for effect sizes (ES). A significant main effect of HRV status was found for peak power (F = 6.61; Normal: 372 ± 121.5 watts; Abnormal: 349 ± 105.9 watts; 380; p = 0.01; ES = 0.20) and peak speed (F = 6.12; Normal = 10.8 ± 1.2 m/s; Abnormal: 10.4 ± 1.2 m/s; p = 0.02; ES = 0.33). No significant main effect or effect sizes exceeding 0.20 were observed for all other performance variables. Daily HRV monitoring provides valuable insight that an individual’s peak power and speed may be compromised during cycling performance despite no changes in physiological or psychological indicators of effort. Coaches and cyclists can use morning HRV to inform race strategy ensuring desired performance outcomes, especially for those who rely on high power outputs

Heart rate variability of elite female rowers in preparation for and during the national selection regattas: a pilot study on the relation to on water performance

“…The observed acute decrease in HRV can be attributed to pre-performance anxiety or stress response as previous research has demonstrated an anticipatory response to stressful tasks, meaningful competitions and high-intensity training sessions decreases HRV ( 34 – 36 ). The performance impact of HRV reductions are equivocal, and could be attributed to the level of athlete and/or the importance of the forthcoming performance bout ( 37 – 39 ). As such, these acute changes can be seen as expected or beneficial, as increases in sympathetic activity facilitate increases in norepinephrine, epinephrine ( 36 ), bioenergetic pathways ( 40 , 41 ), and neurological processes (i.e., reaction time) ( 42 ).…”

Practices and Applications of Heart Rate Variability Monitoring in Endurance Athletes

“…Chronic training may lead to increased HRV in athletes, especially where training includes a strong aerobic component as is common practice among endurance athletes [12,24]. However, acute reductions in daily HRV have been observed in response to heavy training [63][64][65], and days with decreased morning HRV may indicate a reduced performance ability [66]. Athletes with overtraining syndrome have been shown to exhibit reduced HRV compared to healthy, trained athletes [15].…”

Commentaries on Viewpoint: Hoping for the best, prepared for the worst: can we perform remote data collection in sport sciences?

“…The concept of ecological validity, or how laboratory-based assessments may, or may not, relate to real-world performance, is so critical but often assumed. We recently tested this convergence by asking cyclists to remotely complete six 40-km time trials, using their personal equipment, while tracking training load, heart rate variability, nutrition, and psychological makers ( 2 ). In addition, we used remote data collection to track competitive youth rowers’ response to long-haul travel ( 3 ) and from an applied perspective, their pretraining heart rate variability across a season ( 4 ).…”