Seasonal Changes in Physical Performance and Heart Rate Variability in High Level Futsal Players

Abstract

The aim of this study was to determine the changes in physical performance and resting heart rate variability (HRV) in professional futsal players during the pre-season and in-season training periods. 11 athletes took part in the study (age=24.3±2.9 years; height=176.3±5.2 cm; weight=76.1±6.3 kg), and performed a repeated-sprint ability (RSA) test [6×40 m (20+20 m with a 180° change of direction) sprints separated by 20 s of passive recovery] and Yo-Yo intermittent recovery test level 1 (Yo-Yo IR1) at 3 different moments (M1=beginning of pre-season; M2=end of pre-season; M3=mid in-season). The HRV indices were assessed at the same moments. After the short pre-season (3-week), mean RSA time (RSAmean) (M1=7.43±0.2 s; M2=7.24±0.2 s; P=0.003), decrement in RSA performance (RSAdecrement) (M1=6.7±0.3%; M2=5.0±0.9%; P=0.001), and Yo-Yo IR1 distance (M1=1.244±298 m; M2=1.491±396 m; P=0.002) were significantly improved (P<0.05). During the in-season (i. e., M3), performance in Yo-Yo IR1 and RSAmean were maintained. In contrast, RSAbest (M2=6.89±0.2 to M3=6.69±0.3; P=0.001) was improved and RSAdecrement (M2=5.0±0.9% to M3=6.6±0.9%; P=0.001) was impaired. At M2, there was an increase in HRV vagal-related indices compared with M1 that was maintained at M3. In conclusion, after a short pre-season, futsal players improved their RSA and Yo-Yo IR1 performance with concomitant improvements in HRV. These indices were maintained during the in-season period while RSAbest was improved and RSAdecrement impaired. Frequent monitoring of these performances and HRV indices may assist with identification of individual training adaptations and/or early signs of maladaption.

Sex differences in heart rate variability: a longitudinal study in international elite cross-country skiers

“…We suggest that this difference may be due to the shorter training history in the adolescent athletes of the Hedelin et al study where athletes were likely to increase HRV from year to year while this was absent in our athletes because they most probably had reached a saturation level. Controversial results with regard to HRV changes between different TPs were also found in other studies (Iellamo et al 2002;Manzi et al 2009;Mazon et al 2013;Oliveira et al 2013). We suggest that besides different study populations further reasons for the different findings may have been different training volume and intensity distribution, the different training periodization, the different training history and performance level, the sport mode itself or different measurement methods and study designs to assess HRV.…”

The intensity and energy expenditure of exertions, restitution speed, and rate of perceived exertion after tournament matches in Polish futsal players

“…repeated Sprint Ability (rSA) enables players to obtain energy from anaerobic glycolysis, which fosters lactate concentration in the muscles [4,19]. In our players, lactate concentration in the blood after match A was 8.19 ± 4.56 mmol/l (Figure 2b).…”

“…The kinematic analysis of a player's movements proves that just like soccer players, futsal players perform the following activities during a match: standing, walking, runs of Human Movement, Vol. 18, No 1, 2017 http://humanmovement.pl/ low, medium and high intensity, and sprints [1,3,4]. On average, futsal players change the form of activity every 3.38 s, and perform sprints that last ca.…”

Preliminary results on organization on the court, physical and technical performance of Brazilian professional futsal players: comparison between friendly pre-season and official match

“…Mohr et al (2003) highlighted that total distance covered and distance covered in moderate velocity are greater towards the end of the soccer season. In addition, a previous study with professional futsal athletes indicated increased physical performance in field tests including aerobic capacity (Yo-Yo IR1) and repeated sprint ability (6 bouts x 40 m), when a comparison was made between in-season and middle-end of the regular session after 17 matches (two friendly and 15 official matches) (Oliveira, Leicht, Bishop, Barbero-Alvarez, & Nakamura, 2013). Accordingly, profiles of athlete displacement during OMs at the middle-end of the regular season was greater than that observed in the FM in the present study (distance covered per minute and percentage of distance covered in V3).…”