Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical 154 (2010) 112–116

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Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical

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Analyses of heart rate variability in young soccer players: The effects of sport activity
Véronique-Aurélie Bricout a,b,c,⁎, Simon DeChenaud b,c, Anne Favre-Juvin b
a
CHU Grenoble: Pôle Physiologie–Rééducation, Clinique Physiologie, Sommeil, Exercice: Unité Fonctionnelle-Recherche Exercice Santé, France
b
CHU Grenoble: Pôle Physiologie–Rééducation, Clinique Physiologie, Sommeil, Exercice: Unité Médicale de Médecine du sport, France
c
Université J. Fourier, Grenoble 1: UFR APS, France

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: Background: The use of heart rate variability (HRV) in the management of sport training is a practice which
Received 17 July 2009 tends to spread, especially in order to prevent the occurrence of states of fatigue.
Received in revised form 17 September 2009 Objective: To estimate the HRV parameters obtained using a heart rate recording, according to different loads
Accepted 2 December 2009 of sporting activities, and to make the possible link with the appearance of fatigue.
Methods: Eight young football players, aged 14.6 years ± 2 months, playing at league level in Rhône-Alpes,
Keywords:
training for 10 to 20 h per week, were followed over a period of 5 months, allowing to obtain 54 recordings
Heart rate variability
of HRV in three different conditions: (i) after rest (ii) after a day with training and (iii) after a day with a
Autonomic nervous system
Young soccer players
competitive match.
Fatigue Results: Under the effect of a competitive match, the HRV temporal indicators (heart rate, RR interval, and
pNN50) were significantly altered compared to the rest day. The analysis of the sympathovagal balance rose
significantly as a result of the competitive constraint (0.72 ± 0.17 vs. 0.90 ± 0.20; p b 0.05).
Conclusion: The main results obtained show that the HRV is an objective and non-invasive monitoring of
management of the training of young sportsmen. HRV analysis allowed to highlight any neurovegetative
adjustments according to the physical loads.
Thus, under the effect of an increase of physical and psychological constraints that a football match
represents, the LF/HF ratio rises significantly; reflecting increased sympathetic stimulation, which beyond
certain limits could be relevant to prevent the emergence of a state of fatigue.
© 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

1. Introduction methods allow to determine the instantaneous HR at the t moment,

Heart rate (HR) provides a permanent variability to short, medium
or long term, which allows to adjust physiological needs to
environnemental constraints. The mechanisms of regulation of this
heart rate variability (HRV) find their origin in the autonomic nervous
system (ANS) parasympathetic and sympathetic, and indeed HRV has
been proposed as a quantitative marker of ANS (Task-Force, 1996).
Numerous studies suggested using the HRV analysis in various
experimental situations (physical exercise (Buchheit et al., 2007;
Cottin et al., 2008; Iellamo et al., 2002; Pichot et al., 2000), orthostatic
tilt test (Ducla-Soares et al., 2007) and\or physiological constraints
(overtraining (Hedelin et al., 2000a; Hedelin et al., 2000b); obesity
(Laederach-Hofmann et al., 2000); cardiac arrhythmia and other
cardiovascular diseases (La Rovere et al., 1998; Smilde et al., 2009))).
The results of all these works confirm that ANS activity can be
evaluated by the HRV analysis. Various treatment methods allow then
to extract from this variability diverse parameters. The time-domain
⁎ Corresponding author. UF Recherche Exercice Santé, UM de Médecine du sport,
CHU Sud, avenue de Kimberley, F-38130 Echirolles, France. Tel.: + 33 476 767226;
fax: + 33 476 768921.
E-mail address: vbricout@chu-grenoble.fr (V.-A. Bricout).
and each QRS cardiac complex is detected, and the so-called normal-
to-normal interval (N–N; that is all intervals between adjacent QRS
complexes resulting from sinus node depolarisations). Various
temporal indices that can be calculated include the SDNN (standard
deviation of N–N intervals) or pNN50 (proportion derived by dividing
the number of interval differences of successive N–N intervals greater
than 50 ms, by the total number of N–N intervals) which is a direct
index of HRV (Task-Force, 1996).
The frequency domain methods, more recently, provide an accurate
and more specific analysis. They decompose the periodic phenome-
non that is the cardiac cycle in various elementary different waves of
amplitude and frequency, each representing its action (Task-Force,
1996). The most common of the spectral estimations uses the
algorithm of the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and allows to identify
three spectral components (from very low frequency to high
frequency) which then reflect the activity of both sympathetic and
parasympathetic limbs of the ANS.
Some studies have shown that changes in cardiovascular regula-
tion by the ANS, as a result of regular physical training could result at
rest, in an increase in parasympathetic activity and decreased activity
of the sympathetic limb nervous system (Furlan et al., 1993; Iellamo
et al., 2002). This was achieved especially in patients with heart

1566-0702/$ – see front matter © 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.autneu.2009.12.001
 V.-A. Bricout et al. / Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical 154 (2010) 112–116 113

disease (Lehmann and Keul, 1988; Pagani et al., 1988) rather than in 2.2. HRV collection
young healthy athletes (Furlan et al., 1993).
However, the competitive sport context puts young athletes under The electrocardiographic recordings were obtained using a cardio-
special physiological and psychological constraints with: loads of recorder (Polar RS 800®—Polar electro Oy, Kempele, Finland) at home
training, competition, school obligations, and various other stress following a precise chronology:
factors (psychological coaches, parents, etc.). For sports teenagers, the
practice of a sport in competition requires therefore a perfect balance • A recording after a rest day,
between a day of rest, training and competition, and other good • A recording after a day with training, and
management of the various constraints. So, Iellamo et al. (2002) have • A recording after a day with a competitive match.
shown in athletes training intensely for competition at world level
that there was impairment of cardiovascular control mechanisms, This work resulted in a collection of 54 recordings with 18
with excessive sympathetic activation that may be deleterious. recordings after a rest day, 18 after a training day and 18 after a day
Thus this work suggests verifying in young soccer players training with a competitive match. Six players made each recording twice in
regularly and having weekly competitive matches, if there are such each situation and two players three times in each situation.
changes of the HRV parameters and to make the possible link with All these recordings were obtained during the more important
signs of fatigue. period of the championship.
Each participant was trained in order to properly put the recording
device on their thorax. All recordings were made at home on the
2. Subjects and study design duration of a normal night, to avoid all stress. These conditions
provide a good stability of the environmental factors and allow to
2.1. Subjects obtain stable recordings.
The recordings were made over the shortest period, ideally the
Eight young soccer players aged 14.6 years ± 2 months, playing in same week. The protocol was always the same: before going to bed,
the competitive league of the Rhone-Alpes region in France, training the youth was equipped with a ‘link-sensor’ directly connected to
for 10 to 20 h per week, were monitored over a period of 5 months. All two electrodes pasted on the thorax. Once asleep, the cardio-
these teenagers took part in at least one competitive match per week recorder was triggered. The morning after, on waking before getting
and three training football sessions were scheduled, each of them up, the recording was stopped. Systematically, the teenager com-
spaced by a recovery day (Table 1). These soccer players were in pleted a questionnaire of fatigue (QFES) in order to estimate the
position of offensive (n = 3) or midfield players (n = 5). All had a physical state.
playing time of 80 min per match (official time of a match for this age).
This work resulted in a five-month period from January to May
2.3. ECG data analysis
2008. All children and their parents received written information and
verbal explanation about the nature and purpose of the study and
The sequential series of the successive RR intervals measured by
signed inform consent. Each participant in the study underwent a
the polar RS800 system allowed a sampling of the ECG signal at
medical examination during which clinical characteristics were
1000 Hz, and a recording frequency of 1 s.
collected (height, weight, and body composition were assessed with
After each night, the polar Pro-trainer® software allowed us to
subcutaneous skin fold measurement (bicipital, tricipital, subscapular
extract the RR interval list with a precision of 0.008 s. We calculated
and supra-iliac measurements in order to estimate adipose mass
only on a continuous 30-minute period of the first slow sleep phase,
(Durnin and Womersley, 1969) and the same day a rest electrocar-
which is the most stable obtained during the whole night. Each RR
diogram was made). All subjects were free of any known cardiac
interval was validated before analysis with a standardized procedure
abnormalities (Schiller® AT-110, Baar, Suisse).
(Task-Force, 1996).
Three of the eight athletes did a maximal bicycle test in the service
This treatment consists of the elimination of all possible artefact
and during the preceding year, to obtain a measure of VO2max. The
beats until a maximum of 2%. If the number of artefact is greater than
other five subjects also performed a maximal exercise test, but in
to 2%, then the recording is not retained. These artefacts can be ectopic
another medical center, the results were sent to their parents.
beats, arrhythmic events, missing data, ‘noise’ effects induced by
electromagnetic fields, and mobile phones. They are identifiable by an
abnormal signal: (1) the polar detects a long interval instead of two
smaller intervals and (2) the polar detects several small intervals
Table 1
Characteristics of the groups.
instead of a single interval. In both cases, it is advisable to retain the
average of two intervals RR before and after the artefact to be
Means SEM Minimum Maximum averaged and replaced or erroneous values in order not to change the
Age (years) 14.65 0.09 14.5 15 signal. Finally, we obtained a series of 1800 RR intervals. These data
Height (cm) 172.1 1.9 163 176 form a tachogram and are exported to the software Kubios Heart Rate
Weight (kg) 59.3 2.7 55.2 72.5
Variability (Biosignal Analysis and Medical Imaging Group at the
BMI 20.0 0.8 17.8 23.5
Lean mass (%) 52.2 2.3 45.7 62.8 Department of Applied Physics, University of Kuopio, Kuopio, Finland)
Adipose mass (%) 12.2 1.2 9.6 17.3 which allows the analysis of HRV.
FC rest (bpm) 60.3 4.2 46 73
VO2max (ml min− 1 kg− 1) 56.02 4.4 52.6 62.4
2.4. HRV analysis
Rest/Week (day) 3 Tuesday Thursday Saturday
Training/ (day) 12.9 ± 1.9 Monday Wednesday Friday
Week We calculated the following indices of HRV:
Competition/ (day) 1 to 2 Sunday
Week
• Time domain analysis:
Means values ± SEM. Training load represent all combine sports activities (whether
specific or no-specific football) matches and school sports. BMI: body mass index
1. Mean heart rate (beats per minute: bpm);
(BMI = W / T2). Lean and adipose mass were calculated as recommended by Durnin and 2. Mean intervals RR;
Womersley (1969). 3. The standard deviation of the normal-to-normal interval (SDNN);
114 V.-A. Bricout et al. / Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical 154 (2010) 112–116
4. The square root of the mean squared differences of the suc-
cessive N–N interval (RMSSD); and
5. Proportion of interval differences of successive N–N intervals
greater than 50 ms (pNN50).
• Spectral analysis (or frequency domain): with the Fast Fourier
transform, some indices were calculated onsets of 256 consecutive
RR intervals of the tachogram. The power spectrum indices were
calculated as recommended by the Task Force of European Society
of Cardiology (Task-Force, 1996). Three main spectral components
are distinguished:
(1) Very low frequency (VLF, b0.04 Hz) but VLF assessed from
short-term recordings is a dubious measure and should be
avoided. Thus in our work, these will not be retained (Cottin,
2001; Task-Force, 1996).
(2) Low frequency (LF, 0.04 Hz–0.15 Hz) for some authors LF
components represent both parasympathetic and sympathetic
activities (Pomeranz et al., 1985). For others LF components
also represent the sympathetic activity (Pagani et al., 1986).
(3) High frequency (HF, 0.15–0.40 Hz) is known to represent
parasympathetic activity.
All these components were expressed in ms2 and in normalised units
(n.u.) as (100 × LF/ total power− VLF and 100 × HF/ total power − VLF)
(Task-Force, 1996).
Additional calculations included: the ratio LF/HF which constitutes
an evaluation of the ANS balance (sympathetic/parasympathetic). If this
ratio is less than 1, there is a parasympathetic predominance, whereas a
ratio above 1 reflects a sympathetic predominance (Malliani, 1999;
Task-Force, 1996).
2.5. Statistical analysis
All variables were analysed with different softwares: Polar Pro-
trainer, and Kubios HRV analysis. The results were presented as
means ± SEM. The significance of differences in the reported variables
among the different recording sessions was evaluated by nonpara-
metric ANOVA with post hoc testing performed with the Newman
Keul test (Statistica Software). Relations between variables were
assessed by Spearman rank order correlations (Statistica Software).
The statistical significance threshold was set at p b 0.05.
3. Results
Morphometric characteristics given in Table 1, showed that the
teenagers were of average height and weight for their age (Sempe
et al., 1996) and presented VO2max values slightly higher to those
classically given in reference by Saltin and Astrand, 1967) and
measured at 52 ml min− 1 kg− 1.
When the physical activity load increased (training or match) the
fatigue score obtained with the QFES questionnaire was significantly
higher (×2 between rest and training p b 0.001; and ×2.5 between rest
and match p b 0.001; Table 1). When we compare the recordings
obtained after a match vs. after a rest day, the HR rises significantly
(60.6 ± 1.5 vs. 65.7 ± 1.8 bpm p b 0.05) while the interval RR decreases
significantly (1009.2 ± 26.5 vs. 923.1 ± 27.8 p b 0.05) and pNN50
drops significantly (43.1 ± 3.8 vs. 32.6 ± 3.3 p b 0.05) (Table 2).
Moreover, whatever the day of recording, both indices HR and RR
were strongly correlated one to another (r = 0.988; r2 = 0.976
p b 0.0001). PNN50 was correlated to the HR (r = 0.683; r2 = 0.466
p b 0.001) and to the intervals RR (r = 0.660; r2 = 0.435 p b 0.001).
Training and match did not modify the LF component calculated in
ms2, but when LF component was calculated in n.u., a significant
increase was observed after a match in comparison to the rest day
(33.7 ± 3.8 vs. 42.0 ± 3.1 n.u. p b 0.05; Fig. 1).
The HF component showed a significant decrease (in ms2 as well in
n.u.) between a rest day and after a match (66.3 ± 3.8 vs. 58.0 ± 3.1 n.u.
p b 0.05).
The LF/HF ratio, that reflects the ANS balance followed a precise
evolution: low at rest (0.59 ± 0.10) it tended to rise after training
(0.72 ± 0.17) and to increase significantly after the matches (0.90 ±
0.20 p b 0.05).
4. Discussion
The present investigation aimed at checking if there were
modifications of the HRV indicators in young football players training
regularly and having weekly competitive constraints and at linking
these modifications with any signs of fatigue. To our knowledge, the
HRV has been little evaluated in so young athletes and, in such
conditions of competitive practices. This work was made possible
through the use of non-invasive methods of measures of HRV
allowing an analysis of the RR variability, widely used to study the
regulation of the chronotropic cardiac activity during exercise, or
changes induced by training and\or competition.
The novel and unique finding of the present work is the observation
of significant alteration of HRV indices in both time and spectral
domain, with match competition which represents a more important
physical load and psychological stress. In this case, there is a significant
decrease of spectral HF component (expressed in ms2 as in n.u.)
concomitant of a decrease of the RR intervals and pNN50. These
changes are the result of an adaptation of the parasympathetic tone
which is therefore lowered. This result was found in various works
(Pichot et al., 2000; Uusitalo et al., 2000) which showed that during an
intense training period, the indices of HRV of sportsmen tend to deviate
from reference standards, and on the other hand, that the parameters
characterizing the parasympathetic activity are lowered, while those
characterizing the sympathetic activity are increased.
The young football players followed in our study also show a HR
post-match remaining higher than that measured after a day of rest. If
the decrease of HR is fast at the end of an exercise, it takes several
minutes, even several hours to recover the initial level of resting (Furlan
et al., 1993; Hautala et al., 2001; Piepoli et al., 1993). This physiological
adaptation is essential to maintain an important blood flow in active
muscles to remove metabolic waste produced during exercise,
especially if this one was made in competitive conditions (Coats et al.,
1989) and is also necessary to fight ‘post-exercise hypotension’ (Piepoli
et al., 1993). Numerous authors (Furlan et al., 1993; Hautala et al., 2001;
Piepoli et al., 1993) have also shown that post-exercise tachycardia was
accompanied by a decrease of RR variability and by neurovegetative
imbalance with sympathetic predominance and reduced vagal activity,
such as observed in our work.
Several studies have established a link between this delay of
returning to a basal parasympathetic activity and the involvement of
arterial baroreflex and its sensibility (Terziotti et al., 2001).
Terziotti et al. in 2001 (Terziotti et al., 2001) by the study of the
recovery kinetics of HR and blood pressure with HRV analysis, have
shown that the decrease of the parasympathetic activity seemed
dependent on the intensity of the exercise, because it was more
important after an exercise performed at high rather than at low
intensity. This seems to be confirmed by our results since under the
effect of training, HRV indices evaluating parasympathetic activity are
not significantly altered, while under the influence of the competitive
match, they decrease significantly.
In all the works concerning HRV and sports activities, the level of
training is always mentioned as a major factor to be considered in the
HRV analysis. The football players followed here are, for sure, young
sportsmen, but all have been practising for several years (7 players in
8 have been practising for10 years and the eight have been playing
football 7 years and rugby 3 years) and all already have quite
satisfactory VO2max values. In this sense (Hautala et al. (2001) conclude
 V.-A. Bricout et al. / Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical 154 (2010) 112–116 115

Fig. 1. Evolution of different HRV indices in frequency domain with training or competitive match. Means values ± SEM. *p b 0.05 between rest.

that a good physical fitness seems necessary to accelerate the kinetics of
recovery of the neurovegetative control, since subjects with the best
fitness (estimated by the magnitude of oxygen consumption) are those
who recover the most rapidly after an intense exercise.
In the second time, in this work, we decided to link assessment of
fatigue and indicators of HRV. The eight football players followed
completed a questionnaire of fatigue QFES, after each recording. The
results of these questionnaires show that after an intense match, the
scores of fatigue rise significantly from a score at rest of 13.0 ± 1.6 to a
post-match score of 33.6 ± 3.1 (p b 0.05). This average does not
therefore exceed the threshold of fatigue set in previous studies to a
score of 45/120 (Bricout and Favre-Juvin, 2006a) and the majority of
the football players followed here seem quite well adapted to their
sports activity. The questionnaire is not a better or a less valuable tool,
but with the HRV analysis it constitutes two complementary tools,
that both allow to achieve a greater relevance and accuracy of the
sportsman's individual results; and to objectify by measuring
physiological outcomes (HRV analysis) over subjective statements
in the questionnaire.
However, three players had completed questionnaires to a high
score after a game and a player after training, exceeding this threshold
of 45/120 (64-52-51and 47 on 120). These four players are those who
undergone a more important psychological pressure from the coach,
in relation with the selection in a major team. So, they evaluated this
psychological effect in the questionnaire, as a contributing factor in
the fatigue apparition. These psychological constraints probably
increased fatigue as observed elsewhere (Bricout et al., 2007; Bricout
and Favre-Juvin, 2006b).
The HRV indices of these four players showed results on LF
components highly increased, resulting in a high LF/HF, suggesting a
greater sympathetic stimulation. In a previous work, Garet et al. (2004)
had shown on swimmers, that a profile with lower LF was associated
Table 2
Evolution of different parameters of fatigue and HRV indices with training or
competitive match.
Rest Training Match
with a better performance. Here, we find the values of the highest LF for
the four most tired sportsmen at a precise moment of the study.
However, considering the small number of players with a score of fatigue
increased, it was not possible to make statistics on this too small sample.
Indeed, if the regulation of cardiac activity by the ANS can be
addressed by the analysis of RR variability the results obtained with
this method showed some limitations in interpretation. There is inter-
individual variability that may be important, first at the genetic level,
but also by the impact of training or stress. In addition, it would have
been very interesting in our study, for an additional point of
measurement, to get a record after a match that would have required
index of recovery. It could not be done, because the cardio-recorder
can register a maximum of three nights, and we did not have sufficient
time to recover the data before. Moreover, it was very difficult to keep
players to follow this protocol, and two of them no longer wished to
continue, reducing our sample from 10 to 8 players. Thus, we did not
want to impose an additional constraint of recording furthermore,
which could lead to a further drop.
The aim of this work was to obtain from the HRV records any index
prognosis of fatigue, and to highlight the neurovegetative adaptations
favourable to the achievement of a high-level performance of young
sportsmen. The HRV analysis has proved to be capable of detecting the
complex adaptable changes in sympathovagal balance attending
physical training in athletes. In this context, it has been suggested
by Iellamo et al. that power spectral analysis of HRV is a simple and
valuable tool to assess the time course of ANS adaptations to
competitive training and that the observed sympathetic activation is
the neurovegetative counterpart of an optimal training status.
In our study, these adolescents are already subject to significant
constraints in their competitive practice, and it seems that the responses
of the ANS follow rather identically the profile described in adult
athletes. In conclusion, if the HRV analysis seems to be pretty relevant
for the monitoring of young sportsmen it is not a unique means of
diagnostic of the state of fatigue. This analysis which should remain clear
of using professionals in experiments, is under medical follow-up.
Acknowledgements

HR (bpm) 60.3 ± 1.5 61.5 ± 1.3 65.7 ± 1.8* The authors give special thanks to Nathalie Grumel for checking
RR (ms) 1009.2 ± 26.5 983.4 ± 19.3 923.1 ± 27.8* the English language.
SDNN (ms) 56.4 ± 4.3 55.1 ± 5.1 49.7 ± 4.7
RMSSD (ms) 65.0 ± 8.0 62.1 ± 5.4 54.2 ± 7.5
pNN50 (%) 43.1 ± 3.8 41.1 ± 3.0 32.6 ± 3.3* References
Fatigue score 13.0 ± 1.6 26.1 ± 2.3* 33.6 ± 3.1*
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