Heart rate variability in elite athletics - Abstract

Purpose. The aim of this study was to characterize the elite Canarian wrestlers (CW) athletes by analyzing heart rate variability (HRV).

Method. HRV was recorded at rest situation (supine position) for 10’. Thirteen of the elite wrestlers of CW had a characteristic morphological profi le (height: 1.79 ± 0.08 m; body weight: 116.45 ± 31.68 kg; body mass index [BMI]: 35.56 ± 7.11). These groups were divided by levels of athletic performance. An analysis was made of the HRV in time and frequency domain (fast Fourier transform [FFT]).

Results. The higher level group (GC) had a low HRV (total power 498.00 ± 384.07 ms2 vs. 1,626.00 ± 584.57 ms2) compared to the lower level group (GNC). In both cases, the weight of the frequency spectrum was found in the high frequency (HF) band (GC: 53.30% ± 19.00; GNC: 60.33% ± 14,53). The low frequency (LF) and HF peaks occurred in well-defi ned points in each frequency band but with different values from each group (GC: 0.10 ± 0.04 and 0.30 ± 0.06 Hz; GNC: 0.12 ± 0.04 and 0.20 ± 0.06 Hz).

Conclusion. HRV is an effective analyzing tool to detect functional cardiac patterns related to performance. These differences in the CW are refl ected in the values of ventricular late potentials (LP), and its expression in areas of low frequency bands (LF: spectral density and peak) and high frequency (HF: spectral density and peak). They respond to the same underlying functional mechanisms, derivatives from morphofunctional features and performance that infl uence the control of the vegetative symptoms of the cardiac response.