title: Tapering for marathon and cardiac autonomic function.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in post-exercise heart rate recovery (HRR) and heart rate variability (HRV) during an overload-tapering paradigm in marathon runners and examine their relationship with running performance. 9 male runners followed a training program composed of 3 weeks of overload followed by 3 weeks of tapering (-33 ± 7%). Before and after overload and during tapering they performed an exhaustive running test (T(lim)). At the end of this test, HRR variables (e.g. HRR during the first 60 s; HRR(60 s)) and vagal-related HRV indices (e.g. RMSSD(5-10 min)) were examined. T(lim) did not change during the overload training phase (603 ± 105 vs. 614 ± 132 s; P = 0.992), but increased (727 ± 185 s; P = 0.035) during the second week of tapering. Compared with overload, RMSSD(5-10 min) (7.6 ± 3.3 vs. 8.6 ± 2.9 ms; P = 0.045) was reduced after the 2(nd) week of tapering. During tapering, the improvements in T(lim) were negatively correlated with the change in HRR(60 s) (r = -0.84; P = 0.005) but not RMSSD(5-10 min) (r = -0.21; P = 0.59). A slower HRR during marathon tapering may be indicative of improved performance. In contrast, the monitoring of changes in HRV as measured in the present study (i.e. after exercise on a single day), may have little or no additive value.
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Institute of Sport, Section for Elite Sport, Magglingen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hug
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Institute of Sport, Section for Elite Sport, Magglingen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Heyer
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Institute of Sport, Section for Elite Sport, Magglingen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Naef
authors.affiliation: Myorobie Association, Sport Science Unit, Montvalezan, France.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Buchheit
authors.affiliation: Swiss Federal Institute of Sport, Section for Elite Sport, Magglingen, Switzerland.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Wehrlin
authors.affiliation: ISSUL Institute of Sport Sciences, Department of Physiology, University of Lausanne , Switzerland.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Millet
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D010275:Parasympathetic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology*; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*