title: Cardiac Parasympathetic Reactivation in Elite Soccer Players During Different Types of Traditional High-Intensity Training Exercise Modes and Specific Tests: Interests and Limits.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The cardiac parasympathetic reactivation is currently used in soccer with a daily or weekly monitoring. However, previous studies have not investigated how this cardiac parasympathetic reactivation is in elite soccer players along different types of traditional high-intensity training exercise and specific tests. In this context, the present study aim to analyse it and to determine the interests and limits of this type of physiological information.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study aims to examine how different traditional training exercise modes affect the cardiac parasympathetic reactivation function in elite soccer players.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-two international soccer players participating in UEFA Champion's League took part in this study (age: 24.3 ± 4.2 years; height: 178.1 ± 6.2 cm; body mass: 80.3 ± 5.7 kg). Players performed different training methods including: short-duration intermittent exercises (INT) in-line and with changes of direction (COD) (10 - 10 seconds, 15 - 15 seconds, 30 - 30 seconds, e.g. an alternance of 10 - 10 seconds is 10 seconds of running according to the maximal aerobic speed (MAS) and 10-sec of recovery), INT including agility and technical skills (8 - 24-seconds), small-sided-games (SSGs) with and without goalkeepers (2 vs. 2, 3 vs. 3, 4 vs. 4), and repeated sprint ability (RSA) efforts (10 × 20 m, 10 × 30 m, 15 × 20 m). Heart rate (HR) decline was recorded 3 minutes after each exercise.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HR declines were greater after the RSA compared to SSGs (P < 0.001) and INT (P < 0.01), especially at 1 min post-exercise. In addition, when the analysis focused on each type of exercise, greater HR declines were observed in on-field players at 1 minute when there was: inclusion of goalkeepers in SSGs (for 2 vs. 2 and 3 vs. 3, P < 0.01); increase of sprint distances or number of sprint repetitions in RSA (P < 0.01); increase of intensity (% of maximal aerobic speed), and the use of COD or inclusion of technical skills during INT, especially for the 30 - 30-seconds.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study revealed that cardiac parasympathetic reactivation function varied after INT, RSA and SSG, but also according to the rules manipulation. Therefore, this study provides interesting information for the training monitoring and players' recovery profile, with the aim of facilitating a more efficient planning and manipulation of training recovery strategies according to their fitness markers.
authors.affiliation: FIFA Medical Center of Excellence, Centre Orhopedique Santy, Lyon, France ; Research Centre of Sport Innovation, University of Lyon, Lyon, France ; Tunisian Research Laboratory Sport Performance Optimisation-National Centre of Medicine and Science in Sport (CNMSS), El Menzah, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Alexandre
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dellal
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Food, European University of the Atlantic, Stantander, Spain.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Casamichana
authors.affiliation: Department of Health and Food, European University of the Atlantic, Stantander, Spain.
authors.forename: Julen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Castellano
authors.affiliation: Sport Science Program, College of Arts and Science, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Monoem
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Haddad
authors.affiliation: Research Unit, EM2S, ISSEPS, Sfax, Tunisia.
authors.forename: Wassim
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Moalla
authors.affiliation: Athlete and Health Performance Research Center, Aspetar, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Karim
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Chamari
keywords: Football; Heart Rate Recovery; Intermittent Exercise; Parasympathetic; Repeated Sprint Ability; Workload