Training Load, Heart Rate Variability, Direct Current Potential and Elite Long Jump Performance Prior and during the 2016 Olympic Games
Joseph Coyne1,, Aaron Coutts2,3, Robert Newton1,4, G. Gregory Haff1,5
1School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, Australia 2Human Performance Research Centre, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Moore Park Rd, Moore Park NSW 2021, Australia 3School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Moore Park Rd, Moore Park NSW 2021, Australia 4School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, Australia 5Directorate of Psychology and Sport, University of Salford, Salford, Greater Manchester, United Kingdom
Joseph Coyne ✉ School of Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan University, Joondalup, WA 6027, Australia Email: coach@josephcoyne.com
Received: 26-02-2021 -- Accepted: 28-05-2021 Published (online): 15-06-2021
ABSTRACT
The primary objective of this investigation was to investigate the relationships between training load (TL), heart rate variability (HRV) and direct current potential (DC) with elite long jump performance prior to and during the 2016 Olympics Games. Sessional ratings of perceived exertion (sRPE), training duration, HRV and DC were collected from four elite athletes (26.4 ± 1.4 years, height 1.83 ± 0.05 m, weight 68.9 ± 5.0 kg) for a 16-week period in qualification for and competition at the 2016 Olympic Games. Acute and chronic TL, training stress balance and differential load were calculated with three different smoothing methods. These TL measures along with HRV and DC were examined for their relationship to intra-athlete performance using repeated measure correlations and linear mixed models. Successful compared to unsuccessful intra-athlete performances were characterised by a higher chronic TL (p < 0.01, f2 = 0.31) but only when TL was exponentially smoothed. There were also negative correlations between HRV and performance (r = -0.55, p < 0.01) and HRV was significantly lower for more successful performances (p < 0.01, f2 = 0.19). Exponentially smoothed chronic TL was significantly higher and HRV was significantly lower for successful intra-athlete performances prior and during the 2016 Olympics Games in an elite group of long jump athletes. Monitoring sRPE and HRV measures and manipulating TL prior to competition seems worthwhile for elite long jump athletes.
Key words:
Monitoring, tapering, periodization
Key Points
It seems worthwhile for practitioners to purposefully modify training to have adequate levels of chronic training load and increase training stress balance in elite long jump athletes.
There may be negative relationship between heart rate variability and competition performance in elite athletes.
Exponentially weighted moving averages may be more appropriate than simple moving averages to smooth training load data.
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Training Load, Heart Rate Variability, Direct Current Potential and Elite Long Jump Performance Prior and during the 2016 Olympic Games
Joseph Coyne, Aaron Coutts, Robert Newton, G. Gregory Haff