Monitoring Heart Rate Variability Before and After a Marathon in an Elite Wheelchair Athlete: A Case Study
Santiago Sanz-Quinto1, Gabriel Brizuela2, Raúl López-Grueso1, Andrew A. Flatt3, Adolfo Aracil-Marco1,4, Raúl Reina1, Manuel Moya-Ramón1,5,
1Sports Research Centre, Miguel Hernandez University, Elche, Spain 2Department of Physical and Sports Education, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain 3Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology, Georgia Southern University, Georgia, USA 4Instituto de Neurociencias, UMH-CSIC, Spain 5Department of Health Psychology, Miguel Hernandez University, Elche, Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL-FISABIO Foundation), Alicante, Spain
Manuel Moya-Ramón ✉ Department of Health Psychology, Miguel Hernandez University, Elche, Av. de la Universidad s/n, Elche (Alicante) 03202 Spain Email: mmoya@umh.es
Received: 14-06-2018 -- Accepted: 22-08-2018 Published (online): 20-11-2018
ABSTRACT
The purpose of this study was to analyze heart rate variability (HRV) oscillations before and after a marathon which involved trans-meridian air travel and substantial time zone differences in a professional wheelchair athlete with Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease. The natural logarithm of the root mean square difference between adjacent normal R-R intervals (Ln rMSSD) was measured daily on the days before, including and following the race. Relative to baseline, small (-3.8 – -4.6%) reductions in LnRMSSD were observed following relocation and on race-day, indicating only minor effects of travel on cardiac-autonomic activity. On the morning following the marathon, a 23.1% reduction in Ln rMSSD was observed, which returned to baseline by 48 h. The race time set by the athlete was the world-leading time in his class. This case study showed that Ln rMSSD responses to marathon in an elite wheelchair athlete with CMT was similar to those previously reported among unrestricted endurance athletes.
Monitoring cardiac-autonomic activity leading up to a race and in response to travel may be useful for objectively monitoring the athlete’s condition for performance of the marathon.
The intensity maintained by the athlete in the race, compared with a pre-race incremental test, can help coaches to optimize tapering in future events.
A substantial reduction in Ln rMSSD was observed the morning after a marathon and subsequently returned to baseline by 48 h in an elite wheelchair athlete with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, which is consistent with responses reported among unrestricted endurance athletes.
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Monitoring Heart Rate Variability Before and After a Marathon in an Elite Wheelchair Athlete: A Case Study
Santiago Sanz-Quinto, Gabriel Brizuela, Raúl López-Grueso, Andrew A. Flatt, Adolfo Aracil-Marco, Raúl Reina, Manuel Moya-Ramón
