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Autonomic Function Following Concussion in Youth Athletes: An Exploration of Heart Rate Variability Using 24-hour Recording Methodology
Published on: September 21, 2018
Reliability of postexercise heart rate recovery
L Bosquet1, F-X Gamelin, S Berthoin
1Département de Kinésiologie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada. laurent.bosquet@umontreal.ca
Passive postexercise heart rate recovery reliability is inconsistent. Raw heart rate (HR) measurements are more reliable than Delta HR for assessing athletes and predicting mortality.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Cardiovascular Health
- Sports Science
Background:
- Passive postexercise heart rate (HR) recovery is a key metric for endurance athletes and clinical mortality prediction.
- Assessing the reliability of HR recovery is crucial for accurate performance and health evaluations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the reliability of passive postexercise heart rate recovery measurements.
- To compare the reliability of raw HR versus Delta HR (exercise minus recovery HR).
Main Methods:
- Thirty healthy subjects underwent maximal and submaximal treadmill tests with passive recovery.
- Raw and Delta HR were calculated at 1, 2, 3, and 5 minutes post-exercise.
- Reliability assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and standard error of measurement (SEM).
Main Results:
- No significant bias was found between repeated HR recovery measures.
- Raw HR exhibited higher relative reliability (0.68–0.83 ICC) than Delta HR (0.43–0.71 ICC).
- Absolute reliability for raw HR remained stable (approx. 8% SEM), while Delta HR decreased over recovery time.
Conclusions:
- Passive postexercise HR recovery exhibits heterogeneous reliability.
- Raw HR measurement is the preferred method for describing postexercise HR recovery due to its superior reliability.
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