Heart Rate Variability in Professional and Semiprofessional Soccer: A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Physiology
• Performance Analysis

Background:

• Modern soccer demands efficient, noninvasive monitoring of player fitness and fatigue.
• Heart rate variability (HRV) is a potential tool for tracking training response and performance readiness.
• A clear consensus on HRV's application in soccer is currently lacking.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a scoping review of existing evidence on HRV in professional and semiprofessional soccer.
• To identify knowledge gaps and guide future research in this area.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive database search (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, Google Scholar) was performed.
• Studies were screened based on inclusion criteria, including HRV as a topic, adult soccer players, and English full-text availability.
• A total of 25 studies were included in the review, with sample sizes ranging from 6 to 124 participants.

Main Results:

• The review identified 25 relevant studies involving professional and semiprofessional soccer players.
• Morning vagally mediated HRV analysis using short-term orthostatic measurements emerged as a potentially efficient method.
• This method may help assess training adaptations and readiness to perform in soccer players.

Conclusions:

• HRV monitoring, particularly through specific short-term measurements, appears to be an efficient strategy for soccer.
• Further research is necessary to establish definitive recommendations for HRV use in soccer settings.
• The findings highlight the need for continued investigation into HRV's role in optimizing soccer player performance and recovery.