Resting Heart Rate Variability Values Reflect Some Performance Parameters in Professional Male Soccer Players

Background: Heart rate variability (HRV) is increasingly used in sports science as a non-invasive marker of autonomic ner- vous system function and training adaptation. In soccer, where players engage in mixed high-intensity efforts, HRV may provide insight into both aerobic and anaerobic capacities. This study aimed to evaluate the relationship between resting HRV and key physiological performance parameters in professional soccer players.

Methods: Seventeen professional male soccer players (age: 24.55±4.71 years) from the Turkish second league participated. HRV data were collected using the Omegawave system alongside measures of aerobic and anaerobic power, sprinting, jumping, reaction time, lactate levels, and GPS-based match performance. Assessments were conducted over four visits, and standard time- and frequency-domain HRV indices were analyzed.

Results: Velocity at anaerobic threshold was positively correlated with several time-domain and frequency-domain HRV pa- rameters, and negatively with LF:HF and LFnu ratios. VO2max was positively associated with HFnu and negatively with LF-related parameters. GPS-derived performance metrics and lactate tolerance were also linked to HRV indicators, suggesting vagal activity reflects multiple aspects of performance.

Conclusions: Resting HRV parameters, particularly those reflecting parasympathetic activity, are associated with both aerobic and anaerobic performance indicators in professional soccer players. Suggesting that HRV monitoring can serve as a practical, non-invasive tool for tracking aerobic power and for planning and adjusting daily training loads.