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Effects of marathon training on heart rate variability during submaximal running: a comparison of analysis techniques

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Abstract

Purpose

Assessment of heart rate variability (HRV) during exercise is an emerging area of study. Measurements of HRV are characterized by domain (time, frequency, and nonlinear) or time scale (short or long-term). The purpose of this study was to compare methods of HRV analysis during submaximal running before and after 18 weeks of marathon training.

Methods

Pre and post-training, 42 recreational runners (21.1 ± 1.5 years, 28 f) completed a 2-mile (3218 m) time trial (2MI) and a submaximal run (SUBMAX) at 75% of 2MI speed. Changes in HRV during SUBMAX and physiological measures were assessed with paired samples t tests. Correlations between the changes of selected variables were assessed with Spearman’s rho.

Results

Long-term measures of HRV did not change with training, while several short-term measures changed: Poincaré plot SD1 (PPSD1) (2.9 ± 0.9, 3.5 ± 1.5; p = 0.049), PPSD1.PPSD2−1 (0.23 ± 0.11, 0.29 ± 0.17; p = 0.047) and Detrended Fluctuation Analysis α1 (0.95 ± 0.25, 0.82 ± 0.28; p = 0.006). Both 2MI (15.6 ± 2.0 min, 14.2 ± 1.7 min; p ≤ 0.001) and VO2max (50.6 ± 7.6, 52.7 ± 7.3; p = 0.049) improved with training. Change in sample entropy (SampEn) was correlated with change in 2MI (rho = − 0.379, p = 0.016), suggesting an association between this measure of HRV and endurance performance.

Conclusions

Measures of short-term HRV change with marathon training and may reflect adaptation independent of change in aerobic capacity.

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Data availability statement

The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to express their gratitude to the study participants, and to the students who assisted in the gathering and management of the data.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Kinesiology, University of Minnesota, 1900 University Ave. SE, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA

    Christopher J. Lundstrom, George R. Biltz, Katelyn E. Uithoven & Eric M. Snyder

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Contributions

Conceptualization, CL, GB, KU and ES; methodology, CL, GB, and KU; validation, CL; formal analysis, CL; investigation, CL, KU; resources, GB, E.S.; data curation, CL.; writing—original draft preparation, CL.; writing—review and editing, CL, GR, KU, ES; visualization, CL; supervision, ES. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christopher J. Lundstrom.

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The authors have no competing interests to declare that are relevant to the content of this article.

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This study and all procedures were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institution and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. It was approved by the Institutional Review Board at the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities.

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All participants provided written, informed consent after being informed about the protocol and purpose of the study.

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Lundstrom, C.J., Biltz, G.R., Uithoven, K.E. et al. Effects of marathon training on heart rate variability during submaximal running: a comparison of analysis techniques. Sport Sci Health 20, 47–54 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11332-023-01062-y

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