Impact of a soccer match on the cardiac autonomic control of referees

• Published in: European journal of applied physiology 2012-06, Vol.112 (6), p.2233-2242
• Main Authors: Boullosa, Daniel Alexandre, Abreu, Laurinda, Tuimil, José Luis, Leicht, Anthony Scott
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Athletic Performance - physiology; Autonomic Nervous System - physiology; Biological and medical sciences; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Female; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Heart - physiology; Heart rate; Heart Rate - physiology; Human Physiology; Humans; Male; Nervous system; Occupational Medicine/Industrial Medicine; Original Article; Physical Endurance - physiology; Physical Exertion - physiology; Soccer; Soccer - physiology; Sports Medicine; Stress; Task Performance and Analysis; Team sports; Vertebrates: body movement. Posture. Locomotion. Flight. Swimming. Physical exercise. Rest. Sports; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1439-6319; 1439-6327
• DOI: 10.1007/s00421-011-2202-y

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of a soccer match on the cardiac autonomic control of heart rate (HR) in soccer referees. Sixteen Spanish regional and third division referees (11 males: 26 ± 7 years, 74.4 ± 4.1 kg, 178 ± 3 cm, Yo-Yo IR1 ~600–1,560 m; 5 females: 22 ± 3 years, 59.3 ± 4.8 kg, 158 ± 8 cm, Yo-Yo IR1 ~200–520 m) participated with 24-h HR recordings measured with a Polar RS800 during a rest and a match day. Autonomic control of HR was assessed from HR variability (HRV) analysis. Inclusion of a soccer match (92.5% spent at >75% maximum HR) reduced pre-match (12:00–17:00 hours; small to moderate), post-match (19:00–00:00 hours; moderate to almost perfect), and night-time (00:00–05:00 hours; small to moderate) HRV. Various moderate-to-large correlations were detected between resting HRV and the rest-to-match day difference in HRV. The rest-to-match day differences of low and high-frequency bands ratio (LF/HF) and HR in the post-match period were moderately correlated with time spent at different exercise intensities. Yo-Yo IR1 performance was highly correlated with jump capacity and peak lactate, but not with any HRV parameter. These results suggest that a greater resting HRV may allow referees to tolerate stresses during a match day with referees who spent more time at higher intensities during matches exhibiting a greater LF/HF increment in the post-match period. The relationship between match activities, and HR recovery kinetics in referees and team sport athletes of different competitive levels remains to be clarified.