Heart Rate Variability & Overtraining
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HEART RATE VARIABILITY & OVERTRAINING 54 | IDEA Fitness Journal January 2015 CAN NEW RESEARCH PREVENT AN AGE-OLD PARADIGM? By Trisha Ann VanDusseldorp, MS, and Len Kravitz, PhD Heart rate variability (HRV) is a reli- able marker of physiological factors that directly affect the rhythms of the heart (Acharya et al. 2006). Acharya and colleagues explain that HRV reflects the heart’s ability to adapt to changing circumstances—stress, exercise and disease—by balancing the regulation of the autonomic ner- vous system, which controls bodily functions such as breathing, heart- beat and digestion. Exercise training status, includ- ing overtraining, can play a key role in HRV (Achten & Jeukendrup 2003). Chronic overtraining often leads to physiological and psycho- logical symptoms that impair per- formance and delay full recovery for weeks or more (Meeusen et al. 2013). For personal trainers, an under- standing of the relationship between HRV and overtraining, including a deeper grasp of the potential mech- anisms and prevention strategies of overtraining, is paramount for help- ing clients achieve optimal gains in cardiorespiratory efficiency. >> January 2015 IDEA Fitness Journal | 55 What Is HRV, and For scientists, coaches and Smoking and alcohol consump- What Does It Tell Us? personal trainers, HRV mea- tion also affect HRV. Acharya and HRV describes fluctuations in con- surements—called R-to-R wave colleagues (2006) conclude that secutive heartbeat intervals above intervals—are useful markers for smokers have a depressed HRV, and below an average heart rate over understanding the status of the possibly a direct effect of how smok- a period of time; in clinical settings, autonomic nervous system and ing impairs cardiovascular function, the measurement time might range can be used to clinically detect car- which the autonomic nervous sys- from 5 minutes to 24 hours (Acharya diac health and client readiness for tem regulates (Archarya et al. 2006). et al. 2006). HRV is particularly influ- intensity and volume progressions Malpas, Whiteside & Maling (1991) enced by the autonomic nervous in exercise training. studied HRV in 23 alcohol-de- system (Acharya et al. 2006), which pendent men and found it was comprises the sympathetic nervous Clinical Applications significantly lower than in the non- system (SNS) and the parasympa- of HRV Analysis alcoholic (healthy) control group. thetic nervous system (PNS). Acharya et al. (2006) say HRV mea- The SNS mobilizes the body’s surements are noninvasive and most HRV and Exercise: hormones and nerves to respond reliable when performed under stan- New Technologies speedily to exercise, stress and fight- dardized conditions. Research suggests Some new technologies such as or-flight situations--enabling a per- that low HRV is a negative outcome of www.omegawave.com and www. son to run across the street quickly to cardiovascular diseases, diabetic neu- bioforcehrv.com are using HRV avoid an oncoming car, for example, ropathy, elevated blood pressure and to evaluate athletes’ readiness for or to respond swiftly to the onset of a heart attack (Stauss 2003). HRV is also exercise performance. Smartphone thunderstorm. Conversely, the PNS useful in observing people with diabe- apps with heart rate monitors can has a slowing effect on heart rate, tes, which can cause severe dysfunc- measure HRV readily and conve- which helps the body to conserve tion of the autonomic nervous system niently, which means coaches, per- energy; this system plays a strong (Acharya et al. 2006). Low HRV may sonal trainers and clients can easily role in bodily function homeostasis, point to the onset of diabetic neuropa- monitor the cardiac, metabolic and including digestion and gland activ- thy, a complication of diabetes mellitus central nervous systems to more ity. The unique and different contri- characterized by widespread break- accurately determine the best times butions of the SNS and PNS mildly down of small nerves in the sympa- to overload with intensity and/or modify the intervals between heart- thetic and parasympathetic nerve tracts workload volume (or both) and the beats, or HRV (see Figure 1). (Malik et al. 1996). best times to focus on recovery. This allows personal trainers and coaches to better balance training FIGURE 1. R WAVE TO R WAVE MEASUREMENT progressions and recovery to avoid USED FOR HRV CALCULATION overtraining and declining perfor- mance. While HRV technologies were developed to identify risk levels R-to-R wave interval for cardiac death and diabetic neu- ropathy, today they are gaining great R R interest and use in sports physiology and exercise. The main goal of the latest HRV technology is to pro- mote positive overload and adequate T recovery, preventing the deleterious effects of overtraining (Pichot et al. P P 2002). A deeper understanding of overtraining prevention is evolving, which may in turn lead to higher Q Q S S levels of successful training. 56 | IDEA Fitness Journal January 2015 Overtraining in Exercise drome and sports fatigue syndrome Personal trainers regularly monitor (Armstrong & VanHeest 2002). clients’ physiological and psycholog- To provide researchers and prac- ical responses to progressive over- titioners with standard language, 10 WAYS TO PREVENT OR loads during a training program. Meeusen et al. (2013) recently pro- After sufficient recovery from train- posed the following terminologies COMBAT OVERTRAINING ing fatigue, the body compensates and definitions (see Figure 3). IN A CLIENT by building strength and improving • Overtraining is a process of A client who develops overtraining syndrome performance (see Figure 2). intensified training leading to needs to return to a healthy state as fast as Overtraining can be an unfor- possible short-term outcomes of possible. While there is no magic cure for tunate consequence of progressive overreaching (called functional overtraining, these 10 preventive strategies overload. Some people believe over- overreaching), extreme over- for nonfunctional overreaching and overtrain- training is unique to trained, elite reaching (called nonfunctional ing syndrome, from Kreher and Schwartz athletes, but trainers need to set (2012), should prove helpful: 1. Education the client. Emphasize that enhanced recovery will allow the client FIGURE 2. WORKOUT/RECOVERY SEQUENCE OF TRAINING to train more and improve his or her overall fitness. supercompensation 2. Incorporate periodization training, which provides for planned recovery Training adaptation: new base and variation in intensity and volume. Training base fitness level fitness level 3. Sensibly adjust workout volume and intensity based on the client’s perfor- workout mance or mood level. fatigue 4. Ensure that the client is consuming Recovery adequate calories for training load. Meeusen et al. (2013) suggest that In a normal course of exercise training and recovery, progressive training factors such as dietary caloric restriction, overload leads to positive adaptations and improvements in performance, insufficient carbohydrate and/or protein such as greater aerobic capacity, weight loss, muscle hypertrophy or intake, iron deficiency and magnesium strength gains. deficiency can trigger OTS. Source: Meeusen et al. 2013. 5. Ensure that the client is hydrating sufficiently for workout conditions clients straight: Successful training overreaching) or overtraining and training load. includes overload, but not in excess, syndrome. 6. Ensure that the client is getting and it requires adequate recovery, • Functional overreaching is a adequate sleep. which many clients sacrifice in their short period of increased training 7. Ensure that rest periods of >6 hours quest for immediate results. leading to a temporary perfor- occur between exercise bouts. mance decline. With satisfactory 8. Encourage rest days following infection, How to Define recovery, overreaching can lead exercise heat stress, and/or periods of Overtraining to what Meeusen et al. (2013) call high emotional stress. The phenomenon of overtrain- a “supercompensation” effect of 9. Avoid extreme environmental exercise ing syndrome, often called “burn- enhanced performance. conditions. out” or “staleness,” has motivated • Nonfunctional overreaching is a 10. Consistently monitor the client’s moods many researchers to investigate longer process of intense train- (is she or he tense, angry, unhappy, con- its causes and consequences. First, ing leading to stagnation and fused, grouchy, panicky, uneasy, miser- the researchers had to decide on sustained performance decline able, bitter, exhausted, annoyed, weary, a common title—in the past, OTS that can last weeks or months peeved, depressed, on edge, etc.?) and was called underperformance syn- (Meeusen et al. 2013). However, alter workouts as needed. January 2015 IDEA Fitness Journal | 57 FIGURE 3. UNDERTRAINING, OVERREACHING, OVERTRAINING SYNDROME UNDERTRAINING FUNCTIONAL NON-FUNCTIONAL OVERTRAINGING OVERREACHING SYNDROME Prolonged Minor physiological adaptions. OVERREACHING Extreme overreaching and Optimal zone of enhanced disruption of hormonal, biological No performance improvement. “stagnation.” Weeks to months performance. and neurological regulatory mech- to fully recover. anisms. Months to fully recover. Sources: Adapted from Armstrong & VanHeest 2002 and Meeusen et al. 2013. full recovery happens after satis- Armstrong & VanHeest (2002) red cell production. The authors say factory rest. say that with endurance sports, OTS that lower testosterone levels lead to • Overtraining syndrome is