Relationships between heart rate recovery after exercise (HRR, baseline heart rate variability measures (HRV), and time to perform a 10Km running trial (t10Km) were evaluated in "master" athletes of endurance to assess whether the measured indexes may be useful for monitoring the training status of the athletes. Ten “master” athletes of endurance, aged 40-60 years, were recruited. After baseline measures of HRV, the athletes performed a graded maximal test on treadmill and HRR was measured at 1 and 2 minutes from recovery. Subsequently they performed a 10Km running trial and t10Km was related to HRV and HRR indexes. The time to perform a 10Km running trial was significantly correlated with baseline HRV indexes. No correlation was found between t10Km and HRR. Baseline HRV measures, but not HRR, were significantly correlated with the time of performance on 10km running in “master” athletes. The enhanced parasympathetic function at rest appears to be a condition to a better performance on 10km running. HRV can be simple and useful measurements for monitoring the training stratus of athletes and their physical condition in proximity of a competition.

Cerasola, D, Cataldo, A, Bellafiore, M, Traina, M, Palma, A, Bianco, A, and Capranica, L. Race profiles of rowers during the 2014 Youth Olympic Games. J Strength Cond Res 32(7): 2055–2060, 2018—Among the different factors affecting the outcome of elite rowing competitions, pacing strategy plays a relevant role. The purpose of this study was to analyze the race profiles of youth athletes competing at the 2014 Youth Olympic Games over a distance of 1,000 m. According to the competition outcome of sculling and sweep events, 96 youth (17–18 years) rowers (48 male and 48 female) were divided into winner (W), not winner (NW), qualified (Q), and not-qualified (NQ) athletes. The time during the 1,000-m race distance was considered at 0–500 m (T1) and 500–1000 m (T2). The average speed of T1 and T2 were normalized in relation to the average speed of the whole race. In both sexes, W rowers showed higher (p > 0.05) T2 values (100.8 ± 0.9%) with respect to T1 (99.2 ± 0.9%) ones. Female athletes showed a higher (p ≤ 0.05) T1 with respect to T2 in NW, Q, and NQ, whereas male athletes exhibited a higher T1 (p ≤ 0.05) than T2 speed only in NQ. While to be admitted to the final phase of the competition, the rowers tended to favor a positive race strategy (88%); during the final phase, a difference (p = 0.43) emerged for outcome, with the majority of medalists (67%) adopting a negative race strategy. These results suggest that winners have applied a different race strategy compared with the other groups in consequence to a higher efficiency of anaerobic metabolism.

The contribution of fat oxidation to energy production during exercise is influenced by intensity of exercise. The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the highest value of fat oxidation rate (FATmax) and the oxygen uptake (VO2) in sedentary type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients vs healthy sedentary subjects. Sedentary T2D patients and healthy sedentary subjects were evaluated to a graded exercise test, and oxygen uptake and fat oxidation rate were detected. Data show that in T2D patients fat oxidation rate is not impaired and the positive linear correlation between FATmax and both VO2 and VO2max suggests that even in T2D patients the muscle oxidative capacity might increase in response to aerobic training.