Dr.Med., Professor E.V. Bykov
PhD, Associate professor O.I. Kolomietz
Ural State University of Physical Culture, Chelyabinsk

Abstract

It is a matter of common knowledge that a good physical load management, control and process correction system is imperative for the progress and success of an athlete. The article offers a training process efficiency improvement methodology based on the modern computerized remote control technology being applied for the process data recording and heart rate variability analysis, as provided by the modern “Firstbeat” Diagnostic System. The study demonstrates that the heart rate variability analysis run on a twenty-four-hour basis may provide a set of important training process rates, rehabilitation process rates and the metabolic activity and respiratory functionality rates to profile and control the athlete’s performance. Having analysed the heart rate variability indices versus the electroencephalographic data, we found the data being in good correlation. Falling individual rated tolerance to training loads associated with slower recovery process as detected by the heart rate variability analysis was found to closely correlate with the electroencephalographic data; as up to 70% of the subjects were diagnosed with symptoms of regulatory system dysfunctions as manifested by deviations in the desynchronizing and synchronizing bioelectric process balances and conditions – associated with the heart rates being disorganized and irregular; the activation response being slowed down (as found by the eyes-open-close tests); and the beta-waves being hyper-synchronized in the amplitudes. The study data and analysis were found beneficial for the training process correction by the relevant educational and medical methods (including the physiotherapeutic ones) which helped improve the objective control data and the individual state self-assessments that showed positive variation trends of the general health state and working capacity rates in the repeatedly tested athletes.

Keywords: training process, control methods; heart rate variability, athletes

Introduction

One of the key conditions for an athletic training system being efficient is the due training load design and control procedure that ensures the athlete reaching the best competitive fitness rates right by the target competition date. The control process may not be successful enough unless supported by an accurate process performance rating versus physical load rating data and analysis in the training and rehabilitation process for the corrective procedures being effective enough [2, 3-6]. Physical loads in any sport are always associated with high mental and emotional stresses and, hence, the neurovegetative regulation of the leading body systems is intensified. A day-and-night non-invasive body functionality monitoring system is recommended as a key tool to assess whether or not the athlete’s body copes with the loads, with the functionality being rated on a permanent basis both in the training process and in the post-training rehabilitation process. Due load control and training effect rating method is imperative for the above objectives being attained.

It is the heart rate variability (HRV) analysis that is known to serve a sensitive indicator for the physical load efficiency profiling purposes [1, 3]. The modern “Firstbeat” Diagnostic System and technology offers good day-and-night monitoring tools to obtain the key performance rates in the training process using the computerized remote spectral analysis and Fourier transformer to obtain HRV data and generate the stress factors, rehabilitation process rates and the metabolic activity and respiratory function rates [7].

Objective of the study was to assess the efficiency of the training process control method with modern process control tools being applied.

Methodology and structure of the study

The study was performed in cooperation with the International “Firstbeat” Laboratory and the Research Laboratory of the Sport Medicine and Physical Rehabilitation Department of Ural State University of Physical Culture (Chelyabinsk) in the morning hours from 8.30 am to 11 am. Subject to the study were 22 athletes (skaters and track-and-field athletes) who gave their informed consent for the tests.

The study was designed to analyse heart rate variability (HRV) using the “Firstbeat” Diagnostic System [7] based on the HRV data; overall spectrum intensity (OSI) data; and the absolute/ relevant oscillation intensity data in the HF, LF and SLF (high-, low- and super-low- frequency, respectively) spectral bands being produced by the system. The study was also designed to produce the vegetative support of activity (VSA) rates and compute the centralization indices and vagosympathetic balance indices [1]. In addition, electroencephalographic (EEG) data were obtained (using Medicom MTD Eelectroencephalograph) to analyse the cerebrum bioelectric activity rates and their variations that were assumed to be indicative of the integrated condition of the central nervous system.

Study results and discussion

Using the Firstbeat technology, we diagnosed 65% of the subject athletes with the load tolerance sagging and rehabilitation process slowing conditions based on the HRV data analysis. These athletes were diagnosed, among other things, with the des-adaptive response to orthostatic tests; lowered relative intensities of the HF oscillations (21.56±1.43% versus 30.45±1.60% typical for normal response at rest); and increased low frequency (LF) rates (above 52%) in the tests – associated with the HF rates falling to 9%.

The data and analysis was found to be in good correlation with the EEG data, since 70% of the subjects were diagnosed with symptoms of regulatory system dysfunctions as manifested by deviations in desynchronizing and synchronizing bioelectric process balances and conditions – associated with the heart rates being disorganized and irregular; the activation response being slowed down (as found by the eyes-open-close tests); and the beta-waves being hyper- synchronized in the amplitudes (see Figure 1 hereunder). The zone difference patterns in the EEG of some athletes were lacking or levelled down that may be indicative of the spatial organization of rhythms in the cortex being distorted and the synchronized forms of activity being intensified. The inciting tests (using photic stimulation and hyperventilation) in a few cases showed the convulsive readiness threshold being stepped down. About 10% of the subject athletes were diagnosed with low-amplitude EEG that may be indicative, when supported by other indications, of desynchronizing influences being dominant in the cerebrum.

The outcome data and analysis were used to correct the training process by the relevant educational and medical methods (including the physiotherapeutic ones). As a result, the subjects showed significant positive variation trends of the cardiovascular system (CVS) neurovegetative regulation process, since the number of subjects tested with the excessive autonomic support of activity (ASA) rates was found to be twice as little in two weeks.

Figure 1. Electroencephalograms of the athlete tested (by the Firstbeat Diagnostic System) with low tolerance to workloads and slow rehabilitation process rates

The positive ASA variation trends were found to be in good agreement with the HRV data: the overall spectrum intensity (OSI) of HR was found to grow up by 60% (from 2964.52±6.12 ms² to 4677.73±5.85 ms²) with the positive distribution patterns across the frequency bands for the athletes probed with initial low activity levels of the autonomous regulation loops due to the higher rates of the HF oscillations and lower contributions of the super-segmental structures in the HR regulation process. These results were fixed both at rest and in the orthostatic tests, with the LF and SLF oscillation rates found to reduce; the centralization indices found to fall down from 5.12 to 3.22; and the varosympathetic interaction indices found to fall down too from 1.9 to 1.23 – i.e. to the levels typical for the individuals with high functionality rates.

The EEG data were found indicative of the major rhythms being improved and alpha waves being better organized. The diffusely located theta-waves were less expressed; the eyes-closing response alpha-rhythms were restoring faster; and the zonal differences were found on the EEG that may be indicative of the normalizing trends in the functions of diencephalic structures of the cerebrum. In clinical examinations, the subject athletes reported their attention concentration ability and mood being improved.

Conclusion

The study data and analysis are found characteristic of the Firstbeat technology being highly efficient for the process functionality rating and correctional process control as it gives the means to significantly improve the training process control and management system. 

References

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