Heart Rate Variability of Cricketers

Heart rate and heart rate variability have received a lot of attention in recent years as they provide useful insights into an individual's physiological and psychological status. Heart rate variability measures the variation in time between successive heartbeats, and provides a reliable indication of the activity of the autonomic nervous system. Monitoring heart rate variability is important for understanding training adaptation, load, recovery, and overtraining. This is particularly relevant in team sports like cricket, where physical activity patterns are similar among players.

Studies have shown that the heart rate variability of cricketers is different from that of the general population. The mean RR intervals and percentage of NN intervals of district-level cricketers were found to be higher than those of the control group. This could be an indication of either a significant increase in parasympathetic tone due to normal training adaptation, or a sign of overtraining that has caused an increase in parasympathetic tone.

High heart rate variability is a good indication of positive adaptation and good cardiovascular efficiency, while low heart rate variability indicates a deterioration in VO2max. Therefore, regular monitoring of heart rate variability can provide valuable insights into an individual's overall physiological status.