HEART RATE VARIABILITY–GUIDED RECOVERY STRATEGIES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE AND INJURY RISK IN ELITE YOUTH FOOTBALL PLAYERS
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Apr 21, 2026
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Amari Souhila
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5914-5297
Kheireddine Benrabah
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0213-1001
Mohamed Bennadja
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5851-4197
Mohamed Fayçal Kharoubi
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8521-1452
https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5914-5297
Kheireddine Benrabah
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-0213-1001
Mohamed Bennadja
https://orcid.org/0009-0002-5851-4197
Mohamed Fayçal Kharoubi
https://orcid.org/0009-0004-8521-1452
Abstract
This randomized controlled study investigated the efficacy of heart rate variability (HRV)-guided recovery on physiological, physical, and injury outcomes in elite youth football players. Thirty male players (age: 17–19 y; height: 183 ± 4 cm; body mass: 75 ± 6 kg) from a National Division club were assigned to HRV-guided recovery (HRV-GR; n = 15) or traditional recovery (TR; n = 15) over an eight-week, thrice-weekly training program. HRV-GR adjustments were individualized based on daily LnRMSSD, while TR followed standardized recovery routines. Primary outcomes included autonomic function (LnRMSSD, HRR), metabolic recovery ([La]), neuromuscular performance (CMJ, SJ), aerobic capacity (Yo-Yo IR1), and repeated sprint ability (RSA). Session RPE and non-contact injuries were also monitored. HRV-GR produced significantly greater improvements than TR in LnRMSSD (+18%; d = 1.02), HRR (+15%; d = 0.88), and post-exercise [La] reduction (−22%; d = 0.95). Neuromuscular performance gains were also higher in HRV-GR (CMJ +12%, SJ +10%; d = 0.80–0.85), alongside superior Yo-Yo IR1 distance (+14%; d = 0.90) and RSA maintenance (fatigue index −11%; d = 0.78). Session RPE decreased in HRV-GR despite equal external loads (−9%; d = 0.70). Injury incidence was reduced (2 vs. 7 cases in TR). These results indicate that HRV-guided recovery enhances parasympathetic reactivation, metabolic clearance, and neuromuscular readiness, translating into superior high-intensity intermittent performance and lower injury risk. Individualized HRV monitoring offers a practical, evidence-based approach to optimize training adaptation and mitigate fatigue in youth football.
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Keywords
Heart rate variability, Recovery strategies, Youth football, Neuromuscular performance, Injury prevention
References
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9. Buchheit, M. (2016). Managing high-intensity intermittent exercise: From laboratory to field. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 11(1), 1–9
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11. Chelly, M. S., Hermassi, S., Aouadi, R., & Shephard, R. J. (2010). Effects of in-season short-term plyometric training program on leg power, jump- and sprint performance of young male soccer players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(10), 2670–2676.
12. Claudino, J. G., Capanema, D. O., de Souza, T. V., Serrão, J. C., Machado Pereira, A. C., & Nassis, G. P. (2020). Current approaches to the use of heart rate variability as a training monitoring tool in team sports: A critical review. Sports Medicine, 50(1), 1–19.
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16. Flatt, A. A., Esco, M. R., Nakamura, F. Y., & Plews, D. J. (2017). Interpreting daily heart rate variability changes in collegiate female soccer players. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 57(6), 907-915.
17. Flatt, A. A., & Howells, D. (2022). Heart rate variability-guided training in team sports: Evidence, mechanisms, and applications. Sports Medicine, 52(5), 1107–1122.
18. Foster, C., Florhaug, J. A., Franklin, J., Gottschall, L., Hrovatin, L. A., Parker, S., … Dodge, C. (2001). A new approach to monitoring exercise training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 15(1), 109–115.
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22. Hammami, A., Negra, Y., Aouadi, R., Shephard, R. J., & Chelly, M. S. (2019). Effects of plyometric training on physical fitness in team sport athletes: A systematic review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 33(6), 1748–1762.
23. Kiviniemi, A. M., Hautala, A. J., Kinnunen, H., & Tulppo, M. P. (2019). Endurance training guided individually by daily heart rate variability measurements. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 119(1), 143–154.
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University of Eastern Finland.
25. Malone, J. J., Di Michele, R., Morgans, R., Burgess, D., Morton, J. P., & Drust, B. (2021). The acute:chronic workload ratio in relation to injury risk in elite football: An update and practical applications. Sports Medicine, 51(1), 139–158.
26. Malone, S., Roe, M., Doran, D. A., Gabbett, T. J., & Collins, K. (2018). High chronic training loads and exposure to bouts of maximal velocity running reduce injury risk in elite Gaelic football. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21(3), 250–254.
27. Mohr, M., Krustrup, P., & Bangsbo, J. (2022). Fatigue in soccer: A brief review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 40(7), 833–845.
28. Mujika, I., Halson, S., Burke, L. M., Balagué, G., & Farrow, D. (2018). An integrated, multifactorial approach to periodization for optimal performance in individual and team sports. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 13(5), 538–561.
29. Nobari, H., Fani, M., Pardos-Mainer, E., Pérez-Gómez, J., & Clemente, F. M. (2021). Associations between training load indices and heart rate variability in elite youth soccer players. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, 694560.
30. Plews, D. J., Laursen, P. B., Stanley, J., Kilding, A. E., & Buchheit, M. (2013). Training adaptation and heart rate variability in elite endurance athletes: opening the door to effective monitoring. Sports Medicine, 43(9), 773-781.
31. Plews, D. J., Laursen, P. B., Kilding, A. E., & Buchheit, M. (2014). Heart rate variability in elite triathletes, is variation in variability the key to effective training? A case comparison. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 112(11), 3729-3741.
32. Plews, D. J., Laursen, P. B., Stanley, J., Kilding, A. E., & Buchheit, M. (2018). Training adaptation and heart rate variability in elite endurance athletes: Opening the black box. Sports Medicine, 48(3), 533–545.
33. Plews, D. J., Scott, B., Altini, M., Wood, M., Kilding, A. E., & Laursen, P. B. (2020). Heart-rate variability-guided training for professional endurance athletes: A practical application. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 15(4), 513–521.
34. Polar Electro. (2020). Polar H10 heart rate sensor: User manual. Polar Electro Oy.
35. Saboul, D., Chaalali, A., Coutts, A. J., Hautier, C., & Chamari, K. (2022). External vs internal load: How monitoring of perceived exertion can complement objective workload metrics in team sports. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4, 1–15.
36. Silva, A. F., Clemente, F. M., Martins, F. M. L., Nikolaidis, P. T., Rosemann, T., & Knechtle, B. (2022). The role of blood lactate in monitoring training load and physiological adaptations in team sports: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12310.
37. Stanley, J., D’Auria, S., & Buchheit, M. (2021). Cardiac parasympathetic activity and race performance: An elite triathlete case study. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 16(2), 299–305.
38. Stølen, T., Chamari, K., Castagna, C., & Wisløff, U. (2005). Physiology of soccer: An update. Sports Medicine, 35(6), 501–536.
39. Thornton, H. R., Delaney, J. A., Duthie, G., & Highton, J. (2023). Heart rate variability and injury risk in team sports: Mechanistic insights and applied implications. Sports Medicine, 53(2), 215–233.
40. Thorpe, R. T., Strudwick, A. J., Buchheit, M., Atkinson, G., Drust, B., & Gregson,
W. (2015). Monitoring fatigue during the in-season competitive phase in elite soccer players. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 12(2), 283–289.
41. Thorpe, R. T., Atkinson, G., Drust, B., & Gregson, W. (2021). Monitoring fatigue status in elite team-sport athletes: Implications for practice. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 16(7), 1029–1037.
42. Van der Sluis, A., Elferink-Gemser, M. T., Brink, M. S., & Visscher, C. (2021). Importance of peak height velocity timing in terms of injuries in talented soccer players. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 42(4), 325–331.
2. Bellenger, C. R., Fuller, J. T., Thomson, R. L., Davison, K., Robertson, E. Y., & Buckley, J. D. (2016). Monitoring athletic training status through autonomic heart rate regulation: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 46(10), 1461–1486.
3. Bishop, D., Girard, O., & Mendez-Villanueva, A. (2011). Repeated-sprint ability – Part II: Recommendations for training. Sports Medicine, 41(9), 741–756.
4. Bishop, D., Girard, O., & Mendez-Villanueva, A. (2021). Repeated-sprint ability – Part II: Recommendations for training and performance monitoring. Sports Medicine, 51(6), 1227–1244.
5. Boullosa, D. A., Leicht, A. S., & Nakamura, F. Y. (2020). Heart rate variability as a tool for monitoring training in team sports: Current perspectives and applications. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 2, 1–15.
6. Brooks, G. A. (2020). The lactate shuttle and the role of lactate in metabolic adaptation. Current Opinion in Physiology, 15, 27–35.
7. Buchheit, M., & Laursen, P. B. (2013). High-intensity interval training, solutions to the programming puzzle: Part I: Cardiopulmonary emphasis. Sports Medicine, 43(5), 313–338.
8. Buchheit, M. (2014). Monitoring training status with HR measures: do all roads lead to Rome?. Frontiers in Physiology, 5, 71297.
9. Buchheit, M. (2016). Managing high-intensity intermittent exercise: From laboratory to field. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 11(1), 1–9
10. Buchheit, M., & Laursen, P. B. (2021). High-intensity interval training, solutions to the programming puzzle: Part II: Anaerobic energy, neuromuscular load, and practical applications. Sports Medicine, 51(4), 707–738.
11. Chelly, M. S., Hermassi, S., Aouadi, R., & Shephard, R. J. (2010). Effects of in-season short-term plyometric training program on leg power, jump- and sprint performance of young male soccer players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 24(10), 2670–2676.
12. Claudino, J. G., Capanema, D. O., de Souza, T. V., Serrão, J. C., Machado Pereira, A. C., & Nassis, G. P. (2020). Current approaches to the use of heart rate variability as a training monitoring tool in team sports: A critical review. Sports Medicine, 50(1), 1–19.
13. Claudino, J. G., Cronin, J. B., Mezêncio, B., McMaster, D. T., McGuigan, M. R., Tricoli, V., … Fernandes, R. J. (2022). The countermovement jump to monitor neuromuscular performance: A systematic review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 36(6), 1667–1685.
14. Daanen, H. A. M., Lamberts, R. P., & Kallen, V. L. (2018). Heart rate variability and training status: An integrative review. European Journal of Sport Science, 18(5), 665–677.
15. Dong, J. G. (2016). The role of heart rate variability in sports physiology. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 11(5), 1531–1536.
16. Flatt, A. A., Esco, M. R., Nakamura, F. Y., & Plews, D. J. (2017). Interpreting daily heart rate variability changes in collegiate female soccer players. J Sports Med Phys Fitness, 57(6), 907-915.
17. Flatt, A. A., & Howells, D. (2022). Heart rate variability-guided training in team sports: Evidence, mechanisms, and applications. Sports Medicine, 52(5), 1107–1122.
18. Foster, C., Florhaug, J. A., Franklin, J., Gottschall, L., Hrovatin, L. A., Parker, S., … Dodge, C. (2001). A new approach to monitoring exercise training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 15(1), 109–115.
19. Fuller, C. W., Ekstrand, J., Junge, A., Andersen, T. E., Bahr, R., Dvorak, J., ... & Meeuwisse, W. H. (2006). Consensus statement on injury definitions and data collection procedures in studies of football (soccer) injuries. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports, 16(2), 83-92.
20. Gabbett, T. (2016). The training–injury prevention paradox: Should athletes be training smarter and harder? British Journal of Sports Medicine, 50(5), 273–280.
21. Gabbett, T., & Nassis, G. P. (2021). Evaluating the relationship between workload and injury risk in football: Implications for monitoring and recovery. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(11), 608–615.
22. Hammami, A., Negra, Y., Aouadi, R., Shephard, R. J., & Chelly, M. S. (2019). Effects of plyometric training on physical fitness in team sport athletes: A systematic review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 33(6), 1748–1762.
23. Kiviniemi, A. M., Hautala, A. J., Kinnunen, H., & Tulppo, M. P. (2019). Endurance training guided individually by daily heart rate variability measurements. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 119(1), 143–154.
24. Kubios HRV. (2021). Kubios HRV Standard software user guide (Version 3.5).
University of Eastern Finland.
25. Malone, J. J., Di Michele, R., Morgans, R., Burgess, D., Morton, J. P., & Drust, B. (2021). The acute:chronic workload ratio in relation to injury risk in elite football: An update and practical applications. Sports Medicine, 51(1), 139–158.
26. Malone, S., Roe, M., Doran, D. A., Gabbett, T. J., & Collins, K. (2018). High chronic training loads and exposure to bouts of maximal velocity running reduce injury risk in elite Gaelic football. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 21(3), 250–254.
27. Mohr, M., Krustrup, P., & Bangsbo, J. (2022). Fatigue in soccer: A brief review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 40(7), 833–845.
28. Mujika, I., Halson, S., Burke, L. M., Balagué, G., & Farrow, D. (2018). An integrated, multifactorial approach to periodization for optimal performance in individual and team sports. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 13(5), 538–561.
29. Nobari, H., Fani, M., Pardos-Mainer, E., Pérez-Gómez, J., & Clemente, F. M. (2021). Associations between training load indices and heart rate variability in elite youth soccer players. Frontiers in Physiology, 12, 694560.
30. Plews, D. J., Laursen, P. B., Stanley, J., Kilding, A. E., & Buchheit, M. (2013). Training adaptation and heart rate variability in elite endurance athletes: opening the door to effective monitoring. Sports Medicine, 43(9), 773-781.
31. Plews, D. J., Laursen, P. B., Kilding, A. E., & Buchheit, M. (2014). Heart rate variability in elite triathletes, is variation in variability the key to effective training? A case comparison. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 112(11), 3729-3741.
32. Plews, D. J., Laursen, P. B., Stanley, J., Kilding, A. E., & Buchheit, M. (2018). Training adaptation and heart rate variability in elite endurance athletes: Opening the black box. Sports Medicine, 48(3), 533–545.
33. Plews, D. J., Scott, B., Altini, M., Wood, M., Kilding, A. E., & Laursen, P. B. (2020). Heart-rate variability-guided training for professional endurance athletes: A practical application. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 15(4), 513–521.
34. Polar Electro. (2020). Polar H10 heart rate sensor: User manual. Polar Electro Oy.
35. Saboul, D., Chaalali, A., Coutts, A. J., Hautier, C., & Chamari, K. (2022). External vs internal load: How monitoring of perceived exertion can complement objective workload metrics in team sports. Frontiers in Sports and Active Living, 4, 1–15.
36. Silva, A. F., Clemente, F. M., Martins, F. M. L., Nikolaidis, P. T., Rosemann, T., & Knechtle, B. (2022). The role of blood lactate in monitoring training load and physiological adaptations in team sports: A systematic review. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(19), 12310.
37. Stanley, J., D’Auria, S., & Buchheit, M. (2021). Cardiac parasympathetic activity and race performance: An elite triathlete case study. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 16(2), 299–305.
38. Stølen, T., Chamari, K., Castagna, C., & Wisløff, U. (2005). Physiology of soccer: An update. Sports Medicine, 35(6), 501–536.
39. Thornton, H. R., Delaney, J. A., Duthie, G., & Highton, J. (2023). Heart rate variability and injury risk in team sports: Mechanistic insights and applied implications. Sports Medicine, 53(2), 215–233.
40. Thorpe, R. T., Strudwick, A. J., Buchheit, M., Atkinson, G., Drust, B., & Gregson,
W. (2015). Monitoring fatigue during the in-season competitive phase in elite soccer players. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 12(2), 283–289.
41. Thorpe, R. T., Atkinson, G., Drust, B., & Gregson, W. (2021). Monitoring fatigue status in elite team-sport athletes: Implications for practice. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 16(7), 1029–1037.
42. Van der Sluis, A., Elferink-Gemser, M. T., Brink, M. S., & Visscher, C. (2021). Importance of peak height velocity timing in terms of injuries in talented soccer players. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 42(4), 325–331.
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Souhila, A., Benrabah, K., Bennadja, M., & Fayçal Kharoubi, M. (2026). HEART RATE VARIABILITY–GUIDED RECOVERY STRATEGIES AND THEIR EFFECTS ON PERFORMANCE AND INJURY RISK IN ELITE YOUTH FOOTBALL PLAYERS. Physical Education and Sport Through The Centuries, 13(1), 55–67. Retrieved from https://phedss.fsfv-pr.rs/index.php/phedss/article/view/74
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