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Study note

Autonomic modulations of heart rate variability and performances in short-distance elite swimmers.

PMID 25471271 (2015): heart rate variability, hrv — Recovery speed (study note for endurance athletes).

Updated Feb 23, 2026

Read the study note

Study note • PMID 25471271

Autonomic modulations of heart rate variability and performances in short-distance elite swimmers.

European journal of applied physiology2015 • DOI 10.1007/s00421-014-3064-x

How to use this page

This note summarizes one study record. Check the participants, methods, results, and limitations before applying it to training.

  • Design signal: controlled study.
  • Population relevance: athlete/trained context.
  • Consistency: single-study evidence.
  • Practical recommendation depends on tolerance, context, and whether it protects training consistency.

ELI5

In plain language

Endurance exercise is associated with high cardiac vagal tone, but how the cardiac autonomic control correlates with shorter anaerobic performances is unknown. (controlled study; elite athletes).

The abstract doesn’t indicate a clear change in Recovery speed under the tested conditions. Treat this as a signal, not a guarantee; confirm methods and context in the full paper.

Takeaways

What the abstract suggests

  • Study question: Endurance exercise is associated with high cardiac vagal tone, but how the cardiac autonomic control correlates with shorter anaerobic performances is unknown.
  • The abstract doesn’t indicate a clear change in Recovery speed under the tested conditions.
  • Population: elite athletes.
  • Protocol cues (title/abstract): 1 min.

Protocol

Protocol (as reported)

  • Intervention/exposure: heart rate variability, hrv.
  • Dose/time/duration cues in abstract/title: 1 min.
  • Outcomes: Recovery speed.
  • Replication note: abstracts often omit adherence and timing; confirm details before changing training or supplementation.

Fit

Who it may help, and who should be cautious

Who it helps

  • Athletes similar to the study population (elite athletes) working on monitoring.
  • Athletes who can measure Recovery speed with a repeatable workout or time-trial effort.

Who should be cautious

  • If you have symptoms or conditions that make the intervention risky, get professional guidance.
  • If you’re near race day and can’t safely test, defer the experiment.

Methods

What the study actually did

  • Design: controlled study.
  • Population: elite athletes.
  • Outcomes measured: Recovery speed.
  • Protocol cues mentioned: 1 min.
  • Source: PubMed PMID 25471271 (2015) — European journal of applied physiology.

Results excerpt

What the abstract reports

Vagal indices were highest in the morning where they positively correlated with very short-distance times (higher the index, worse is the 50-m performance).

Note: excerpts are short; for full context, read the paper.

Limits

Limitations and bias

  • Abstract-only summaries can miss critical details (population, protocol, adherence, and context).
  • Single studies often don’t generalize to your event, history, and training load; treat results as a starting point.
  • If your context differs (elite vs recreational; cycling vs running), adjust expectations and be conservative.
  • This is performance information, not medical advice.

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Sources