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Effect of Overload and Tapering on Individual Heart Rate Variability, Stress Tolerance, and Intermittent Running Performance in Soccer Players During a Preseason.

Updated Oct 17, 2026

Human researchJournal of strength and conditioning research2019Read the source on PubMed

What the study found

Overload coincided with lower average HRV, worse stress tolerance and poorer intermittent-running performance; several measures returned toward baseline during the taper.

Participants and protocol

Sixteen under-19 soccer players were monitored through two weeks of overload and one taper week, using daily HRV, perceived load and questionnaires.

What this cannot establish

This short team-sport study does not establish an HRV cutoff or prove that intentionally overloading an endurance athlete will improve performance. Individual symptoms remain important.

Publication details
Record
PubMed 30908376
Indexed subjects
Exercise Test · Psychometrics · Adaptation, Physiological · Heart Rate · Exercise Tolerance
Source record checked
2026-10-18

Publication type and subject indexing describe the record; they are not a quality grade or proof of a benefit. An abstract does not replace a review of the full methods and results.

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