Individually guided training prescription by heart rate variability and self-reported measure of stress tolerance in recreational runners: Effects on endurance performance.

The aim of this study was to determine the effect of endurance training individually guided by objective (Heart Rate Variability-HRV) or self-report measure of stress (DALDA-questionnaire) in comparison to predefined endurance training prescription for improving endurance performance in recreational runners. After a 2-week preliminary baseline period to establish resting HRV and self-reported measure of stress, thirty-six male recreational runners were randomly assigned to HRV-guided (GHRV; n = 12), DALDA-guided (GD; n = 12) or predefined training (GT; n = 12) prescription groups. Before and after 5-weeks of endurance training, participants performed a track field peak velocity (Vpeak_TF), time limit (Tlim) at 100% of Vpeak_TF and 5 km time-trial (5 km TT) tests. GD lead to higher improvements in Vpeak_TF (8.4 ± 1.8%; ES = 1.41) and 5 km TT (-12.8 ± 4.2%; ES = -1.97), than GHRV (6.6 ± 1.5% and -8.3 ± 2.8%; ES = -1.20; 1.24) and GT (4.9 ± 1.5% and -6.0 ± 3.3%; ES = -0.82; 0.68), respectively, with no differences for Tlim. Self-report measures of stress may be used to individualize endurance training prescription on a daily basis leading to better performance enhancement, which may be used with HRV for a holistic understanding of daily training-induce adaptations.

Effect of beetroot juice supplementation on 10-km performance in recreational runners.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of chronic beetroot juice (BRJ) supplementation on 10-km running performance in recreational runners. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover-designed study, 14 male recreational runners (age, 27.8 ± 3.4 years) performed three 10-km running tests, at baseline and under the conditions of BRJ supplementation and placebo (PLA). Supplementation was administered for 3 days, and on the days of the assessments, the ingestion occurred 2 h before the test and consisted of a dose of 420 mL of BRJ in natura (8.4 mmol inorganic nitrate (NO3-)·day-1) or PLA with depleted NO3- (0.01 mmol NO3-·day-1). The mean velocity (MV) was calculated, and the following variables were determined: maximal heart rate, maximal rating of perceived exertion, blood glucose concentration (analyzed before and after the test), and lactate peak. There was no main effect between conditions regarding 10-km running time performance (BRJ: 50.1 ± 5.3 min; PLA: 51.0 ± 5.1 min; P = 0.391) and total MV (BRJ: 12.1 ± 1.3 km·h-1; PLA: 11.9 ± 1.2 km·h-1; P = 0.321) or in the other analyzed variables. The time to complete the first half of the test (5 km) was statistically lower in the BRJ group than in the PLA group (P = 0.027). In conclusion, chronic supplementation with BRJ increased MV in the first half of the test and improved the final test times of 10 of the 14 runners, although we did not find a statistically significant difference in the performance of the 10-km run.