The Lab: “Heart Rate Response and Activity Level in Division I Football Players During Pre-Season Scrimmage Play”

ScienceMind

Feb 25

Heart Rate Response and Activity Level in Division I Football Players During Pre-Season Scrimmage Play.png

ABSTRACT

Football players endure prolonged bursts of high-intensity exercise during practice and games. The player’s ability to meet these high physiological demands is important to their performance.

PURPOSE: To examine heart rate responses and activity level in collegiate football players during scrimmage play.

METHODS: Division I football players (n=24, age 20±1yr) wore Zephyr BioHarnesses during scrimmages to record HR and activity level. Matlab programming identified HR bursts synonymous with on-field activity and calculated HR and activity level parameters. Integrated activity was defined as the sum of activity during each burst.

RESULTS: Ninety-six activity bursts (mean 3±1, range 2-5; duration 7.4±1.6min, range 3-10min) were identified across 13 defensive (110.8±18.0kg; 1.89±0.05m) and 11 offensive (120.6±20.6kg; 1.91±0.07m) football players. The parameters calculated were: Mean HR (156±11bpm), peak HR (182±12bpm), time to peak (TTP) HR (3.9±1.7min), average activity (0.31±0.05) and integrated activity (134.7±35.3). No differences were observed for these parameters relative to side or player position. The average activity was correlated with mean HR (r=0.38, P=0.0002) and peak HR (r=0.27, P=0.008); while integrated activity was correlated with mean HR (r=0.51, P<0.001), peak HR (r=0.47, P<0.001) and TTP HR(r=0.64; P<0.001). As duration of the scrimmage continued, mean HR remained the same (P=0.43) while peak HR (P=0.12) and TTP HR (P=0.02) tended to decline after adjusting for burst duration and integrated activity.

DISCUSSION: Zephyr BioHarness and Matlab were useful, novel techniques in determining HR and activity level during bursts of high-intensity activity and HR in live scrimmages. Declining peak HR as play continues may suggest fatigue. Supported by Robert and Patricia Hines Endowment in Kinesiology.

RESEARCHERS

Kate S. Early1, Nathan P. Lemoine1, Annie B. SImoneaux1, Matthew C. Scott1, Shelly Mullenix1, Jack Marucci1, Andrew Barker1, Michael MacLellan1, Ray R. Castle1, Tim S. Church2, Conrad P. Earnest, FACSM3, Neil M. Johannsen1. 1Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA. 2Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, LA. 3Texas A&M, College Station, TX. (Sponsor: Conrad Earnest, FACSM)

REFERENCE

Early, K.S., Lemoine, N.P., Simoneaux, A.B., Scott, M.C., Mullenix, S., Marucci, J., Barker, A., MacLellan, M., Castle, R.R., Church, T.S. and Earnest, C.P., 2016. Heart Rate Response And Activity Level In Division I Football Players During Pre-Season Scrimmage Play: 1023 Board# 339 June 1, 200 PM-330 PM. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 48(5S), p.294.