Heart rate variability modifications in response to different types of exercise training in athletes.

Spectral analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) is a long-standing technique to indirectly assess neural cardiac regulation. This article specifically addressed how spectral analysis of HRV could help to understand neural cardiovascular adaptations to long-term exercise training; and inform us on training status in athletes. We reviewed literature searching for articles investigating resting cardiovascular adaptations to long-term exercise training through spectral analysis of HRV in athletes, from amateur to world class categories, practicing different sport disciplines, and focusing, in particular, on a series of work performed over time in our laboratory, which may highlight how different types of exercise training differently affect neural cardiac regulation.