The study aimed to understand how the autonomic nervous system affects the sprint performance of young soccer players, particularly focusing on their neuromuscular power.
Twelve young players, averaging 15 years old, underwent heart rate variability assessments and completed multiple cycling sprints to measure their peak and mean power output.
Results indicated that a higher baseline parasympathetic activity was linked to better performance in sprints, suggesting that monitoring heart rate variability could help gauge athletes' readiness for high-intensity exercise.