BACKGROUND: Heart rate variability (HRV) is widely used to monitor autonomic regulation, training load, and recovery in swimmers. However, the acute impact of competition remains unclear. AIM: To investigate the acute effect of competition on HRV in highly trained swimmers and examine individual responses. METHODS: Four male and eight female highly-trained swimmers (age: 18±3years; WA points: 670±59) were monitored across multiple competitions (24 paired observations) during the first macrocycle of the season. Swimmers completed 8-9 weekly swim (~5000m) and 2 dryland sessions (~1h). HRV was assessed using a morning orthostatic test (5min each in each position), including mean HR, RMSSD, lnRMSSD, time to peak HR, peak HR, and frequency-domain indices (VLF, LF, HF) Pre-Post competition comparisons were performed using paired t-tests, alongside individual analysis. RESULTS: No differences were observed between Pre-Post for any variable (p>0.05), with key markers remaining stable: resting HR (56.6±7.9 vs 55.9±7.4bpm), RMSSD (94.9±40.6 vs 98.0±51.5ms), lnRMSSD (1.94±0.17 vs 1.94±0.21), time to peak HR (21.2±3.5 vs 21.6±3.4s), and peak HR (105.6±9.5 vs 107.1±8.9bpm). Individual responses were heterogeneous, with balanced proportions of increases and decreases in most HRV indices. Nevertheless, 15/24 observations showed increased supine HF and 16/24 increased standing LF. CONCLUSIONS: Competition does not appear to induce a systematic negative impact on HRV, suggesting that immediate training load reductions may not be universally required. Increased supine HF and standing LF may reflect preserved autonomic balance. However, the absence of a clear and consistent patterns, highlights the influence of contextual factors and reinforces the need for individualized interpretation.
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