The aim of this study was to examine ultra-short-term and short-term heart rate variability (HRV) in under-20 (U-20) national futsal players during pre-tournament training camps and an official tournament. Fourteen male U-20 national futsal players (age = 18.07 ± 0.73 yrs; height = 169.57 ± 8.40 cm; body weight = 64.51 ± 12.19 kg; body fat = 12.42% ± 3.18%) were recruited to participate in this study. Early morning 10 min resting HRV, Borg CR-10 scale session rating of perceived exertion (sRPE), and general wellness questionnaire were used to evaluate autonomic function, training load, and recovery status, respectively. Log-transformed root mean square of successive normal-to-normal interval differences (LnRMSSD) was used to compare the first 30 s, first 1 min, first 2 min, first 3 min, and first 4 min with standard 5 min LnRMSSD. Mean (LnRMSSDmean) and coefficient of variation (LnRMSSDcv) of LnRMSSD were used to compare the different time segments of HRV analysis. The result of LnRMSSDmean showed nearly perfect reliability and relatively small bias in all comparisons. In contrast, LnRMSSDcv showed nearly perfect reliability and relatively small bias from 2-4 min time segments in all study periods. In conclusion, for accuracy of HRV measures, 30 s or 1 min ultra-short-term record of LnRMSSDmean and short-term record of LnRMSSDcv of at least 2 min during the training camps are recommended in U-20 national futsal players.

The aim of this study was two-fold: (1) to analyze the within-week variations of heart rate, session-rated of perceived exertion (sRPE), total distance, distance in 8.0–11.99 km/h−1, recovery distance in 12.0–17.99 km/h−1, distance in >18.0 km/h−1, maximum speed, number of sprints, heart rate variability, delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), and fatigue during training camps of a national futsal team; and (2) to analyze the relationships between load and the well-being. Twenty-eight men from the Chinese Taipei U−20 national futsal team were analyzed. Comparisons of training days revealed that the total distance was significantly smaller on day 1 (d = −1.22) and day 6 (d = −1.95) than on day 3. The sRPE values were significantly lower on day 1 than days 4 (d = −1.53), 5 (d = −2.07), and 6 (d = −2.59). The relationships between training load and recovery parameters revealed moderate correlations between the DOMS and the sRPE recorded one (r = −0.321) and two days before training (r = −0.289). It is possible conclude that first day imposed a smaller external load and internal load, and that the internal load had a greater dependent relationship with reported DOMS and fatigue during the training camps.

Exercise and sport practitioners frequently utilize rating of perceived exertion (RPE) to evaluate the players’ psychophysiological strains during training sessions. The subjective rating of physical exertion level during sports training has been shown to have a reciprocal relationship with wellness status during periodic training or competitive seasons. However, the relationship between subjective physical exertions and wellness status during short-term overseas training camps (OTCs) has not been extensively investigated. This study aimed to examine the perceived responses of physical exertions [session-RPE (sRPE), training monotony, and training strain] and wellness status (fatigue, sleep, delayed onset muscle soreness, stress, and mood) measures in elite young adult futsal players from four separate OTCs with different training tasks. Twenty-seven U-20 male national team futsal players voluntarily participated in this study. The players recruited for OTCs were based on their performance during domestic training camps and the tactical demand of the team. The task of each OTCs was defined as: 1) 1st OTC = game-based camp (n = 14); 2) 2nd and 3rd OTC = training-based camp (n = 20 and n = 17, respectively); and 3) 4th OTC = pre-tournament camp (n = 14). The OTCs consisted of 11 training sessions (18.9 hours) and 16 friendly matches (23.8 hours). During daily training sessions and friendly matches, sRPE was used to quantify training load (TL). Additionally, a five-elements general wellness questionnaire was used to evaluate daily wellness status in the morning. The results demonstrated that the mean and sum sRPE in the game-based OTCs were significantly lower compared to the mean sRPE [p < 0.01, effect size (ES) = -4.8; p < 0.01, ES = -2.9] and sum sRPE in the training-based OTCs (p < 0.01, ES = -3.6; p < 0.01, ES = -3.1). The mean (p = 0.01; ES = -2.0) and sum sRPE (p < 0.01; ES = -3.4) in the game-based OTC were also lower than that in the pre-tournament OTC. Conversely, the wellness scores in the game-based OTC were higher compared to the training-based (p = 0.01; ES = 1.8) and the pre-tournament OTCs (p < 0.01; ES = 1.6). There was a negative relationship between mean and sum sRPE and all wellness scores (mean sRPE = r = -0.441 ~ -0.575, p < 0.001; sum sRPE = r = -0.41 ~ -0.559, p < 0.001). Our findings suggested that responses to training sessions, derived from mean and sum sRPE and wellness scores, are dependent upon the task-specific nature of OTCs among elite futsal players. Utilization of mean and sum sRPE and wellness measures to monitor the psychophysiological health during short-term OTCs is recommended.