Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Regulation in Sport and Health
A special issue of Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology (ISSN 2411-5142). This special issue belongs to the section "Sports Medicine and Nutrition".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 April 2026 | Viewed by 4
Special Issue Editor
Interests: heart rate variability; body composition; physical fitness assessment; exercise recovery; training status
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Heart rate variability (HRV) is widely recognized as a practical, non-invasive marker of autonomic nervous system function, with broad applications in both athletic performance monitoring and clinical health assessment. Despite its popularity, challenges remain in standardizing measurement protocols, selecting appropriate metrics, and interpreting data across diverse populations. This Special Issue aims to advance scientific understanding of HRV by bringing together original research and critical reviews that explore its methodological foundations, physiological underpinnings, and applied relevance.
We invite contributions addressing: (1) time-, frequency-, and nonlinear HRV measures and their validity; (2) daily or longitudinal HRV monitoring in sport, exercise, and recovery; (3) acute HRV responses to stressors such as exercise, environmental exposure, or psychological challenge; (4) the role of HRV in clinical populations and health promotion; (5) technological innovations, including wearable sensors and mobile applications; and (6) translational perspectives on integrating HRV into individualized training and healthcare strategies. By synthesizing evidence across disciplines, this Special Issue seeks to clarify best practices, highlight emerging trends, and foster dialogue on how HRV can be used to optimize performance, recovery, and overall well-being.
Prof. Dr. Michael Esco
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology is an international peer-reviewed open access quarterly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- heart rate variability (HRV)
- autonomic nervous system
- parasympathetic activity
- exercise and recovery monitoring
- acute stress response
- wearable technology
- athlete monitoring
- nonlinear dynamics
- clinical applications
- individualized training
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