The impact of 8-week re-training following a 14-week period of detraining on Greco-Roman Wrestlers

Background The elite athletes are highly capable of regain their athletic performance and body composition after a period of lack of training. Heart rate variability is an useful indicator to evaluate the physical state of athletes. The objective of this study is to analyze the alterations in the physical, physiological, and performance characteristics of the elite Greco-Roman wrestlers who experienced a prolonged period of detraining (14 weeks) as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Methods Twenty male elite wrestlers from the National Greco-Roman Wrestling Team participated in the research. Heart Rate Variability values were measured during the detraining period and for 8 weeks of subsequent training, and then interpreted for training periods with different workloads. Body fat percentage values, initially measured during detraining, were recorded at 2-week intervals during the training period. To determine the fitness status of wrestlers, the Specific Wrestling Fitness Test was used before and following the 8 weeks of training period. Results A gradual decrease in both body fat percentage and weight observed throughout the course of the training period. The SWFT scores showed significant improvements (31.40 ± 2.91 vs. 37.40 ± 3.22) following the training period. Our study indicate that heart rate variables are significantly influenced during different loads of training and competitions, with similar values observed between the competition and non-training periods. Conclusions Our results suggests that athletes undergo identical reactions in their autonomous nervous system during both competition and detraining. Obtaining a comprehensive understanding of these changes can enable coaches and athletes to make accurate decisions in order to optimize training adaptations and attain overall athletic success. Furthermore, over a period of eight weeks following a long non-training period, significant improvements in athletes' body fat, muscle mass and wrestling performance can be achieved along with training.