Hari Setijono, Yuri Lolita, Oce Wiriawan, Sapto Wibowo, Mohd Azrul Anuar Zolkafi, Kunjung Ashadi
This study investigates the cardiovascular recovery patterns of male badminton athletes across three competition levels, regional, national, and Olympic, highlighting the physiological adaptations that distinguish elite performers. A total of 24 athletes participated in this study. Heart rate data were continuously monitored during training sessions and throughout the recovery phase, while blood pressure measurements were taken immediately after the athletes completed the recovery process. The collected data were analyzed using the Kruskal–Wallis H test to determine the significance of differences among the three athlete groups. The findings revealed significant differences in heart rate and blood pressure recovery, providing valuable insights into the physiological mechanisms underlying performance at varying levels of competition. Specifically, there were notable differences in heart rate (p = 0.002), systolic blood pressure (p = 0.018), and diastolic blood pressure (p = 0.040) among the groups. Regional-level athletes demonstrated the slowest recovery speed despite exhibiting the lowest maximum heart rate, suggesting less efficient cardiovascular adaptation. In contrast, Olympic athletes displayed the most effective recovery responses, characterized by a higher maximum heart rate but lower recovery heart rate values. Furthermore, systolic blood pressure was highest in regional-level athletes, while diastolic blood pressure was lowest. Conversely, Olympic athletes showed the highest diastolic blood pressure during recovery, indicating superior cardiovascular resilience. Overall, these findings underscore the importance of individualized training and recovery strategies that account for each athlete’s physiological profile. Coaches and sports scientists are encouraged to design evidence-based conditioning and recovery programs to enhance cardiovascular efficiency, promote faster recovery, and ultimately improve athletic performance across different competition levels. Copyright (c) 2026 The Authors. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
Universitas Negeri Surabaya, Indonesia; Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Malaysia
