Heart rate variability (HRV) is a common tool for assessing autonomic nervous system activity and monitoring training load in athletes. However, limited research has explored how HRV responds to different forms of resistance training, particularly in high-intensity intermittent sports like basketball and football.

This study aims to compare the acute HRV responses between neuromuscular and metabolic training in collegiate athletes involved in high-intensity intermittent sports.

A comparative cross-sectional study with a quasi-experimental crossover design will be employed.

Collegiate athletes will be randomly assigned to undergo both neuromuscular and metabolic training sessions with a one-week wash-out period in between. HRV data will be recorded using the Polar H10 chest strap during each session.

Descriptive statistics will summarize salient participant characteristics and HRV measurements. Inferential analysis will use paired t-tests or Wilcoxon signed-rank tests based on normality, assessed via the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test. All statistical analyses will be conducted using the IBM SPSS (ver.25) with a confidence interval set. at 95% and a critical α equal to 0.05.

Neuromuscular training is expected to elicit higher low-frequency (LF) power and an increased LF/HF ratio, reflecting greater sympathetic activation, while metabolic training is expected to show lower LF power and a decreased LF/HF ratio, indicating a more balanced autonomic response. These findings will offer insights into the differential autonomic impacts of these training modalities.