FEPSAC Webinar: Heart rate variability in sport psychology: From theory to applied practice (Sylvain Laborde)

FEPSAC Webinar

Friday 12 June

12:30 CET

Heart rate variability (HRV) has become an important tool in sport and performance psychology because it offers a non-invasive index of cardiac vagal activity. In this webinar, I will show how HRV can help us better understand self-regulation, stress management, emotion regulation, and cognitive performance in sport settings. Building on the Vagal Tank Theory, I will explain the relevance of the three main dimensions of HRV functioning: resting, reactivity, and recovery. I will also discuss how HRV can be integrated into applied practice, particularly in relation to performance preparation, recovery, and breathing-based interventions. Participants will gain a clearer understanding of both the scientific foundations and the practical applications of HRV in performance environments.

Sylvain Laborde is Associate Professor at the Institute of Psychology, Department of Performance Psychology, at the German Sport University Cologne, where he founded the HRV LABorde – Performance Psychophysiology. His research focuses on heart rate variability as an indicator of self-regulation, stress management, and cognitive performance, as well as on breathing techniques in sport. He has published more than 150 peer-reviewed papers, written five books, and completed two PhDs, one in Sport Sciences and one in Psychology. In 2021, he received his Habilitation at the German Sport University Cologne, where he developed the Vagal Tank Theory.