Investigation of Autonomic Stress Response Patterns in College Students With Varying Physical Activity Levels (ANS Stress/PA)

January 17, 2026 updated by: Beijing Sport University
This study aims to investigate the differences in cardiovascular stress response patterns among individuals with various physical activity levels (sedentary controls and different types of athletes). By synchronously monitoring ECG, heart rate, skin sympathetic nerve activity (SKNA), blood pressure, and cardiac output, the study will characterize physiological dynamics during resting, orthostatic challenge, cold pressor stress, and maximal exercise.

Study Overview

Status

Not yet recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Participants will be categorized into five groups based on their training background: sedentary, endurance, strength, technical, and traditional ethnic sports. The experimental protocol includes baseline measurements in lying, standing, and sitting positions, followed by a series of acute stress tests: a lie-to-stand orthostatic test, a slow breathing test, and a cold pressor test. Finally, participants will perform a ramp incremental exercise test on a cycle ergometer. Synchronous physiological data including HRV and SKNA will be collected to evaluate the dynamic regulation of the autonomic nervous system.

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

60

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of 60-80 healthy adult volunteers (college students). Participants are categorized into five distinct groups based on their habitual physical activity levels and training backgrounds: 1) Sedentary controls, 2) Endurance athletes, 3) Strength athletes, 4) Technical athletes, and 5) Traditional ethnic sports practitioners (e.g., Tai Chi). Gender balance is maintained across all groups.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

Healthy young adults aged 18-25 years

Body Mass Index (BMI) within the range of 18.5-23.9 kg/m 2

No history of systematic professional athletic training (for sedentary group) or confirmed training background (for athlete groups)

No exercise contraindications or history of cardiovascular, respiratory, or metabolic diseases

No family history of sudden cardiac death

Ability to understand the study protocol and sign the informed consent form

Exclusion Criteria:

History of limb sports injury within the past 6 months or unhealed fractures

Habits of smoking or chronic alcohol consumption

Presence of implanted electronic devices (e.g., pacemakers)

Clinical diagnosis of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety or depression

Recent use of medications affecting autonomic or cardiovascular function

Regular practice of meditation or ongoing psychotherapy

Irregular menstrual cycles (for female participants)

Peripheral neuropathy or other autonomic nervous system disorders

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Sedentary Control
Healthy adults with minimal physical activity, screened via SBQ and IPAQ-S questionnaires as baseline controls
Diagnostic test: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) is a non-invasive, integrated assessment of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems' responses to physical stress.
Endurance Athletes
Long-distance runners or triathletes with over 1 year of regular aerobic training (e.g., 800m+ running, swimming).
Diagnostic test: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) is a non-invasive, integrated assessment of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems' responses to physical stress.
Strength Athletes
Athletes specializing in anaerobic/power-based training, such as weightlifting, wrestling, or sprinting.
Diagnostic test: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) is a non-invasive, integrated assessment of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems' responses to physical stress.
Traditional Ethnic Sports
Practitioners of mind-body exercises like Tai Chi or Baduanjin, emphasizing respiratory control and mild intensity
Diagnostic test: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing
Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) is a non-invasive, integrated assessment of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems' responses to physical stress.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Heart Rate Variability
Time Frame: Baseline (10-minute rest), during the 10-minute mental stress test, and during the cardiopulmonary exercise test (approx. 20 minutes)
Time-domain metrics (e.g., RMSSD, SDNN) derived from ECG recordings to evaluate cardiovagal modulation and cardiac autonomic balance.
Baseline (10-minute rest), during the 10-minute mental stress test, and during the cardiopulmonary exercise test (approx. 20 minutes)
Skin Sympathetic Nerve Activity
Time Frame: Baseline (10-minute rest), during the 10-minute mental stress test, and during the cardiopulmonary exercise test (approx. 20 minutes)
Integrated average SKNA (aSKNA) and burst metrics measured via surface electrodes to assess sympathetic nerve firing
Baseline (10-minute rest), during the 10-minute mental stress test, and during the cardiopulmonary exercise test (approx. 20 minutes)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Beijing Sport University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

February 25, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

April 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

July 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 12, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 17, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

January 22, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

January 22, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 17, 2026

Last Verified

January 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2025601H (Other Identifier: Beijing sport university)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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