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Sex Differences in Heart Rate Variability Responses to Eight Weeks of Circuit Training

3. oktober 2026 opdateret af: Marilyn Li Yin Ong, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Circuit Training and Autonomic Recovery: Sex Differences in Heart Rate Variability Among Inactive Young Adults

The main goal of this study is to find out how an 8-week circuit training exercise program affects heart health and how the body recovers in young adults who do not regularly exercise. The researchers also want to see if these responses are different between men and women.

The body's nervous system controls automatic functions like heart rate. Measuring changes in heart rate patterns-known as heart rate variability (HRV)-helps show how well the body switches between "fight-or-flight" (stress/exercise mode) and "rest-and-digest" (recovery mode). While men and women naturally have different heart rate patterns at rest, less is known about whether they recover differently after a structured exercise program.

The main questions this study aims to answer are:

  1. Does 8 weeks of circuit training improve heart rate recovery and nervous system balance in inactive young adults?
  2. Do men and women show different heart rate responses or recovery patterns after taking part in circuit training?

To answer these questions, inactive university students took part in an 8-week supervised circuit training program. Participants were considered inactive if they did less than 150 minutes of moderate exercise or less than 75 minutes of vigorous exercise per week.

Participants completed 20 exercise sessions (2 times per week) led by the study team:

  • Exercise Sessions: Each session started with a 5-minute warm-up, followed by 10 exercise stations using light weights, resistance bands, and bodyweight movements. Exercises targeted both upper and lower body muscles.
  • Workouts and Rest: Participants did each exercise for 30 seconds, rested for 1 minute between stations, and rested for 5 minutes between full sets.
  • Progression: During Weeks 1 to 4, participants did 2 sets per session. During Weeks 5 to 8, they increased to 3 sets per session.

To measure heart rate recovery, participants wore a heart rate chest monitor while resting quietly lying down:

  1. Before starting the 8-week program (Baseline)
  2. At 10 minutes after a workout at Week 8 (Short-term recovery)
  3. At 24 hours after a workout at Week 8 (Full recovery)

The researchers compared the heart rate data between men and women across these time points to see how quickly their nervous systems returned to a resting state after exercise.

Studieoversigt

Status

Afsluttet

Betingelser

Intervention / Behandling

Detaljeret beskrivelse

This study evaluates the effects of an 8-week supervised circuit training program on heart rate variability (HRV) and autonomic recovery patterns among physically inactive young adults, with a specific focus on sex-related differences.

Participants undergo an 8-week exercise intervention consisting of 20 total sessions scheduled twice per week. The intervention follows a progressive volume design:

  • Weeks 1 to 4: Participants perform 2 complete sets per session (8 sessions total).
  • Weeks 5 to 8: Participants perform 3 complete sets per session (12 sessions total).

Each exercise session begins with a 5-minute dynamic warm-up. The circuit consists of 10 sequential exercise stations targeting major upper-body and lower-body muscle groups using body weight, resistance bands, and dumbbells: 1. Heel raises with dumbbells 2. Lateral raises with resistance bands 3. Leg abductions with resistance bands 4. Shoulder extensions and flexions with resistance bands 5. Jump rope 6. Triceps extensions with dumbbells 7. Half squats with resistance bands 8. Standing chest fly with dumbbells 9. Leg curls with resistance bands 10. Bicep curls with dumbbells

Participants perform each exercise station for 30 seconds, followed by a 1-minute rest interval between stations. A 5-minute rest period is provided between complete circuits. All sessions take place under direct supervision.

Autonomic function is evaluated via continuous beat-to-beat R-R interval recordings using a validated heart rate monitor while participants rest quietly in a supine position in a climate-controlled room (21 °C). Heart rate variability is assessed across three specific time points:

  1. Baseline: Pre-intervention assessment prior to beginning the 8-week training protocol.
  2. Post-10 Minutes: Immediate post-exercise recovery assessment within 10 minutes following the final training session at Week 8.
  3. Post-24 Hours: Delayed recovery assessment 24 hours following the final training session at Week 8.

Extracted frequency-domain HRV parameters include Low Frequency (LF: 0.04-0.15 Hz), High Frequency (HF: 0.15-0.40 Hz), and the LF/HF ratio, analyzed in both absolute power values (ms2) and normalized units (n.u.). Comparisons are conducted between male and female participants across time points to analyze sex-specific autonomic adaptations and recovery trajectories following circuit training.

Undersøgelsestype

Interventionel

Tilmelding (Faktiske)

17

Fase

  • Ikke anvendelig

Kontakter og lokationer

Dette afsnit indeholder kontaktoplysninger for dem, der udfører undersøgelsen, og oplysninger om, hvor denne undersøgelse udføres.

Studiesteder

    • Kelantan
      • Kubang Kerian, Kelantan, Malaysia, 16150
        • Exercise and Sports Science Laboratory, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Deltagelseskriterier

Forskere leder efter personer, der passer til en bestemt beskrivelse, kaldet berettigelseskriterier. Nogle eksempler på disse kriterier er en persons generelle helbredstilstand eller tidligere behandlinger.

Berettigelseskriterier

Aldre berettiget til at studere

18 år til 25 år (Voksen)

Tager imod sunde frivillige

Ja

Køn, der er berettiget til at studere

Alle

Beskrivelse

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Physically inactive, defined as engaging in less than 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity or less than 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity activity per week.
  • Enrolled university student.
  • Willing and able to provide informed consent and attend supervised training sessions twice per week for 8 weeks.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Regular engagement in structured exercise or training programs.
  • Current consumption of dietary supplements.
  • Inability or unwillingness to refrain from caffeine, alcohol, and vigorous physical activity for 24 hours prior to heart rate variability (HRV) testing sessions.

Studieplan

Dette afsnit indeholder detaljer om studieplanen, herunder hvordan undersøgelsen er designet, og hvad undersøgelsen måler.

Hvordan er undersøgelsen tilrettelagt?

Design detaljer

  • Primært formål: Grundvidenskab
  • Tildeling: Ikke-randomiseret
  • Interventionel model: Parallel tildeling
  • Maskning: Ingen (Åben etiket)

Våben og indgreb

Deltagergruppe / Arm
Intervention / Behandling
Eksperimentel: Male Group

Male participants undergoing an 8-week supervised circuit training intervention (2 sessions per week; 2 sets per session for weeks 1-4, 3 sets per session for weeks 5-8).

Participants complete an 8-week supervised circuit training intervention consisting of 20 total sessions (2 sessions per week). Each session begins with a 5-minute warm-up, followed by 10 exercise stations targeting both upper-body and lower-body muscle groups using body weight, resistance bands, and dumbbells.

The 10 stations include: heel raises with dumbbells, lateral raises with resistance bands, leg abductions with resistance bands, shoulder extensions and flexions with resistance bands, jump rope, triceps extensions with dumbbells, half squats with resistance bands, standing chest fly with dumbbells, leg curls with resistance bands, and bicep curls with dumbbells.

Each exercise station is performed for 30 seconds with a 1-minute rest interval between stations, and a 5-minute rest interval between complete sets. Training volume progresses from 2 sets per session in Weeks 1-4 (8 sessions) to 3 sets per session in Weeks 5-8 (12 sessions)

Andre navne:
  • Progressive Circuit Training Protocol
Eksperimentel: Female Group

Female participants undergoing the identical 8-week supervised circuit training intervention (2 sessions per week; 2 sets per session for weeks 1-4, 3 sets per session for weeks 5-8).

Participants complete an 8-week supervised circuit training intervention consisting of 20 total sessions (2 sessions per week). Each session begins with a 5-minute warm-up, followed by 10 exercise stations targeting both upper-body and lower-body muscle groups using body weight, resistance bands, and dumbbells.

The 10 stations include: heel raises with dumbbells, lateral raises with resistance bands, leg abductions with resistance bands, shoulder extensions and flexions with resistance bands, jump rope, triceps extensions with dumbbells, half squats with resistance bands, standing chest fly with dumbbells, leg curls with resistance bands, and bicep curls with dumbbells.

Each exercise station is performed for 30 seconds with a 1-minute rest interval between stations, and a 5-minute rest interval between complete sets. Training volume progresses from 2 sets per session in Weeks 1-4 (8 sessions) to 3 sets per session in Weeks 5-8 (12 sessions)

Andre navne:
  • Progressive Circuit Training Protocol

Hvad måler undersøgelsen?

Primære resultatmål

Resultatmål
Foranstaltningsbeskrivelse
Tidsramme
Change in Low-Frequency (LF) Power in Normalized Units (LF n.u.)
Tidsramme: Measured at Baseline (Week 0), Post-10 minutes (Week 8), and Post-24 hours (Week 8).

Frequency-domain heart rate variability metric reflecting combined sympathetic and parasympathetic autonomic modulation (measured in normalized units, n.u.).

Measured at Baseline (Week 0), Post-10 minutes (Week 8), and Post-24 hours (Week 8).
Change in High-Frequency (HF) Power in Normalized Units (HF n.u.)
Tidsramme: Measured at Baseline (Week 0), Post-10 minutes (Week 8), and Post-24 hours (Week 8).

Frequency-domain heart rate variability metric reflecting parasympathetic (vagal) autonomic modulation (measured in normalized units, n.u.)

Measured at Baseline (Week 0), Post-10 minutes (Week 8), and Post-24 hours (Week 8).
Change in Low-Frequency to High-Frequency Ratio (LF/HF Ratio)
Tidsramme: Measured at Baseline (Week 0), Post-10 minutes (Week 8), and Post-24 hours (Week 8).

Ratio of LF power to HF power, used as an index of sympathovagal balance during recovery.

Measured at Baseline (Week 0), Post-10 minutes (Week 8), and Post-24 hours (Week 8).

Samarbejdspartnere og efterforskere

Det er her, du vil finde personer og organisationer, der er involveret i denne undersøgelse.

Sponsor

Efterforskere

  • Ledende efterforsker: Marilyn Li Yin Ong, PhD, Universiti Sains Malaysia

Publikationer og nyttige links

Den person, der er ansvarlig for at indtaste oplysninger om undersøgelsen, leverer frivilligt disse publikationer. Disse kan handle om alt relateret til undersøgelsen.

Datoer for undersøgelser

Disse datoer sporer fremskridtene for indsendelser af undersøgelsesrekord og resumeresultater til ClinicalTrials.gov. Studieregistreringer og rapporterede resultater gennemgås af National Library of Medicine (NLM) for at sikre, at de opfylder specifikke kvalitetskontrolstandarder, før de offentliggøres på den offentlige hjemmeside.

Studer store datoer

Studiestart (Faktiske)

6. marts 2025

Primær færdiggørelse (Faktiske)

5. marts 2026

Studieafslutning (Faktiske)

5. marts 2026

Datoer for studieregistrering

Først indsendt

28. september 2026

Først indsendt, der opfyldte QC-kriterier

28. september 2026

Først opslået (Faktiske)

2. oktober 2026

Opdateringer af undersøgelsesjournaler

Sidste opdatering sendt (Faktiske)

7. oktober 2026

Sidste opdatering indsendt, der opfyldte kvalitetskontrolkriterier

3. oktober 2026

Sidst verificeret

1. oktober 2026

Mere information

Begreber relateret til denne undersøgelse

Yderligere relevante MeSH-vilkår

Andre undersøgelses-id-numre

  • USM/JEPeM/KK/25010089

Plan for individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)

Planlægger du at dele individuelle deltagerdata (IPD)?

INGEN

IPD-planbeskrivelse

Individual participant data (IPD) will not be shared to maintain participant privacy and confidentiality. All relevant aggregated datasets generated and analyzed during the current study are provided within the results section of the published article.

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