Different exercise training modalities similarly improve heart rate variability in sedentary middle-aged adults: the FIT-AGEING randomized controlled trial

Ginés Navarro-Lomas, Manuel Dote-Montero, Juan M A Alcantara, Abel Plaza-Florido, Manuel J Castillo, Francisco J Amaro-Gahete, Ginés Navarro-Lomas, Manuel Dote-Montero, Juan M A Alcantara, Abel Plaza-Florido, Manuel J Castillo, Francisco J Amaro-Gahete

Abstract

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the influence of different exercise training modalities on heart rate variability (HRV) in sedentary middle-aged adults; and to study whether changes in health-related outcomes (i.e., body composition and cardiometabolic risk) are associated with those hypothetical HRV changes in sedentary middle-aged adults.

Methods: A total of 66 middle-aged adults (53.6 ± 4.4 years old; 50% women) were enrolled in the FIT-AGEING study. We conducted a 12-week randomized controlled trial. The participants were randomly assigned to 4 groups: (a) a control group (no exercise); (b) a physical activity recommendation from the World Health Organization group (PAR); (c) a high-intensity interval training group (HIIT); and (d) a high-intensity interval training group adding whole-body electromyostimulation (HIIT + EMS).

Results: All exercise training modalities induced changes in HRV parameters (all P ≤ 0.001) without statistical differences between them (all P > 0.05). We found associations between changes in body composition and cardiometabolic risk and exercise-related changes in HRV.

Conclusion: Our results suggest that different exercise interventions (i.e., PAR, HIIT and HIIT + EMS) induced an enhancement of HRV in sedentary middle-aged adults. Our findings support the notion that exercise-related changes in HRV are associated with changes in body composition and cardiometabolic risk after the intervention program CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRY: NCT03334357 (ClinicalTrials.gov). November 7, 2017 retrospectively registered.

Keywords: Autonomic nervous system; Cardiometabolic health; Training; Vagal activity, physical activity.

Conflict of interest statement

None of the authors have any conflict of interest.

© 2022. The Author(s).

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Enrollment and analysis flowchart. Abbreviations: BMI body mass index; CDV cardiovascular disease; ECG electrocardiogram; PAR physical activity recommendation from the World Health Organization group; HIIT high-intensity interval training group; HIIT + EMS—HIIT plus whole-body electromyostimulation group
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Changes in heart rate and heart rate variability parameters after the intervention study in the four groups. Analysis of covariance adjusting for baseline values, with post hoc Bonferroni-corrected t test. F, p and η2 of analysis of variance, *p < 0.05, **p < 0.01, ***p < 0.001. Abbreviations: ∆ Differences between post and pretest, bpm beats per minute, HIIT high-intensity interval training group; HIIT + EMS HIIT plus whole-body electromyostimulation group, Ln Napierian logarithm, PAR physical activity recommendation from the World Health Organization group, RMSSD square root of the mean squared differences between successive RR intervals, SDNN standard deviation of RR intervals

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