Sex Differences in Heart Rate Variability Responses to Eight Weeks of Circuit Training
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:
- Does 8 weeks of circuit training improve heart rate recovery and nervous system balance in inactive young adults?
- 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:
- Before starting the 8-week program (Baseline)
- At 10 minutes after a workout at Week 8 (Short-term recovery)
- 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.
研究概览
详细说明
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:
- Baseline: Pre-intervention assessment prior to beginning the 8-week training protocol.
- Post-10 Minutes: Immediate post-exercise recovery assessment within 10 minutes following the final training session at Week 8.
- 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.
研究类型
注册 (实际的)
阶段
- 不适用
联系人和位置
学习地点
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Kelantan
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Kubang Kerian、Kelantan、马来西亚、16150
- Exercise and Sports Science Laboratory, Universiti Sains Malaysia
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参与标准
资格标准
适合学习的年龄
接受健康志愿者
有资格学习的性别
描述
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.
学习计划
研究是如何设计的？
设计细节
- 主要用途：基础科学
- 分配：非随机化
- 介入模型：并行分配
- 屏蔽：无（打开标签）
武器和干预
参与者组/臂 |
干预/治疗 |
|---|---|
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实验性的：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)
其他名称：
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实验性的：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)
其他名称：
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研究衡量的是什么？
主要结果指标
结果测量 |
措施说明 |
大体时间 |
|---|---|---|
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Change in Low-Frequency (LF) Power in Normalized Units (LF n.u.)
大体时间：Measured at Baseline (Week 0), Post-10 minutes (Week 8), and Post-24 hours (Week 8).
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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).
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Change in High-Frequency (HF) Power in Normalized Units (HF n.u.)
大体时间：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).
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Change in Low-Frequency to High-Frequency Ratio (LF/HF Ratio)
大体时间：Measured at Baseline (Week 0), Post-10 minutes (Week 8), and Post-24 hours (Week 8).
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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).
|
合作者和调查者
调查人员
- 首席研究员：Marilyn Li Yin Ong, PhD、Universiti Sains Malaysia
出版物和有用的链接
一般刊物
- Heart rate variability: standards of measurement, physiological interpretation and clinical use. Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology. Circulation. 1996 Mar 1;93(5):1043-65. No abstract available.
- Shaffer F, Ginsberg JP. An Overview of Heart Rate Variability Metrics and Norms. Front Public Health. 2017 Sep 28;5:258. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2017.00258. eCollection 2017.
- Ramos-Campo DJ, Andreu Caravaca L, Martinez-Rodriguez A, Rubio-Arias JA. Effects of Resistance Circuit-Based Training on Body Composition, Strength and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Biology (Basel). 2021 Apr 28;10(5):377. doi: 10.3390/biology10050377.
- Kappus RM, Ranadive SM, Yan H, Lane-Cordova AD, Cook MD, Sun P, Harvey IS, Wilund KR, Woods JA, Fernhall B. Sex differences in autonomic function following maximal exercise. Biol Sex Differ. 2015 Dec 1;6:28. doi: 10.1186/s13293-015-0046-6. eCollection 2015.
- Koenig J, Thayer JF. Sex differences in healthy human heart rate variability: A meta-analysis. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2016 May;64:288-310. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.03.007. Epub 2016 Mar 7.
- Ibrahim NS, Muhamad AS, Chen CK, & Ooi FK. (2022) Effects of probiotics consumption and resistance exercise on bone metabolism markers in physically inactive young males. Malays J Sport Sci Recreat 18(1), 92. https://doi.org/10.24191/mjssr.v18i1.17643
研究记录日期
研究主要日期
学习开始 (实际的)
初级完成 (实际的)
研究完成 (实际的)
研究注册日期
首次提交
首先提交符合 QC 标准的
首次发布 (实际的)
研究记录更新
最后更新发布 (实际的)
上次提交的符合 QC 标准的更新
最后验证
更多信息
与本研究相关的术语
其他研究编号
- USM/JEPeM/KK/25010089
计划个人参与者数据 (IPD)
计划共享个人参与者数据 (IPD)？
IPD 计划说明
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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