JOURNAL OF SPORTS SCIENCE & MEDICINE

Research article

HEART RATE VARIABILITY BEFORE AND AFTER CYCLE EXERCISE IN RELATION TO DIFFERENT BODY POSITIONS

Otto F. Barak1, Djordje G. Jakovljevic2, Jelena Z. Popadic Gacesa1, Zoran B. Ovcin3, David A. Brodie4, Nikola G. Grujic1

1Medical School, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia, 2Newcastle Magnetic Resonance Centre, Muscle Performance and Exercise Training Laboratory, Institute for Ageing and Health, Newcastle University, UK, 3Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, 4Research Centre for Society and Health, Buckinghamshire New University, UK

Received   01 December 2009 Accepted   08 January 2010 Published   01 June 2010

© Journal of Sports Science and Medicine (2010) 9, 176 - 182

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of three different body positions on HRV measures following short-term submaximal exercise. Thirty young healthy males performed submaximal cycling for five minutes on three different occasions. Measures of HRV were obtained from 5-min R to R wave intervals before the exercise (baseline) and during the last five minutes of a 15 min recovery (post-exercise) in three different body positions (seated, supine, supine with elevated legs). Measures of the mean RR normal-to-normal intervals (RRNN), the standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals (SDNN), the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD) and the low-frequency (LF) and the high-frequency (HF) spectral power were analyzed. Post-exercise RRNN, RMSSD were significantly higher in the two supine positions (p < 0. 01) compared with seated body position. Post-exercise ln LF was significantly lower in the supine position with elevated legs than in the seated body position (p < 0.05). No significant difference was found among the three different body positions for post-exercise ln HF (p > 0.05). Post-exercise time domain measures of HRV (RRNN, SDNN, RMSSD) were significantly lower compared with baseline values (p < 0.01) regardless body position. Post-exercise ln LF and ln HF in all three positions remained significantly reduced during recovery compared to baseline values (p < 0.01). The present study suggests that 15 minutes following short-term submaximal exercise most of the time and frequency domain HRV measures have not returned to pre-exercise values. Modifications in autonomic cardiac regulation induced by body posture present at rest remained after exercise, but the post-exercise differences among the three positions did not resemble the ones established at rest. Key words: Heart rate variability, recovery, exercise.

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