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The exercise heart rate profile in master athletes compared to healthy controls
Author(s) -
Kwon Osung,
Park Saejong,
Kim YoungJoo,
Min SunYang,
Kim Yoo Ri,
Nam GiByoung,
Choi KeeJoon,
Kim YouHo
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
clinical physiology and functional imaging
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.608
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-097X
pISSN - 1475-0961
DOI - 10.1111/cpf.12226
Subject(s) - medicine , heart rate , athletes , treadmill , cardiology , endurance training , physical therapy , blood pressure
Summary Endurance exercise protects the heart via effects on autonomic control of heart rate ( HR ); however, its effects on HR indices in healthy middle‐aged men are unclear. This study compared HR profiles, including resting HR , increase in HR during exercise and HR recovery after exercise, in middle‐aged athletes and controls. Fifty endurance‐trained athletes and 50 controls (all male; mean age, 48·7 ± 5·8 years) performed an incremental symptom‐limited exercise treadmill test. The electrocardiographic findings and HR profiles were evaluated. Maximal O 2 uptake (52·6 ± 7·0 versus 34·8 ± 4·5 ml kg −1 min −1 ; P <0·001) and the metabolic equivalent of task (15·4 ± 1·6 versus 12·2 ± 1·5; P <0·001) were significantly higher in athletes than in controls. Resting HR was significantly lower in athletes than in controls (62·8 ± 6·7 versus 74·0 ± 10·4 beats per minute (bpm), respectively; P <0·001). Athletes showed a greater increase in HR during exercise than controls (110·1 ± 11·0 versus 88·1 ± 15·4 bpm; P <0·001); however, there was no significant between‐group difference in HR recovery at 1 min after cessation of exercise (22·9 ± 5·6 versus 21·3 ± 6·7 bpm; P = 0·20). Additionally, athletes showed a lower incidence of premature ventricular contractions ( PVC s) during exercise (0·0% versus 24·0%; P <0·001). Healthy middle‐aged men participating in regular endurance exercise showed more favourable exercise HR profiles and a lower incidence of PVC s during exercise than sedentary men. These results reflect the beneficial effect of endurance training on autonomic control of the heart.