scholarly journals Heart Rate Variability in Elite Swimmers before, during and after COVID-19 Lockdown: A Brief Report on Time Domain Analysis

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (17) ◽  
pp. 8106
Author(s):  
Robin Pla ◽  
Laurent Bosquet ◽  
Katie McGibbon ◽  
Iñigo Mujika ◽  
Anaël Aubry

Background: Many athletes worldwide have endured home confinement during the COVID-19 pandemic, and their opportunities to train were strongly limited. This study describes the impact of lockdown on training volume and heart rate variability (HRV) in elite swimmers. Methods: HRV data of seven elite males were collected each Monday morning over 20 weeks, including 8 weeks of lockdown. The training volume was quantified retrospectively. Results: During the lockdown period (weeks 4–11) swimming was not allowed, and the total training volume was reduced by 55.2 ± 7.5% compared to the baseline volume (from 27.2 to 12.2 training hours). This drop was associated with a decrease in vagal activity (a 9.2 ± 5.4% increase in resting HR and a 6.5 ± 3.4% decrease in the natural logarithm of rMSSD from baseline values). After the lockdown (weeks 12–20), the training volume was gradually increased before attaining 68.8% and 88.2% of the baseline training volume at weeks 15 and 17, respectively. Resting HR and Ln rMSSD returned to baseline values four weeks after the lockdown. Conclusions: The lockdown period induced a decreased training volume which was associated with a decrease in vagal activity. However, HRV values returned to the baseline 4 weeks after the resumption of swimming training.

2007 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
pp. 1051-1056 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl-Jürgen Bär ◽  
Michael Karl Boettger ◽  
Sandy Berger ◽  
Vico Baier ◽  
Heinrich Sauer ◽  
...  

Decreased vagal activity has been described in acute schizophrenia and might be associated with altered cardiovascular regulation and increased cardiac mortality. The aim of this study was to assess baroreflex sensitivity in the context of psychopathology. Twenty-one acute, psychotic, unmedicated patients with a diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia were investigated after admission to the hospital. Results were compared with 21 healthy volunteers matched with respect to age and sex. Cardiovascular parameters obtained included measures for heart rate variability, baroreflex sensitivity, as well as cardiac output, left ventricular work index, and total peripheral resistance. All parameters investigated were analyzed using linear and novel nonlinear techniques. Positive and negative symptoms were assessed to estimate the impact of psychopathology on autonomic parameters. Subjects with acute schizophrenia showed reduction of baroreflex sensitivity accompanied by tachycardia and greatly increased left ventricular work index. Nonlinear parameters of baroreflex sensitivity correlated with positive symptoms. For heart rate variability, mainly parameters indicating parasympathetic modulation were decreased. Vascular pathology could be excluded as a confounding factor. These results reflect a dysfunctional cardiovascular regulation in acute schizophrenic patients at rest. The changes are similar to adaptational regulatory processes following stressful mental or physical tasks in healthy subjects. This study suggests that hyperarousal in acute schizophrenia is accompanied by decreased efferent vagal activity, thus increasing the risk for cardiovascular mortality. Future studies are warranted to examine the role of the sympathetic system and possible autonomic differences in hyperarousal induced by anxiety and/or external stressful events.


Cephalalgia ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 36 (3) ◽  
pp. 265-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julian Koenig ◽  
DeWayne P Williams ◽  
Andrew H Kemp ◽  
Julian F Thayer

Objective Vagal nerve activity—indexed by heart rate variability (HRV)—has been linked to altered pain processing and inflammation, both of which may underpin headache disorders and lead to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Here we examined the evidence for differences in parasympathetic (vagal) activity indexed by time- and frequency-domain measures of HRV in patients with headache disorders compared to healthy controls (HCs). Methods A systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted on studies investigating group differences in vagally mediated HRV (vmHRV) including time- (root-mean-square of successive R-R-interval differences (RMSSD)) and frequency- (high-frequency HRV) domain measures. Studies eligible for inclusion were identified by a systematic search of the literature, based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Results Seven studies reporting a total of 10 comparisons of patients with headache disorders (HF-HRV n = 67, RMSSD n = 122) and HCs (HF-HRV n = 64, RMSSD n = 125) were eligible for inclusion. Random-effects meta-analysis revealed a significant main effect on RMSSD ( Z = 2.03, p = 0.04; Hedges’ g = −0.63; 95% CI (−1.24, –0.02); k = 6) and similar pooled effect size estimates for HF-HRV when breathing was controlled ( g = −0.30; 95% CI (−0.69; 0.10)) but not when breathing was not controlled ( g = 0.02; 95% CI (−0.69; 0.74)). Controlling for breathing had no effect on RMSSD. Conclusion vmHRV is reduced in patients with headache disorders, findings associated with a medium effect size. Suggestions for future research in this area are provided, emphasizing a need to investigate the impact of headache disorders and commonly comorbid conditions—including mental disorders—as well as the investigation of the risk for CVD in migraine in particular. We further emphasize the need for large-scale studies to investigate HRV as a mechanism mediating the association of migraine and CVD.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2970
Author(s):  
Robin Pla ◽  
Laurent Bosquet ◽  
Anaël Aubry ◽  
Jean-François Toussaint ◽  
Adrien Sedeaud

The purpose was to observe the effects of a four-week lockdown on the resting heart rate (RHR) and well-being perception of elite swimmers. Twenty elite swimmers performed RHR measurements upon waking in supine and standing positions. Baseline values and those measured after four weeks of lockdown were compared. Swimmers completed a questionnaire on their training volume and state of well-being. During the lockdown, swimmers reported a weekly mean physical activity of 10.4 ± 3.6 h (an estimated reduction of 254% compared to their usual training volume). After four weeks of lockdown, RHR in the supine position increased by more than two beats per minute (58.8 ± 8.2 vs. 56.5 ± 7.4 bpm, p < 0.05). In the standing position, RHR increased by almost 15 beats per minute (103.3 ± 13.2 vs. 88.4 ± 9.4 bpm, p < 0.0001). Fifty percent of these athletes expressed a decrease in well-being. These results underline that the lockdown circumstances induced a large reduction in parasympathetic activity in elite athletes, which was associated with a decrease in training volume. This increase in RHR may reflect that a highatly strenuous environment and maintaining a high level of physical activity in this population could be favorable to preserve physical and psychological health.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Joseph T. Marmerstein ◽  
Grant A. McCallum ◽  
Dominique M. Durand

AbstractThe vagus nerve is the largest autonomic nerve, innervating nearly every organ in the body. “Vagal tone” is a clinical measure believed to indicate overall levels of vagal activity, but is measured indirectly through the heart rate variability (HRV). Abnormal HRV has been associated with many severe conditions such as diabetes, heart failure, and hypertension. However, vagal tone has never been directly measured, leading to disagreements in its interpretation and influencing the effectiveness of vagal therapies. Using custom carbon nanotube yarn electrodes, we were able to chronically record neural activity from the left cervical vagus in both anesthetized and non-anesthetized rats. Here we show that tonic vagal activity does not correlate with common HRV metrics with or without anesthesia. Although we found that average vagal activity is increased during inspiration compared to expiration, this respiratory-linked signal was not correlated with HRV either. These results represent a clear advance in neural recording technology but also point to the need for a re-interpretation of the link between HRV and “vagal tone”.


Life ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 497
Author(s):  
Olga Krivonogova ◽  
Elena Krivonogova ◽  
Liliya Poskotinova

Internet-dependent behaviour in adolescents can contribute to a change in the function of the nervous system, which is reflected in the violation of time perception and autonomic regulation of the heart rate. The aim of the study was to determine groups of individuals with different risks of Internet addiction (IA) in relation to heart rate variability (HRV) parameters and the efficiency of time estimation in adolescents aged 16–17 years living in the Russian Arctic. Adolescents aged 16–17 years (n = 49–32 females, 17 males) living in Yamalo-Nenets Autonomous Okrug (Russia) were observed. Chen Scale Internet Addiction (CIAS) was used. The duration of an individual 1 min was determined. HRV parameters were determined using the "Varicard" equipment (Russia). In 16–17-year-old adolescents with different levels of risk of developing IA, including signs of IA, we revealed a high severity of symptoms of withdrawal from Internet use, difficulty in time estimation against the background of sympathicotonia and a decrease in vagal regulation of heart rate. In individuals with minimal symptoms of withdrawal from Internet use, the total HRV and vagal activity remain higher than in those with severe withdrawal symptoms, and their time estimation remains effective.


CHEST Journal ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 128 (4) ◽  
pp. 277S
Author(s):  
Stavros E. Mountantonakis ◽  
Dimitrios A. Moutzouris ◽  
Craig McPherson

Circulation ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 125 (suppl_10) ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda C Costa ◽  
Ana Gabriela C Silva ◽  
Cibele T Ribeiro ◽  
Guilherme A Fregonezi ◽  
Fernando A Dias

Background: Stress is one of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease and decreased heart rate variability is associated to increased mortality in some cardiac diseases. The aim of the study was to assess the impact of perceived stress on cardiac autonomic regulation in young healthy volunteers. Methods: 35 young healthy volunteers (19 to 29 years old, 6 men) from a Brazilian population were assessed for perceived stress by the translated and validated Perceived Stress Scale (PSS, 14 questions) and had the R-R intervals recorded at rest on supine position (POLAR RS800CX) and analyzed (5 minutes, Kubius HRV software) by Fast-Fourier Transform for quantification of Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Results: Average data (±SD) for age, heart rate, BMI, waist circumference and percentage of body fat (%BF) were: 21.3±2.7 years; 65.5±7.9 bpm; 22.3±1.9 Kg/m 2 ; 76.0±6.1 cm and 32.1±6.6%; respectively. The mean score for the PSS-14 was 23.5±7.2 and for the HRV parameter as follow: SSDN=54.8±21.2ms; rMSSD=55.9±32.2ms; low-frequency (LF)= 794.8±579.7ms 2 ; High-frequency (HF)= 1508.0±1783.0 ms 2 ; LF(n.u.)= 41.1±16.2; HF(n.u.)= 58.9±16.2; LF/HF=0.89±0.80 and Total power (TP)= 3151±2570ms 2 . Spearman nonparametric correlation was calculated and there was a significant correlation of PSS-14 scores and LF (ms 2 ) (r=−0.343; p= 0.044). Other HRV variables did not shown significant correlation but also had negative values for Spearman r (TP r=−0.265, p=0.124; HF r=−0.158; SSDN r=−0.207; rMSSD r=−0.243, p=0.160). LF/HF and LF(n.u.) did not correlate to PSS-14 having Spearman r very close to zero (LF/HF r=−0.007, p=0.969; LF(n.u.) r=−0.005, p=0.976). No correlation was found for HRV parameters and BMI and there was a trend for statistical correlation of %BF and LF (ms 2 ) (r=−0.309, p=0.071). Conclusions: These data demonstrate a possible association of perceived stress level and HRV at rest. Changes in LF can be a consequence of both sympathetic and parasympathetic activity, however, analyzing the other variables HF, TP, SSDN and rMSSD (all negative Spearman r) and due to the lack of changes in LF/HF ratio and LF(n.u.) we interpret that increased stress may be associated to decrease in overall heart rate variability. These changes were seen in healthy individuals and may point out an important mechanism in cardiovascular disease development.


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