The Relationship between Postexercise Hypotension and Heart Rate Variability before and after Exercise Training

• Published in: Journal of cardiovascular development and disease 2023-02, Vol.10 (2), p.64
• Main Authors: Cilhoroz, Burak T, Zaleski, Amanda, Taylor, Beth, Fernandez, Antonio B, Santos, Lucas P, Vonk, Thijs, Thompson, Paul D, Pescatello, Linda S
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerobics; autonomic activity; blood pressure; Body mass index; Cardiac stress tests; Cardiovascular disease; Coronary heart disease; Electrocardiography; Exercise; Fitness training programs; graded exercise stress test; Heart beat; Heart rate; Hypertension; Hypotension; Physical fitness; Risk factors
• ISSN: 2308-3425; 2308-3425
• DOI: 10.3390/jcdd10020064

Because data are scarce, we examined the relationship between postexercise hypotension (PEH) and heart rate variability (HRV) before and after aerobic exercise training among adults with hypertension. Participants completed a 12 w aerobic training program. Before and after training, they performed a peak graded exercise stress test (GEST) and nonexercise control (CONTROL) and were left attached to an ambulatory BP monitor. Prior to CONTROL, HRV was measured supine for 5 min using a 12-lead electrocardiogram (ECG). The participants ( = 18) were middle-aged (52.1 ± 11.7 y) and 50% men with hypertension (131.7 ± 9.8/85.9 ± 8.5 mmHg) and obesity (30.0 ± 3.7 kg·m ). Before training, ambulatory systolic BP (ASBP) and diastolic ABP (ADBP) decreased by 3.2 ± 2.1 mmHg and 2.5 ± 1.5 mmHg, respectively, from baseline after the GEST versus CONTROL ( < 0.05). After training, ASBP tended to decrease by 3.5 ± 2.2 mmHg ( = 0.055) and ADBP decreased by 1.7 ± 2.5 mmHg ( = 0.001) from baseline after the GEST versus CONTROL. Before training, HRV high frequency (HFms ) (β = -0.441), age (β = 0.568), and resting SBP (β = 0.504) accounted for 66.8% of the ASBP response ( = 0.001), whereas the low frequency (LF)/HF ratio (β = 0.516) and resting DBP (β = 0.277) accounted for 35.7% of the ADBP response ( = 0.037). After training, the standard deviation of NN intervals (SDNN) (β = -0.556), age (β = 0.506), and resting SBP (β = 0.259) accounted for 60.7% of the ASBP response ( = 0.004), whereas SDNN (β = -0.236) and resting DBP (β = 0.785) accounted for 58.5% of the ADBP response ( = 0.001). Our preliminary findings show that adults with hypertension and parasympathetic suppression (i.e., lower SDNN and HFms and higher LF/HF) may elicit PEH to the greatest degree independent of training status versus adults with parasympathetic predominance, suggesting that resting HRV may be an important determinant of PEH.