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Temporal dynamics of the circadian heart rate following low and high volume exercise training in sedentary male subjects

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Abstract

Purpose

Increased risk of arrhythmic events occurs at certain times during the circadian cycle with the highest risk being in the second and fourth quarter of the day. Exercise improves treatment outcome in individuals with cardiovascular disease. How different exercise protocols affect the circadian rhythm and the associated decrease in adverse cardiovascular risk over the circadian cycle has not been shown.

Methods

Fifty sedentary male participants were randomized into an 8-week high volume and moderate volume training and a control group. Heart rate was recorded using Polar Electronics and investigated with Cosinor analysis and by Poincaré plot derived features of SD1, SD2 and the complex correlation measure (CCM) at 1-h intervals over the 24-h period.

Results

Moderate exercise significantly increased vagal modulation and the temporal dynamics of the heart rate in the second quarter of the circadian cycle (p = 0.004 and p = 0.007 respectively). High volume exercise had a similar effect on vagal output (p = 0.003) and temporal dynamics (p = 0.003). Cosinor analysis confirms that the circadian heart rate displays a shift in the acrophage following moderate and high volume exercise from before waking (1st quarter) to after waking (2nd quarter of day).

Conclusions

Our results suggest that exercise shifts vagal influence and increases temporal dynamics of the heart rate to the 2nd quarter of the day and suggest that this may be the underlying physiological change leading to a decrease in adverse arrhythmic events during this otherwise high-risk period.

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Abbreviations

AC:

Acrophase

AMI:

Acute myocardial infarct

Amp:

Amplitude

ANS:

Autonomic nervous system

CCM:

Complex correlation measure

HRmax :

Maximum heart rate

HRV:

Heart rate variability

MESOR:

Midline-estimating statistic of rhythm

RQmax :

Maximum respiratory quotient

R-R:

Peaks between the QRS waves (RR interval)

SCD:

Sudden cardiac death

SD1:

Width of the Poincaré plot

SD2:

Length of the Poincaré plot

VO2peak :

Highest value of O2 consumption

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare no conflict of interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Australian School of Advanced Medicine, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia

    Herbert F. Jelinek

  2. Centre for Research in Complex Systems and School of Community Health, Charles Sturt University, Albury, Australia

    Herbert F. Jelinek

  3. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia

    C. Karmakar, A. H. Khandoker & M. Palaniswami

  4. Department of Exercise and Medical Physiology, Verve Research, Oulu, Finland

    A. M. Kiviniemi, A. J. Hautala & M. P. Tulppo

  5. Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland

    T. H. Mäkikallio & H. V. Huikuri

  6. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE

    A. H. Khandoker

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  1. Herbert F. Jelinek
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  2. C. Karmakar
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  3. A. M. Kiviniemi
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  4. A. J. Hautala
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  5. M. P. Tulppo
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  6. T. H. Mäkikallio
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  7. H. V. Huikuri
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  8. A. H. Khandoker
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  9. M. Palaniswami
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Correspondence to Herbert F. Jelinek.

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Communicated by Toshio Moritani.

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Jelinek, H.F., Karmakar, C., Kiviniemi, A.M. et al. Temporal dynamics of the circadian heart rate following low and high volume exercise training in sedentary male subjects. Eur J Appl Physiol 115, 2069–2080 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3185-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-015-3185-x

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