Analysis of Short-Term Heart Rate Asymmetry in High-Performance Athletes and Non-Athletes

Heart rate asymmetry (HRA) refers to how asymmetrically the acceleration and deceleration patterns in heartbeat fluctuations are distributed. There is limited evidence regarding HRA changes in athletes and their association with autonomic regulation. This study aimed to compare the short-term HRA of high-performance athletes and non-athletes during an autonomic function test by calculating relevant HRA measures. This exploratory study obtained beat-to-beat RR interval time series from 15 high-performance athletes and 12 non-athletes during a standardized autonomic function test. This test includes rest, postural change, controlled respiration, prolonged orthostatism, exercise, and recovery phases. The following HRA parameters were computed from the RR time series for both groups: asymmetric spread index (ASI), slope index (SI), Porta’s index (PI), Guzik’s index (GI), and Ehlers’ index (EI). We found significant differences (p < 0.01) in the mean value of several HRA parameters between athletes and non-athletes and across the autonomic function test phases, mainly in postural change and recovery phases. Our results indicate that high-performance athletes manifest a higher number and magnitude of cardiac decelerations than non-athletes after an orthostatic challenge, as indicated by GI and EI. In addition, lower HRA was found in athletes in the recovery phase than in non-athletes, as indicated by ASI

Analysis of Short-Term Heart Rate Asymmetry in High-Performance Athletes and Non-Athletes

Heart rate asymmetry (HRA) refers to how asymmetrically the acceleration and deceleration patterns in heartbeat fluctuations are distributed. There is limited evidence regarding HRA changes in athletes and their association with autonomic regulation. This study aimed to compare the short-term HRA of high-performance athletes and non-athletes during an autonomic function test by calculating relevant HRA measures. This exploratory study obtained beat-to-beat RR interval time series from 15 high-performance athletes and 12 non-athletes during a standardized autonomic function test. This test includes rest, postural change, controlled respiration, prolonged orthostatism, exercise, and recovery phases. The following HRA parameters were computed from the RR time series for both groups: asymmetric spread index (ASI), slope index (SI), Porta&rsquo;s index (PI), Guzik&rsquo;s index (GI), and Ehlers&rsquo; index (EI). We found significant differences (p &lt; 0.01) in the mean value of several HRA parameters between athletes and non-athletes and across the autonomic function test phases, mainly in postural change and recovery phases. Our results indicate that high-performance athletes manifest a higher number and magnitude of cardiac decelerations than non-athletes after an orthostatic challenge, as indicated by GI and EI. In addition, lower HRA was found in athletes in the recovery phase than in non-athletes, as indicated by ASI

II Congreso internacional en educación física, recreación, deporte y actividad física. “Innovación y tendencias” - Memorias

El II Congreso Internacional de Educación Física, Recreación, Deporte y Actividad Física: “Innovación y Tendencias“ y el II Encuentro de Egresados del Departamento de Cultura Física de la Universidad de Córdoba se realizó en la ciudad de Montería, capital del Departamento de Córdoba, Colombia, como iniciativa del Grupo de Investigación en Ciencias de la Actividad Fisica y la Salud –GICAFS- del Departamento de Cultura Física, perteneciente a la Facultad de Educación y Ciencias Humanas de la Universidad de Córdoba, como muestra hacia la comunidad académica y la sociedad en general de la responsabilidad ética, social y profesional, para aportar a la construcción de tejido social, atendiendo a las recomendaciones del plan decenal del deporte, la Educación Física, la Recreación y la Actividad Física 2009-2019 (COLDEPORTES, 2009).Edición 201