Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2009; 30(7): 496-502
DOI: 10.1055/s-0028-1112146
Physiology & Biochemistry

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Heart Rate Variability and Ventilatory Efficiency

S. J. Brown 1 , J. A. Brown 2
  • 1IFNHH, Massey University, Auckland, New Zealand
  • 2FMHS, Auckland University, Auckland, New Zealand
Further Information

Publication History

accepted after revision November 23, 2008

Publication Date:
19 March 2009 (online)

Also available at
    Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

The aims of this investigation were to identify possible associations between the resting high frequency component of heart rate variability and measures of ventilatory efficiency, determined during exercise, in a group of endurance trained athletes. V’E, V’CO2, and V’O2 were measured during incremental exercise up to the anaerobic threshold (AT) and up to volitional exhaustion (V’O2 max) in 12 subjects. Resting high frequency heart rate variability (HFNU), determined using spectral analysis of ECG traces, was correlated with the V’E vs. V’CO2 slope calculated from data up to the AT, where a negative linear relation between the V’E vs. V’CO2 slope and HFNU was recorded (R2=0.69). Also, resting HFNU was correlated with the V’E vs. V’CO2 slope, when the data used for slope calculation included all V’E vs. V’CO2 data up to V’O2 max (R2=0.56). However, there was no evidence of association between the minimum V’E:V’CO2 and resting HFNU (R2=0.08). Negative relations between V’E vs. V’CO2 slope and resting HFNU suggest that HFNU plays a role in matching blood flow in the lung to alveolar ventilation throughout the ventilatory cycle.

Key words

respiratory sinus arrhythmia - minute ventilation - endurance - cardiopulmonary exercise testing

References

  • 1 Akselrod S, Gordon D, Ubel FA, Shannon DC, Barger AC, Cohen RJ. Power spectrum analysis of heart rate fluctuation: A quantitative probe of beat-to-beat cardiovascular control.  Science. 1981;  213 220-222
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 2 Arena R, Myers J, Abella J, Peberdy MA. Influence of heart failure aetiology on the prognostic value of peak oxygen consumption and minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production slope.  Chest. 2005;  128 2812-2817
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 3 Arena R, Myers J, Guazzi M. The clinical and research applications of aerobic capacity and ventilatory efficiency in heart failure: an evidence-based review.  Heart Fail Rev. 2007;  13 245-269
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 4 Arena R, Myers J, Hsu L, Peberdy MA, Pinkstaff S, Bensimhon D, Chase P, Vicenzi M, Guazzi M. The minute ventilation/carbon dioxide production slope is prognostically superior to the oxygen uptake efficiency slope.  J Card Fail. 2007;  13 462-469
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 5 Aubert A, Seps B, Beckers F. Heart rate variability in athletes.  Sports Med. 2003;  33 889-919
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 6 Blain G, Meste O, Bermon S. Influences of breathing patterns on respiratory sinus arrhythmia in humans during exercise.  Am J Physiol. 2005;  288 H887-H895
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 7 Boutcher S, Stein P. Association between heart rate variability and training response in sedentary middle-aged men.  Eur J App Physiol. 1995;  70 75-80
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 8 Brown SJ, Brown JA. Resting and post-exercise cardiac autonomic control in trained Masters Athletes.  J Physiol Sci. 2007;  57 23-29
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 9 Brown SJ, Mündel T, Brown JA. Cardiac vagal control and respiratory sinus arrhythmia during hypercapnia in humans.  J Physiol Sci. 2007;  57 337-342
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 10 Brown TE, Beightol LA, Koh J, Eckberg DL. Important influence of respiration on human R-R interval power spectra is largely ignored.  J Appl Physiol. 1993;  75 2310-2317
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 11 Casadei B, Moon J, Johnston J, Caiazza A, Sleight P. Is respiratory sinus arrhythmia a good index of cardiac vagal tone in exercise?.  J Appl Physiol. 1996;  81 556-564
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 12 Catai AM, Chacon-Mikahil MP, Martinelli FS, Forti VA, Silva E, Golfetti R, Martins LE, Szrajer JS, Wanderley JS, Lima-Filho EC, Milan LA, Marin-Neto JA, Maciel BC, Gallo-Junior L. Effects of aerobic exercise training on heart rate variability during wakefulness and sleep and cardiorespiratory responses of young and middle-aged healthy men.  Braz J Med Biol Res. 2002;  35 741-752
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 13 Cottin F, Lepr≖tre PM, Lopes P, Papelier Y, Médigue C, Billat V. Assessment of ventilatory thresholds from heart rate variability in well-trained subjects during cycling.  Int J Sports Med. 2006;  27 959-967
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 14 Cottin F, Médigue C, Lopes P, Lepr≖tre PM, Heubert R, Billat V. Ventilatory thresholds assessment from heart rate variability during an incremental exhaustive running test.  Int J Sports Med. 2007;  28 287-294
    Article in Thieme ConnectPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 15 Meersman RE De. Heart rate variability and aerobic fitness.  Am Heart J. 1993;  125 726-731
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 16 Giardino N, Glenny RW, Borson S, Chan L. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia is associated with efficiency of pulmonary gas exchange in healthy humans.  Am J Physiol. 2003;  284 H1585-H1591
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 17 Grossman P, Taylor E. Toward understanding respiratory sinus arrhythmia: Relations to cardiac vagal tone, evolution and bio-behavioural functions.  Biol Psych. 2007;  74 263-285
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 18 Guazzi M, Myers J, Arena R. Cardiopulmonary exercise testing in the clinical and prognostic assessment of diastolic heart failure.  J Am Coll Cardiol. 2005;  46 1883-1890
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 19 Guazzi M, Reina G, Tumminello G, Guazzi MD. Exercise ventilation inefficiency and cardiovascular mortality in heart failure: the critical independent prognostic value of the arterial CO2 partial pressure.  Eur Heart J. 2005;  26 472-480
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 20 Hayano J, Yasuma F, Okada A, Mukai S, Fujinami T. Respiratory sinus arrhythmia-phenomenon improving pulmonary gas exchange and circulatory efficiency.  Circulation. 1996;  94 842-847
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 21 Huikuri H, Makikallio T, Airaksinen J, Mitrani R, Castellanos A, Myerburg R. Measurement of heart rate variability: A clinical tool or a research toy?.  J Am Col Cardiol. 1999;  34 1878-1883
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 22 Koh J, Brown TE, Beightol LA, Eckberg DL. Contributions of tidal lung inflation to human R-R interval and arterial pressure fluctuations.  J Auton Nerv Syst. 1998;  19 68:89-68:95
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 23 Levy WC, Cerqueira MD, Harp GD, Johannessen KA, Abrass IB, Schwartz RS, Stratton JR. Effect of endurance exercise training on heart rate variability at rest in healthy young and older men.  Am J Cardiol. 1998;  82 1236-1241
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 24 Malliani A, Pagani M, Lombardi F, Cerutti S. Cardiovascular neural regulation explored in the frequency domain.  Circulation. 1991;  84 482-492
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 25 Pagani M, Lombardi F, Guzzetti S, Rimoldi O, Furlan R, Pizzenelli P, Sandrone G, Malfatto G, Dell’Orto S, Piccaluga E, Turiel M, Baselli G, Cerutti S, Malliani A. Power spectral analysis of heart rate and arterial pressure variabilities as a marker of sympatho-vagal interaction in man and conscious dog.  Circ Res. 1986;  59 178-193
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 26 Parekh A, Lee C. Heart rate variability after isocaloric exercise bouts of different intensities.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2005;  37 599-605
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 27 Perini R, Veicsteinas A. Heart rate variability and autonomic activity at rest and during exercise in various physiological conditions.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2003;  90 317-325
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 28 Sasano N, Vesely AE, Hayano J, Sasano H, Somogyi R, Preiss D, Miyasaka K, Katsuya H, Iscoe S, Fisher JA. Direct effect of PaCO2 on respiratory sinus arrhythmia in conscious humans.  Am J Physiol. 2002;  282 H973-H976
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 29 Schuit AJ, Amelsvoort LG van, Verheij TC, Rijneke RD, Maan AC, Swenne CA, Schouten EG. Exercise training and heart rate variability in older people.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999;  31 816-821
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 30 Stahle A, Nordlander R, Bergfeldt L. Aerobic group training improves exercise capacity and heart rate variability in elderly patients with a recent coronary event.  Eur Heart J. 1999;  20 1638-1646
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 31 Sun XG, Hansen JE, Garatachea N, Storer TW, Wasserman K. Ventilatory efficiency during exercise in healthy subjects.  Am J Respir Crit Care Med. 2002;  166 1443-1448
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 32 Taskforce of the European Society of Cardiology and North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology . Heart rate variability (Standards of measurement, physiological interpretation and clinical use).  Circulation. 1996;  93 1043-1065
    Google Scholar
  • 33 Terziotti P, Schena F, Gulli G, Cevese A. Post-exercise recovery of autonomic cardiovascular control: a study by spectrum and cross-spectrum analysis in humans.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2001;  84 187-194
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 34 Toska K, Eriksen M. Respiration-synchronous fluctuations in stroke volume, heart rate and arterial pressure in humans.  J Physiol. 1993;  472 501-512
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 35 Tsuji H, Venditti  Jr  FJ, Manders ES, Evans JC, Larson MG, Feldman CL, Levy D. Reduced heart rate variability and mortality risk in an elderly cohort. The Framinghan Heart Study.  Circulation. 1994;  90 878-883
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 36 Tzeng YC, Larsen PD, Galletly DC. Cardioventilatory coupling in resting human subjects.  Exp Physiol. 2003;  88 775-782
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 37 Uusitalo A, Laitinen T, Vaisanen S, Lansimies E, Rauramaa R. Effects of endurance training on heart rate and blood pressure variability.  Clin Physiol Func Im. 2002;  22 173-179
    PubMedGoogle Scholar
  • 38 Yasuma F, Hirai M, Hayano J. Differential effects of hypoxia and hypercapnia on respiratory sinus arrhythmia in conscious dogs.  Jpn Circ J. 2001;  65 738-742
    CrossrefPubMedGoogle Scholar

Correspondence

Dr. S. J. Brown

IFNHH

Massey University Auckland

Auckland

New Zealand

Phone: +64/9/414 08 00

Fax: +64/9/443 96 40

Email: s.j.brown@massey.ac.nz