On- and off-responses of heart rate to exercise - relations to heart rate variability

During physical exercise, heart rate (HR) increases by parasympathetic withdrawal and increase of sympathetic activity to the heart. HR variability (HRV) in time and frequency domains provides information about autonomic control of the cardiovascular system. Non-linear analysis using the Poincaré plot method is able to reveal supplementary information about cardiac autonomic control. The aim of this study was to determine the association between HRV parameters, the initial increase of HR at the onset of exercise (on-response) and HR decrease in the recovery phase after acute exercise (off-response). HR was continuously monitored in 17 healthy male subjects (mean age: 20.3 +/- 0.2 (SEM) years) at rest (25 min supine; 5 min standing), during exercise (8 min of step test at 70% of maximal power output) and in the recovery phase (30 min supine). HRV analysis in time and frequency domains and evaluation of the Poincaré plot measures (length, widths) were performed on selected segments of HR time series. HR on- and off-responses were quantified using an exponential curve fitting technique. The time constants T(on) and T(off), representing the rate of on- and off-responses to exercise, were computed. Postexercise HRV indices and time constant of on-response - T(on) - to exercise were negatively correlated. From preexercise HRV indices, only Poincaré plot parameters were correlated with T(on). No correlation between HRV indices and parameters of off-response was found. In conclusion, preexercise HRV parameters are not closely correlated with the rate of cardioacceleration at the onset of exercise and cannot predict the rate of HR recovery. On the other hand, postexercise HRV parameters are related to the rate of initial adjustment of HR to exercise referring to the importance of rapid HR on-response for a faster recovery after exercise.