Download PDF
Int J Sports Med 2008; 29(4): 289-293
DOI: 10.1055/s-2007-965363
Physiology & Biochemistry

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Acute Resistance Exercise Reduces Heart Rate Complexity and Increases QTc Interval

K. S. Heffernan1 , J. J. Sosnoff2 , S. Y. Jae1 , G. J. Gates3 , B. Fernhall4
  • 1Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
  • 2Department of Kinesiology and Community Health, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States
  • 3Center for Chest Disease, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, United States
  • 4College of Applied Health Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, United States
Further Information

Publication History

accepted after revision March 27, 2007

Publication Date:
13 September 2007 (online)

Also available at
   Permissions and Reprints

Abstract

Acute resistance exercise (RE) has been shown to reduce cardiac vagal control. Whether this would in turn affect QTc interval (an index of ventricular depolarization/repolarization) or heart rate complexity is not known. Heart rate variability (HRV), heart rate complexity (SampEn), and QT interval (rate corrected using Bazett, Fridericia, Hodges, and Framingham) were measured before and 5 min after an acute RE bout in twelve healthy young men. Normalized high frequency power of HRV (an index of cardiac parasympathetic modulation; HFnu), and SampEn were reduced following RE (p < 0.05). Bazett corrected QTc interval increased following RE (p < 0.05). Change in HFnu from rest to recovery was correlated with both change in SampEn (r = 0.51, p < 0.05) and change in QTc interval for each method of correction (r = - 0.67 to - 0.70, p < 0.05). Acute RE reduced HF spectral power of HRV and this was related to both reduced heart rate complexity and increased QTc length. Thus, during recovery from acute RE, there is prolongation of depolarization and repolarization of the ventricles concomitant with reduced cardiac irregularity, and this may be related to a reduction in cardiac vagal control.

Key words

heart rate variability - sample entropy - acute exercise

References

  • 1 Ahnve S, Vallin H. Influence of heart rate and inhibition of autonomic tone on the QT interval.  Circulation. 1982;  65 435-439
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 2 Albert C M, Mittleman M A, Chae C U, Lee I M, Hennekens C H, Manson J E. Triggering of sudden death from cardiac causes by vigorous exertion.  N Engl J Med. 2000;  343 1355-1361
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 3 Annila P, Yli-Hankala A, Lindgren L. Effect of atropine on the QT interval and T-wave amplitude in healthy volunteers.  Br J Anaesth. 1993;  71 736-737
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 4 Bacaner M, Brietenbucher J, LaBree J. Prevention of ventricular fibrillation, acute myocardial infarction (myocardial necrosis), heart failure, and mortality by bretylium: is ischemic heart disease primarily adrenergic cardiovascular disease?.  Am J Ther. 2004;  11 366-411
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 5 Beckers F, Verheyden B, Aubert A E. Aging and nonlinear heart rate control in a healthy population.  Am J Physiol. 2006;  290 H2560-2570
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 6 Beckers F, Verheyden B, Ramaekers D, Swynghedauw B, Aubert A E. Effects of autonomic blockade on non-linear cardiovascular variability indices in rats.  Clin Exp Pharmacol Physiol. 2006;  33 431-439
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 7 Benoit S R, Mendelsohn A B, Nourjah P, Staffa J A, Graham D J. Risk factors for prolonged QTc among US adults: Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.  Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2005;  12 363-368
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 8 Browne K F, Prystowsky E, Heger J J, Zipes D P. Modulation of the Q-T interval by the autonomic nervous system.  Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 1983;  6 1050-1056
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 9 Cappato R, Alboni P, Pedroni P, Gilli G, Antonioli G E. Sympathetic and vagal influences on rate-dependent changes of QT interval in healthy subjects.  Am J Cardiol. 1991;  68 1188-1193
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 10 De Meersman R E. Heart rate variability and aerobic fitness.  Am Heart J. 1993;  125 726-731
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 11 Diedrich A, Jordan J, Shannon J R, Robertson D, Biaggioni I. Modulation of QT interval during autonomic nervous system blockade in humans.  Circulation. 2002;  106 2238-2243
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 12 Harada T, Abe J, Shiotani M, Hamada Y, Horii I. Effect of autonomic nervous function on QT interval in dogs.  J Toxicol Sci. 2005;  30 229-237
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 13 Heffernan K S, Kelly E E, Collier S R, Fernhall B. Cardiac autonomic modulation during recovery from endurance versus resistance exercise.  Eur J Cardiovasc Prev Rehabil. 2006;  3 80-86
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 14 Indik J H, Pearson E C, Fried K, Woosley R L. Bazett and Fridericia QT correction formulas interfere with measurement of drug-induced changes in QT interval.  Heart Rhythm. 2006;  3 1003-1007
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 15 Kautzner J, Yi G, Camm A J, Malik M. Short- and long-term reproducibility of QT, QTc, and QT dispersion measurement in healthy subjects.  Pacing Clin Electrophysiol. 1994;  17 928-937
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 16 Kuusela T A, Jartti T T, Tahvanainen K U, Kaila T J. Nonlinear methods of biosignal analysis in assessing terbutaline-induced heart rate and blood pressure changes.  Am J Physiol. 2002;  282 H773-H783
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 17 Kuusela T A, Jartti T T, Tahvanainen K U, Kaila T J. Prolongation of QT interval by terbutaline in healthy subjects.  J Cardiovasc Pharmacol. 2005;  45 175-181
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 18 Lecocq B, Lecocq V, Jaillon P. Physiologic relation between cardiac cycle and QT duration in healthy volunteers.  Am J Cardiol. 1989;  64 481-486
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 19 Lipsitz L A. Age-related changes in the “complexity” of cardiovascular dynamics: A potential marker of vulnerability to disease.  Chaos. 1995;  5 102-109
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 20 Magnano A R, Holleran S, Ramakrishnan R, Reiffel J A, Bloomfield D M. Autonomic nervous system influences on QT interval in normal subjects.  J Am Coll Cardiol. 2002;  39 1820-1826
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 21 Melanson E L. Resting heart rate variability in men varying in habitual physical activity.  Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000;  32 1894-1901
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 22 Pagani M, Lombardi F, Guzzetti S, Rimoldi O, Furlan R, Pizzinelli P, Sandrone S, Malfatto G, Dell'Orto S, Piccaluga E. 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
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 23 Palatini P, Maraglino G, Sperti G, Calzavara A, Libardoni M, Pessina A C, Dal Palu C. Prevalence and possible mechanisms of ventricular arrhythmias in athletes.  Am Heart J. 1985;  110 560-567
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 24 Palazzolo J A, Estafanous F G, Murray P A. Entropy measures of heart rate variation in conscious dogs.  Am J Physiol. 1998;  274 H1099-H1105
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 25 Pollock M L, Franklin B A, Balady G J, Chaitman B L, Fleg J L, Fletcher B, Limacher M, Pina I L, Stein R A, Williams M, Bazzarre T. AHA Science Advisory. Resistance exercise in individuals with and without cardiovascular disease: benefits, rationale, safety, and prescription: an advisory from the Committee on Exercise, Rehabilitation, and Prevention, Council on Clinical Cardiology, American Heart Association; position paper endorsed by the American College of Sports Medicine.  Circulation. 2000;  101 828-833
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 26 Rezk C C, Marrache R C, Tinucci T, Mion Jr D, Forjaz C L. Post-resistance exercise hypotension, hemodynamics, and heart rate variability: influence of exercise intensity.  Eur J Appl Physiol. 2006;  98 105-112
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 27 Richman J S, Moorman J R. Physiological time-series analysis using approximate entropy and sample entropy.  Am J Physiol. 2000;  278 H2039-2049
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 28 Sandercock G R, Bromley P D, Brodie D A. The reliability of short-term measurements of heart rate variability.  Int J Cardiol. 2005;  103 238-247
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 29 Shin D G, Yoo C S, Yi S H, Bae J H, Kim Y J, Park J S, Hong G R. Prediction of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation using nonlinear analysis of the R‐R interval dynamics before the spontaneous onset of atrial fibrillation.  Circ J. 2006;  70 94-99
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 30 Smith L L, Kukielka M, Billman G E. Heart rate recovery following exercise: a predictor of ventricular fibrillation susceptibility after myocardial infarction.  Am J Physiol. 2005;  288 H1763-1769
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 31 Straus S M, Kors J A, De Bruin M L, van der Hooft C S, Hofman A, Heeringa J, Deckers J W, Kingma J H, Sturkenboom M C, Stricker B H, Witteman J C. Prolonged QTc interval and risk of sudden cardiac death in a population of older adults.  J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006;  47 362-367
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 32 Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology and the North American Society of Pacing and Electrophysiology . Heart rate variability: standards of measurement, physiological interpretation, and clinical use.  Eur Heart J. 1996;  17 354-381
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 33 Turkmen M, Barutcu I, Esen A M, Ocak Y, Melek M, Kaya D, Karakaya O, Saglam M, Basaran Y. Assessment of QT interval duration and dispersion in athlete's heart.  J Int Med Res. 2004;  32 626-632
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 34 Tuzcu V, Nas S, Borklu T, Ugur A. Decrease in the heart rate complexity prior to the onset of atrial fibrillation.  Europace. 2006;  8 398-402
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 35 Vaidean G D, Schroeder E B, Whitsel E A, Prineas R J, Chambless L E, Perhac J S, Heiss G, Rautaharju P M. Short-term repeatability of electrocardiographic spatial T-wave axis and QT interval.  J Electrocardiol. 2005;  38 139-147
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 36 Vikman S, Makikallio T H, Yli-Mayry S, Pikkujamsa S, Koivisto A M, Reinikainen P, Airaksinen K E, Huikuri H V. Altered complexity and correlation properties of R‐R interval dynamics before the spontaneous onset of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation.  Circulation. 1999;  100 2079-2084
    PubMedSearch in Google Scholar
  • 37 Wu Z K, Vikman S, Laurikka J, Pehkonen E, Iivainen T, Huikuri H V, Tarkka M R. Nonlinear heart rate variability in CABG patients and the preconditioning effect.  Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 2005;  28 109-113
    CrossrefPubMedSearch in Google Scholar

 Mr.
Kevin Scott HeffernanMS 

Department of Kinesiology and Community Health
Exercise and Cardiovascular Research Lab
Rehabilitation Education Center
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

1207 S. Oak St.

Champaign, IL 61820

United States

Phone: + 1 21 76 21 89 00

Fax: + 1 21 73 33 04 04

Email: kheffer2@uiuc.edu