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Autonomic modulation and its relation with body composition in swimmers
Fabrício E Rossi1, Ana L Ricci-Vitor, João P J Sabino
11Department of Physical Education, Institute of Bioscience, University Estadual Paulista, Rio Claro, São Paulo, Brazil; 2Department of Physiotherapy, State University Paulista, Presidente Prudente, Brazil; 3Department of Physiology, Dental School of Ribeirão Preto, University of São Paulo, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; and 4Department of Physical Education, State University Paulista, Presidente Prudente, Brazil.
Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
|December 19, 2013
Summary
Highly trained swimmers exhibit superior autonomic modulation and body composition compared to non-athletes. Increased fat-free mass in swimmers is linked to better heart rate variability, suggesting its importance for athletic performance.
Area of Science:
- Sports Science
- Physiology
- Autonomic Nervous System Research
Background:
- Autonomic modulation and body composition are crucial for athletic performance.
- Understanding the relationship between these factors can optimize training strategies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare autonomic modulation and body composition between elite swimmers and sedentary individuals.
- To investigate the correlation between body composition metrics and heart rate variability (HRV) parameters.
Main Methods:
- Evaluated 28 national-level swimmers and 21 non-athlete controls.
- Assessed body composition using dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry.
- Measured autonomic modulation via heart rate variability (HRV) analysis.
Main Results:
- Swimmers demonstrated significantly higher HRV (SDNN) and better autonomic balance (LF/HF) than controls.
- Positive correlations were found between fat-free mass (FFM) and HRV parameters (RMSSD, SDNN, LFms) in both groups.
- No significant correlation was observed between fat mass (FM) and HRV.
Conclusions:
- Young, highly trained swimmers possess lower fat mass, higher fat-free mass, and enhanced HRV compared to non-athletes.
- Greater fat-free mass is associated with improved autonomic modulation, potentially enhancing athletic performance.
- Findings suggest that optimizing body composition, particularly increasing FFM, can benefit autonomic regulation in athletes.
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