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Short-term heart rate variability in asthmatic obese children: effect of exhaustive exercise and different humidity

K Rezvan1, V Dabidi Roshan, S A Mahmudi

  • 1Department of Sport Physiology, College of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran - vdabidiroshan@yahoo.com.

The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness
|July 17, 2014
PubMed

Insights

Obese children with asthma show reduced heart rate variability (HRV) during aerobic exercise. High humidity environments may offer protective benefits for their autonomic function compared to dry conditions.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Pulmonology
  • Cardiovascular Physiology
  • Environmental Health

Background:

  • Obesity and asthma in children impact functional capacity and autonomic control.
  • Limited research exists on short-term heart rate variability (HRV) in this population, especially concerning environmental humidity during physical exertion.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the effect of aerobic activity on short-term HRV in obese children with mild asthma.
  • To compare these effects under two distinct environmental humidity conditions (35±5% and 65±5%).

Main Methods:

  • A comparative study involving 10 obese boys with mild asthma and 15 obese healthy boys.
  • Progressive, exhaustive aerobic exercise on an ergometer bicycle.
  • Short-term HRV measured using Holter monitoring during pre-test, mid-test, and post-test phases.

Main Results:

  • HRV significantly decreased in both asthmatic and healthy children post-exercise.
  • The decrease in HRV was significantly more pronounced in asthmatic children compared to healthy controls.
  • A greater reduction in short-term HRV was observed in the lower humidity environment (35±5%) versus the higher humidity environment (65±5%).

Conclusions:

  • Asthmatic and non-asthmatic children exhibit distinct autonomic responses to exercise-induced stress.
  • Aerobic exercise in high humidity environments may provide additional benefits for short-term HRV in obese children with asthma.
  • High humidity appears to enhance parasympathetic and autonomic modulation of the heart in this pediatric group.
Abstract

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