Physical activity is associated with cardiac autonomic function in adolescent men

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Sports Medicine
• Autonomic Neuroscience

Background:

• Moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) is associated with heart rate variability (HRV), reflecting autonomic regulation.
• Limited research exists on PA and HRV in adolescents, with unclear effects of increasing activity levels.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between overall self-reported physical activity (PA) and heart rate variability (HRV).
• To examine the relationship in a large cohort of adolescent men.

Main Methods:

• The study included 3629 young men (mean age 18) from the Finnish MOPO study.
• Physical activity was assessed via questionnaire and categorized into low, moderate, high, and top groups.
• Short-term HRV, physical performance, and body composition were measured.

Main Results:

• Heart rate variability (HRV), indicated by mean ln rMSSD, showed a significant linear increase across physical activity categories (p<0.001).
• Multivariable linear regression revealed a positive association between self-reported PA and ln rMSSD (β = 0.129, p<0.05), independent of body composition.

Conclusions:

• Physical activity is positively associated with cardiac autonomic regulation in adolescent men.
• A linear increase in HRV with PA suggests even minor activity increments benefit cardiac autonomic regulation.
• These findings highlight the importance of physical activity for enhancing cardiac health in young people.