title: Endurance exercise training has a minimal effect on resting heart rate: the HERITAGE Study.
abstract: This study determined the effects of a 20-wk endurance training program (The HERITAGE Family Study) on resting heart rate (HRrest). HRrest was obtained on a sample of 26 men and 21 women during sleep; during resting metabolic rate and resting blood pressure measurement periods in the early morning following a 12-h fast and 24-h post-exercise; and at rest prior to a maximal bout of exercise. Following training, the subjects exhibited a 16.0 +/- 9.4% (mean +/- SD) increase in VO2max (P < 0.05), but the HRrest for each of the resting conditions was decreased by only 1.9 to 3.4 bpm (P < 0.05), or an average across the three conditions of 2.7 bpm. In a larger sample of 253 HERITAGE subjects, HRrest obtained only at the time of the resting blood pressure measurement decreased by only 2.6 bpm, while VO2max increased 17.7 +/- 10.0%. It is concluded that there is a significant, but small, decrease in resting heart rate as a result of 20 wk of moderate- to high-intensity endurance training; which suggests a minimal alteration in either, or both, intrinsic heart rate and autonomic control of HRrest.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas at Austin, USA.
authors.forename: J H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Wilmore
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Stanforth
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gagnon
authors.forename: A S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Leon
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Skinner
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bouchard
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010806:Physical Education and Training / Q000379:methods*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*