A longitudinal study of physical activity and heart rate recovery: CARDIA, 1987-1993.
OBJECTIVE
Autonomic nervous system function may be a mechanism by which frequent physical activity is associated with better coronary heart disease outcomes. In a diverse, population-based sample, we tested whether physical activity participation was associated with higher parasympathetic function.


METHODS
Participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study underwent symptom-limited graded exercise testing at baseline (1985-1986; N=3446) and at 7 yr follow-up (N=1627). Heart rate recovery (HRR), the difference between maximum heart rate (HR) and HR 2 min after test cessation, was used to estimate parasympathetic activity.


RESULTS
Participants who self-reported in the highest tertile of total physical activity (the sum of moderate- and heavy-intensity activities) had significantly faster HRR than participants in the lowest tertile (45.1 vs 41.8 beats.min, P<0.01), and the odds of having abnormal HRR (<or=22 beats.min) were 1.9 (95% confidence interval: 1.1, 3.4) times greater in the lowest versus the highest tertile after adjustment for age, race, gender, body mass index, smoking status, and diastolic blood pressure. Findings were consistent across strata of covariates. On average, HRR declined 2.5 beats.min over 7 yr. HRR declined the least among participants whose physical activity increased (-1.3 beats.min) or remained stable (-1.8 beats.min), compared with participants whose physical activity decreased (-3.6 beats.min; P<0.01 vs increase or stable).


CONCLUSIONS
In this diverse, population-based sample, physical activity was associated with faster HRR from an exercise treadmill test. Regular physical activity may blunt age-related declines in autonomic nervous system function.
Carnethon
Mercedes R
MR
Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA. carnethon@northwestern.edu
Jacobs
David R
DR
Sidney
Stephen
S
Sternfeld
Barbara
B
Gidding
Samuel S
SS
Shoushtari
Christiana
C
Liu
Kiang
K
D000328:Adult; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005080:Exercise Test; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000502:physiology*; D020127:Recovery of Function / Q000502:physiology*; D013997:Time Factors