title: Training-related changes in the R-R interval at the onset of passive movements in humans.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to determine whether training-related alterations in muscle mechanoreflex activation affect cardiac vagal withdrawal at the onset of exercise. Eighteen male volunteers divided into 9 controls (26 +/- 1.9 years) and 9 racket players (25 +/- 1.9 years) performed 10 s of voluntary and passive movement characterized by the wrist flexion of their dominant and non-dominant limbs. The respiratory cycle was divided into four phases and the phase 4 R-R interval was measured before and immediately following the initiation of either voluntary or passive movement. At the onset of voluntary exercise, the decrease in R-R interval was similar between dominant and non-dominant forearms in both controls (166 +/- 20 vs 180 +/- 34 ms, respectively; P > 0.05) and racket players (202 +/- 29 vs 201 +/- 31 ms, respectively; P > 0.05). Following passive movement, the non-dominant forearm of racket players elicited greater changes than the dominant forearm (129 +/- 30 vs 77 +/- 17 ms; P < 0.05), as well as both the dominant (54 +/- 20 ms; P < 0.05) and non-dominant (59 +/- 14 ms; P < 0.05) forearms of control subjects. In contrast, changes in R-R interval elicited by the racket players' dominant forearm were similar to that observed in the control group, indicating that changes in R-R interval at the onset of passive exercise were not attenuated in the dominant forearm of racket players. In summary, cardiac vagal withdrawal induced by muscle mechanoreflex stimulation is well-maintained, despite long-term exposure to training.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Educação Física, Universidade Gama Filho, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil.
authors.forename: L C
authors.initials: LC
authors.lastname: Vianna
authors.forename: D R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Ricardo
authors.forename: C G S
authors.initials: CG
authors.lastname: Araújo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017704:Baroreflex / Q000502:physiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006321:Heart / Q000294:innervation* / Q000502:physiology; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008465:Mechanoreceptors / Q000502:physiology*; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology; D015865:Racquet Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000502:physiology*