title: Three-month exercise and weight loss program improves heart rate recovery in obese persons along with cardiopulmonary function.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality, and it is well known to be modifiable by weight loss. We investigated whether HRR was mainly improved by better cardiopulmonary function or by alteration of the metabolic profile.
  
  
  METHODS
  The weight loss program included 2h of group exercise per week and individual dietary instruction by a qualified dietician every week. Clinical assessment (including HRR) was done before and after the 3-month program.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 125 obese persons without a past history of stroke, cardiovascular events, or use of medications who participated in and completed our exercise plus weight loss program.
  
  
  RESULTS
  HRR (35.61+/-12.83 to 45.34+/-13.6 beats/min, p<0.0001) was significantly faster after the program. The change in HRR was significantly correlated (p<0.05) with the changes in body weight, body mass index, percent body fat, waist circumference, hip circumference, resting heart rate, peak exercise heart rate, exercise time, maximal work load, physical working capacity divided by body weight (PWC75%HRmax/weight), subcutaneous fat area, visceral fat area, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and leptin. Multivariate analysis showed that the change in HRR was significantly correlated (p<0.05) with the changes in resting heart rate, peak exercise heart rate, and PWC75%HRmax/weight.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data demonstrated that HRR can be improved in obese subjects by a 3-month exercise and weight loss program. Improvement in cardiopulmonary function by exercise seems to be the main contributor to the increment of HRR.
authors.affiliation: Yokohama City Sports Medical Center, Nissan Stadium, 3302-5, Kodukue-chou, Kouhoku-ku, Yokohama-City, 222-0036, Japan. junagashima-circ@umin.ac.jp
authors.forename: Junzo
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nagashima
authors.forename: Haruki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Musha
authors.forename: Hideomi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Takada
authors.forename: Kumiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mita
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mochida
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshihisa
authors.forename: Yasushi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Imagawa
authors.forename: Naoki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Matsumoto
authors.forename: Narumi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ishige
authors.forename: Rikiya
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Fujimaki
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Murayama
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D015444:Exercise; D017079:Exercise Tolerance / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D055105:Waist Circumference; D015431:Weight Loss