title: High g-Force Rollercoaster Rides Induce Sinus Tachycardia but No Cardiac Arrhythmias in Healthy Children.
abstract: Theme park operators and medical professionals advise children with heart conditions against using rollercoaster rides, but these recommendations are not evidence-based. The underlying assumption is that the combination of adrenergic stimulation through stress and acceleration might trigger arrhythmias in susceptible individuals. We conducted a cross-sectional observational study to assess heart rate and rhythm in healthy children during commercial rollercoaster rides. Twenty healthy children (9 male) aged 11-15 (mean 13.3 ± 1.4) years underwent continuous heart rate and rhythm monitoring (2-lead ECG) from 5 min before until 10 min after each of 4 high speed (>50 km h-1), high g-force (>4) commercial rollercoaster rides. Total recording time was 13 h 20 min. No arrhythmic events were detected. Resting heart rate was 81 ± 10 b min-1and increased to 158 ± 20 b·min-1during rides. The highest mean HR (165 ± 23 b min-1) was observed on the ride with the lowest g-force (4.5 g), but one of the highest speeds (100 km h-1). Anticipatory tachycardia (126 ± 15 b min-1) within 5 min was frequently observed. A 10 min recovery HR (124 ± 17 b min-1) was 56 % greater than resting HR. The speed and g-force experienced on roller coasters induce sinus tachycardia but do not elicit pathological arrhythmias in healthy children.
authors.affiliation: Bristol Congenital Heart Centre, The Bristol Heart Institute, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK. guido.pieles@bristol.ac.uk.|National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Cardiovascular Biomedical Research Unit, Bristol Heart Institute, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK. guido.pieles@bristol.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Guido E
authors.initials: GE
authors.lastname: Pieles
authors.affiliation: Bristol Congenital Heart Centre, The Bristol Heart Institute, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Victoria
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Husk
authors.affiliation: Bristol Congenital Heart Centre, The Bristol Heart Institute, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Blackwell
authors.affiliation: Bristol Congenital Heart Centre, The Bristol Heart Institute, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Deirdre
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.affiliation: Centre for Child and Adolescent Health, School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: Simon M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Collin
authors.affiliation: Children's Health and Exercise Research Centre, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.
authors.forename: Craig A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Bristol Congenital Heart Centre, The Bristol Heart Institute, University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust, Bristol, UK.
authors.forename: A Graham
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Stuart
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D015716:Electrocardiography, Ambulatory / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006112:Gravitation; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000503:physiopathology*; D013610:Tachycardia; D013616:Tachycardia, Sinus / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: Arrhythmia; Cardiology; Rollercoaster; g-force