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This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) Data Supplement All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2007.133165v1 99/5/921    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Sloan, R. P. Articles by Myers, M. M. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sloan, R. P. Articles by Myers, M. M. Related Collections Exercise/Physical Activity Prevention Women's Health Cardiovascular Disease

Richard P. Sloan, PhD, Peter A. Shapiro, MD, Ronald E. DeMeersman, PhD, Emilia Bagiella, PhD, Elizabeth N. Brondolo, PhD, Paula S. McKinley, PhD, Iordan Slavov, PhD, Yixin Fang, PhD and Michael M. Myers, PhD

At the time of the study, Richard P. Sloan and Paula S. McKinley were with the Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York, NY. Peter A. Shapiro was with the Division of Consultation/Liaison Psychiatry, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, New York. Ronald E. DeMeersman was with the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Columbia University, New York. Emilia Bagiella was with the Division of Biostatistics, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York. Elizabeth N. Brondolo was with St. John's University, New York. Iordan Slavov was with the Visiting Nurse Service, New York. Yixin Fang was with the Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Georgia State University, Atlanta. Michael M. Myers was with the New York State Psychiatric Institute, New York.

Correspondence: Requests for reprints should be sent to Richard P. Sloan, PhD, Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, Columbia University, 1150 St Nicholas Ave, Suite 121, New York, NY 10032 (e-mail: rps7{at}columbia.edu).

Objectives. We tested the effect of aerobic exercise on autonomic regulation of the heart in healthy young adults.

Methods. Healthy, sedentary young adults (n = 149; age = 30.4 ± 7.53 years) were randomized to receive 12 weeks of either aerobic conditioning or strength training. Primary outcomes were heart rate and RR interval variability (RRV) measured before and after training and after 4 weeks of sedentary deconditioning. RRV, a noninvasive index of cardiac autonomic regulation, reflects variability in the intervals between consecutive R waves of the electrocardiogram.

Results. Aerobic conditioning but not strength training led to a significant increase in aerobic capacity (3.11 mL/kg/min), a decrease in heart rate (–3.49 beats per minute), and an increase in high-frequency RRV (0.25 natural log msec²), each of which returned to pretraining levels after deconditioning. Significant 3-way interactions, however, revealed autonomic effects only in men.

Conclusions. In sedentary, healthy young adults, aerobic conditioning but not strength training enhances autonomic control of the heart, but post hoc analyses suggested that gender plays a significant role in this exercise-related cardioprotection.

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				G. E. Billman Cardiac autonomic neural remodeling and susceptibility to sudden cardiac death: effect of endurance exercise training Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol, October 1, 2009; 297(4): H1171 - H1193. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]