Correlation between Post Exercise Heart Rate Recovery and Body Composition in Healthy Female Adults

Abstract

Introduction: Post-exercise heart rate recovery (HRR) is an indicator of parasympathetic stimulation and impaired HRR is an independent predictor of cardiometabolic risk factors. Aims & Objectives: This study aims at documenting the correlation between different body composition variables and post-exercise HRR in the apparently healthy female population of Pakistan. Place and duration of study: The study was conducted at Shifa College of Medicine from April 10, 2019 to July 20, 2020. Material & Methods: Ninety healthy females aged 18 to 50 years participated in this cross-sectional study. Body composition variables including waist circumference (WC), body fat ratio (BFR), body mass index (BMI), and physical activity were measured. Resting heart rate and the systolic and diastolic blood pressure prior to the exercise were measured. Peak heart rate (HR) was recorded immediately after exercise. After two minutes of rest, the drop in HR was measured and HRR was calculated. Results: Mean age and BMI of the participants were 30.63±9.18 years and 24.56±4.24, respectively. Impaired HRR after two minutes of exercise (HRR2) was found in 63.3% of participants. A significant negative correlation was found between the BMI, BFR and WC with heart rate recovery (r=-0.64, r=-0.67 and -0.66 respectively; p<0.001*). Participants with BMI less than 23 reported higher HRR compared to the subjects with BMI ? 23 (p<0.001*). Study subjects with a BFR of less than 30 reported significantly higher HRR compared to the participants with a body fat ratio?30 (p<0.001*). Conclusion: A significant correlation was found between HRR2 and body composition variables in healthy female adults.

Keywords

• body fat; body mass index; heart rate; physical activity; waist circumference