Cardiac Parasympathetic Reactivation Following Exercise: Implications for Training Prescription

Abstract

The objective of exercise training is to initiate desirable physiological adaptations that ultimately enhance physical work capacity. Optimal training prescription requires an individualized approach, with an appropriate balance of training stimulus and recovery and optimal periodization. Recovery from exercise involves integrated physiological responses. The cardiovascular system plays a fundamental role in facilitating many of these responses, including thermoregulation and delivery/removal of nutrients and waste products. As a marker of cardiovascular recovery, cardiac parasympathetic reactivation following a training session is highly individualized. It appears to parallel the acute/intermediate recovery of the thermoregulatory and vascular systems, as described by the supercompensation theory. The physiological mechanisms underlying cardiac parasympathetic reactivation are not completely understood. However, changes in cardiac autonomic activity may provide a proxy measure of the changes in autonomic input into organs and (by default) the blood flow requirements to restore homeostasis. Metaboreflex stimulation (e.g. muscle and blood acidosis) is likely a key determinant of parasympathetic reactivation in the short term (0-90 min post-exercise), whereas baroreflex stimulation (e.g. exercise-induced changes in plasma volume) probably mediates parasympathetic reactivation in the intermediate term (1-48 h post-exercise). Cardiac parasympathetic reactivation does not appear to coincide with the recovery of all physiological systems (e.g. energy stores or the neuromuscular system). However, this may reflect the limited data currently available on parasympathetic reactivation following strength/resistance-based exercise of variable intensity. In this review, we quantitatively analyse post-exercise cardiac parasympathetic reactivation in athletes and healthy individuals following aerobic exercise, with respect to exercise intensity and duration, and fitness/training status. Our results demonstrate that the time required for complete cardiac autonomic recovery after a single aerobic-based training session is up to 24 h following low-intensity exercise, 24-48 h following threshold-intensity exercise and at least 48 h following high-intensity exercise. Based on limited data, exercise duration is unlikely to be the greatest determinant of cardiac parasympathetic reactivation. Cardiac autonomic recovery occurs more rapidly in individuals with greater aerobic fitness. Our data lend support to the concept that in conjunction with daily training logs, data on cardiac parasympathetic activity are useful for individualizing training programmes. In the final sections of this review, we provide recommendations for structuring training microcycles with reference to cardiac parasympathetic recovery kinetics. Ultimately, coaches should structure training programmes tailored to the unique recovery kinetics of each individual.

Heart rate variability recovery after a skyrunning marathon and correlates of performance

“…After exercise, cardiac vagal activity is initially reduced within minutes to hours after exercise (Botek, Stejskal, & Neuls, 2008;Buchheit, Papelier, Laursen, & Ahmaidi, 2007;Mourot et al, 2015;Stanley, Peake, & Buchheit, 2013). Previous research has proposed that the time course of vagal recovery depends primarily on exercise intensity (Arai et al, 1989;Stejskal et al, 2001), and/or cardiorespiratory performance (Hautala et al, 2001;Seiler, Haugen, & Kuffel, 2007).…”

Efecto De Un Programa De Actividad Física De Moderada a Vigorosa De Diez Meses Sobre El Vo2máx Y El Porcentaje De Grasa Corporal en Niños Con Sobrepeso Y Obesidad

“…Por otra parte, al atender el diseño de sesiones CATCH se enfatizó el trabajo aeróbico al realizarse con frecuencia de dos sesiones por semana. Stanley et al (2013) mencionan que para obtener mejores adaptaciones biológicas en la capacidad aeróbica se requieren al menos tres sesiones por semana y por lo menos seis meses de práctica de ejercicio físico; sin embargo, esta discrepancia al encontrar diferencias significativas en nuestro estudio la asumimos en cuanto al tiempo de intervención total.…”

Resistance training and cardiovascular autonomic modulation in humans: a systematic review and meta-analysis

“…It is possible the belief about the negative effects of RT on CAM lies in the fact that this training may increase the sympathetic outflow for heart and blood vessels (19,20) , increasing electric instability and myocardial contraction strength as well as the sudden death risks (21) . Furthermore, at high intensity, a traditional RT session may leads to CAM imbalance (19) and lasts longer time to complete recovery when compared to traditional endurance-exercise (22) , which might explain divergent chronic effects.…”