Key result
Exercise training enhances autonomic activity in children by increasing parasympathetic tone and heart rate variability.
Why the study?
Research on the benefits and underlying mechanisms of exercise on autonomic nervous system activity in children under 18 years old is limited.
Does exercise improve heart rate variability in children <18 years old?
Does exercise improve heart rate variability in children <18 years old?
Exercise improves autonomic nervous system activity, as measured by heart rate variability, in children, offering protective and therapeutic effects on cardiometabolic health.
May support exercise for autonomic health in children; hypothesis-generating pending RCTs on dosing and cardiometabolic outcomes.
Decreased physical activity (PA) is a global concern contributing to the rise in cardiometabolic diseases. One potential mechanism linking insufficient PA and poor health is dysregulated autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity. This relationship is established in adults and PA recommendations, with specific exercise prescription guidelines, have been proposed to overcome this societal health burden. However, research on the benefits and underlying mechanisms of exercise on ANS activity in children <18 years old is limited. This review aimed to describe the optimal exercise "dose" and potential mechanisms of action that exercise may pose on enhancing child ANS activity, represented by heart rate variability (HRV). PubMed, Web of Science and Google Scholar were searched for articles examining the influence of exercise on child HRV. Various exercise duration and frequency combinations appear to improve HRV indices, primarily those representing parasympathetic influence. Furthermore, both aerobic and resistance training benefit HRV through potentially different mechanisms with intensity proposed to be important for exercise prescription. Findings indicate that exercise is a crucial lifestyle modification with protective and therapeutic effects on cardiometabolic health associated with improvements in child ANS activity. Exercise programming must consider the various components including mode, intensity and population characteristics to optimize ANS health.
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Speer et al. (2019) conducted a review in Dysregulated cardiac autonomic nervous system. Exercise (aerobic and resistance training) vs. Control group or baseline was evaluated on Heart rate variability (HRV) indices. Various exercise interventions, particularly moderate-to-vigorous aerobic and resistance training, enhance autonomic nervous system activity by increasing parasympathetic tone and total heart rate variability in children.
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