Key result
Test meals varying in type and amount of fat did not affect heart rate variability and hemodynamic reactivity to mental stress in healthy adults.
Why the study?
Does meal content affect heart rate variability and cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress in healthy adults?
RCT (n=20)
Crossover
Does meal content affect heart rate variability and cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress in healthy adults?
Meal content varying in fat type and amount alters resting hemodynamics but does not significantly affect heart rate variability or cardiovascular reactivity to mental stress in healthy adults.
Postmeal hemodynamic shifts may confound stress test interpretation; leaves open fat-type effects on reactivity pending larger trials.
Little is known about transient effects of foods and nutrients on reactivity to mental stress. In a randomized crossover study of healthy adults (n=20), we measured heart rate variability (respiratory sinus arrhythmia), blood pressure, and other hemodynamic variables after three test meals varying in type and amount of fat. Measurements were collected at rest and during speech and cold pressor tasks. There were significant postmeal changes in resting diastolic blood pressure (-4%), cardiac output (+18%), total peripheral resistance (-17%), and interleukin-6 (-27%). Heart rate variability and hemodynamic reactivity to stress was not affected by meal content. We recommend that future studies control for time since last meal and continue to examine effects of meal content on heart rate variability.
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Sauder et al. (2012) conducted an RCT in Healthy (n=20). Test meals varying in type and amount of fat vs. Other test meals was evaluated on Heart rate variability and hemodynamic reactivity to stress. Test meals varying in type and amount of fat did not affect heart rate variability and hemodynamic reactivity to mental stress in healthy adults.