Heart rate adaptation to exercise training in cardiac-denervated dogs

To determine the effect of cardiac denervation on the development of a training-induced decrease in heart rate at rest and during submaximal exercise, six cardiac-denervated (CD) and six sham-operated (SO) dogs were exercise trained by means of a 6-wk treadmill running program. Gastrocnemius citrate synthase activity increased significantly to the same degree in CD and SO dogs indicating that both groups were equally trained. Resting heart rates (RHR) for SO dogs decreased significantly from 64 +/- 4.8 to 51 +/- 3.2 beats/min (mean +/- SE) from pre- to posttraining. CD dogs showed no changes in RHR (95 +/- 3.5 to 96 +/- 5.3 beats/min). Heart rate responses of SO dogs to a standardized, submaximal exercise test decreased significantly from pre- to posttraining. However, CD dogs displayed no decrease in heart rate responses to the standardized, submaximal exercise test. Additionally, at pre- and posttraining, as heart rates rose in response to exercise test intensity, they increased to a significantly greater degree in SO dogs compared with CD dogs. The results indicate that in dogs, cardiac denervation prevents the decreases in resting heart rate and heart rate during submaximal exercise normally associated with endurance exercise training.