Key result
A 2-month athletics intervention significantly improved heart rate variability, weight, and BMI in college students compared to HIIT aerobic exercise and no exercise (P<0.05).
Why the study?
To examine the influence of track and field activities on the cardiac autonomic nervous system in college students to provide exercise guidance and address adolescent physical decline.
Does athletics or HIIT aerobic exercise improve cardiac autonomic nervous system function in college students?
RCT (n=42)
Random drawing
Yes
Does athletics or HIIT aerobic exercise improve cardiac autonomic nervous system function in college students?
p-value: p=<0.05
Athletics (long running) is more effective than HIIT aerobic exercise in improving cardiac autonomic nervous system function and physical fitness in college students.
Athletics may be prioritized over HIIT for HRV gains in college students; extends RCT evidence on exercise selection for autonomic function.
Taking marathon running as an example, this study discusses the influence of track and field on college students' cardiac autonomic nervous system by combining medical influence analysis technology, so as to provide more scientific, reasonable and healthy exercise guidance for college students and provide reference for solving the problem of adolescent physical decline and sub-health. Among the three universities in C city, 42 college students are recruited as volunteers. Through random drawing, volunteers are randomly divided into 3 groups of 14 people each, designated as the Athletics Group (T), Aerobic Group (A), and Blank Group (B). Exercise intervention is conducted on the T and A, with a unified intervention time of 2 months. After warming up for 5 min, the T begins a formal 30 min long run, followed by a 5-min stretch. After warming up for 5 min, the A follows the coach to do High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) aerobic exercise for 28 min, and then undergo 5 min of stretching. The B does not receive any exercise intervention. The changes in cardiac autonomic nervous system of volunteers before and after exercise are analyzed using Polar tables and heart rate transport belts. Before exercise intervention, medical imaging techniques echocardiography (ECG) and electrocardiogram were used to evaluate the heart structure and function of volunteers. After exercise intervention, medical imaging technology was used to evaluate the changes of cardiac autonomic nervous system again. Before exercise, the three groups were no difference in various Heart Rate Variability (HRV) indicators ( P > 0.05). During exercise, there were changes in various HRV indicators in the T and A compared with before exercise ( P < 0.05). After exercise, there were significant changes in the HRV indicators for T and A ( P < 0.05), and the HRV indicators of T showed more significant changes compared with A ( P < 0.05). Before and after the experiment, there were no changes in HRV, weight, and BMI index of B ( P > 0.05). The HRV, weight, and BMI of volunteers in T and A were improved ( P < 0.05). Compared with A, the improvement effect of T was more significant ( P < 0.05). Compared with the control group, the experimental group has significantly improved all clinical parameters and imaging findings. Compared with HIIT aerobic exercise, athletics can more effectively improve the autonomic nervous system function of college students, thereby enhancing their physical fitness.
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Wang et al. (2025) conducted an RCT in College students (n=42). Athletics (long run) vs. High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) aerobic exercise and no exercise was evaluated on Heart Rate Variability (HRV) indicators (p=<0.05). A 2-month athletics intervention significantly improved heart rate variability, weight, and BMI in college students compared to HIIT aerobic exercise and no exercise (P<0.05).
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