Key result
Karate training in male children is linked to improved HRV versus active controls.
Why the study?
Habitual physical activity improves heart function and parasympathetic tone, but the impact of regular karate training on cardiac autonomic responses remains to be assessed.
Does regular karate training improve cardiac autonomic responses measured by HRV in male school-going children?
Observational (n=30)
Does regular karate training improve cardiac autonomic responses measured by HRV in male school-going children?
Regular karate training in children is associated with higher heart rate variability and increased parasympathetic tone, suggesting improved cardiac autonomic health.
May support autonomic benefits of karate in boys; hypothesis-generating and requires prospective trials before any practice change.
Habitual physical activity improves heart functions and parasympathetic tone; Karate training is considered as a moderate physical activity with rhythmical breathing patternology. Heart rate variability (HRV) is an electrophysiological tool which measures cardio autonomic homeostasis; is used in the present study as an indirect marker to measure neurocognitive development with karate training. The aim of the present study was to find out the impact of regular karate training on cardiac autonomic responses through Heart Rate Variability (HRV) between karate players and age-sex matched active controls. A total of 30 male school-going children were evaluated; fifteen were experienced male karate practitioners (9.5±1.26 years) and fifteen controls (10.6±1.57 years). The time and frequency domain measures of HRV were taken into account after check for normality distribution, followed by t-test for comparison of Mean±SD. Frequency domain measures; low frequency normalized unit (LF nu) and low frequency is to high frequency ratio (LF/HF ratio) both showed significant reduction in the karate group which quantified sympathetic disposition while High frequency normalized units (HF nu) reflected a significant rise and it predicted increase in parasympathetic tone. Karate practitioners show higher HRV measures and more involvement of the parasympathetic nervous system which help in stress resilience and improved recovery time. This training if performed regularly from an early age can improve cardiac health which is very pertinent in the present times.
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Bhattacharya et al. (2023) reported an observational. Karate training vs. Age-sex matched active controls was evaluated on Cardiac autonomic responses through Heart Rate Variability (HRV). Karate training in male children was associated with a significant reduction in LF nu and LF/HF ratio and a significant rise in HF nu compared to active controls.
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