Different Domains and Intensities of Habitual Physical Activity Are Differentially Associated with Cardiovascular Responses to Standardized Exercise

Regular physical activity (PA) is strongly associated with cardiovascular health; however, its associations with cardiovascular function may differ according to the domain, intensity, and context in which it is performed. This exploratory cross-sectional study investigated associations between domain- and intensity-specific PA and heart rate (HR) responses to standardized exercise in 605 adults from northeastern Hungary. Participants had a mean age of 42.50 ± 12.23 years, 65.5% were women, and 60.7% were overweight or obese. PA was assessed using the long-form IPAQ, and HR responses were evaluated using the YMCA 3 min step test. Multiple linear regression models were adjusted for demographic, clinical, behavioural, and socioeconomic covariates, with genetic scores examined in sensitivity analyses. Higher total PA was associated with lower ΔHR, HRaft, and HRmax% (standardized β = −0.222 to −0.207; all q < 0.001). Moderate-intensity PA showed the strongest intensity-specific associations (β = −0.237 to −0.223; all q < 0.001), whereas vigorous PA was associated only with ΔHR after FDR correction, and walking PA showed no significant associations. In the mutually adjusted domain model, leisure-time and domestic/gardening PA were each associated with lower values of all three principal HR outcomes, whereas work- and transport-related PA were not. Exploratory activity-specific associations for cycling, vigorous gardening, and moderate leisure-time PA did not remain significant after FDR correction. These exploratory findings suggest that the intensity and domain composition of habitual PA may be relevant to its associations with post-exercise HR measures and warrant further investigation in independent studies.