Kinetics of heart rate responses to exercise

Abstract

In order to describe the kinetics of the reaction of the heart rate (HR) to the onset of exercise of constant intensity, the half‐time (t _1/2) of HR can be used. First in a study of exercise of intensity corresponding to 2 W kg^‐1 on a cycle ergometer, the t _1/2 in 15 trained male rowers and 11 untrained male students was determined. In the trained subjects t _1/2 was smaller than in untrained students, mean (±s.d.) values being 24.10 (±3.36) s and 47.12 (±4.08) s respectively. In both groups t _1/2 was positively correlated with resting HR, r=0.774 and 0.846 and negatively correlated with maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), r= ‐0.728 and ‐0.871 respectively (PVO₂ and energy requirements. The second part of this work was concerned with responses to graded exercise. The linearity of the HR‐exercise intensity relationship is maintained up to a submaximal exercise intensity beyond which the increase in exercise intensity exceeds the increase in HR. It was hypothesized that the point where HR departs from linearity in an incremental exercise test may be employed as a predictor of the ventilatory threshold (Tvent). To examine this, 28 trained male long‐distance runners were tested on a treadmill and 17 untrained young male subjects were tested on a cycle ergometer using a continuous incremental protocol. The Tvent was determined from the dependence of V _E on VO₂ and/or VCO₂. The VO₂, HR and exercise intensity at Tvent were compared with the same parameters determined from the dependence of HR on exercise intensity. No significant differences were found between Tvent and HR break point levels. It was concluded from this second study that the HR break point level coincides with Tvent.