COMPARISON OF ANTHROPOMETRIC PARAMETERS, HEART RATE VARIABILITY AND RESTING BLOOD PRESSURE AMONG ATHLETES
S. Jagan Arokiaraj*, Dr. Vivek Kumar Sharma and Dr. V. Raveendranath
ABSTRACT
Aim: To compare and assess the anthropometric parameters, heart rate variability and resting blood pressure among athletes in Puducherry. Materials and Method: This study was conducted in the Department of Anatomy and Physiology, JIPMER, Puducherry. 60 participants [(athletes (n=45), non –athletes (n=15)] were recruited. Parameters such as height, weight, waist /hip ratio, BMI, skin fold measurements, body fat% (BF%) and Lean body mass, Heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP), mean arterial pressure (MAP), rate pressure product (RPP), Pulse pressure (PP) along with short term Heart rate variability (HRV) parameters such as Time domain [RMSSD, NN50, pNN50] and frequency domain parameters [Total power (TP), Low frequency (LF), High frequency (HF), normalized LF (LFnu), normalized HF (HFnu)] were measured. Results: Our study observed significant decrease in mean body weight (63.33±5.26) and BF% (10.13±1.91) in athletes when compared to non-athletes. We also observed significantly lesser resting DBP (70), HR (65.69±6.14), MAP (85.84±6.43) and RPP (8128±876) in athletes. Significant decrease in HR and DBP demonstrates better adaptability and more influence on parasympathetic activity. HRV analysis demonstrated an increased in RMSSD (68.94±41.9), SDNN (58.20±31.62) and pNN50 along with higher TP (2021), HFnu (58.24±16.94) and decreased LFnu (40.80) and LH/HF (0.68) in athletes. Increased TP in athletes shows better ability of Autonomic modulation. RMSSD, SDNN, HFnu indicates better parasympathetic tone and lower LFnu indicates decreased sympathetic activity in athletes. Conclusion: Athletes had better body compostion marked by lesser BF% and had significantally better sympatho-vagal balance than Non-athletes.
Keywords: Heart rate variability, physical activity, anthropometric parameters, autonomic tone.
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