Dynamic component of sports is an important determinant factor of heart rate recovery.

OBJECTIVE: It is usually suggested that life expectancy of top athletes especially in endurance sports is longer than that of sedentary people. On the other hand, heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality, but differences in HRR between various top athletes are unclear. We examined HRR in various top athletes to clarify a role of HRR that may affect their life expectancy. METHODS: HRR was defined as the difference between the heart rate at peak exercise and that at 2 min after the finish of exercise using symptom-limited maximal graded bicycle ergometer exercise testing. The relationships between HRR with the grade of static and dynamic component of classification of sports, age, and body mass index (BMI) were estimated. SUBJECTS: The subjects were 720 male athletes participating in the National Sports Festival Japan in 2005-2008 and age-matched 28 sedentary controls. RESULTS: HRR was significantly correlated (p<0.0001) with the higher grade of dynamic component of sports, younger age, and lower BMI in both univariate and multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: HRR of top athletes is predicted by increased dynamic component of sports, younger age, and lower BMI.

Three-month exercise and weight loss program improves heart rate recovery in obese persons along with cardiopulmonary function.

OBJECTIVE: Heart rate recovery (HRR) after exercise is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality, and it is well known to be modifiable by weight loss. We investigated whether HRR was mainly improved by better cardiopulmonary function or by alteration of the metabolic profile. METHODS: The weight loss program included 2h of group exercise per week and individual dietary instruction by a qualified dietician every week. Clinical assessment (including HRR) was done before and after the 3-month program. PATIENTS: The subjects were 125 obese persons without a past history of stroke, cardiovascular events, or use of medications who participated in and completed our exercise plus weight loss program. RESULTS: HRR (35.61+/-12.83 to 45.34+/-13.6 beats/min, p<0.0001) was significantly faster after the program. The change in HRR was significantly correlated (p<0.05) with the changes in body weight, body mass index, percent body fat, waist circumference, hip circumference, resting heart rate, peak exercise heart rate, exercise time, maximal work load, physical working capacity divided by body weight (PWC75%HRmax/weight), subcutaneous fat area, visceral fat area, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and leptin. Multivariate analysis showed that the change in HRR was significantly correlated (p<0.05) with the changes in resting heart rate, peak exercise heart rate, and PWC75%HRmax/weight. CONCLUSIONS: Our data demonstrated that HRR can be improved in obese subjects by a 3-month exercise and weight loss program. Improvement in cardiopulmonary function by exercise seems to be the main contributor to the increment of HRR.

Influence of physical fitness and smoking on the coagulation system in hypertensive patients: effect on prothrombin fragment F1+2.

OBJECT: Recently, prothrombin fragment F1+2 was shown to be a sensitive direct marker of thrombin formation. We examined the effect of lifestyle (including physical activity) on prothrombin fragment F1+2 levels. METHODS: Using the results of a questionnaire, the subjects were classified into groups on the basis of multiple medications, smoking, exercise, and drinking alcohol. The prothrombin fragment F1+2 levels were compared between each pair of groups and differences were analyzed using the unpaired t-test. Correlations between each parameter and the systolic and diastolic blood pressure, as well as with prothrombin fragment F1+2, were examined by multiple regression analysis. Patients The subjects were 109 patients who had essential hypertension without a past history of thrombotic events RESULTS: Smokers (1.47 +/- 0.75 vs 0.98 +/- 0.46 nmol/L, p<0.0001), and those without regular exercise (1.22 +/- 0.59 vs 0.68 +/- 0.30 nmol/L, p<0.0001) had higher levels of prothrombin fragment F1+2. Age, lack of exercise, and smoking were significant predictors of a high concentration of prothrombin fragment F1+2. Of the smokers, the patient with a regular exercise had low F1+2 compared with those without regular exercise (0.75 +/- 0.20 vs 2.01 +/- 0.49 nmol/L, p<0.0001. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with essential hypertension, age, smoking, and lack of regular exercise may increase the risk of thrombosis. Even in smokers, a regular exercise routine may reduce the tendency towards thrombus formation.