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Clinical Autonomic Research
Published in: Clinical Autonomic Research 1/2019

01-02-2019 | Review

Does resistance training modulate cardiac autonomic control? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Authors: Pooja Bhati, Jamal Ali Moiz, Geetha R. Menon, M. Ejaz Hussain

Published in: Clinical Autonomic Research | Issue 1/2019

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Abstract

Purpose

To systematically evaluate the literature on the effects of resistance training (RT) on cardiac autonomic control in healthy and diseased individuals.

Methods

Electronic databases Pubmed, PEDro, and Scopus were systematically searched from their inception up to June 2018. Randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental trials, and cross-over controlled trials investigating the effect of RT (of at least 4 weeks duration) on cardiac autonomic control assessed either by linear or non-linear measures of heart rate variability (HRV), baroreflex sensitivity, or post-exercise heart rate recovery were included. Of the studies retrieved, 28 were included in the systematic review. Meta-analysis was performed on 21 studies of the total 28 studies.

Results

Quality and characteristic assessment revealed fair quality evidence. The majority of literature on healthy humans suggested no change in cardiac autonomic control following RT. Standardized mean differences (SMD) showed a significant effect of RT on root mean square of successive differences between adjacent inter-beat (R-R) intervals (RMSSD) [SMD 0.96, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.20–1.73; p = 0.01], ratio of low- to high-frequency power of HRV (LF/HF ratio; SMD −0.72, 95% CI −1.03 to −0.42; p < 0.00001), standard deviation of the instantaneous beat-to-beat variability (SD1; SMD 1.78, 95% CI 1.07–2.49, p < 0.00001), and sample entropy (SMD 1.17, 95% CI 0.36–1.97, p = 0.005) in diseased individuals.

Conclusion

This rigorous systematic analysis revealed that RT has no or minimal effects on cardiac autonomic control of healthy individuals, but RT leads to improvement in cardiac autonomic control of diseased individuals.
Appendix
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Metadata
Title
Does resistance training modulate cardiac autonomic control? A systematic review and meta-analysis
Authors
Pooja Bhati
Jamal Ali Moiz
Geetha R. Menon
M. Ejaz Hussain
Publication date
01-02-2019
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Clinical Autonomic Research / Issue 1/2019
Print ISSN: 0959-9851
Electronic ISSN: 1619-1560
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-018-0558-3

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