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Left ventricular mechanical, cardiac autonomic and metabolic responses to a single session of high intensity interval training

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Abstract

Purpose

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) produces significant health benefits. However, the acute physiological responses to HIIT are poorly understood. Therefore, we aimed to measure the acute cardiac autonomic, haemodynamic, metabolic and left ventricular mechanical responses to a single HIIT session.

Methods

Fifty young, healthy participants completed a single HIIT session, comprising of three 30-s maximal exercise intervals on a cycle ergometer, interspersed with 2-min active recovery. Cardiac autonomics, haemodynamics and metabolic variables were measured pre-, during and post-HIIT. Conventional and speckle tracking echocardiography was used to record standard and tissue Doppler measures of left ventricular (LV) structure, function and mechanics pre- and post-HIIT.

Results

Following a single HIIT session, there was significant post-exercise systolic hypotension (126 ± 13 to 111 ± 10 mmHg, p < 0.05), parallel to a significant reduction in total peripheral resistance (1640 ± 365 to 639 ± 177 dyne⋅s⋅cm5, p < 0.001) and significant increases in baroreceptor reflex sensitivity and baroreceptor effectiveness index (9.2 ± 11 to 24.8 ± 16.7 ms⋅mmHg−1 and 41.8 ± 28 to 68.8 ± 16.2, respectively) during recovery compared to baseline. There was also a significant increase in the low- to high-frequency heart rate variability ratio in recovery (0.7 ± 0.48 to 1.7 ± 1, p < 0.001) and significant improvements in left ventricular global longitudinal strain (− 18.3 ± 1.2% to − 29.2 ± 2.3%, p < 0.001), and myocardial twist mechanics (1.27 ± 0.72 to 1.98 ± 0.72°·cm−1, p = 0.028) post-HIIT compared to baseline.

Conclusion

A single HIIT session is associated with acute improvements in autonomic modulation, haemodynamic cardiovascular control and left ventricular function, structure and mechanics. The acute responses to HIIT provide crucial mechanistic information, which may have significant acute and chronic clinical implications.

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Data availability

The sharing of data in an open-access repository was not included in our participants consent. Thus, in accordance with standard ethical practice, data may only be available on request from the corresponding author.

Change history

  • 29 November 2021

    Communicated by Massimo Pagani.

Abbreviations

BEI:

Baroreceptor effectiveness index

BRS:

Baroreceptor sensitivity

BP:

Blood pressure

dBP:

Diastolic blood pressure

EDV:

End diastolic volume

HR:

Heart rate

HRV:

Heart rate variability

HF:

High frequency

HIIT:

High-intensity interval training

LV:

Left ventricle

LF:

Low frequency

MICT:

Moderate-intensity continuous training

RER:

Respiratory exchange ratio

SV:

Stroke volume

sBP:

Systolic blood pressure

TFM:

Task force monitor

TPR:

Total peripheral resistance

References

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Acknowledgements

We thank the participants who volunteered to participate in the study. We also thank Cameron Stevens for his assistance in constructing the central figure.

Funding

None.

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Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jamie M. O’Driscoll.

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Conflict of interest

There are no conflicts of interest.

Ethics approval

This research was approved by the Canterbury Christ Church University Ethics Committee and conformed to the Declaration of Helsinki principles (Ref: 17/SAS/47F).

Additional information

Communicated by Massimo Pagani.

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Edwards, J.J., Wiles, J.D., Vadaszy, N. et al. Left ventricular mechanical, cardiac autonomic and metabolic responses to a single session of high intensity interval training. Eur J Appl Physiol 122, 383–394 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04840-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-021-04840-z

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