Association of Sports Practice in Childhood and Adolescence with Cardiac Autonomic Modulation in Adulthood: A Retrospective Epidemiological Study
Author
Christofaro, Diego Giulliano
William, R. Tebar
Mota, Jorge
et al.
Abstract
Background Practicing sports during childhood and adolescence provides benefits to cardiac autonomic
modulation (CAM) at these stages of life. However, it is not known whether these benefits to CAM persist into
adulthood. Therefore, the objective of this study was to analyze the association of early sports practice (sports practice
in childhood and/or adolescence) with CAM in adult life, regardless of habitual moderate-to-vigorous PA.
Methods The sample of the present study consisted of 242 adults (141 women and 101 men; age: 41.99±16.24). The
assessment of CAM was performed using heart rate variability indices. Sports practice in childhood and adolescence
was assessed using a questionnaire. The intensity of physical activity was assessed using accelerometry. To analyze
the association between previous sports practice (childhood and/or adolescence) and CAM, the Generalized Linear
Model was adopted, considering CAM indices as continuous variables and early sports practice as a 3-fold factor (no
sports practice; sports practice in childhood or adolescence; and sports practice in both childhood and adolescence)
adjusted by sex, age, socioeconomic condition, and moderate to vigorous PA.
Results Sports practice in childhood was associated with the average standard deviation of all normal RR intervals
expressed in milliseconds (SDNN): β=5.89; 95%CI: 0.25;11.52, and the standard deviation of the long-term intervals
between consecutive heartbeats (SD2): β=7.63; 95%CI:1.04; 14.23 indices. Sports practice in adolescence was
associated in adulthood with the SD2 index: β=7.37; 95%CI: 0.71;14.04. Sports practice in at least one of the
periods (childhood or adolescence) was significantly associated with the square root of the mean square of the
differences between adjacent normal RR intervals for a period of time expressed in milliseconds (RMSSD) (β=8.86;
95%CI=0.71;17.01), and the standard deviation of the instantaneous beat to beat variability (SD1) (β=6.21;
95%CI=0.45;11.97). Sports practice at both stages of life was significantly associated with better SDNN (β=7.70;
95%CI=1.16;14.23) and SD2 (β=10.18; 95%CI=2.51;17.85).
Conclusion Early sports practice was associated with better CAM in adulthood, independently of the current physical
activity level. Based on these findings, sports practice is encouraged from childhood and adolescence, for benefits to
CAM in adult life.
Key Points
• Few studies have verified whether the practice of sports in childhood and adolescence could be associated
with better CAM in adult life.
• Sports practice in childhood and/or in adolescence was associated with better CAM in adult life, both when
analyzed separately and when combined.
• Early sports practice was associated with indices of cardiac autonomic modulation in adulthood that reflect
global variability (SNDD and SD2) and parasympathetic modulation (RMSSD and SD1).
Keywords Heart rate variability, Previous sports practice, Youth, Cardiovascular Health
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