Heart rate variability, a sign of a healthy heart, has been shown to be higher in yoga practitioners than in non-practitioners, according to research to be published in a forthcoming issue of the International Journal of Medical Engineering and Informatics.
The autonomic nervous system regulates the heart rate through two routes - the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The former causes the heart rate to rise, while, the parasympathetic slows it. When working well together, the two ensure that the heart rate is steady but ready to respond to changes caused by eating, the fight or flight response, or arousal.
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Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol. 2009 Nov 13. [Epub ahead of print]
Aubert AE, Verheyden B, d'Ydewalle C, Beckers F, Van den Bergh O.
Sustained weightlessness affects all body functions, among these also cardiac autonomic control mechanisms. How this may influence neural response to central stimulation by a mental arithmetic task remains an open question. The hypothesis was tested that microgravity alters cardiovascular neural response to standardized cognitive load stimuli. Beat-to-beat heart rate, brachial blood pressure and respiratory frequency were collected in 5 astronauts, taking part in 3 different short duration (10-11 days) space missions to the International Space Station. Data recording was performed in supine position one month before launch, at day 5 or 8 in space, and on day 1, 14 and 25 days after landing. Heart rate variability parameters were obtained in the frequency domain...
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J Pediatr Psychol. 2009 Oct;34(9):1030-9. Epub 2009 Mar 13.
Hipwell AE, Keenan K, Marsland A.
Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, 3811 O'Hara St, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA. hipwellae@upmc.edu
OBJECTIVE: To examine the association between biological stress regulation and somatic complaints in young girls prior to the onset of clear psychopathology such as somatization disorder. METHODS: Salivary cortisol, heart rate variability (HRV), and negative mood were assessed in 48 12-year-old girls in response to the Trier Social Stress Test for Children (TSST-C). Parent and child report on the Children's Somatization Inventory was used to identify girls with high and low somatic complaints. RESULTS: Girls with high levels of somatic complaints had significantly higher initial levels of cortisol, which decreased over time, and showed a trend for a more limited HRV in response to the TSST-C than girls with low levels of somatic complaints. CONCLUSIONS: High levels of cortisol and possibly low HRV among girls with somatic complaints may interfere with flexibility in responding to typical psychosocial stressors, which may increase vulnerability to the onset of somatic illnesses in females.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19286887?dopt=Abstract
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