HRV during exercise in sedentary subjects and athletes

The power-spectral analysis of heart-rate variability (HRV) is used to compare situations of different muscular exercise in nine sedentary males (n=9) and eight professional cyclists. The changes of low-frequency (LF) and high-frequency (HF) spectral peaks, together with the weight of the very low frequencies (VLF), are described. Their relationship to changes in autonomic activation is discussed. The importance of the LF/HF ratio as a marker of sympathovagal balance is confirmed at rest and at low exercise level. The observed reduction of the LF rhythm power and the increase of the VLF power at the higher exercise level suggest the necessity of further investigation