Cardiorespiratory coupling is associated with exercise capacity in athletes: A cross-sectional study

Raphael Martins de Abreu; Beatrice Cairo; Patricia Rehder-Santos; Claudio Donisete da Silva; Étore De Favari Signini; Juliana Cristina Milan-Mattos; Camila Akemi Sakaguchi; Aparecida Maria Catai; Alberto Porta

doi:10.1016/j.resp.2023.104198

Cardiorespiratory coupling is associated with exercise capacity in athletes: A cross-sectional study

Respir Physiol Neurobiol. 2024 Feb:320:104198. doi: 10.1016/j.resp.2023.104198. Epub 2023 Nov 11.

Authors

Raphael Martins de Abreu¹, Beatrice Cairo², Patricia Rehder-Santos³, Claudio Donisete da Silva³, Étore De Favari Signini³, Juliana Cristina Milan-Mattos³, Camila Akemi Sakaguchi⁴, Aparecida Maria Catai³, Alberto Porta⁵

Affiliations

¹ LUNEX University, International University of Health, Exercise & Sports S.A. 50, Department of Physiotherapy, Differdange, Luxembourg; LUNEX ASBL Luxembourg Health & Sport Sciences Research Institute, Differdange, Luxembourg; Federal University of São Carlos, Department of Physical Therapy, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil. Electronic address: raphaelmartins.abreu@gmail.com.
² University of Milan, Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Milan, Italy.
³ Federal University of São Carlos, Department of Physical Therapy, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil.
⁴ Appalachian State University, Department of Health, Leisure, and Exercise Science, NC, United States.
⁵ University of Milan, Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Milan, Italy; IRCCS Policlinico San Donato, Department of Cardiothoracic, Vascular Anesthesia and Intensive Care, San Donato Milanese, Milan, Italy.

PMID: 37956746
DOI: 10.1016/j.resp.2023.104198

Abstract

Purpose: To determine the association between exercise capacity based on peak oxygen uptake (VO_2peak) and resting cardiorespiratory coupling (CRC) levels in athletes and non-athletes' subjects.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in 42 apparently healthy male subjects, aged between 20 and 40 years old. The participants were allocated into athletes (n = 21) and non-athletes (n = 21) groups. Resting electrocardiogram and respiratory movement (RESP) were simultaneously acquired during 15 min in supine position and quiet breathing. The beat-to-beat heart period (HP) and RESP series were determined from the recorded signals. Traditional analysis of HP based on frequency domain indexes was performed considering the high-frequency (0.15 - 0.45 Hz) components. To compute the CRC, the linear association between HP and RESP series was determined via squared coherence function and directionality of interaction was investigated through the causal extension of this approach. The exercise capacity was assessed through incremental cardiopulmonary exercise testing in order to determine the VO_2peak.

Results: Traditional analysis of HP based on high-frequency index was not correlated with exercise capacity in the athletes (r = -0.1, p = 0.5) and non-athletes (r = -0.1, p = 0.3) cohorts. However, resting CRC values was associated with exercise capacity in athletes (r = 0.4, p = 0.03), but not in the non-athletes group (r = -0.2, p = 0.3).

Conclusion: These results suggest that improved resting values of CRC is associated with higher exercise capacity (VO_2peak) in endurance athletes. Moreover, frequency domain of HP was not sensitive to identifying this relationship, probably because effects of training on parasympathetic modulation might be affected by respiratory dynamics, and this influence has a directionality (i.e., from RESP to HP).

Keywords: Autonomic nervous system; Cardiovascular regulation; Exercise; Performance; Respiration; Sports medicine.

MeSH terms

Adult
Athletes*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Exercise Test / methods
Exercise Tolerance*
Heart Rate
Humans
Male
Respiration
Young Adult