Heart rate variability to track autonomic nervous system health in young children: Effects of physical activity and cardiometabolic risk factors

Kathryn E Speer; Nenad Naumovski; Andrew J McKune

doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114576

Heart rate variability to track autonomic nervous system health in young children: Effects of physical activity and cardiometabolic risk factors

Physiol Behav. 2024 Jul 1:281:114576. doi: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114576. Epub 2024 Apr 29.

Authors

Kathryn E Speer¹, Nenad Naumovski², Andrew J McKune³

Affiliations

¹ Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia; Functional Foods and Nutrition Research (FFNR) Laboratory, University of Canberra, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia; Research Institute of Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, 2617, Australia. Electronic address: katie.speer@canberra.edu.au.
² Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia; Functional Foods and Nutrition Research (FFNR) Laboratory, University of Canberra, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia; Research Institute of Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, 2617, Australia; Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, School of Health Science and Education, Harokopio University, Athens, 17671, Greece.
³ Faculty of Health, University of Canberra, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia; Functional Foods and Nutrition Research (FFNR) Laboratory, University of Canberra, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia; Research Institute of Sport and Exercise, University of Canberra, 11 Kirinari Street, Bruce, 2617, Australia; Discipline of Biokinetics, Exercise and Leisure Sciences, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, 4000, South Africa.

PMID: 38692385
DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2024.114576

Abstract

Evidence for a key role of dysregulated autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity in maladaptive stress response/recovery and non-communicable disease development is extensive. Monitoring ANS activity via regular heart rate variability (HRV) measurement is growing in popularity in adult populations given that low HRV has been associated with ANS dysregulation, poor stress response/reactivity, increased cardiometabolic disease risk and early mortality. Although cardiometabolic disease may originate in early life, regular HRV measurement for assessing ANS activity in childhood populations, especially those consisting of children < 6 years of age, remains largely unpractised. A greater understanding of ANS activity modifiers in early life may improve analysis and interpretation of HRV measurements, thereby optimising its usefulness. Taking into consideration that HRV and ANS activity can be improved via daily engagement in physical activity (PA), this review will discuss the ANS and HRV, ANS activity modifiers, cardiometabolic disease risk factors and PA as they relate to childhood/adolescent populations (≤ 18 years old).

Keywords: Autonomic nervous system or ANS; Cardiometabolic disease; Children; Heart rate variability or HRV; Physical activity.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Autonomic Nervous System* / physiology
Autonomic Nervous System* / physiopathology
Cardiometabolic Risk Factors*
Child
Child, Preschool
Exercise* / physiology
Heart Rate* / physiology
Humans