Recovery Heart Rate Response in Sedentary and Physically Active Young Healthy Adults of Bijapur, Karnataka, India

The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of sedentary and physically active lifestyle on percent recovery heart rate in a population-based sample of healthy subjects of Bijapur, Karnataka, India. Twenty nine healthy adult males (age 34.30 ± 3.86 years) with sedentary life style and equal number of age and sex matched young healthy adults with regular physical activity were selected for this study. Subjects performed submaximal exercise test by using cycle ergometer. Heart rate and blood pressure were measured before exercise (pre-exercise), immediately after exercise (peak-exercise) and 2 minutes after cessation of exercise (post-exercise) and percent recovery of heart rate and percent recovery blood pressure were calculated. Percent recovery heart rate and percent decrease of blood pressure were significantly faster in physically active subjects than sedentary individuals which may be attributed to augmented baroreflex sensitivity in physically active male subjects or greater capacity of reflex cardiovascular modulation after exercise. Results indicate that physical activity in lifestyle has a considerable impact on cardiovascular fitness.