Journal of Applied Gerontology · Apr 28, 2025

Effects of a 16-week high-speed resistance training program on heart rate variability indices in community-dwelling independent older adults: A clinical trial

By Duarte Martins A, Fernandes O, Paulo Brito J et al.

This study explored the impact of a 16-week high-speed resistance training (HSRT) program on heart rate variability (HRV) indices in independent older adults. The participants were divided into either an intervention group (IG, N = 40) or a control group (CG, N = 39). The IG participated in supervised HSRT sessions three times weekly, comprising 5-6 exercises with 2-3 sets and 6-10 repetitions, which lasted 60-70 min. The CG did not engage in any exercise program. HRV indices, encompassing time, frequency, and non-linear, were recorded over a six-minute period. The ANCOVA results revealed significant improvements favoring the IG for mean RR (η²p = 0.050), systolic blood pressure (η²p = 0.126), and pulse pressure (η²p = 0.157). Additionally, within-group analyses revealed significant increases in stress index (dunb = 0.52), sample entropy (dunb = 0.38), and DFA α1 (dunb = 0.38) exclusively in the CG. This study highlights the significant potential of the HSRT to induce favorable changes in parasympathetic activity and reduce arterial stiffness.

doi.org/10.1177/07334648251332437 Open access PubMed 40294903 Interventions