Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41137920›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of applied physiology2026

Repeatability of heart-rate variability and baroreflex sensitivity as metrics of cardiac autonomic function during exercise in young females and males.

Manuel P Gaspar, João L Marôco, Luís Cruz, Sérgio Laranjo, Helena Santa-Clara, Bo Fernhall, Xavier Melo

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In one paragraph

Article in European journal of applied physiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT06617117 (Dynamic Acute Responses of Different Intensity-dependent Exercises on the Autonomic and Vascular Systems in People With Coronary Artery Disease), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT06617117 nacompletednot on this map

Dynamic Acute Responses of Different Intensity-dependent Exercises on the Autonomic and Vascular Systems in People With Coronary Artery Disease

TypeinterventionalSponsorEgas Moniz - Cooperativa de Ensino Superior, CRLRan2018 to 2020Enrolled35ConditionsCoronary Arterial Disease (CAD)ArmsHigh-intensity combined exercise, Moderate-intensity combined exercise
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Manuel P Gaspar *Ginásio Clube Português, Research and Development Department, GCP Lab, Lisbon, Portugal.
João L Marôco *Integrative Human Physiology Laboratory, Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.
Luís CruzCentro Interdisciplinar de Estudo da Performance Humana, Faculdade de Motricidade Humana-Universidade de Lisboa, Oeiras, Portugal.
Sérgio LaranjoDepartment of Physiology, NOVA Medical School|Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Nova de Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal.
Helena Santa-ClaraGinásio Clube Português, Research and Development Department, GCP Lab, Lisbon, Portugal.
Bo FernhallIntegrative Human Physiology Laboratory, Manning College of Nursing and Health Sciences, University of Massachusetts Boston, Boston, MA, USA.
Xavier MeloCentro de Investigação Interdisciplinar Egas Moniz (CiiEM), Egas Moniz School of Health and Science, 2829-511, Caparica, Almada, Portugal. xmelo@egasmoniz.edu.pt.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3934-3986

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeWe examined the inter-day repeatability of cardiovagal baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) and heart rate variability (HRV) metrics during a dual-intensity cycling protocol in healthy young males and females.

methodsForty young adults (20 males, 20 females; age: 18-31 years) completed two randomized reclined cycling bouts at a moderate (50% heart rate reserve [HRR]) and vigorous (80% HRR) exercise intensity on separate days. HRV metrics and spontaneous BRS were analyzed over 2-min bins, using RR intervals and beat-to-beat systolic pressure obtained in a semi-recumbent position. The repeatability of BRS and HRV metrics was examined using coefficients of variation (CV), intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC), and Bland-Altman plots with 95% limits of agreement.

resultsBRS showed overall good-to-excellent inter-day repeatability, which was similar across sex and exercise intensities (Females: 50%HRR: CV = 14%, ICC = 0.86, 95% LOA: -1.85 to 1.48 ms/mmHg; 80% HRR: CV = 20%, ICC = 0.86, 95% LOA: -2.24 to 1.98 ms/mmHg; Males: 50% HRR CV = 15%, ICC = 0.82, 95% LOA: -2.10 to 1.78 ms/mmHg; 80% HRR CV = 22%, ICC = 0.77, 95% LOA: -2.69 to 2.07 ms/mmHg). Vagal-related HRV metrics (high-frequency power, SD1, SDNN) exhibited good inter-day repeatability, not altered by vigorous-intensity exercise, with females showing lower repeatability for SD1 and SDNN compared to males (female: CV ~ 20-25%, ICC:0.70-0.85; male: CV ~ 15-20%; ICC:0.75-0.90). The root-mean square of successive differences exhibited the greatest repeatability for HRV metrics, being similar across sex and exercise intensity (CV ~ 13-16%, ICC ~ 0.90).

conclusionsBRS and vagal-related HRV metrics were repeatable during cycling across intensities and sex, supporting their use in detecting cardiac autonomic changes in clinical and active populations. CLINICAL TRIALS: GOV REGISTRATION ID: NCT06617117.

Indexed as

Autonomic Nervous SystemBaroreflexExerciseHeartHeart RateAdolescentAdultBlood PressureFemaleHumansMaleReproducibility of ResultsYoung AdultAcute exerciseBaroreflexBiological sexCardiovagal modulationHeart rate variabilitykeywordsRepeatability

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Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.