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QTc interval prolongation during recovery from brief high-intensity intermittent exercise in obese adults

QTc-Intervall-Verlängerung während der Erholung von kurzer intermittierender Belastung hoher Intensität bei adipösen Erwachsenen

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Abstract

The risk of malignant arrhythmias is higher during extremely intense exercise and after its cessation. It is still unclear whether high-intensity interval exercise (HIE), an increasingly popular option in preventive and rehabilitative medicine, can lead to an impaired electrophysiological milieu, as revealed by QT interval prolongation on an electrocardiogram. This study investigated heart rate-corrected QT interval (QTc) dynamics during recovery from HIE in obese adults. In total, 13 obese males (age: 24.3 ± 4.6 years old; body mass index: 31.6 ± 4.1 kg/m2) underwent: (1) HIE: an HIE session of four 30-s all-out cycling efforts interspersed with 4‑min recovery periods; (2) REC: a recovery session 24 h after HIE; and (3) CON: a control session of no treatment. The QT interval was measured before HIE, REC, and CON, and then at 30-min intervals thereafter, for up to 3 h. QTc values were obtained using Bazett, Fridericia, Framingham, Hodges, and Rautaharju correction formulas. Acute HIE led to a significant increase in QTc for each correction (by 5–47 ms, all p < 0.05), and QTc was significantly longer during early recovery from acute exercise (HIE) compared with CON corrected with the Bazett (by 49 ms), Fridericia (by 11 ms), Hodges (by 27 ms), and Rautaharju (by 15 ms) formulas (all p < 0.05). Further, the QTc for each correction at most of the observation points in the REC trial was significantly longer (by 5–10 ms, all p < 0.05) than the corresponding value of the CON. In conclusion, in obese adults, the risk of QTc prolongation increased after brief HIE, and the risk may be sustained for more than 24 h.

Zusammenfassung

Das Risiko maligner Arrhythmien ist unter extrem intensiver Belastung und nach deren Beendigung erhöht. Noch ist unklar, ob eine Intervallbelastung hoher Intensität („high-intensity interval exercise“, HIE), eine zunehmend verbreitete Option in der Präventions- und Rehabilitationsmedizin, zu einem gestörten elektrophysiologischen Milieu führen kann, was sich durch QT-Intervall-Verlängerung im EKG zeigt. In der vorliegenden Studie wurde die herzfrequenzkorrigierte QT-Intervall(QTc)-Dynamik während der Erholung von HIE bei Adipösen untersucht. Insgesamt wurde bei 13 adipösen männlichen Probanden (Alter: 24,3 ± 4,6 Jahre; Body Mass Index: 31,6 ± 4,1 kg/m2) Folgendes durchgeführt: (1) HIE: eine HIE-Phase von vier 30-s-Phasen äußerster Anstrengung beim Radfahren, unterbrochen von 4‑min-Erholungsphasen; (2) REC: eine Erholungsphase 24 h nach HIE und (3) CON: eine Kontrollphase ohne Intervention. Das QT-Intervall wurde vor HIE, REC und CON gemessen und in 30-min-Abständen bis 3 h danach. Die QTc-Werte wurden anhand der Korrekturformeln nach Bazett, Fridericia, Framingham, Hodges und Rautaharju ermittelt. Eine akute HIE führte zum signifikanten Anstieg der QTc-Werte bei allen Korrekturen (um 5–47 ms, alle p < 0,05), und QTc war während der frühen Erholungsphase nach akuter Belastung (HIE) signifikant länger als bei CON, korrigiert mit der Formel nach Bazett (um 49 ms), Fridericia (um 11 ms), Hodges (um 27 ms) und Rautaharju (um 15 ms; alle p < 0,05). Außerdem war QTc für alle Korrekturen zu den meisten Beobachtungszeitpunkten bei REC signifikant länger (um 5–10 ms, alle p < 0,05) als die entsprechenden Werte bei CON. Das Fazit lautet, dass bei adipösen Erwachsenen das Risiko einer QTc-Verlängerung nach kurzer HIE erhöht ist und dies möglicherweise mehr als 24 h dauert.

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Funding

Funding

The study was supported by a research grant from Macao Polytechnic Institute (RP/ESEFD-02/2012).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Physical Education and Sports, Macao Polytechnic Institute, Rua de Luis Gonzaga Gomes, Macao, China

    J. Nie,  Q. Shi & C. K. Lao

  2. Faculty of Education, University of Macau, Macao, China

    Z. Kong

  3. Physical Education College, Hebei Normal University, Shijiazhuang, Hebei, China

    H. Zhang

  4. Dr. Stephen Hui Research Centre for Physical Recreation and Wellness, Department of Physical Education, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong, China

    T. K. Tong

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  1. J. Nie
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Correspondence to Q. Shi.

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J. Nie, Q. Shi, Z. Kong, C.K. Lao, H. Zhang and T.K. Tong declare that they have no competing interests.

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants or on human tissue were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and/or national research committee and with the 1975 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.

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Nie, J., Shi, Q., Kong, Z. et al. QTc interval prolongation during recovery from brief high-intensity intermittent exercise in obese adults. Herz 45 (Suppl 1), 67–71 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00059-019-4808-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00059-019-4808-5

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