Abstract
The aim of this study was to examine the effects of low carbohydrate (CHO) availability on heart rate variability (HRV) responses during moderate and severe exercise intensities until exhaustion. Six healthy males (age, 26.5 ± 6.7 years; body mass, 78.4 ± 7.7 kg; body fat %, 11.3 ± 4.5%; \( \dot{V} {\text{O}}_{{2{ \max }}} , \) 39.5 ± 6.6 mL kg−1 min−1) volunteered for this study. All tests were performed in the morning, after 8–12 h overnight fasting, at a moderate intensity corresponding to 50% of the difference between the first (LT1) and second (LT2) lactate breakpoints and at a severe intensity corresponding to 25% of the difference between the maximal power output and LT2. Forty-eight hours before each experimental session, the subjects performed a 90-min cycling exercise followed by 5-min rest periods and subsequent 1-min cycling bouts at 125% \( \dot{V} {\text{O}}_{{2{ \max }}} \) (with 1-min rest periods) until exhaustion, in order to deplete muscle glycogen. A diet providing 10% (CHOlow) or 65% (CHOcontrol) of energy as carbohydrates was consumed for the following 2 days until the experimental test. The Poicaré plots (standard deviations 1 and 2: SD1 and SD2, respectively) and spectral autoregressive model (low frequency LF, and high frequency HF) were applied to obtain HRV parameters. The CHO availability had no effect on the HRV parameters or ventilation during moderate-intensity exercise. However, the SD1 and SD2 parameters were significantly higher in CHOlow than in CHOcontrol, as taken at exhaustion during the severe-intensity exercise (P < 0.05). The HF and LF frequencies (ms2) were also significantly higher in CHOlow than in CHOcontrol (P < 0.05). In addition, ventilation measured at the 5 and 10-min was higher in CHOlow (62.5 ± 4.4 and 74.8 ± 6.5 L min−1, respectively, P < 0.05) than in CHOcontrol (70.0 ± 3.6 and 79.6 ± 5.1 L min−1, respectively; P < 0.05) during the severe-intensity exercise. These results suggest that the CHO availability alters the HRV parameters during severe-, but not moderate-, intensity exercise, and this was associated with an increase in ventilation volume.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Baldwin J, Snow RJ, Gibala MJ, Garnham A, Howarth K, Febbraio MA (2003) Glycogen availability does not affect the TCA cycle or TAN pools during prolonged, fatiguing exercise. J Appl Physiol 94:2181–2187
Blain G, Meste O, Bermon S (2005) Influences of breathing patterns on respiratory sinus arrhythmia in humans during exercise. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 288:H887–H895
Boardman A, Schlindwein FS, Rocha AP, Leite A (2002) A study on the optimum order of autoregressive models for heart rate variability. Physiol Meas 23:325–336
Breuer HW, Skyschally A, Schulz R, Martin C, Wehr M, Heusch G (1993) Heart rate variability and circulating catecholamine concentrations during steady state exercise in healthy volunteers. Br Heart J 70:144–149
Busse MW, Maassen N, Konrad H (1991) Relation between plasma K+ and ventilation during incremental exercise after glycogen depletion and repletion in man. J Physiol 443:469–476
Carrol T, Godsen R, Tangeman C (1991) The polar vantage XL heart rate monitor: an analysis of its internal consistency and computer interface. Med Sci Sports Exerc suppl 23(4):14
Casadei B, Moon J, Johnston J, Caiazza A, Sleight P (1996) Is respiratory sinus arrhythmia a good index of cardiac vagal tone in exercise? J Appl Physiol 81:556–564
Cottin F, Medigue C, Leprêtre PM, Papelier Y, Koralsztein JP, Billat V (2004) Heart rate variability during exercise performed below and above ventilatory threshold. Med Sci Sports Exerc 36:594–600
Cottin F, Medigue C, Lopes P, Petit E, Papelier Y, Billat VL (2005) Effect of exercise intensity and repetition on heart rate variability during training in elite trotting horse. Int J Sports Med 26:859–867
Cottin F, Leprêtre PM, Lopes P, Papelier Y, Médigue C, Billat V (2006) Assessment of ventilatory thresholds from heart rate variability in well-trained subjects during cycling. Int J Sports Med 27:959–967
Cottin F, Medigue C, Lopes P, Leprêtre PM, Heubert R, Billat V (2007) Ventilatory thresholds assessment from heart rate variability during an incremental exhaustive running test. Int J Sports Med 28:287–294
Foo SY, Heller ER, Wykrzykowska J, Sullivan CJ, Manning-Tobin JJ, Moore KJ et al (2009) Vascular effects of a low-carbohydrate high-protein diet. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106(36):15418–15423
Glass C, Knowlton RG, Sanjabi PB, Sullivan JJ (1997) The effect of exercise induced glycogen depletion on the lactate, ventilatory and electromyographic thresholds. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 37:32–40
Gollnick PD, Armstrong RB, Sembrowich WL, Shepherd RE, Saltin B (1973) Glycogen depletion pattern in human skeletal muscle fibers after heavy exercise. J Appl Physiol 34:615–618
Gollnick PD, Piehl K, Saltin B (1974) Selective glycogen depletion pattern in human muscle fibres after exercise of varying intensity and at varying pedalling rates. J Physiol 241:45–57
Goodie JL, Larkin KT, Schauss S (2000) Validation of Polar heart rate monitor for assessing heart rate during physical and mental stress. J Psychophysiol 14:159–164
Grisdale RK, Jacobs I, Cafarelli E (1990) Relative effects of glycogen depletion and previous exercise on muscle force and endurance capacity. J Appl Physiol 69:1276–1282
Havemann L, West SJ, Goedecke JH, Macdonald IA, St Clair Gibson A, Noakes TD et al (2006) Fat adaptation followed by carbohydrate loading compromises high-intensity sprint performance. J Appl Physiol 100:194–202
Heigenhauser GJF, Sutton JR, Jones NL (1983) Effect of glycogen depletion on the ventilatory response to exercise. J Appl Physiol 54:470–474
Helge JW, Richter EA, Kiens B (1996) Interaction of training and diet on metabolism and endurance during exercise in man. J Physiol 492(Pt 1):293–306
Howley ET, Bassett DR Jr, Welch HG (1995) Criteria for maximal oxygen uptake: review and commentary. Med Sci Sports Exerc 27:1292–1301
Kanters JK, Højgaard MV, Agner E, Holstein-Rathlou NH (1996) Short- and long-term variations in non-linear dynamics of heart rate variability. Cardiovasc Res 31:400–409
Nakamura Y, Yamamoto Y, Muraoka I (1993) Autonomic control of heart rate during physical exercise and fractal dimension of heart rate variability. J Appl Physiol 74:875–881
Pagani M, Montano N, Porta A, Malliani A, Abboud FM, Birkett C et al (1997) Relationship between spectral components of cardiovascular variabilities and direct measures of muscle sympathetic nerve activity in humans. Circulation 95:1441–1448
Pichon AP, de Bisschop C, Roulaud M, Denjean A, Papelier Y (2004) Spectral analysis of heart rate variability during exercise in trained subjects. Med Sci Sports Exerc 36:1702–1708
Pires FO, Lima-Silva AE, Oliveira EM, Rumenig-Souza E, Kiss MA (2008) Ventilation behavior in trained and untrained men during incremental test: evidence of one metabolic transition point. J Sports Sci Med 7:335–343
Ribeiro JP, Hughes V, Fielding RA, Holden W, Evans W, Knuttgen HG (1986) Metabolic and ventilatory responses to steady state exercise relative to lactate thresholds. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 55:215–221
Sasaki H, Hotta N, Ishiko T (1991) Comparison of sympatho-adrenal activity during endurance exercise performed under high- and low-carbohydrate diet conditions. J Sports Med Phys Fitness 31:407–412
Simi B, Sempore B, Mayet M-H, Favier RJ (1991) Additive effects of training and high-fat diet on energy metabolism during exercise. J Appl Physiol 71:197–203
Stockhausen W, Grathwohl D, Burklin C, Spranz P, Keul J (1997) Stage duration and increase of work load in incremental testing on a cycle ergometer. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 76:295–301
Tulppo MP, Makikallio TH, Takala TE, Seppänen T, Huikuri HV (1996) Quantitative beat-to-beat analysis of heart rate dynamics during exercise. Am J Physiol 271(1 Pt 2):H244–H252
Tulppo MP, Makikallio TH, Laukkanen RT, Huikuri HV (1999) Differences in autonomic modulation of heart rate during arm and leg exercise. Clin Physiol 19:294–299
Tulppo MP, Hautala AJ, Mäkikallio TH, Laukkanen RT, Nissilä S, Hughson RL et al (2003) Effects of aerobic training on heart rate dynamics in sedentary subjects. J Appl Physiol 95:364–372
Tulppo MP, Huikuri HV, Tutungi E, Kimmerly DS, Gelb AW, Hughson RL et al (2005) Feedback effects of circulating norepinephrine on sympathetic outflow in healthy subjects. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 288:H710–H715
Weltman A, Weltman J, Rutt R, Seip R, Levine S, Snead D et al (1989) Percentages of maximal heart rate, heart rate reserve, and VO2peak for determining endurance training intensity in sedentary women. Int J Sports Med 10:212–216
Yamamoto Y, Hughson RL, Peterson JC (1991) Autonomic control of heart rate during exercise studied by heart rate variability spectral analysis. J Appl Physiol 71:1136–1142
Acknowledgments
The authors are grateful to Professor Julia Goedecke for guidelines and suggestions, and to Michele Souza, Fernando Adami and Tony Fernandes for technical assistance. The Flávio O Pires is grateful for CAPES for his doctoral scholarship.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Additional information
Communicated by Susan Ward.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lima-Silva, A.E., Bertuzzi, R.C.M., Pires, F.O. et al. A low carbohydrate diet affects autonomic modulation during heavy but not moderate exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol 108, 1133–1140 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1329-6
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-009-1329-6