Heart Rate Variability following Combined Aerobic and Resistance Training in Sedentary Hypertensive Women: A Randomised Control Trial

To investigate the effect of combined aerobic and resistance training (CART) on heart rate variability in sedentary, hypertensive women. A total of twenty-eight hypertensive (Stage 1 and 2) sedentary women (Age 40.54 ± 4.2 yrs; Height 155.14 ± 5.4 cm; Weight 70.96 ± 10.2 kg; BMI 29.6 ± 4.4; Duration of HTN: 6.43 ± 2.5 yrs) were recruited for the study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the CART group that performed combined aerobic and resistance exercise of moderate intensity [aerobic exercise 50–80% of HRmax (maximum heart rate) and resistance exercises at 50–80% of 1 Repetition Maximum (RM)], 5 times/week for 4 weeks, or to the control group that followed conventional treatment without any supervised exercise intervention. Resting blood pressure was measured and standard heart rate variability (HRV) indices were calculated using time domain (SDNN, pNN50, RMSSD) and frequency domain (LFnu, HFnu, LF/HF and TP) analysis. CART group demonstrated an increase in HFnu, TP, SDNN, and RMSSD, (p