Cited by 319Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic ControlCardiovascular and exercise physiologyPhysical Activity and Health

Autonomic neural control of heart rate during dynamic exercise: revisited

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White, Daniel W., Raven, Peter B.·2014·The Journal of Physiology

Abstract

The accepted model of autonomic control of heart rate (HR) during dynamic exercise indicates that the initial increase is entirely attributable to the withdrawal of parasympathetic nervous system (PSNS) activity and that subsequent increases in HR are entirely attributable to increases in cardiac sympathetic activity. In the present review, we sought to re‐evaluate the model of autonomic neural control of HR in humans during progressive increases in dynamic exercise workload. We analysed data from both new and previously published studies involving baroreflex stimulation and pharmacological blockade of the autonomic nervous system. Results indicate that the PSNS remains functionally active throughout exercise and that increases in HR from rest to maximal exercise result from an increasing workload‐related transition from a 4 : 1 vagal–sympathetic balance to a 4 : 1 sympatho–vagal balance. Furthermore, the beat‐to‐beat autonomic reflex control of HR was found to be dependent on the ability of the PSNS to modulate the HR as it was progressively restrained by increasing workload‐related sympathetic nerve activity. In conclusion: (i) increases in exercise workload‐related HR are not caused by a total withdrawal of the PSNS followed by an increase in sympathetic tone; (ii) reciprocal antagonism is key to the transition from vagal to sympathetic dominance, and (iii) resetting of the arterial baroreflex causes immediate exercise‐onset reflexive increases in HR, which are parasympathetically mediated, followed by slower increases in sympathetic tone as workloads are increased.

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Crossref · 10.1113/jphysiol.2014.271858

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Authors
White, D. W., & Raven, P. B.
Affiliations
University of North Texas Health Science Center (US)
Corresponding author
White, Daniel W.
Venue
The Journal of Physiology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2014-05-21
Volume
592
Issue
12
Pages
2491-2500
ISSN
  • 0022-3751 (ISSN-L)
  • 1469-7793
OpenAlex
W1603215891
Cited by
319
References
54
Citations by year
2026: 27 · 2025: 36 · 2024: 31 · 2023: 30 · 2022: 30 · 2021: 40 · 2020: 35 · 2019: 20 · 2018: 22 · 2017: 18 · 2016: 17 · 2015: 10 · 2014: 3
FWCI
2.58
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Journal of Physiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
  • National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (HL-045547)
  • Texas Chapter of the American College of Sports Medicine Student Research Development Award 2012 to D.W.W.
  • Cardiovascular Research Institute and Department of Integrative Physiology
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine › Heart Rate Variability and Autonomic Control
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Physical Activity and Health
Keywords
heart rate, autonomic regulation, dynamic exercise, parasympathetic nervous system, sympathetic nervous system, baroreflex, training load, autonomic blockade
MeSH terms
Autonomic Nervous System, Heart Rate, Humans, Parasympathetic Nervous System, Exercise

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