Université de Fribourg

Relation of Heart Rate and its Variability during Sleep with Age, Physical Activity, and Body Composition in Young Children

Herzig, David ; Eser, Prisca ; Radtke, Thomas ; Wenger, Alina ; Rusterholz, Thomas ; Wilhelm, Matthias ; Achermann, Peter ; Arhab, Amar ; Jenni, Oskar G. ; Kakebeeke, Tanja H. ; Leeger-Aschmann, Claudia S. ; Messerli-Bürgy, Nadine ; Meyer, Andrea H. ; Munsch, Simone ; Puder, Jardena J. ; Schmutz, Einat A. ; Stülb, Kerstin ; Zysset, Annina E. ; Kriemler, Susi

In: Frontiers in Physiology, 2017, vol. 8, no. 109, p. 1-12

Background: Recent studies have claimed a positive effect of physical activity and body composition on vagal tone. In pediatric populations, there is a pronounced decrease in heart rate with age. While this decrease is often interpreted as an age-related increase in vagal tone, there is some evidence that it may be related to a decrease in intrinsic heart rate. This factor has not been taken into...