Effect of "touch rugby" training on the cardiovascular autonomic control in sedentary subjects

This study aimed to explore the effects of touch-rugby training on the cardiovascular autonomic control in sedentary subjects. 22 adults (30-64 years old) were included in this study. Before (pre-test) and after (post-test) the period of training, cardio-respiratory recordings were achieved at rest and during a graded maximal exercise on a treadmill. The Smoothed-Pseudo-Wigner-Ville Distribution provided instantaneous time frequency components of RR intervals and systolic blood pressure variability in low- and high-frequency bands. The baroreflex sensitivity was assessed in low-frequency and high-frequency bands. Between pre-test and post-test, resting heart rate (74±10 vs. 69±12 beats.min^-1, p<0.05) and systolic blood pressure (118±19 vs. 103±22-mm Hg, p<0.01) decreased. Root mean square of successive differences (34.6±30.1 vs. 47.6±34.8-ms, p<0.001), high-frequency RR variability (590±288 vs. 1262±767-ms, p<0.001) increased whereas low-frequency/high-frequency ratio decreased (3.5±3.4 vs. 1.5±0.9, p<0.05). The high-frequency baroreflex sensitivity increased (13.4±10.1 vs. 26.0±20.9-ms.mmHg^-1, p<0.05). Playing touch rugby with one session weekly over 3 months modified the cardiovascular autonomic control of sedentary subjects. A decrease in the sympathetic tone combined with both an increase in the vagal tone and a decrease in systolic blood pressure at rest were observed. Therefore, such training appears to be beneficial to cardiac health.