Cardiovascular Autonomic Modulation After Acute Resistance Exercise in Women With Fibromyalgia

Kingsley JD, Panton LB, McMillan V, Figueroa A. Cardiovascular autonomic modulation after acute resistance exercise in women with fibromyalgia.ObjectiveTo test the hypothesis that autonomic modulation after resistance exercise (RE) would be reduced in women with fibromyalgia (FM) compared with controls.DesignBefore-after trial.SettingTesting occurred in a university setting.ParticipantsWomen with FM (n=9) and healthy controls (n=9) underwent testing before (pre) and 20 minutes after (post) RE.InterventionsNot applicable.Main Outcome MeasuresNormalized low-frequency (LFnu) and normalized high-frequency (HFnu) oscillations and the LFnu/HFnu ratio were indicative of sympathetic modulation, parasympathetic modulation, and sympathovagal balance, respectively. Baroreceptor reflex sensitivity (BRS) was also measured.ResultsVariables were similar in both groups at rest. HFnu decreased in controls (pre, 55.0±4.2%; post, 35.0±4.7%; P<.05) and increased in women with FM (pre, 57.0±5.7%; post, 63.2±4.6%; P<.05). LFnu increased in controls (pre, 43.3±4.4%; post, 63.2±4.8%; P<.05) and decreased in women with FM (pre, 41.8±5.6%; post, 35.6±4.7%; P<.05). The LFnu/HFnu ratio increased in controls (pre, 0.89±0.17; post, 2.43±0.64; P<.05) with no change in women with FM (pre, 0.90±0.22; post, 0.64±0.13; P=.13). BRS decreased in controls (pre, 8.78±1.42ms/mmHg; post, 5.49±0.66ms/mmHg; P<.05), but not in women with FM (pre, 5.91±1.22ms/mmHg; post, 9.23±2.4ms/mmHg; P=.16).ConclusionsAfter acute RE, women with FM responded differently from controls, demonstrated by lower sympathetic and higher vagal modulation without altering BRS. These postexercise responses may be attributed to the altered autonomic responsiveness to physiologic stress that characterizes FM.