DOES HABITUAL PHYSICAL ACTIVITY LEVEL INFLUENCE AEROBIC CAPACITY AND HEART RATE VARIABILITY IN POSTMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

ABSTRACT The aim of this research was to verify whether habitual physical activity level (HPAL) influences aerobic capacity and parasympathetic activity at rest in postmenopausal women. Thirty postmenopausal women participated in the study (59.3 ± 5.3 years old; 1.58 ± 0.06 m; 64.5 ± 9.6 kg; 25.6 ± 3.1 body mass index; 27 ± 5%fat). The women were divided into two groups based on the median pedometer step count of HPAL (G1 = HPAL) and submitted to the incremental shuttle walking test (ISWT) and analysis of heart rate variability (HRV) at rest. Substantial differences were found between G1 and G2 for step count (p = 0.0001); effect size (ES) = 2.55), ISWT distance (p = 0.0002; ES = 2.24), root mean square of successive difference (RMSSD) (p = 0.0001; ES = 1.56), and high-frequency band (p = 0.0001; ES = 1.31). In conclusion, postmenopausal women with higher HPAL have greater aerobic capacity and parasympathetic modulation of HRV.