Sedentary Lifestyle Implication on Cardio-Autonomic Function and Adaptation to Archery as a Reversible Intervention

The study’s objectives were to investigate the effects of a 12-week sedentary lifestyle on heart rate variability (HRV) and the effectiveness of archery as an intervention in a sedentary young population. 34 young people were divided into the sedentary group (SG) and the archery group at random (IG). While IG underwent a 12-week archery intervention with three sessions per week, SG was counselled to maintain their current way of life. At baseline, week eight, and week twelve of the intervention, two baroreflex tests—the Valsalva Manoeuvre Test (VMT) and the Orthostatic Tolerance Test—were used to assess HRV characteristics (OTT). The HRV parameters were determined using an Actiheart device. The SDNN and LF/HF ratio for Valsalva Manoeuvre Test (VMT) and Orthostatic Tolerance Test (OTT) showed gradual improvement from baseline, Week 8 and Week 12. SDNN parameters improve between +3% and +6.3% meanwhile SG showed a reduction at -0.5% and -3.5%. LF, HF, and LF/HF ratio readings also indicate improvement in IG participants. The blood pressure was calculated using PMBPI showed that IG constantly maintained the reading compared to SG which showed some fluctuation after 12 weeks. To conclude, the improvement of HRV parameter following 12 weeks of intervention suggest that archery training benefits in controlling autonomic nervous system changes due to prolong engagement in sedentary behaviors.