Obesity-induced
autonomic nervous system (ANS) dysfunction is related to cardiac disease. The
purpose of this study is to examine the effect
of autogenic training (AT), a therapeutic relaxation technique, on cardiac
ANS functions as evaluated by heart rate variability (HRV) and heart rate
recovery (HRR) in Japanese obese/overweight subjects.
Subjects were 40
obese/overweight male workers (42.7 ± 8.8 years old, BMI 28.8 ± 3.3 kg/m2). The
subjects were randomly assigned to an AT intervention group and a control
group.
Subjects of the
intervention group were required to perform the AT training procedures
(first-third steps) for three months, while the control group participants were
waiting. Before and after intervention, HRV was calculated using a 24 hr Holter
ECG, and HRR was assessed by a treadmill test.
