Dr.Biol., Professor I.Kh. Vakhitov
Dr.Med., Professor I.D. Sitdikova
Postgraduate L.E. Alyasheva
Kazan Federal University, Kazan

Keywords: fitness, women, heart rate, regular classes.

Introduction. Fitness classes are currently very popular with young people and adults. This is accounted for by the fact that a wide range of methods and forms of classes is offered to those training. Tracing is one of the most effective forms of fitness classes aimed at fat burning [5].

Tracing (method of Tracy Anderson) has an impact on smaller muscle groups and enables one to achieve the most harmonious development of the whole body [10]. It is a training system for women of all ages, with various fitness level [2, 9]. The program includes a dance and aerobic warm-up, a strength training aimed at working on the muscles of the whole body as well as stretching exercises [3, 4, 6]. Sets of classical aerobic exercises causing high productivity of the respiratory and cardiovascular systems are the main means used in the aerobic part of the class [8]. The load at tracing classes is more concentrated, fatigue sets in quicker [1]. This ensures fat burning, body correction, training of the cardiovascular system, development of strength and endurance, flexibility and mobility of joints [7]. There is no doubt that this kind of exercise has a positive impact on the body of those involved. However, the impact of tracing on the cardiovascular system of women remains understudied.

Objective of the research was to study the heart rate reaction characteristics of women engaged in fitness to performance of a standardized muscular load.   

Research methods and organization. The research was carried out at the “Malina” fitness studio in the city of Kazan. It involved women aged from 22 to 35 with different experience having fitness classes three times a week. The total number of subjects was 55 persons, including 29 women systematically attending tracing classes for one year (study group – SG) and 26 women just starting to get involved in this kind of fitness (reference group – RG).     

Heart rate indicators were recorded in a state of relative rest and when performing a standardized muscular load in the form of the Harvard step test using the method of tetrapolar chest rheography by W.G. Kubicek [11]. The rheogram was automatically recorded by RDCA 2 – 01 TU 9442-002-00271802-95, a rheo-device for computerized assessment, designed for operation as a part of hardware-software systems for medical use.

Research results and discussion. According to our research, heart rate of women of the reference group while at rest was 78.8±1.8 beats/min. (Table 1). During the first minute of the standardized muscular load in the form of the Harvard step test the heart rate increased by 65.7 beats/min and reached  144.5±2.1 beats/min (Р<0.05). Heart rate increase also occurred during the second minute of the muscular load performance. The heart rate at the same time increased up to 151±0.9 beats/min (Р<0.05). However, in case of these women a decrease of the heart rate took place during the third minute of the muscular load performance by 7.7 beats/min compared with the heart rate values recorded during the second minute of the muscular load, and it reached 144.3±1.9 beats/min (Р<0.05). Thus, in case of the women from the reference group, their heart rate increases during the first two minutes of the muscular load, but later, that is, during the third minute, there is a significant decrease of this indicator.

During the recovery period after the muscular exercise was over, the heart rate of this group of women significantly decreased. During the first minute of recovery the heart rate of the women of the reference group decreased by 19.3 beats/min versus the values recorded during the third minute of the muscular load performance and reached 123±3.6 beats/min (Р<0.05). A steady decrease in heart rate was also observed during the following minutes of recovery. However, this decrease took place at a slower pace.   During the second minute of recovery the heart rate dropped to 109.9±2.4 beats/min (Р<0.05). During the third minute this indicator dropped by 7.5 beats/min more and reached 102.4±2.1 (Р<0.05) beats/min. During the following two minutes of recovery the heart rate of the women kept decreasing insignificantly, and during the fifth minute of recovery this indicator reached 100±4.0 beats/minute. Thus, in this group of women we observed the heart rate that decreased with each subsequent minute of recovery. At the same time there was no heart rate decrease to the level of initial values by the fifth minute of the recovery period.  

Heart rate of the women from the study group while at rest was 68.1±2.2 beats/min. This value was by 10.7 beats/min less compared with the values of the women from the reference group (Р<0.05). During the first minute of performing the muscular load the heart rate increased and reached 122.7±4.5 beats/min (Р<0.05). However, while in case of the women from the reference group this value increased by 65.7 beats/min during the first minute of the muscular load performance, in case of the women from the study group the heart rate increased by 54.6 beats/min only, which is by 11.1 beats/min less than the heart rate value of the reference group (Р<0.05). During the second minute of the Harvard step test performance the heart rate of women engaged in tracing classes for one year increased by 9.1 beats/min compared to the values recorded during the first minute of the muscular load performance and reached 131.8±2.1 beats/min (Р<0.05). During the third minute this indicator increased by an insignificant amount and reached 133.1±5.5 beats/min. Thus, a gradual increase of the heart rate takes place during muscular exercise in the form of the Harvard step test in the women that regularly attended fitness classes for a year, while the heart rate of the women from the reference group increased only during the first two minutes of the muscular load performance, and there was a decrease of the indicator in question during the third minute. At the same time the most significant increase of the heart rate was observed in the women of the reference group during the first minute of the muscular load performance rather than in the women engaged in fitness for a year.    

A considerable decrease of the heart rate values was observed in the women from the study group during the recovery period, after performing the muscular exercise. We observed a decrease of heart rate by 16 beats/min in this group of women during the first minute of the recovery period compared with the values recorded during the third minute of the muscular load, which reached 117.1±3.7 beats/min (Р<0.05). The greatest decrease in heart rate occurred during the second minute. The value decreased by 18.5 beats/min and reached 98.6±4.5 beats/min (Р<0.05). During the third minute the heart rate decreased to 82.18±4.7 beats/min (Р<0.05). It kept decreasing during the fourth minute of recovery and reached 71.6±3.8 beats/min (Р<0.05), and during the fifth minute the value was established at the baseline and reached 69.4±3.5 beats/min. Thus, in case of women regularly attending tracing classes for a year we observed a more rapid decrease of the heart rate during the recovery period compared with the reference group of women.

Furthermore, in case of the women of the reference group, that is those attending fitness classes for a month, the difference between the heart rate values recorded during the fifth minute of recovery and the baseline values was 22.2 beats/min while at rest (Р<0.05). At the same time in case of the women attending fitness classes for a year this difference proved to be 2 times less compared to the reference group and reached 8.9 beats/min. It should also be noted that in case of the women of the reference group the heart rate values during five minutes of the recovery process remained at a high level, and no heart rate decrease to baseline values took place. At the same time the heart rate of the women of the trained group, i.e. of those attending tracing classes for a year, decreased to baseline values already by the fourth minute of the recovery period. 

Comparing the heart rate values of the women from the reference and study groups while at rest, we found that systematic tracing classes during a year contribute to a significant decrease in heart rate values. For example, while the women from the reference group had the heart rate of 78.8±1.8 beats/min, the women from the trained group had it lower by 10.7 beats/min, that is, 68.1±2.2 beats/min (Р<0.05).

During the Harvard step test performance the heart rate of the women from the study group attending tracing classes for a year maximally increased only to 133.1±5.5 beats/min. At the same time in case of the women from the reference group the heart rate reached its maximum values already during the second minute of the muscular load. Moreover, we observed a steady trend towards a decrease of the heart rate in these women during the subsequent minutes of the Harvard step test performance. Thus, the heart rate of the women from the reference group during the third minute of the Harvard step test performance decreased by a significant value of 6.7 beats/min compared to the second minute. In case of the women from the study group the heart rate during the Harvard step test increased gradually and reached its maximum values by the third minute of the muscular load performance.  

Heart rate of the women from the study group decreased at the highest rate during the recovery period and already by the fourth minute reached the baseline values. At the same time in case of the women from the reference group no heart rate decrease to the baseline values during five minutes of the recovery period was observed.   

Table 1. Change of heart rate values 

* significance of the differences compared to the previous value (Р<0.05)                                                                                                                    #   significance of the differences compared to the value of the previous group (Р<0.05)

 Conclusion. Heart rate values of the women having regular tracing classes change insignificantly during  muscular exercise and recover considerably faster after the exercise completion compared to the women in the reference group. Hence, systematic tracing classes, i.e. a kind of fitness, to a large extent contribute to the improvement of the heart functional capacity of those involved.  

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Corresponding author: tggpy-mbofk@mail.ru