Aging impairs physiological processes in the autonomic nervous, endocrine, and cardiovascular systems which are associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Heart rate variability (HRV), the beat-to-beat variations of successive heartbeats, is an indicator of cardiac autonomic control and cardiovascular health. Physical activity has beneficial effects on cardiovascular health. However, no review has been conducted to summarize the effects of different exercise modalities on HRV in older adults. Therefore, the aim of this systematic review was to summarize the effects of endurance, resistance, coordinative, and multimodal exercise interventions on resting HRV and secondary health factors in healthy older adults aged 60 years in average and over. Five databases (PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Ovid, and Cochrane Library) were searched for eligible studies published between 2005 and September 8th, 2020. Two reviewers independently assessed the studies for potential inclusion. Outcome measures were changes in resting HRV indices, baroreflex sensitivity, blood pressure, body fat, body mass, body mass index, cardiac output, distance in the six-minute walking test, stroke volume, total peripheral resistance, and VO2 max or VO2 peak from pre to post intervention. The methodological quality of the final data set was assessed using two scales (TESTEX and STARDHRV). This review was registered in PROSPERO: CRD42020206606. The literature search retrieved 3991 articles, of which 13 were included in the review. Five studies used multimodal, three studies endurance, two studies resistance, two studies coordinative, and one study used an endurance and a resistance training intervention. The majority of the studies revealed significant positive effects on cardiac autonomic control, except for the resistance training interventions. All exercise modalities improved secondary health factors. The methodological quality assessment revealed a few criteria to improve the quality of and comparability between studies. This systematic review revealed beneficial effects on cardiac autonomic control in healthy older adults through endurance, coordinative, and multimodal training but not through resistance training. Secondary health factors improved after all types of physical interventions. Future investigations should more thoroughly adhere to methodological standards of exercise interventions and ECG recording for the assessment of autonomic regulation.

中文翻译：

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不同运动干预对老年人心率变异性和心血管健康因素的影响：系统评价

衰老会损害自主神经、内分泌和心血管系统的生理过程，这些系统与心血管疾病的风险增加有关。心率变异性 (HRV) 是连续心跳的逐次变化，是心脏自主神经控制和心血管健康的指标。体育锻炼对心血管健康有益。然而，尚未进行综述来总结不同运动方式对老年人 HRV 的影响。因此，本系统评价的目的是总结耐力、阻力、协调性和多模式运动干预对平均 60 岁及以上健康老年人静息 HRV 和次要健康因素的影响。五个数据库（PubMed、Scopus、SPORTDiscus、Ovid、和 Cochrane 图书馆）检索了 2005 年至 2020 年 9 月 8 日期间发表的符合条件的研究。两名审查员独立评估了这些研究是否有可能被纳入。结果测量包括静息心率变异性指数、压力反射敏感性、血压、体脂、体重、体重指数、心输出量、六分钟步行测试距离、每搏输出量、总外周阻力和最大摄氧量或摄氧量峰值的变化从干预前到干预后。使用两个量表（TESTEX 和 STARDHRV）评估最终数据集的方法学质量。该评论已在 PROSPERO 中注册：CRD42020206606。文献检索检索到3991篇文章，其中13篇被纳入综述。五项研究使用多模式，三项研究耐力，两项研究阻力，两项研究协调，一项研究使用了耐力和阻力训练干预。除了阻力训练干预外，大多数研究表明对心脏自主神经控制有显着的积极影响。所有运动方式都能改善次要健康因素。方法学质量评估揭示了一些提高研究质量和可比性的标准。该系统评价揭示了通过耐力、协调和多模式训练对健康老年人心脏自主神经控制的有益影响，但不通过阻力训练。在所有类型的物理干预之后，次要健康因素得到改善。未来的调查应更彻底地遵守运动干预和心电图记录的方法学标准，以评估自主神经调节。