Object : The purpose of this study was to test the response of the decline in heart rate (HR) induced by compression on the eyeball (eyeball pressure : EP) and voluntary non breath (VNB) after pedaling exercise.
Methods : EP ; Nine male subjects performed exercise for 3 min in a supine position using a bicycle ergometer. Immediately after the exercise all subjects received EP for 10 seconds. After that, subjects undertook the same protocol without EP (CON-E). VNB ; Four male and two female subjects performed exercise for 5 minutes using a bicycle ergometer. Immediately after the exercise subjects received VNB for 7 seconds. After that subjects undertook the same protocol without VNB (CON-V).
Results : The slope of the decline in HR recovery (HRDS) after exercise in EP increased significantly more than that in CON-E (p<0.05). However, time constant (HRTC) in CON-E declined faster than that in EP. Thereby, the relationship between HRDS in EP and HRTC in CON-E correlated (r=-0.562). The HRDS of VNB was greater than that of EP and CON-V. However the relationship between HRDS in VNB and HRTC in CON-V did not correlate.
Conclusion : We suggest that EP affects vagal nervous activity and VNB affects strength of baroreflex sensitivity. Therefore HRDS of EP might evaluate vagal nervous activity.
