Author(s)

Marina Medina Corrales, Blanca de la Cruz Torres, Alberto Garrido Esquivel, Marco Antonio Garrido Salazar, José Naranjo Orellana

Pablo de Olavide University, Seville, Spain.
Sports Organisation Faculty, Autonomous University of Nuevo León, Monterrey, Mexico.
University of Seville, Seville, Spain.

This study analyzed Heart Rate Variability in a large sample of active young subjects within a narrow age range (18 to 25), using time and frequency domain methods and a Poincaré plot. Heart rate was recorded (beat to beat) for 30 minutes at rest in 200 healthy subjects divided into 4 groups: 50 sportsmen (20.54 ± 1.52 years); 50 active men (21.22 ± 1.31 years); 50 sportswomen (20.10 ± 1.87 years) and 50 active women (20.92 ± 1.87 years). Significant differences were found for most parameters between athletes and active subjects (male and female) but not between genders. Percentile distributions were provided for all parameters (according to gender and physical activity level) to be used as references in future researches.

Heart Rate Variability; Time Domain; Frequency Domain; Poincaré Plot

Corrales, M. , Torres, B. , Esquivel, A. , Salazar, M. and Naranjo Orellana, J. (2012) Normal values of heart rate variability at rest in a young, healthy and active Mexican population. Health, 4, 377-385. doi: 10.4236/health.2012.47060.