Impact of Pubertal Development and Physical Activity on Heart Rate Variability in Overweight and Obese

Child obesity is frequently associated with dysfunction of autonomic nervous system. Children in pubertal development were suggested to be vulnerable to autonomic nervous system problems such as decrease of heart rate variability from dysregu-lation of metabolic control. This study explored the influence of pubertal development on autonomic nervous system function in overweight and obese children and the concurrent effects of their physical activity. Eighty-four overweight or obese children and 87 normal weighted controls were recruited. Autonomic nervous system function was studied by measuring heart rate variability. Results showed that the overweight/obese children had significantly lower heart rate variability. Overweight/obese children in puberty had significantly lower heart rate variability which was positively correlated with their physical activity lev-els. In conclusion, overweight/obesity adversely affects the autonomic nervous system function of children especially during their pubertal development. Overweight/obese children should be encouraged to engage in physical activities during puberty to improve their autonomic nervous system function. Keywords autonomic nervous system, heart rate variability, physical activity, overweight/obese, puberty Child obesity is a growing problem worldwide. Asian countries have similar emerging trends according to recent findings, as lifestyles have rapidly westernized (Yuasa et al., 2008). Overweight children are more likely to become overweight adults, and adverse effects associated with child obesity have shown to be risk factors associated with chronic disease in adulthood (l’Allemand-Jander, 2010). Child obe-sity is indisputably a critical issue that merits the major public health concern. The development of obesity is the consequence of many intermingled environmental and genetic factors that alter energy balance (Hill, 2006; Pénicaud, Cousin, Leloup, Lorsignol, & Casteilla, 2000). An association between obesity and autonomic nervous system function has been demonstrated in children (Rodrı́guez-Colón