Role of autonomic function test in evaluation of abnormal electrocardiogram in athletes

Objective To investigate the role of autonomic function test in the evaluation of abnormal ECG in athletes.Methods Thirty-five athletes were divided into three groups of A(with ventricular premature beat,8cases),B(with atrioventricular block,15cases)and C(with serious sinus bradycardia,12cases).Another 21healthy people were taken as the controls(group D).The change of cardiac autonomic nervous function was measured by short-term heart rate variability(HRV)test.Results Compared with group D,SDNN,RMSSD,SDSD,PNN50and HFnu.were increased,while LF/HF and LFnu.were decreased during normal ECG in group A(P0.05).Besides,SDNN,RMSSD,SDSD,TP and HF during abnormal ECG were lower than those during normal ECG in group A(P0.05).HF and VLF were lower during normal ECG in group B than those in group D(P0.05),and TP,HF and LF during abnormal ECG were higher than those during normal ECG in group B(P0.05).There was no significant difference in HRV between group C during normal ECG and group D.Compared with group C during abnormal ECG,VLF was increased during normal ECG(P0.05),while SDNN,RMSSD,SDSD,PNN50,TP and HF were decreased in group D(P0.05).Conclusion ECG changes of 35athletes are consistent with cardiac autonomic nervous function,which excludes the possibility of organic heart diseases.