Investigation of Autonomic Stress Response Patterns in College Students With Varying Physical Activity Levels

NCT07360821 | Not Yet Recruiting DMC

• 1 other identifier: 2025601H
• Study Type: observational
• Target: 60
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

This study aims to investigate the differences in cardiovascular stress response patterns among individuals with various physical activity levels (sedentary controls and different types of athletes). By synchronously monitoring ECG, heart rate, skin sympathetic nerve activity (SKNA), blood pressure, and cardiac output, the study will characterize physiological dynamics during resting, orthostatic challenge, cold pressor stress, and maximal exercise.

Conditions

Physical Activity Level; Autonomic Nervous System Activity; Cardiovascular

Keywords

SKNA; HRV; Blood Pressure Variability; Athletes; Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Heart Rate Variability

  Time-domain metrics (e.g., RMSSD, SDNN) derived from ECG recordings to evaluate cardiovagal modulation and cardiac autonomic balance.

  Baseline (10-minute rest), during the 10-minute mental stress test, and during the cardiopulmonary exercise test (approx. 20 minutes)

• Skin Sympathetic Nerve Activity

  Integrated average SKNA (aSKNA) and burst metrics measured via surface electrodes to assess sympathetic nerve firing

  Baseline (10-minute rest), during the 10-minute mental stress test, and during the cardiopulmonary exercise test (approx. 20 minutes)

Study Arms (4)

Sedentary Control

Healthy adults with minimal physical activity, screened via SBQ and IPAQ-S questionnaires as baseline controls

Diagnostic Test: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing

Endurance Athletes

Long-distance runners or triathletes with over 1 year of regular aerobic training (e.g., 800m+ running, swimming).

Diagnostic Test: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing

Strength Athletes

Athletes specializing in anaerobic/power-based training, such as weightlifting, wrestling, or sprinting.

Diagnostic Test: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing

Traditional Ethnic Sports

Practitioners of mind-body exercises like Tai Chi or Baduanjin, emphasizing respiratory control and mild intensity

Diagnostic Test: Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing

Interventions

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Cardiopulmonary Exercise Testing (CPET) is a non-invasive, integrated assessment of the cardiovascular, respiratory, and muscular systems' responses to physical stress.

Endurance Athletes; Sedentary Control; Strength Athletes; Traditional Ethnic Sports

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)
• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population consists of 60-80 healthy adult volunteers (college students). Participants are categorized into five distinct groups based on their habitual physical activity levels and training backgrounds: 1) Sedentary controls, 2) Endurance athletes, 3) Strength athletes, 4) Technical athletes, and 5) Traditional ethnic sports practitioners (e.g., Tai Chi). Gender balance is maintained across all groups.

You may qualify if:

• Healthy young adults aged 18-25 years
• Body Mass Index (BMI) within the range of 18.5-23.9 kg/m 2
• No history of systematic professional athletic training (for sedentary group) or confirmed training background (for athlete groups)
• No exercise contraindications or history of cardiovascular, respiratory, or metabolic diseases
• No family history of sudden cardiac death
• Ability to understand the study protocol and sign the informed consent form

You may not qualify if:

• History of limb sports injury within the past 6 months or unhealed fractures
• Habits of smoking or chronic alcohol consumption
• Presence of implanted electronic devices (e.g., pacemakers)
• Clinical diagnosis of psychiatric disorders such as anxiety or depression
• Recent use of medications affecting autonomic or cardiovascular function
• Regular practice of meditation or ongoing psychotherapy
• Irregular menstrual cycles (for female participants)
• Peripheral neuropathy or other autonomic nervous system disorders

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Beijing Sport University: lead

MeSH Terms

Interventions

Exercise Test

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Heart Function Tests; Diagnostic Techniques, Cardiovascular; Diagnostic Techniques and Procedures; Diagnosis; Respiratory Function Tests; Diagnostic Techniques, Respiratory System; Ergometry; Investigative Techniques

Study Design

• Study Type: observational
• Observational Model: COHORT
• Time Perspective: CROSS SECTIONAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 12, 2026
• First Posted: January 22, 2026
• Study Start: February 25, 2026
• Primary Completion: April 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): July 30, 2026
• Last Updated: January 22, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-01