Is there a correlation between age and heart rate recovery in amateur runners after the Cooper test?
Original article - e245650 - Published 2026, Jun 11
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33233/rbfex.v25i2.5650Keywords:
heart rate, autonomic nervous system, ageAbstract
Introduction: Heart rate (HR) recovery after exercise is widely used as an indicator of autonomic modulation and aerobic fitness. However, the influence of age on this process remains unclear in amateur runners. Objective: This study aimed to analyze the correlation between age and HR during recovery at different moments after the Cooper Test. Twenty-two male amateur runners, aged 20 to 39 years, were evaluated. HR was measured at rest (F0), immediately post-test (F1), and five minutes post-exercise (F2). Data normality was verified using the Shapiro–Wilk test, and Spearman’s correlation coefficient was applied to assess the relationship between age and HR. Results: A strong and statistically significant negative correlation was found between age and HR at F1 (r = -0.997; p < 0.001) and F2 (r = -0.991; p < 0.001), indicating that older individuals exhibited lower HR values post-exercise. Conclusion: These findings suggest that age influences the chronotropic response to exercise, with older individuals reaching lower peak HR values and subsequently presenting lower HR values during early recovery. This pattern does not necessarily reflect faster recovery but may be associated with reduced sympathetic activation during exertion. Future studies should incorporate direct measurements of autonomic modulation and aerobic fitness to provide a deeper understanding of this relationship.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Wellington Isaac Soares, Vitor Alves Marques, Naiany Pereira Silva, Franassis Barbosa de Oliveira, Fábio Santana
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