Comparison of effect of aquatic interventions on cardiac modulation of obese young males in motion. A crossover trial

Abstract Study aim: The study aimed to compare the effects of passive Watsu therapy and immersion on cardiac locomotor synchronization of obese young males. Material and methods: Twenty-six volunteer obese males participated in this study (age 18.3 ± 0.32, BMI 36.9 ± 6.52). Heart rate variability parameters were recorded in different positions by the Polar H7 heart rate sensor and HRV+ software. Participants were assigned to two groups, randomly, in a single-blinded crossover design. Kubios HRV 2.2 and MATLAB were used to analyze the bio-signals. Statistical analysis was performed via t-test and ANOVA (analysis of variance) using SPSS. For the significance in results and group comparison, the paired t-test and the independent t-test were used respectively. Results: Combined results indicated that Watsu therapy increased 3 HRV vertical position parameters and immersion increased 3 HRV non-locomotor parameters, significantly (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The findings show that Watsu and immersion improved the specific autonomic cardiac modulation. However, non-contact immersion seemed to provide better synchronization of cardiac control and locomotion. The close contact Watsu approach provided improvements in autonomic cardiac regulation. Collectively, these improvements suggest the combination of both therapies in maximizing the cardiac benefits sought by aquatic therapy programs.