COMPARISON OF CARDIO LOCOMOTOR SYNCHRONIZATION IN TIME AND FREQUENCY DOMAIN PARAMETERS OF HRV AFTER WATSU AND IMMERSION

Hearth Rate Variability (HRV) is widely considered a standard noninvasive method for assessing Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) function and used to analyse sympathovagal balance, the interplay between two components of the ANS (Task Force 1996). Heart rate variability (HRV) is the variation of beat to beat intervals, also known as R-R intervals. Watsu is a form of aquatic bodywork used for deep relaxation, balancing ANS function and pain management as a passive aquatic therapy (Schoedinger 2011). Watsu validates high frequency (HF), frequency domain parameters of HRV for monitoring ANS balance. Tufekcioglu and Perlitz (2010), indicated that watsu has a deeper effect on relaxation, improved ANS balance of male subjects. Watsu is performed in warm water (around 35C.) and characterized by one-on-one sessions in which a therapist gently cradles, moves and stretches a receiver in chest-deep warm water (Dull 2008). The support of water decompresses the vertebras during gradual twists and pulls that are not possible on land. This helps undo any dysfunctioning due to rigid spine (Jamison, 2009). These effects of watsu on the functional state of a person can be monitored via the change in the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) activity. Tufekcioglu and Cotuk, (2009) analysed the values of watsu therapy indicating significant increases in time and frequency domain parameters of HRV that supports that the most balancing ANS effect was provided by watsu practiced in water. To compare the effect of Watsu therapy and warm water immersion HRVs time and frequency domain parameters of obese young males in loco motor synchronization, cross over design, a clinical trial design will be conducted. Methods: The college level 30 obese non-smoker male volunteers (BMI 30-35) whom average age is 20 years will be randomly separated into two groups to conduct Watsu Therapy and head out warm water immersion in two successive periods. Other than obesity the subjects will have no health problems including psychological issues confirmed by the physicians. Two Certified Watsu practitioners will be applying the Watsu-2 therapy in an identical pattern throughout the periods. In the first period, 10 watsu and water immersion sessions will be performed for 30 minutes and twice a week over a period of 5 weeks for each subject. After 2 weeks of wash-out period without any therapy or water involvement the 2nd period will start with the subjects crossed over from receiving one treatment to another one for the 5 weeks of 2nd period. The data on BMI, body fat percentage, smoking status, alcohol consumption, and disease status from self-reported questionnaires and medical examinations will be collected. Blood pressure levels before and after each period will be measured. HRV parameters of all participants will be recorded 4 times for 20 minutes at the beginning and at the end of two successive periods. Each measurement will be performed while walking, standing, sitting and lying down on supine position for 5 minutes. Polar RS 800 CX telemetric pulse measurer with the capability of recording the heart pulse intervals with 1ms sensitivity is the tool to record heart rate. HRV parameters will be determined by polar software. Frequency and time domain analyses will then be performed. The effect of Watsu therapy and warm water immersion will be evaluated separately for each measurement (walking, standing, sitting and supine) in the cross over design analysis. The overall health profile of the participants will be analyzed with the health profile based on variables that are related to physical health. Statistics: Repeated Measures of ANOVA (Analysis of Variance) will be used for comparisons of all measurement parameters. The effect of the watsu and head out warm water immersion will be evaluated in the cross over design analysis. Clustering models will be used to investigate and discover natural groupings within the collected data the unlikely period effect from first to second will be analyzed with Wilcoxon / Mid Rank test.