Motor activity as a necessary condition for the development of vegetative homeostasis and neuro-humoral regulation in children and adolescents

The functional capabilities of younger schoolchildren and the autonomous regulation of heart activity are imperfect, the growth and development of the body at this age are followed by the development of regulatory mechanisms. It is known, that muscular loads exert the greatest influence on the development of regulatory systems, the improvement of the musculoskeletal system and all other functional systems of the body. We observed the children of 9 years old (n = 23), who were additionally engaged in swimming twice a week under the guidance of an experienced trainer (experimental group), in addition to the usual physical education lessons. The most informative indicators of heart rate variability (IC, VLF, TP) were studied. An assessment is made of the predominant influence of a central or autonomous circuit for controlling physiological functions using the types of regulation proposed in the literature. The control was provided by schoolchildren of parallel classes involved in physical education according to the usual school curriculum (n = 18). At the end of the experiment, the majority of schoolchildren in the experimental group (91.3%) registered type III (the most advanced) and a moderate predominance of the autonomous regulation loop; on the contrary, the control group was dominated by type I with a moderate prevalence of the central contour of regulation (61.1%). The balance of acetylcholine and adrenergic processes, found in children involved in swimming, indicates the perfection of regulation mechanisms and a higher level of schoolchildren’s physical health.