The Study
Increased afternoon step count increases heart rate variability in patients with cardiovascular risk factors.
This study noticed that people who walked more in the afternoon tended to have better heart rhythm while sleeping, but it didn’t make anyone change their schedule. So we don’t know if walking in the afternoon made their heart better, or if people with healthier hearts just felt like walking more in the afternoon.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
People who walked more in the afternoon had better heart rhythm recovery while sleeping than those who walked more in the morning.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 536 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — better heart rate variability during sleep is linked to lower heart disease risk and improved recovery, so this could matter for long-term health.
- 2People who took more afternoon steps had 3% higher heart rate variability during early sleep and 2% higher during the whole night (p-values: .003 and .047).
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
Journal of clinical nursing
Year
2021
Authors
Natsuki Nakayama, Masahiko Miyachi, K. Tamakoshi, Shuji Morikawa, K. Negi, Koji Watanabe, Yoshimi Moriwaki, M. Hirai
Related Content
Claims (2)
People who take more steps each day have higher heart rate variability.
In adults with cardiovascular risk factors, taking more steps in the afternoon is linked to higher heart rate variability during the first hour after falling asleep and during the entire sleep period.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.