Full-lotus or half-lotus leg crossing postures may aid in regulating cardiovascular functions and improving health. This study used heart rate variability (HRV) and pulse transit time (PTT) as tools to investigate the effects of leg crossing on cardiovascular function. Fourteen volunteers participated in the study. Pulse signals from their limbs and one ECG signal were recorded for five minutes for the stretched leg posture and the half-lotus leg crossing posture. Results showed that the leg crossing posture yielded a longer PTT (p<0.01), and PTT-related parameters, specifically Standard deviation of all RR[n] intervals (SDNN) (p<0.05), SD2 (p<0.05), and high frequency (HF) in the PTT spectrum (p<0.05), were significantly different between the two postures. These results indicate that PTT is a more sensitive method for detecting cardiovascular function in response to leg crossing postures than HRV; therefore, this noninvasive and simple method may be useful for further studying the effects of posture on cardiovascular function.
Relation:
JOURNAL OF MEDICAL AND BIOLOGICAL ENGINEERING, 28 (2): 95-99
