High Heart Rate Variability Causes Better Adaptation to the Impact of Geomagnetic Storms

Abstract

Our study aimed to test whether specific sensitive reactions in healthy males to the changes in geomagnetic activity (GMA) are different depending on the baseline self-regulation of the autonomic nervous system (ANS). In this study, the ANS response in the different phases of geomagnetic storms (GMSs) has been measured via the heart rate variability (HRV) using one-way ANOVA and the Bonferroni-adjusted t-test. In the case of high HRV, changes were found to indicate a significant intensification of both parts of the ANS: the sympathetic part (SP) showed increased stress levels and the parasympathetic part (PP) marked a self-regulation effort in the main and restoration phases of GMSs. In the case of low HRV, changes indicate a significant enhancement in the SP after the main phase of GMSs, with a day’s delay. GMA is a sufficient environmental factor for healthy males, causing stress reactions of the ANS in the main and restoration phases of GMSs. However, the different self-regulation of the ANS results in different dynamics in its variation depending on the individual’s character of the baseline ANS state; the optimal adaptation reactions of healthy males with baseline high HRV are achieved with decreased heart rate and increased HRV in the main phase of GMSs.