Dynamics of autonomous nervous system and psychoemotional status in children doing rhythmic gymnastics

The aim of the study was to evaluate the autonomous nervous system and psychoemotional status in girls doing sports such as rhythmic gymnastics during the non-drug combination treatment. The authors studied the autonomous nervous system and psychoemotional status in 42 7-14-year-old girls who had been doing rhythmic gymnastics in the Olympic Reserve School for 2 to 6 years. Before and after treatment, all children received the clinical examination and evaluation of autonomous nervous system status by the method of сardiointervalography, psychoemotional status by the Luscher and Spielberger-Khanin tests, and attention and exercise tolerance by an array of relevant tests. Combination treatment included manual massage, exercise therapy, mud therapy, laser therapy, and psychological counselling sessions. Before treatment, the examination showed prevailing vagus nerve effects on the heart suggesting the tolerance of the organism to strenuous exercise. During combination rehabilitation treatment, the gymnasts showed an increase in the activity of the sympathetic-adrenal system suggesting an improvement in the adaptation processes and in the regulation of the autonomous nervous system. All children showed high performance, high psychoemotional stress, and moderate level of state anxiety. Psychological correction measures provided way for improvement of the psychoemotional status in young athletes and exerted the stimulatory effect on the qualities crucial for sport.