Heart rate variability in woodworking machinist trainees during workshop practice

The impact of specific factors on students during workshop practice results in tension of regulatory and adaptive mechanisms. This fact can be estimated according to the heart rate variability (HRV). It is of the integral indicators reflecting all mechanisms of cardiac regulation. The aim of the study is to assess students' adaptive capacity during workshop training based on HRV. Materials and Methods. The authors divided 30 students into two groups: a group of less adapted and a group of more adapted students. J. Strelau's theory on temperament and H. Eysenck's personality types were used for the purpose. The authors studied heart rate variability at the beginning and at the end of workshop practice. Statistika 6.0 for Windows was used to process the results. Results. The authors distinguished differences in HRV in two study groups. Before practice, the regulatory system tension index was 479.64 in the group of less adapted students. It was 106.86 in the group of more adapted students. The total power (ms2) indicating adaptive capacity was by 80.9 % higher in more adapted students. After workshop practice, changes in the tonus of the autonomic nervous system were observed in both study groups. However, in the group of less adapted students, indicators confirming sympathicotonia and a decrease in heart rate variability changed to a greater degree. Thus, tension index in the group of more adapted students increased by 46.7 %, and in the group of less adapted students - by 209.9 %. The authors also observed a decrease in the total power: in more adapted students by 51.3 %, and in the less adapted students by 54.3 %. Results. Analysis of HRV showed a more evident adverse influence of workshop practice on less adapted students.