We investigated the effects of capsaicin supplementation (150mg) on alterations of autonomic nervous system (ANS) activity associated with adverse effects of cardiac depolarization-repolarization intervals during aerobic exercise in obese humans. Nine obese males (26.1 ± 1.5 yrs) volunteered between study designed. The cardiac ANS activities evaluated by means of heart rate variability of power spectral analysis and cardiac QT interval were continuously measured during 5-min rest and 30-min exercise at 50% of maximal ventilation threshold (50%VTmax) on stationary ergometer with placebo (CON) or capsaicin (CAP) oral administration chosen at random. The uncoupling protein (UCP) 2 and UCP 3 genetic variants of the subjects were analyzed by noninvasive genotyping method from collecting buccal mucosa cells. The results indicated that there were no significant differences in cardiac ANS activities during rest and exercise between CON and CAP trials. Although no significant difference, A/A allele of UCP2 polymorphism showed a reduced sympathetic nervous system (SNS) index activity compared to G/G + G/A allele during exercise intervention in our subjects. On the other hand, the data on cardiac QT interval showed no significant difference, indicating that oral administration of capsaicin did not cause any adverse effect on cardiac depolarization-repolarization. In conclusion, our results suggest that capsaicin supplementation 1 h before exercise intervention has no effect on cardiac ANS activities and cardiac electrical stability during exercise in obese individuals. Further studies should also consider genetic variants for exercise efficacy against obesity. Key pointsObese individuals possess reduced cardiac autonomic nervous activities, especially sympathetic nervous activity associated with thermogenesis induced by capsaicin.Lower sympathetic nervous activity may associate with -866 G/A variants of UCP2 polymorphism.Capsaicin ingestion, however, may consider as a safe nutrient-aid with no adverse effects of cardiac electrical stability.
Keywords: Heart rate variability power spectral analysis; capsaicin; cardiac depolarization-repolarization interval; exercise; uncoupling protein.