Interventions Based on Physical Exercise and Heart Rate Variability for Health Improvement in Women with Anorexia Nervosa

Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a mental illness characterized by restriction of caloric intake that primarily affects adolescent females, with lifetime prevalence rates of up to 4%. It is important to note that this disease represents the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder, reaching 5%.

For all these reasons, the proposed project aims to add value to AN in the context of physical activity and sport.

In the face of this problem, physical exercise has demonstrated its effectiveness in reversing the negative consequences of the disease, although the effects of applying specific types of exercise aimed at gaining maximum strength in this pathology are still unknown. In addition, heart rate variability monitoring is presented as a promising strategy, still in need of research, to test the improvement of variables related to heart function and its derived benefits, in addition to the control of exercise intensity in this population through this biomarker. Therefore, the present project is based on three main pillars: anorexia nervosa, heart rate variability, and physical exercise to improve the symptoms and, consequently, the quality of life of this population group.