[Effect of short-term leave on functional characteristics of the body of northerners].

Abstract

Vacation is an essential feature of modern life for many people, and there is a fundamental assumption that short-term leave contributes to physical improvement and, thus, it is an improving the quality of life factor.

Objective: To study physiological and a number of psychophysiological body characteristics of the Magadan region residents when moving from northern latitudes to the conditions of the southern band in the summer period for vacation.

Material and methods: Through year-round psychophysiological monitoring of a group, consisting of 19 male northern residents volunteers (mean age 33.2±1.5 years), a sample (15 men) was formed. These participants left the territory of the Magadan region for summer vacation during the research period. The mean vacation length was 47±6 days. The subjects were analyzed by the main indicators of physical development, cardiovascular system, heart rate variability, as well as individual psychophysiological characteristics.

Results: Short-term departure from the Magadan region did not cause significant changes in the main indicators of physical development, which was manifested in the absence of statistically significant differences in the indicators of body mass, total fat in the body and body mass index. A similar tendency was noted about the main cardiovascular indicators, except the significantly lower value of myocardial index on the post-vacation period, the reduction of which demonstrates a decrease in the total amount of dispersive abnormalities and, in general, an optimization of the cardiovascular system. At the same time, the conducted analysis of heart rate variability indicators shows a change in sympathetic-parasympathetic balance towards higher parasympathetic activity, which demonstrates the positive effect of summer vacation. Negative tendencies of the vacation effect manifested in a slight speed increase of a comprehensive visual-motor reaction, as well as in an increase of the harmful habits number.

Conclusion: The obtained results of the study expand knowledge about the positive contribution of summer vacation to the health and well-being of working population of the Northern region, and also show that the vacation activities positive results can be assessed on the basis of the indicators of the heart rate variability, the myocardial index, as well as on the basis of the objective and subjective assessment of the psychophysiological condition analysis. These findings fully provide the basis for further research in the sphere of summer vacation activities organization as a public health resource.