Vagally-mediated Heart Rate Variability Research Articles

Psychophysiological markers of athlete burnout: a call to arms.

Burnout is a growing problem in high-performance sport and has negative consequences for athletes (e.g., mental ill-health). It is therefore important to effectively monitor athlete burnout to aid intervention efforts. While self-report measures are available (e.g., athlete burnout questionnaire), the limitations associated with these measures (e.g., social desirability bias) means that objective physiological markers may also be useful. Thus, this article critically discusses potential biomarkers of athlete burnout, drawing on research inside and outside of sport to offer an overview of the current state-of-the-art in this research area. First, it outlines what athlete burnout is, its deleterious consequences, and discusses existing psychological assessments. The article then critically discusses literature on hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (e.g., salivary cortisol) and autonomic nervous system (e.g., heart rate variability) indices of burnout, highlighting some promising biomarkers for future research (e.g., salivary cortisol at bedtime, vagally-mediated heart rate variability at rest). Finally, the article concludes by highlighting key considerations and offering recommendations for future research (e.g., use of more homogenous methods in assessing burnout and physiological parameters). As a result, the intention of this article is to spark more higher quality research on the psychophysiology of athlete burnout, thereby helping tackle this prominent issue in high-performance sport.

Autonomic regulation and comorbid symptoms in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is regarded as transdiagnostic marker of emotion regulation and cognitive control capacity. We analysed vmHRV of children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Based on previous research, we expected to find comorbid symptom dimensions (i.e. internalizing symptoms, conduct problems (CP), and callous unemotional (CU) traits) to relate to vmHRV measures. The sample comprised 100 (70 boys) medication naïve children with ADHD. Children were 6 to 11 years old. High frequency HRV (HF-HRV) was measured at rest and during a delay of gratification task. Additionally, sympathetic reactivity was assessed via skin conductance responses (SCR). Comorbid symptoms were assessed by parent-report questionnaires and clinical interviews. The multiple correlation between CU traits and the HF-HRV scores proved statistically significant. Higher CU traits were associated with higher HRV resting-state and response scores. CP were positively associated with the SCR score. In children with ADHD, increased CU traits might point to a comparatively less impaired self-regulation capacity in the reward-related context. The result corresponds to findings from previous studies. In the future, CU traits should be considered in analyses of autonomic regulation in ADHD.

Vagally Mediated Heart Rate Variability and Mood States in Patients with Chronic Pain Receiving Prolonged Expiration Regulated Breathing: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Reduced vagally mediated heart rate variability (VmHRV) has been reported in patients with chronic pain. In healthy persons, breathing with longer expiration relative to inspiration increases VmHRV at 12 breaths per minute. The present study aimed to determine the immediate effect of breathing with longer expiration relative to inspiration on VmHRV and mood states in patients with chronic pain. Fifty patients with chronic pain aged between 20 and 67years were prospectively randomized as two groups with an allocation ratio of 1:1. The interventional group practiced breathing with metronome based visual cues, maintaining an inspiration to expiration ratio of 28:72 (i/e ratio, 0.38) at a breath rate of 12 breaths per minute. The average i/e ratio they attained based on strain gauge respiration recording was 0.685 (SD 0.48). The control group, which looked at the metronome without conscious breath modification had an average i/e ratio of 0.745 (SD 0.69). The VmHRV, respiration and self-reported mood states (using the Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS)) were assessed. There was a significant increase in HF-HRV and RMSSD during low i/e breathing (repeated measures ANCOVA, Bonferroni adjusted post-hoc test, p < 0.05; in all cases). Self-reported mood states changed as follows: (i) following low i/e breathing positive-mood states increased while the aroused mood state decreased whereas (ii) following the control intervention the aroused mood state increased (repeated measure ANOVA, p < 0.05; in all cases). Hence breathing with prolonged expiration is possibly useful to increase VmHRV and improve self- reported mood states in patients with chronic pain.

Resting vagally-mediated heart rate variability in the laboratory is associated with momentary negative affect and emotion regulation in daily life.

Vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) is a physiological index reflecting parasympathetic activity that has been linked to emotion regulation (ER) capacity. However, very limited research has examined associations of physiological indices of regulation such as vmHRV with emotional functioning in daily life. The few studies that exist have small samples sizes and typically focus on only a narrow aspect of ER or emotional functioning. In this study, we examined associations between vmHRV assessed in the laboratory and emotional/mental health functioning in daily life using a 7-day ecological momentary assessment design in 303 adult community participants. We hypothesized that higher resting vmHRV would be associated with higher positive affect (PA), lower negative affect (NA), less affective variability, greater well-being, fewer dysphoria symptoms, greater use of engagement ER strategies, and less use of avoidance ER strategies, as assessed in daily life. Results revealed that higher resting vmHRV in the laboratory (as indexed by both high frequency heart rate variability, HF-HRV, and the root mean of successive square deviations between heart beats, RMSSD) was significantly associated with less frequent use of avoidance ER strategies in daily life. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed, including the association of vmHRV with negatively valenced, rather than positively valenced, daily life experiences.

Evaluation of low vagally-mediated heart rate variability as an early marker of depression risk

BackgroundBoth low vagally-mediated heart rate variability (HRV) and depression have been shown to be risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD). We recently identified an HRV cutpoint below which persons have an increased risk for several cardiometabolic disorders. However, no cutpoint exists to identify those at risk for depression. MethodsThe association between daytime HRV and diagnostically validated depression cutoffs using the five-item World Health Organization Well-being Index (WHO-5) was examined in adults from the Mannheim Industrial Cohort Study (n = 9973; Mage = 41.9[10.9]; 20 % women [n = 1934]). The aim was to identify HRV cutpoints for individuals who may have clinical depression. ResultsRegression adjusting for age, sex, and linear trend showed a significant quadratic association between depression, indexed by WHO-5 scores and HRV, indexed by the root mean square successive differences (RMSSD) in milliseconds (ms) (p < 0.001). Logistic regression models adjusting for age, sex, and heart period (i.e., inter-beat intervals) compared the clinically depressed (WHO-5 ≤ 28) and those with a screening diagnosis of depression (WHO-5 ≤ 50) to the rest of the population. Significant odds ratios suggested two RMSSD values 25 ± 2 ms (OR = 1.39 [1.17, 1.64]) and 35 ± 2 ms (OR = 1.17 [1.02, 1.34]) that may be used to identify those with an elevated risk for depression. LimitationsThe sample was primarily German men. Fitness and anti-depressant use were not available. ConclusionsAs HRV is a brief measure that can be used in clinical settings, our HRV cutpoints have implications for the early detection of those at risk for psychological and cardiometabolic disorders.

Supplemental Material for Association of Vagally Mediated Heart Rate Variability at Work With Exhaustion: The Importance of Trait Neuroticism

Supplemental Material for Association of Vagally Mediated Heart Rate Variability at Work With Exhaustion: The Importance of Trait Neuroticism

Test-retest reliability and validity of vagally-mediated heart rate variability to monitor internal training load in older adults: a within-subjects (repeated-measures) randomized study

BackgroundVagally-mediated heart rate variability (vm-HRV) shows promise as a biomarker of internal training load (ITL) during exergame-based training or motor-cognitive training in general. This study evaluated the test-retest reliability of vm-HRV during exergaming in healthy older adults (HOA) and its validity to monitor ITL.MethodsA within-subjects (repeated-measures) randomized study was conducted that included baseline assessments and 4 measurement sessions. Participants played 5 exergames at 3 standardized levels of external task demands (i.e., “easy”, “challenging”, and “excessive”) in random order for 90 s. Test-retest reliability was assessed on the basis of repeated-measures analyses of variance (ANOVA), intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC3,1), standard errors of measurement (SEM), and smallest detectable differences (SDD). Validity was determined by examining the effect of game level on vm-HRV in the ANOVA.ResultsFourty-three HOA (67.0 ± 7.0 years; 58.1% females (25 females, 18 males); body mass index = 23.7 ± 3.0 kg·m−2) were included. Mean R-R time intervals (mRR) and parasympathetic nervous system tone index (PNS-Index) exhibited mostly good to excellent relative test-retest reliability with no systematic error. Mean SEM% and SDD% were 36.4% and 100.7% for mRR, and 44.6% and 123.7% for PNS-Index, respectively. Significant differences in mRR and PNS-Index were observed between standardized levels of external task demands, with mostly large effect sizes (mean r = 0.847). These results persisted irrespective of the type of neurocognitive domain trained and when only motoric and cognitive demands were manipulated while physical intensity was kept constant. The remaining vm-HRV parameters showed inconsistent or poor reliability and validity.ConclusionOnly mRR and PNS-Index demonstrated reliable measurement and served as valid biomarkers for ITL during exergaming at a group level. Nonetheless, the presence of large SEMs hampers the detection of individual changes over time and suggests insufficient precision of these measurements at the individual level. Future research should further investigate the reliability and validity of vm-HRV with a specific focus on comparing different measurement methodologies and exercise conditions, particularly focusing on ultra-short-term HRV measurements, and investigate the potential implications (i.e., superiority to other markers of ITL or monitoring strategies?) of using vm-HRV as a biomarker of ITL.

From One's Heart to the Mind of Others: A Study in School-Aged Children.

Studies have shown a significant association between effective parasympathetic modulation of the heart and processes linked to social cognition. Particularly, Quintana and colleagues documented a relation between vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) and performance on a theory of mind (ToM) task, namely, the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test (RMET), in a sample of university students. The purpose of the present study was to test whether such result would extend to a sample of school-aged children (7-9 years old) using the child version of the RMET. In addition, the Eyes Test Revised was administered as it is more suitable to evaluate ToM during childhood. Results supported the positive association between vmHRV and ToM abilities, replicating and extending previous results obtained in young adults. The current study adds to the existing literature pointing to HRV as a putative biomarker of social cognition abilities.

Effects of Heart Rate Variability Biofeedback Training on Anxiety Reduction and Brain Activity: a Randomized Active-Controlled Study Using EEG.

Heart rate variability biofeedback (HRVBF) is a promising anxiety-reducing intervention that increases vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) through slow-paced breathing and feedback of heart rhythm. Several studies have reported the anxiety-reducing effects of HRVBF; however, some studies have reported such training as ineffective. Furthermore, the effects of training and underlying brain activity changes remain unclear. This study examined the anxiety-reducing effects of HRVBF training and related brain activity changes by randomly assigning participants, employing an active control group, and measuring anxiety-related attentional bias using the emotional Stroop task and electroencephalography (EEG). Fifty-five healthy students with anxiety were randomly assigned to the HRVBF or control groups, and 21 in the HRVBF group and 19 in the control group were included in the analysis. Both groups performed 10 training sessions of 20min each within 3 weeks. They were assessed using resting vmHRV, event-related potential (ERP), time-frequency EEG, attentional bias, and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory-JYZ (STAI-JYZ) before and after training. The results demonstrated increased resting vmHRV in the HRVBF group compared to the control group after training. However, no differences were observed in ERP, time-frequency EEG, attentional bias, and STAI-JYZ. Participants with higher pre-training resting vmHRV achieved higher heart rhythm coherence in HRVBF training and had reduced attentional bias. This study suggests that individuals with higher resting vmHRV are more likely to be proficient in HRVBF training and benefit from its anxiety-reducing effects. The findings contribute to participant selection to benefit from HRVBF training and modification of the training protocols for non-responders.Clinical trial registrationOrganization: University Hospital Medical Information Network Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN-CTR), JapanRegistration number: UMIN000047096Registration date: March 6, 2022.

Genetic and polygenic investigation of heart rate variability to identify biomarkers associated with Anxiety disorders

Given that anxiety disorders (AD) are associated with reduced vagally-mediated heart rate variability (HRV), genetic variants related to HRV may provide insight into anxiety etiology. This study used polygenic risk scores (PRS) to explore the genetic overlap between AD and HRV, and investigated whether HRV-related polymorphisms influence anxiety risk. Resting vagally-mediated HRV was measured using a wearable device in 188 European individuals (AD=101, healthy controls=87). AD PRS was tested for association with resting HRV, and HRV PRS for association with AD. We also investigated 15 significant hits from an HRV genome-wide association study (GWAS) for association with resting HRV and AD and if this association is mediated through resting HRV. The AD PRS and HRV PRS showed nominally significant associations with resting HRV and anxiety disorders, respectively. HRV GWAS variants associated with resting HRV were rs12980262 (NDUFA11), rs2680344 (HCN4), rs4262 and rs180238 (GNG11), and rs10842383 (LINC00477). Mediation analyses revealed that NDUFA11 rs12980262 A-carriers and GNG11 rs180238 and rs4262 C-carriers had higher anxiety risk through lower HRV. This study supports an anxiety-HRV genetic relationship, with HRV-related genetic variants translating to AD. This study encourages exploration of HRV genetics to understand mechanisms and identify novel treatment targets for anxiety.

481. Vagally-Mediated Heart Rate Variability Across the Menstrual Cycle and Its Association With Psychiatric Symptoms in Transdiagnostic Outpatients With Suicidality

481. Vagally-Mediated Heart Rate Variability Across the Menstrual Cycle and Its Association With Psychiatric Symptoms in Transdiagnostic Outpatients With Suicidality

Effects of stress management interventions on heart rate variability in adults with cardiovascular disease: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Meta-analysis was used to investigate the potential benefits of stress management interventions (SMIs) on vagally-mediated heart rate variability (HRV) in adults with cardiovascular disease. Electronic bibliographic databases were searched through August 2022. Randomized controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies assessing effects of SMIs on HRV were included. Methodological quality was assessed with a standardized checklist. A pooled effect size was calculated for vagally-mediated HRV indices (standard deviation of normal-to-normal intervals, root mean square of the successive differences, and high frequency power) using random effects models. Fourteen studies (1202 participants, Mage: 59 ± 6.25years; 25% ± 16% women; 61% ± 22% White) were included. Ten studies (11 effects) reported short-term HRV assessment; a small between-group difference emerged for vagally-mediated HRV (d+ = .27, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.01-0.52, k = 11). Most interventions examined biofeedback; these studies yielded a small between-group difference on vagally-mediated HRV (d+ = 0.31, 95% CI 0.09-0.53, k = 7, Q [6] = 3.82, p = .70, I2 = 11%). This is the first systematic examination of the effect of SMIs on HRV in adults with CVD. Findings suggest a small effect of SMIs on vagally-mediated HRV, with biofeedback likely driving the effect. More research is required to fully understand whether this benefit on vagally-mediated HRV applies to other SMIs.

The relationship between sustained attention and parasympathetic functioning

Sustained attention (SA) is an important cognitive ability that plays a crucial role in successful cognitive control. Resting vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) has emerged as an informative index of parasympathetic nervous system activity and a sensitive correlate of individual differences in cognitive control. However, it is unclear how resting vmHRV is associated with individual differences in sustained attention. The primary aim of the current study was to assess if resting vmHRV was associated with individual differences in performance on a neuropsychological assessment of sustained attention. We further aimed to characterize the relationship between resting vmHRV and dispositional factors related to sustained attention, specifically attentional errors in daily life, self-regulation, mindfulness and media-multitasking. Based on previous work, we hypothesized higher resting vmHRV would be associated with better sustained attention across task-based and self-report measures. We did not find resting vmHRV to be significantly associated with performance measures on a task-based assessment of sustained attention. Further, resting vmHRV was not significantly associated with attention errors, self-regulation, mindfulness, or media-multitasking. This work stands to expand the current understanding between parasympathetic functioning, cognition, and behavior, investigating the unexplored domain of sustained attention and related dispositional factors.

Cerebral Hemodynamics and Vagally Mediated HRV Associated with High- and Low-frequency Yoga Breathing: An Exploratory, Randomized, Crossover Study.

Volitionally modifying respiration leads to changes in middle cerebral arterial (MCA) blood flow. The effect of changes in breath rate on MCA blood flow has not been reported. To determine the effect of slow (bumblebee yoga breathing) and fast (high frequency yoga breathing) yoga breathing techniques on MCA blood flow and vagally mediated heart rate variability. Thirty participants (mean age ± standard deviation, 27.3 ± 4.2 years) were assessed on 2 separate days practicing either high frequency yoga breathing (HFYB, breath frequency 54.2/min) or slow frequency bumblebee yoga breathing (BBYB, breath frequency 3.8/min) in random order to determine the effects of changes in breath frequency on MCA hemodynamics. Assessments included transcranial Doppler sonography, vagally mediated heart rate variability (VmHRV), and respiration. Both HFYB and BBYB (i) reduced MCA flow velocities, i.e., peak systolic, end diastolic, and mean flow velocities, and (ii) increased MCA pulsatility indices. There was an increase in VmHRV during BBYB based on increased power in high frequency (HF) and low frequency (LF). LF reflects VmHRV for slow breath frequencies. In BBYB the average breath rate was 3.8 breaths/min. In contrast, VmHRV decreased during HFYB (based on reduced HF power; repeated measures analysis of variance, P < 0.05, all cases). Hence, irrespective of the differences in breath frequency, both HFYB and BBYB appear to reduce MCA flow velocities and increase the resistance to blood flow bilaterally, although the VmHRV changed in opposite directions. MCA velocity and pulsatility changes are speculated to be associated with low global neural activity during yoga breathing.

Influence of Respiratory Frequency of Slow-Paced Breathing on Vagally-Mediated Heart Rate Variability.

Breathing techniques, particularly slow-paced breathing (SPB), have gained popularity among athletes due to their potential to enhance performance by increasing cardiac vagal activity (CVA), which in turn can help manage stress and regulate emotions. However, it is still unclear whether the frequency of SPB affects its effectiveness in increasing CVA. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the effects of a brief SPB intervention (i.e., 5min) on CVA using heart rate variability (HRV) measurement as an index. A total of 75 athletes (22 female; Mage = 22.32; age range = 19-31) participated in the study, attending one lab session where they performed six breathing exercises, including SPB at different frequencies (5 cycles per minute (cpm), 5.5cpm, 6cpm, 6.5cpm, 7cpm), and a control condition of spontaneous breathing. The study found that CVA was significantly higher in all SPB conditions compared to the control condition, as indexed by both root mean square of the successive differences (RMSSD) and low-frequency HRV (LF-HRVms2). Interestingly, LF-HRVms2 was more sensitive in differentiating the respiratory frequencies than RMSSD. These results suggest that SPB at a range of 5cpm to 7cpm can be an effective method to increase CVA and potentially improve stress management and emotion regulation in athletes. This short SPB exercise can be a simple yet useful tool for athletes to use during competitive scenarios and short breaks in competitions. Overall, these findings highlight the potential benefits of incorporating SPB into athletes' training and competition routines.

Heart rate variability as a marker and predictor of inflammation, nosocomial infection, and sepsis - A systematic review.

The autonomic nervous system interacts with the immune system via the inflammatory response. Heart rate variability (HRV), a marker of autonomic activity, is associated with inflammation, and nosocomial infections/sepsis, and has clinical implications for the monitoring of at-risk patients. Due to the vagal tone's influence on anti-inflammatory immune response, this association may predominately be reflected by vagally-mediated HRV indices. However, HRV's predictive significance on inflammation/infection remains unclear. 843 studies examining the associations/prognostic value of HRV indices on inflammation, and nosocomial infection/sepsis were screened in this systematic review. According to inclusion and exclusion criteria, 68 associative studies and 14 prediction studies were included. HRV and pro-inflammatory state were consistently associated in healthy subjects and patient groups. Pro-inflammatory state was related to reduced total power HRV including vagally- and non-vagally-mediated HRV indices. Similar, compared to controls, HRV reductions were observed during nosocomial infections/sepsis. Only limited evidence supports the predictive value of HRV in the development of nosocomial infections/sepsis. Reduced very low frequency power HRV showed the highest predictive value in adults, even with different clinical conditions. In neonates, an increased heart rate characteristic score, combining reduced total power HRV, decreased complexity, and vagally-dominated asymmetry, predicted sepsis. Pro-inflammatory state is related to an overall reduction in HRV rather than a singular reduction in vagally-mediated HRV indices, reflecting the complex autonomic-regulatory changes occurring during inflammation. The potential benefit of using continuous HRV monitoring for detecting nosocomial infection-related states, and the implications for clinical outcome, need further clarification.

The moderating effect of resting heart rate variability on the relationship between internet addiction tendency and brain morphology.

Previous neuroimaging studies have investigated brain morphology associated with internet addiction tendency (IAT) in healthy subjects. However, whether resting vagally-mediated heart rate variability (HRV) exerting influences on the association of IAT and brain morphology remains unclear. This study used voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and multiple regression analyses to assess the interaction effect of IAT and resting vagally-mediated HRV on regional grey matter volumes in 82 healthy subjects. To further illustrate the observed interaction effect, the moderated hierarchical regression analysis was performed. The results showed that resting vagally-mediated HRV moderated the relationship between IAT scores and grey matter volume (GMV) in the precuneus and cerebellum. Specifically, individuals with higher resting vagally-mediated HRV showed a significant positive relationship between IAT scores and GMV in the precuneus, whereas individuals with lower resting vagally-mediated HRV showed a significant negative relationship between IAT scores and GMV in the precuneus. In addition, IAT scores were negatively correlated with GMV in the cerebellum among individuals with lower resting vagally-mediated HRV, but not among individuals with higher resting vagally-mediated HRV. These findings have demonstrated a moderating role of resting vagally-mediated HRV on the association of IAT and brain morphology.

Influence of physical post-exercise recovery techniques on vagally-mediated heart rate variability: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

In sports, physical recovery following exercise-induced fatigue is mediated via the reactivation of the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS). A noninvasive way to quantify the reactivation of the PNS is to assess vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV), which can then be used as an index of physical recovery. This systematic review and meta-analysis investigated the effects of physical recovery techniques following exercise-induced fatigue on vmHRV, specifically via the root mean square of successive differences (RMSSD). Randomized controlled trials from the databases PubMed, WebOfScience, and SportDiscus were included. Twenty-four studies were part of the systematic review and 17 were included in the meta-analysis. Using physical post-exercise recovery techniques displayed a small to moderate positive effect on RMSSD (k = 22, Hedges' g = 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.20-0.61, p = 0.04) with moderate heterogeneity. In the subgroup analyses, cold water immersion displayed a moderate to large positive effect (g = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.42-1.07) compared with none for other techniques. For exercise type, physical recovery techniques performed after resistance exercise (g = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.48-0.89) demonstrated a larger positive effect than after cardiovascular intermittent (g = 0.52, 95% CI: 0.06-0.97), while physical recovery techniques performed after cardiovascular continuous exercise had no effect. No significant subgroup differences for training status and exercise intensity were observed. Overall, physical post-exercise recovery techniques can accelerate PNS reactivation as indexed by vmHRV, but the effectiveness varies with the technique and exercise type.

Leveraging Vagally Mediated Heart Rate Variability as an Actionable, Noninvasive Biomarker for Self-Regulation: Assessment, Intervention, and Evaluation

This contribution highlights the significance of using vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV), a general indicator of adaptation, as an actionable biomarker to assess and enhance self-regulation abilities in individuals and organizations. The paper reviews the state-of-the-art on vmHRV and introduces various techniques to enhance vmHRV, including slow-paced breathing, the diving reflex, transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), and transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS). The recommendations for policymaking are based on recent systematic reviews and meta-analyses related to the implementation of these techniques in diverse settings, such as clinical, organizational, and educational contexts. The discussion emphasizes the efficacy, accessibility, and cost-effectiveness of vmHRV assessments and offers practical tools for individuals and organizations through a three-part framework—assessment, intervention, and evaluation—ultimately fostering self-regulation abilities at both individual and societal levels.

Vagally-mediated HRV as a marker of trait rumination in healthy individuals? A large cross-sectional analysis.

The tendency to ruminate (i.e., repetitive, self-referential, negative thoughts) is a maladaptive form of emotional regulation and represents a transdiagnostic vulnerability factor for stress-related psychopathology. Vagally-mediated heart rate variability (vmHRV) provides a non-invasive, surrogate measure of vagal modulation of the heart, and higher HRV is considered an indicator of susceptibility, or ability to respond to stress. Past research has suggested a link between trait rumination and vmHRV; however, inconsistent results exist in healthy individuals. In this study, we investigated the association between the tendency to ruminate, brooding, and reflection (using the Ruminative Response Scale) with vmHRV measured at baseline in a healthy population using a large cross-sectional dataset (N = 1189, 88% female; mean age = 21.55, ranging from 17 to 48 years old), which was obtained by combining samples of healthy individuals from different studies from our laboratory. The results showed no cross-sectional correlation between vmHRV and trait rumination (confirmed by Bayesian analysis), even after controlling for important confounders such as gender, age, and depressive symptoms. Also, a non-linear relationship was rejected. In summary, based on our results in a large sample of healthy individuals, vmHRV is not a marker of trait rumination (as measured by the Ruminative Response Scale).