Regular exercise has more benefits Make your heart stronger. It may also reprogram the nerves that control the heartbeat, a new study has found.
The discovery could ultimately help doctors better treat common conditions such as irregular heartbeats, chest pain, angina and stress-related “broken heart” syndrome, according to scientists at the University of Bristol in the UK.
The study, which looked at lab rats trained over 10 weeks, found that moderate exercise had no effect on the heart. neural control system equally. Instead, distinct and opposite changes occur on the left and right sides of the body. Researchers’ opinions are divided, and the issue has received little attention so far.
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“Our findings show that there is a previously hidden left-right pattern in the body’s ‘autopilot’ system that helps the heart work,” said Dr. Augusto Coppi, lead author of the study and senior lecturer in veterinary anatomy at the University of Bristol, in a statement.
“This helps explain why some treatments work better on one side than the other, and could help doctors target treatment more accurately and effectively in the future,” Coppi added.
10 weeks later aerobic exercise, In a study published in September in the journal Autonomic Neuroscience, researchers examined the animals’ heart-controlling nerves and discovered laterality differences that were not present in inactive rats.
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On the right, the neural hub that sends the “go fast” signal to the heart has developed more neurons, suggesting increased wiring. However, the number of neurons did not increase significantly on the left side. Instead, existing cells became significantly larger, indicating that a different type of adaptation had occurred.
The findings show that exercise restructures the heart’s neural control system in a unilaterally specific way, rather than affecting both sides equally, the researchers said. Understanding this process could help doctors provide more appropriate treatment, especially for patients who are unable to exercise or whose symptoms persist despite exercise. Lifestyle changes.
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The researchers likened the nerve mass, known as the stellate ganglion, to a “dimmer switch” that fine-tune the intensity of the heart’s stimulation. Fine tuning is important because overstimulation of these nerves can lead to chest pain and dangerous heart rhythm problems.
However, this discovery is in its early stages and is based on animal studies. Therefore, it has not been proven to have the same effect on humans. further research is needed before impacting patient care.
The researchers say future studies will investigate whether similar bilateral neural changes occur in humans and whether this could help explain why some heart treatments work better on one side than the other, potentially paving the way for more precise and personalized care. Angina pectoris and heart rhythm disturbances.
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The study was carried out in collaboration with researchers from University College London, the University of São Paulo and Brazil’s Federal University of São Paulo.
The findings add to the evidence that regular, moderate exercise benefits the heart in ways that scientists are beginning to better understand.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the study authors for comment.
