Exercise doesn’t just strengthen your heart muscle and reduce stress.
Researchers have found that exercise also rewires the nerves that regulate the heart. This new discovery could pave the way for more personalised treatments for common heart conditions such as arrhythmias and angina.
Improved treatment for heart conditions
Regular exercise may benefit the heart in a way scientists are only beginning to understand. Beyond improving cardiovascular fitness, new research suggests that moderate aerobic exercise reshapes the nerves that regulate the heart on the right and left side of the body.
The study, published in Autonomic Neuroscience, uncovered the left-right difference that may one day improve treatment strategies for irregular heartbeats, chest pain, angina, and stress-induced ‘broken-heart‘ syndrome. The researchers found that after 10 weeks of exercise there were four times as many neurons in the cardiovascular nerve cluster on the right side of the body compared with the left. At the same time, neurons on the left side nearly doubled in size. Meanwhile, those on the right became slightly smaller.
Study lead author Dr. Augusto Coppi, Senior Lecturer in Veterinary Anatomy at the University of Bristol, said “These nerve clusters act like the heart’s dimmer switch and we’ve shown that regular, moderate exercise remodels that switch in a side-specific way. This could help explain why some treatments work better on one side than the other. Furthermore, in future, it could help doctors target therapies more precisely and effectively.”
How the discovery could help arrhythmias
Dr. Coppi explained “Irregular heart rhythms, known as arrhythmias, stress-induced ‘broken-heart’ syndrome, and certain types of chest pain are often treated by dialing down overactive stellate ganglia – the paired small nerve hubs in the lower neck/upper chest area that send ‘go faster’ signals to the heart.
“By mapping how exercise changes these ganglia on each side, the study offers clues that could one day fine-tune procedures like nerve blocks or denervation to the side most likely to help.”
The researchers now plan to investigate how these structural changes affect the heart’s performance both during exercise and at rest.
How to help your heart
Move More
Aim for at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week. Walking, cycling, swimming and gardening all help strengthen the heart and improve circulation.
Eat More Plants
Fill your plate with vegetables, fruit, legumes, nuts and whole grains. Plant-rich diets are associated with a lower risk of heart disease.
Choose Healthy Fats
Replace saturated fats with healthier options such as olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds and oily fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids.
Keep Blood Pressure in Check
High blood pressure often has no symptoms. Regular monitoring, reducing salt intake and staying active can help keep it under control.
Prioritise Sleep
Most adults need seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night. Poor sleep has been linked to high blood pressure, weight gain and heart disease.
Manage Stress
Chronic stress can affect heart health. Activities such as meditation, yoga, spending time in nature and connecting with loved ones can help reduce stress levels.
Maintain Strong Social Connections
Research suggests that people with strong social networks tend to have better heart health and lower rates of cardiovascular disease.
Avoid Smoking
Smoking damages blood vessels, raises blood pressure and significantly increases the risk of heart attack and stroke. Quitting brings benefits almost immediately.
Know Your Numbers
Regularly check your cholesterol, blood pressure, blood sugar and waist measurement. Understanding these key markers helps identify potential risks early.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Even modest weight loss can reduce strain on the heart and improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels and blood sugar control.
