SAO PAULO, March 23 (Xinhua) — Swimming is more effective than running in strengthening the heart and improving the function of the heart muscle, according to a study carried out by Brazilian scientists and released this Monday by the Sao Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp).
The research, developed in an animal model by specialists from the Federal University of Sao Paulo (Unifesp), showed that training in water induces healthier heart growth and a greater capacity for myocardial contraction compared to running.
“We discovered that, although both activities improve respiratory capacity, swimming goes further, by combining functional and molecular adaptations that make the heart stronger and more efficient,” said the study coordinator, researcher Andrey Jorge Serra, from Unifesp.
The work, published in the journal Scientific Reports, identified that the superiority of swimming is explained by a greater modulation of microRNAs, molecules that regulate gene expression and control key processes in the heart, such as the growth of cardiac cells, the formation of new blood vessels, protection against cell death and the response to oxidative stress.
For the study, researchers subjected rats to an eight-week training protocol, with daily 60-minute sessions, five times a week.
The subjects were divided into three groups: sedentary, running training and swimming training, the statement said.
The results showed that both modalities improved physical fitness similarly, with a greater than five percent increase in maximal oxygen consumption, a key indicator of cardiorespiratory fitness.
However, only swimming generated significant structural changes in the heart, such as increased cardiac and left ventricular mass.
“Our results show that swimming can have a special impact on myocardial recovery and cardiac rehabilitation, in addition to providing relevant evidence for scientific research, since the effects of different exercise modalities are not equivalent,” explained Serra.
The study also analyzed the gene and protein expression pathways involved in physiological cardiac hypertrophy, which advanced the understanding of the molecular mechanisms associated with the benefits of aerobic exercise. End