title: Swimming and the heart.
abstract: Exercise training is accepted to be beneficial in lowering morbidity and mortality in patients with cardiac disease. Swimming is a popular recreational activity, gaining recognition as an effective option in maintaining and improving cardiovascular fitness. Swimming is a unique form of exercise, differing from land-based exercises such as running in many aspects including medium, position, breathing pattern, and the muscle groups used. Water immersion places compressive forces on the body with resulting physiologic effects. We reviewed the physiologic effects and cardiovascular responses to swimming, the cardiac adaptations to swim training, swimming as a cardiac disease risk factor modifier, and the effects of swimming in those with cardiac disease conditions such as coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure and the long-QT syndrome.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, State University of New York Downstate Medical Center, Brooklyn, New York, United States. Jason.lazar@downstate.edu
authors.forename: Jason M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Lazar
authors.forename: Neel
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Khanna
authors.forename: Roseann
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chesler
authors.forename: Louis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Salciccioli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy*; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D010101:Oxygen Consumption / Q000502:physiology; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Exercise; Swimming; Training