Exercise affects the heart in a hidden, powerful way by rewiring nerves, study finds

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Regular exercise may do more thanstrengthen the heart.It could also reprogram the nerves that control how the heart beats, new research has found.

The discovery could eventually help doctors better treat common conditions such as irregular heart rhythms, chest pain, angina and stress-related “broken-heart” syndrome, according to scientists at the University of Bristol in the U.K.

The study, which looked at lab rats trained over 10 weeks, found that moderate exercise does not affect the heart’snerve control systemevenly.Instead, it produces distinct and opposing changes on the left and right sides of the body.a split researchers say has gone largely unnoticed until now.

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“The discovery points to a previously hidden left–right pattern in the body’s ‘autopilot’ system that helps run the heart,” Dr.Augusto Coppi, the study’s lead author and a senior lecturer in veterinary anatomy at the University of Bristol, said in a statement.

Older woman seen smiling with kettle bell held up to her chest in workout class.

Regular exercise may “rewire” the nerves that control the heart, the new study found.(iStock)

“This could help explain why some treatments work better on one side than the other and, in the future, help doctors target therapies more precisely and effectively,” Coppi added.

After 10 weeks ofaerobic exercise,the researchers examined the animals’ heart control nerves and found left–right differences that did not appear in inactive rats, according to the research published in the journal Autonomic Neuroscience in September.

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On the right side, the nerve hub that sends “go faster” signals to the heart developed many more nerve cells, suggesting increased wiring.On the left side, however, the number of nerve cells did not rise as much.Instead, the existing cells grew significantly larger, indicating a different kind of adaptation.

Young female doctor listens to older woman

The findings could help explain why some heart treatments work better on one side than the other.(iStock)

The findings show that exercise reshapes the heart’s nerve control system in a side-specific way rather than affecting both sides equally, the researchers said.Understanding that process could help doctors better target treatments, especially for patients who cannot exercise or whose symptoms persist despitelifestyle changes.

Scientists caution more studies are needed to determine whether the same effects occur in humans.(iStock)

The findings are early stage and based on animal research, however.So, they do not prove the same effects in people.More studies are neededbefore they could affect patient care.

Researchers say future studies will explore whether similar left–right nerve changes occur in people and whether they could help explain why some heart treatments work better on one side than the other, potentially paving the way for more precise, personalized care forangina and heart rhythm disorders.