The Surprising Reason Swimming Could Be Better for Your Heart Than Running

Key Points:

• New research from the Federal University of São Paulo reveals that swimming induces greater heart growth and more favorable molecular changes than running, suggesting it may be more beneficial for cardiovascular health.
• Both swimming and running improved fitness similarly by increasing VO₂ max, but only swimming led to significant increases in overall heart mass and left ventricular mass in an eight-week mouse study.
• Swimming triggered stronger changes in heart-related microRNAs, which regulate key processes such as heart cell growth, angiogenesis, protection against cell death, and contractile function, surpassing the effects seen with running.
• The study highlights distinct biological pathways through which swimming and running affect heart structure and function, challenging the assumption that these aerobic exercises have interchangeable cardiovascular benefits.
• These findings have important implications for cardiac rehabilitation and scientific research, emphasizing swimming’s potential special impact on myocardial recovery and heart efficiency.