Exercise Changes the Heart in a Way Researchers Never Expected

A University of Bristol rat study found that 10 weeks of treadmill exercise reshaped the stellate ganglia, the nerve clusters that help control the heart.

The changes were side-specific: more neurons on the right, larger cells on the left, smaller cells on the right, and a smaller overall ganglion volume.

The findings suggest aerobic exercise can remodel sympathetic heart nerves in different ways on each side.

This could help researchers better understand and treat arrhythmias, angina, Takotsubo cardiomyopathy, and other heart conditions linked to the autonomic nervous system.