We all know the benefits of sport at a cardiovascular level, but which of them takes better care of our heart? Well friends, it's not cycling or running: it's swimming .
The topic was explored in a study published in November 2016 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine , “ Associations of specific types of sports and exercise with all-cause and cardiovascular-disease mortality: a cohort study of 80,306 British adults ” .
The researchers analyzed the sporting habits of more than 80,000 Britons who were followed for nine years. Throughout that period, more than 1,900 died as a result of cardiovascular disease or heart attack.
This latter effect facilitates blood pressure control. Likewise, the increase in muscle mass that swimming with lifeguard class implies increases energy expenditure , which improves the lipid profile and reduces the percentage of fat weight.
Why does the heart work more efficiently in the pool?
There are several reasons. Let's see the main ones:
- Swimming means propelling the body in a horizontal position, so that the blood can circulate from end to end and be distributed evenly throughout the body with less effort on the part of the heart than when we are standing, which the return of blood to the heart has to overcome postural effect and gravity.
- Swimming, in general, more directly engages the upper body muscles than the legs. The back, shoulders, and upper extremities are closer to the heart than the feet, so the heart does not have to send as much blood to distant points as occurs in dry endurance sports that use the muscles of the lower extremities.
- During swimming, the heart expands, which means that in each contraction around 10 to 20% more blood is expelled than when we run.
- The water refreshes the skin. When we swim, the blood does not need to cool the skin and can be diverted to the heart.
Other specific effects of swimming
Central Nervous System
Swimming improves higher brain functions such as memory, concentration and focus, mental clarity and alertness, as well as improving mood and reducing stress.
And all this is due to a series of morphological and metabolic changes:
- The brain weighs more, that is, the brain mass increases.
- Cerebral blood flow increases between 10 and 15%, which increases brain metabolism.
- The number of neuronal connections increases and this leads, among other things, to faster assimilation of stimuli and shorter response time.
Respiratory system
By the mere fact of submerging ourselves in the water and not being fish, when we swim, breathing takes place in adverse conditions for the human being.
To inspire, you have to lift your head out of the water and take a deep breath. Expiration, which outside the water is a "passive" action, that is, the air comes out only without effort, when it is done inside it, the swimmer has to overcome the resistance of the water and actively blow for the air to come out.
Adaptations to other levels
Far beyond the heart, swimming positively affects the blood level , increases the content of leukocytes, erythrocytes, and hemoglobin. The increase in red blood cells results in an increase in hematocrit and this goes hand in hand with an improvement in oxygen consumption and sports performance, in and out of the water.
Conclusions
Swimming has a series of peculiarities that make it the healthiest sport for the heart and the respiratory system.
But it is that it also improves the intellectual functions of the brain, sharpens our perception and our senses, is a powerful anti-depressant and helps combat stress. In short, swimming with Online Lifeguard Services USA is the panacea!
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