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Regular exercise may do more than strengthen 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 after 10 weeks of aerobic exercise, found that moderate exercise does not affect the heart’s nerve control system evenly. Instead, it produces distinct and opposing changes on the left and right sides of the body — a split that researchers say has gone largely unnoticed until now.
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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, the study found.
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.
Regular exercise may "rewire" the nerves that control the heart, the new study found. (iStock)
"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.
"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."
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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 despite lifestyle changes.
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Researchers compared the nerve clusters, known as the stellate ganglia, to a "dimmer switch" that fine-tunes how strongly the heart is stimulated. That fine-tuning is important because overstimulation of these nerves is linked to chest pain and dangerous heart rhythm problems.
The scientists noted that more studies are needed to determine whether the same effects occur in humans. (iStock)
The findings are early-stage and based only on animal research, so they do not prove the same effects in people.
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The researchers noted that more studies are needed to determine 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.
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The study was conducted in collaboration with researchers from University College London, the University of São Paulo and the Federal University of São Paulo in Brazil.
Researchers discovered distinct left-right changes in heart-control nerves after 10 weeks of aerobic exercise. (iStock)
The research was published in the journal Autonomic Neuroscience.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the study authors for comment.
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