Exercise improves young men's heart regulation

A new study shows that running and other aerobic activities improve nervous-system control of the heart in young men. The study, of 149 healthy young adults, found that 12 weeks of aerobic exercise improved the autonomic nervous system's regulation of the heart -- at least in men. In general, the training lowered men's resting heart rate and improved their results on a measure of heart-rate variability -- heart's ability to speed up or slow down in response to demands. The benefit was not seen in women, however, the researchers report in the American Journal of Public Health.