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Updated: Apr 21, 2026
Training Rats to Voluntarily Dive Underwater: Investigations of the Mammalian Diving Response
Published on: November 12, 2014
The impact of predive exercise on repetitive SCUBA diving
Dennis Madden1, Otto Barak2, Stephen R Thom3
1Department of Physiology, University of Split School of Medicine, Split, Croatia.
Aim:
SCUBA diving frequently involves repetitive exposures. The goal of this study was to see how exercise impacts microparticles (MPs), endothelial function and venous gas emboli (VGE) throughout multiple dives.
Methods:
Sixteen divers in two groups (G1 and G2) each completed six dives, three preceded by exercise (EX) and three as controls (CON). Blood for MP analysis was collected before and after each dive. VGE were monitored via transthoracic echocardiography 30, 60 and 90 min after surfacing. Exercise before diving consisted of 60-min running including eight, 3-min intervals at 90% VO2max.
Results:
Exercise did not have a significant impact on VGE. There was no significant difference in MP counts between EX and CON. Both groups experienced a significant decrease in MP counts in the last three dives compared to the first three (G1 P = 0·0008, G2 P = 0001). Other indices of neutrophil/platelet interaction (dual-positive CD63/41 and CD62/41) show a significant increase (P = 0·004 and 0·0001) in G2.
Conclusion:
Both groups experienced a significant decrease in MPs at all measurements in the second series of dives compared to the first, regardless of the placement of exercise. Whether this is related to an effect of suppression of MPs or exercise timing is not clear.
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