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Heart rate profiles and heart rate variability during scuba diving
Claudine Schaller1, Andrea Fümm2, Simon Bachmann2
1Heart Clinic Zürich, Switzerland.
Swiss Medical Weekly
|October 25, 2021
Summary
Scuba diving causes high pre-dive heart rates and a variable bradycardic dive response. This activity increases both parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous system activity, impacting cardiovascular health.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Sports Medicine
- Physiology
Background:
- Scuba diving involves physiological stressors that can affect cardiovascular function.
- Understanding heart rate and autonomic nervous system responses during diving is crucial for safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To characterize heart rate profiles and heart rate variability in non-selected scuba divers under real-world conditions.
- To investigate autonomic nervous system activity during scuba diving.
Main Methods:
- Utilized specialized dry electrodes for underwater electrocardiogram (ECG) recordings.
- Documented heart rate and variability patterns before, during, and after 18 dives in a custom-built setup.
Main Results:
- Pre-dive heart rates were high (median 114 bpm), decreasing significantly upon submersion (median 90 bpm).
- The heart rate reduction varied individually (median 21%).
- Observed increased autonomic nervous system activity with concurrent sympathetic-adrenergic activation.
Conclusions:
- Scuba diving elicits high pre-dive heart rates, a variable bradycardic response, and sustained autonomic nervous system activation.
- These physiological changes may contribute to diving-related cardiovascular events.
- Highlights the importance of cardiovascular risk assessment for diving eligibility.
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