Good article about heart changes during diving.

[Sly-vester]

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...od%3Dyahoo_itp

[crawford]

Would be interesting if they could do some type of control, possibly in a compression chamber or something. Either way highlights the need to be in shape and take care of yourself physcially, as this is demanding on your body.

Very interesting. Look forward to them expanding on this study.

[lv2dive]

I think it would be even more interesting to repeat the study with divers in a prone position instead of kneeling and see if the results are the same... From the article:

"Cardiac-ultrasound tests were conducted on land before and after diving, and underwater at two depths. The divers wore suits with access for an ultrasound probe and maintained a kneeling position for 10 minutes at a depth of about 33 feet, then five minutes at 16.4 feet.
Among the heart changes recorded during and after the dive: The volume of the left ventricle, a lower heart chamber that pumps newly oxygenated blood to the body, increased significantly, while the flow of blood into the ventricles decreased. These changes may be due to a diving-related shift of blood from the lower extremities to the upper body, exerting a constrictive effect on the chest, the researchers said.
Bradycardia, the term for a slow resting heart rate, a condition that can cause dizziness and weakness if the rate falls below 50 beats per minute, was documented after but not during the scuba diving. The cardiovascular changes that occur during immersion may increase the risk of cardiac problems in divers who are unfit, overweight or have underlying heart disease, researchers said."