New German research has indicated that exercise may help the heart to grow stronger and repair itself by instigating the growth of new blood vessels.

Presenting the findings to the European Society of Cardiology, Dr Robert Hollriegel of the Leipzig University in Germany reported that individuals with serious heart failure who cycled for half an hour a day for 16 weeks produced new stem cells in their bones and also exhibited more small blood vessels in their muscles. Non-exercisers in the 37-person study displayed no change in their blood vessels or muscles.

Heart failure patients tend to be aged over 70 and often have great difficulty in walking more than a few steps. Despite the obvious limitations and difficulties these individuals would experience, the study researchers believe that this population would benefit from gentle walking or cycling after being assessed by doctors and prescribed limited exercise regimens.

Discussing the German study, Dr John Cleland, a heart failure specialist and spokesman for the European Society of Cardiology, said ‘We’re not talking about patients with acute heart problems. This is to prevent people from getting into a cycle of deterioration where they’re afraid to exercise and they just avoid any activity that leaves them out of breath’.

Exercising increases the amount of blood flowing to the muscle being used by 1,000 per cent, putting strain on the heart’s arteries and muscles. To relieve this stress, stem cells are dispatched, and these may also repair damage. By continuing to exercise, the stem cells help the body adapt to the stress by building new blood vessels and strengthening muscles - a process which must be maintained with regular exercise.

Those with heart failure should increase the strength of their heart by pushing the boundaries of their fitness and exercising daily until they are out of breath. Dr Freek Verheugt, a cardiologist at the University of Nymegen in the Netherlands concurred, saying ‘People think that if they have heart failure, then they’re at the end of the road and they can’t exercise. But this study shows that exercise can work to produce new blood vessels, even in patients with serious heart disease’.