- An early trial suggests a small device that stimulates a major nerve connecting the heart and brain could help improve fitness.
- The device, clipped to the outer ear, sends gentle electrical pulses to increase the activity of the vagus nerve, which regulates heart function.
- Wearing the stimulator for just 30 minutes a day for a week increased oxygen intake during exercise by 4 per cent in healthy volunteers.
- The study, led by researchers at University College London and Queen Mary University of London, involved 28 healthy volunteers and was published in the European Heart Journal.
- While larger trials are needed, researchers hope the device could one day be used to improve fitness, reduce inflammation, and potentially aid people with heart conditions.
IN FULL
The nerve-zapping device that ‘could help improve your fitness’
