Swimming: stress and training.

The short term and the training effects of water immersion and swimming on ventilatory and circulatory parameters of the human organism were described using our own results and data from the literature. It is suggested that swimming has not only the common positive effects on the physical efficiency observed in other types of sport but seems to improve the orthostatic regulation of the circulation. Furthermore, the physical effects of water immersion and the special pattern of muscular activity during swimming favour the adaptation of the heart to the circulatory demands. This advantage of swimming might explain its known beneficial effect in preventive and curative medical treatment.