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First Real-Life Data on the Diving Response in Healthy Children

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Abstract

Swimming and diving are popular recreational activities, representing an effective option in maintaining and improving cardiovascular fitness in healthy people. To date, only little is known about the cardiovascular adaption to submersion in children. This study was conducted to improve an understanding thereof. We used a stepwise apnea protocol with apnea at rest, apnea with facial immersion, and at last apnea during whole body submersion. Continuous measurement of heart rate, oxygen saturation, and peripheral resistance index was done. Physiologic data and analysis of influencing factors on heart rate, oxygen saturation, and peripheral vascular tone response are reported. The current study presents the first data of physiologic diving response in children. Data showed that facial or whole body submersion leads to a major drop in heart rate, and increase of peripheral resistance, while the oxygen saturation seems to be unaffected by static apnea in most children, with apnea times of up to 75 s without change in oxygen saturation.

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Funding

The current study was funded by the Deutsche Stiftung für Herzforschung.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department for Pediatric Cardiology, University of Leipzig – Heart Center, Strümpellstr. 39, 04289, Leipzig, Germany

    Mareike Rixen, Johannes Weickmann, Roman Antonin Gebauer, Michael Weidenbach, Franziska Markel, Anna Michaelis, Ingo Dähnert & Christian Paech

  2. Department of Sports Medicine, Charité – Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany

    Jan Wüstenfeld

  3. Institut for Applied Training Science, Marschnerstrasse 29, Leipzig, Germany

    Jan Wüstenfeld

  4. Landestauchsportverband Sachsen E.V, Am Sportforum 3, 04105, Leipzig, Germany

    David Münch

  5. SC DHfK Leipzig E.V, Am Sportforum 10, 04105, Leipzig, Germany

    Max Poschart

  6. Oxygen Scientific GmbH, Eichbachgasse 151, 8041, Graz, Austria

    Arne Sieber

  7. Environmental Physiology Group, Department of Health Sciences, Mid Sweden University, Östersund, Sweden

    Erika Schagatay

Authors
  1. Mareike Rixen
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  2. Johannes Weickmann
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  3. Roman Antonin Gebauer
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  4. Michael Weidenbach
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  5. Franziska Markel
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  6. Anna Michaelis
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  7. Ingo Dähnert
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  8. Jan Wüstenfeld
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  9. David Münch
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  10. Max Poschart
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  11. Arne Sieber
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  12. Erika Schagatay
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  13. Christian Paech
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Contributions

MR, CP, and ES wrote the main manuscript text. CP, MR, DM, and MP conducted the measurements during diving protocol. JW performed the statistical analysis. FM and AM provided Figs. 1, 2, and 6. JW, RAG, and AS prepared Table 1 and Figs. 3, 4, and 5. MW and ID supervised the study and helped in developing the study protocol. All authors reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Christian Paech.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare to have no conflicts of interest.

Ethical approval

All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional and / or national research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards. The study received ethical approval by the ethics committee University of Leipzig and is listed under the reference 549/19-ek.

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Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study as well as from their legal guardians.

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Rixen, M., Weickmann, J., Gebauer, R.A. et al. First Real-Life Data on the Diving Response in Healthy Children. Pediatr Cardiol 45, 314–322 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-023-03370-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-023-03370-z

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