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Vagus nerve stimulation may help people exercise more
Last reviewed: 03.08.2025
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An experimental device that stimulates a key nerve connecting the heart and brain could improve fitness and exercise endurance, according to a study published in the European Heart Journal.
Using a vagus nerve stimulator for 30 minutes a day for just one week increased oxygen consumption during exercise and improved other key measures of fitness, a study found.
The team suggests that the device, which delivers mild electrical stimulation to increase vagus nerve activity, could one day help people with low physical activity, such as those with heart failure, exercise more, improving their overall well-being.
The vagus nerve plays a critical role in regulating the heart, but also controls other organs and systems, such as the digestive and immune systems.
The study, led by scientists at University College London and Queen Mary University in London, involved 28 people without chronic or serious medical conditions that might affect their ability to exercise. Half of the participants were randomly given a vagus nerve stimulator to wear for 30 minutes each day for a week, while the other group was given a sham device. Small devices were attached to the outer ear.
After a two-week break, each group switched to using the other device. All participants completed physical performance testing at the beginning and end of the week they wore the devices.
After seven days of using the vagus nerve stimulator, participants’ oxygen consumption during exercise increased by four percent. This was accompanied by improvements in key functional measures such as maximum respiratory rate, which increased by an average of four breaths per minute, and maximum heart rate, which increased by four beats per minute during exercise. As a result, those wearing the active device were able to exercise at a higher intensity compared to when wearing the sham device.
The scientists also took blood samples from five of the participants. They found that after a week of using the stimulator, compared with a sham device, the participants had lower levels of inflammation in their bodies, based on measurements of relevant chemical markers in the blood. This suggests that, like exercise, using the device may help reduce inflammation — the immune system’s overreaction to factors like stress, pollution, and poor diet that can cause damage to the body over time.
Larger clinical trials are currently underway to study how this form of vagus nerve stimulation can help people with heart and vascular conditions such as high blood pressure and heart failure. Current research shows that people with heart failure have a less active vagus nerve, causing them to experience shortness of breath, fatigue, and difficulty performing daily tasks. Researchers hope that this type of nerve stimulation will help people with heart failure maintain physical activity and improve their quality of life.
Professor Brian Williams, chief scientific and medical officer at the UK Heart Foundation, said: “This early research shows that simple technology using the heart-brain connection could lead to improved fitness and exercise performance. While more research is needed in people with heart disease, this could provide a tool for improving wellbeing and quality of life for people with heart failure in the future.”
Professor Gareth Acland, professor of perioperative medicine at Queen Mary University School of Medicine in London, who led the study, said: "Maintaining physical activity is vital for all aspects of cardiovascular, emotional and cognitive health. The results of this trial are consistent with a significant body of evidence showing the important role of the brain in optimising physical performance and regulating immune system activity via the vagus nerve.
"We need to conduct larger trials to confirm our findings, but the results of this study in healthy volunteers suggest that increasing vagus nerve activity may improve fitness and reduce inflammation, potentially opening up new approaches to improving heart health."