Biophysiologic Effects of Warm Water Immersion

Abstract

Physiologic change associated with aquatic activity has been found to profoundly affect human function and health-related biologic alterations. Similar to sleep research, aquatics has emerged as an area ripe with human health and performance implications. Aquatic activity impacts the cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, autonomic nervious system (ANS) and endocrine systems in ways that have positive public health implications for issues confronting the nation, including obesity, diabetes and arthritis Aquatic activity has tremendous application in the area of sports medicine and has great potential value to student athletes in both training and rehabilitation. The aquatic environment is a research area just emerging as a focus of physiologic importance with many health benefits that apply across the age span and could be widely accessed by the American public if both research support and understanding by the health professionals were to increase.