This research examined the effects of water immersion and immersion exercise on cardiovascular and autonomic responses.
The results indicated that the application of a mouthpiece and nose clip used to assess respiratory pattern did have significant impact on some measures of HRV. Further, water immersion exercise may be effective in eliciting post exercise hypotension. During immersion the responses of the autonomic nervous system in those with prehypertensive or hypertensive conditions were less rapid and of a smaller magnitude than that observed in the normotensive group. These findings have implications in the prescription of immersion exercise in this population.