Officials in Paris said the president would be kept over night in hospital for observation.

Carla Bruni-Sarkozy, the president's wife, raced to his side on the back of a police motorbike and the president was air lifted by helicopter to Val de Grace military hospital.

"Clinical and complementary examinations testing neurological functions came back with normal results," said a statement released by the French government. The tests included blood tests, an electroencephalogram (EEG) measuring electrical activity of the brain and an MRI scan (magnetic resonance imaging).

A presidential aide told the French news agency Agence France Presse that Sarkozy had a problem related to his vagus nerve -- a part of the human physiology that helps the body regulate its heart rate -- but that doctors considered the problem "minor."

The condition, which is known as vasovagal syncope, can reduce the heart rate and blood pressure -- particularly if the victim is dehydrated. Patients can faint but usually make a complete recovery, according to medical experts.

Reports from the Elysee Palace said that Sarkozy's doctor was with the running party and was able to attend to him immediately.

"The malaise, which did not involve a loss of consciousness, followed 45 minutes of intense exercise," the statement said.

Sarkozy is expected to be released from the hospital Monday or Tuesday and reports said that he had no intention of cancelling his planned visit to the Mont St. Michel abbey in Normandy on Tuesday.

The president will start his vacation at the end of the week.

av/AFP/dpa
Editor: Kateri Jochum