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aims of the present study were to examine the myocardial performance
index and aortic elastic properties of athletes engaged in ball sports
and to determine their relationships with aerobic and anaerobic characteristics.
Standard M-mode and Doppler echocardiography, maximal oxygen uptake
and 30 sec Wingate tests were performed for 32 elite male athletes
(12 basketball and 20 soccer players) and 12 healthy sedentary volunteers.
Data were analyzed by ANOVA and partial correlation coefficient tests.
Absolute values of left ventricular internal diameter, left ventricular
posterior wall and interventricular septum thicknesses in diastole
were significantly (p < 0.05-0.01) greater in athletes than in
controls. The left ventricular internal diameter corrected by body
surface area was also greater (p < 0.05-0.01) in the athletes compared
with the controls. Absolute and body surface area corrected left ventricular
mass were significantly greater (p < 0.05-0.001) in athletes than
in controls. Isovolumetric relaxation time was higher (p < 0.01)
in soccer players than in controls. There were no significant differences
among the groups for myocardial performance index and aortic elastic
properties. Left ventricular mass index was poorly correlated (p <
0.01) with VO2max (r = 0.410), peak power (r = 0.439) and
average power (r = 0.464) in the athletes. Poor correlations (r =
0.333-0.350, p < 0.05) were also observed between aortic elastic
properties and average power in athletes. Myocardial performance index
and aortic elastic properties are not different in athletes involved
in this study compared with sedentary subjects. Aerobic and anaerobic
capacities of the athletes used in this study are poorly explained
by these resting echocardiographic findings.
KEY
WORDS: Athletes' heart, cardiac function, aortic elastic properties,
oxygen uptake, power.
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