| Competitive athletics is often associated with moderate left ventricular
(LV) hypertrophy, and it has been hypothesized that training mode and type
of exercise modulates long-term cardiac adaptation. The purpose of the study
was to compare cardiac structure and function among athletes of various
sports and sedentary controls. Standard transthoracic two-dimensional M-mode
and Doppler echocardiography was performed at rest in Caucasian male canoe/kayak
paddlers (n = 9), long distance runners (LDR, n = 18), middle distance runners
(MDR, n = 17), basketball players (BP, n = 31), road cyclists (n = 8), swimmers
(n = 10), strength/power athletes (n = 9) of similar age (range, 15 to 31
yrs), training experience (4 to 9 years), and age-matched healthy male sedentary
controls (n = 15). Absolute interventricular septum (IVS) thickness and
LV wall thickness, but not LV diameter, were greater in athletes than sedentary
controls. Left ventricular mass of all athletes but relative wall thickness
of only BP, swimmers, cyclists, and strength/power athletes were higher
as compared with controls (p < 0.05). Among athletes, smaller IVS thickness
was observed in MDR than BP, cyclists, swimmers or strength/power athletes,
while LDR had higher body size-adjusted LV diameter as compared to BP, cyclists
and strength/power athletes. In conclusion, relative LV diameter was increased
in long distance runners as compared with basketball players, cyclists,
and strength/power athletes. Basketball, road cycling, strength/power, and
swimming training were associated with increased LV concentricity as compared
with paddling or distance running.
Key words: Myocardial hypertrophy, left ventricle, echocardiography,
athlete.
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Arimantas Lionikas1,2, Jolanta E. Marcinkeviciene3, Rasa Raugaliene1,3,
Aleksandras Alekrinskis1 and Arvydas Stasiulis1