[Echocardiographic parameters of the left ventricle in children involved in sports]. / Niektoré echokardiografické parametre l'avej komóry u detských sportovcov.

The authors investigated, using computer-assisted one-dimensional echocardiography, the influence of systematic two-year sports training on the heart of children engaged in sports (ice hockey n = 20) and a control group of boys not engaged in sports training (n = 25) of the same age (12.6 +/- 0.3 years). At the beginning of the investigation and after two years' training between the two groups no significant differences were found in the following parameters: fractional systolic reduction of the inner diameter of the left ventricle, fractionated systolic enlargement of the interventricular septum, relative width of the left ventricular wall, index of asymetricity of left ventricular hypertrophy and weight of the left ventricle. In none of the investigated parameters the values in sportsmen were beyond the physiological range. The authors did not observe in sportsmen a tendency towards concentric or assymetric hypertrophy of the left ventricle.

[Present trends in sports medicine]. / Súcasné trendy v telovýchovnom lekárstve.

Knowledge on the response and adaptation of the human organism to motor activity in dependence on age and sex is presented. In organizing substitute motor activities for the population, two lines have to be differentiated, i.e. programs of exercises for the maintenance of health and training for increasing physical fitness. Recent methods of functional diagnosis of aerobic and anaerobic abilities in the laboratory and in sports premises are described. Echocardiographic examination presents a contribution as it enables to study dynamically the adaptation of the heart to different motor activities. The authors formulate their standpoint concerning selection of locomotively talented youth as well as some specific health problems of top performance sports (immunological resistance, doping).