Comparative study of cardiorespiratory adaptations in elite basketball players of different age groups.

BACKGROUND: Systematic training of basketball causes morphological cardiac and cardiorespiratory adaptations. Previous studies have mainly focused either on only cardiac or respiratory changes. However, the extent of these cardiac adaptations and their relationship with aerobic capacity remain unclear in basketball athletes of different ages. METHODS: Eighty male basketball players participated in the experimental group and 80 healthy and sedentary male individuals served as controls. All participants underwent to athletic history, anthropometric measurements, 12-lead resting electrocardiogram (ECG), echocardiography, resting spirometry and cardiopulmonary exercise stress test. RESULTS: Left ventricular mass (LVM), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), left ventricular end-diastolic internal dimension (LVIDd), end-diastolic volume (EDV), stroke volume (SV) and interventricular septal thickness at diastole (IVSd) were significantly higher in all groups of athletes compared to controls (P<0.05). End-diastolic volume index (EDVI) was significantly higher only in adult players compared to controls (P<0.05). Posterior wall thickness at diastole (PWd) was significantly greater in groups of children and adult players compared to controls (P<0.05). Maximal oxygen uptake (V̇O2max) in relative values was higher in all groups of athletes compared to controls (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The increased LVM is attributed to concentric hypertrophy. This is further supported by the finding that there was no relationship between V̇O2max and echo parameters. The results of the present study indicate that the cardiorespiratory adaptations caused by basketball training are mainly formed at the early age stages without further increase throughout the years of action.

Functional and psychosocial effects of either a traditional dancing or a formal exercising training program in patients with chronic heart failure: a comparative randomized controlled study.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of traditional dancing with formal exercise training in terms of functional and cardiovascular benefits and motivation in patients with chronic heart failure. DESIGN: Randomized controlled trial. SETTING: Sports Medicine Laboratory. SUBJECTS: Fifty-one Greek male patients aged 67.1±5.5 years with chronic heart failure of New York Heart Association (NYHA) class II-III, participated in an eight-month study. INTERVENTIONS: They were randomly assigned to either training with Greek traditional dances (group A, n=18), formal exercise training (group B, n=16) or a sedentary control group (group C, n=17). MAIN MEASURES: At entry and the end of the study all patients underwent cardiopulmonary exercise testing, functional ability assessment and quality of life evaluations. The Intrinsic Motivation Inventory was also used to assess participants' subjective experience. RESULTS: After training group A showed increased peak oxygen consumption by 33.8% (19.5 vs. 26.1 ml/kg/min, p<0.05) and B by 32.3% (19.5 vs. 25.8 ml/kg/min, p<0.05), maximal treadmill tolerance by 48.5% (p<0.05) and by 46.4% (p<0.05), and a decreased Slope of expired minute ventilation for carbon dioxide output (VE/VCO2) slope by 18% (p<0.05) and 19.5% (p<0.05), respectively. Trained patients revealed significant improvement in the quality of life indices. Intrinsic Motivation Inventory was increased only in group A by 26.2% (3.08 vs. 3.87, p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Exercise training in chronic heart failure patients with Greek traditional dances led to functional and cardiovascular benefits similar to formal exercise training and to a higher level of motivation.