ABSTRACT
UNLABELLED: To clarify whether the higher E/A quotient of male athletes is a favourable change in the intrinsic relaxation properties of the left ventricle. METHODS: Peak early (E) and atrial blood flow velocities (A) were assessed by Doppler echocardiography at rest in 1237 males (939 athletes) in Hungary. Data were collected between 1993 2009. Relationship between E/A and resting heart rate (HR), was determined by linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The E/A decreased with age, the rate of decrease was slower in the physically trained subjects, except in children. In children, adolescent-young and young adult subjects E/A against HR equations of the athletic and nonathletic groups were similar, differences between the means were only due to the differences of the HR. In the 31 44 yr old males, the intercepts of the athletes' regression lines were higher. The oldest (>44 yr) active subjects showed a significant regression while sedentary males did not. CONCLUSIONS: The HR-independent beneficial effect of regular physical training on the diastolic function manifests itself at the older ages. The impact of resting HR should always be taken into consideration when assessing intergroup differences in the E/A ratio, especially when studying the effect of exercise training upon cardiac function.
Subject(s)
Atrial Function , Heart Rate , Physical Exertion , Sedentary Behavior , Ventricular Function, Left , Adaptation, Physiological , Adolescent , Adult , Age Factors , Aging , Diastole , Echocardiography, Doppler , Heart Atria/diagnostic imaging , Heart Ventricles/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Hungary , Linear Models , Male , Young AdultABSTRACT
Importance of the athlete's heart has been arisen in the last decades.
- Consequences of the sedentary way of life are the most threatening through the impairments of the cardiovascular system. Endurance performance is mostly limited by the characteristics of the athlete's heart. Sudden death of the athletes is always associated with cardiac disorders.
- The main morphologic characteristics are the physiologic left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and a richer coronary capillary network. The functional adaptation contains a better systolic and diastolic function, modified metabolism and electric characteristics. The most easily detected modification is the better LV diastolic function. Adaptation of the cardiac regulation is manifested mostly by a lower heart rate (HR).
Subject(s)
Athletes , Exercise , Heart/physiopathology , Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular/etiology , Ventricular Function, Left , Adaptation, Physiological , Autonomic Nervous System/physiopathology , Coronary Circulation , Death, Sudden, Cardiac/etiology , Death, Sudden, Cardiac/prevention & control , Energy Metabolism , Heart/innervation , Heart Rate , Humans , Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular/physiopathology , Microcirculation , Myocardial ContractionABSTRACT
In the authors' earlier study the relative aerobic power of Hungarian top-level male water polo players was found to be smaller than that of other top-level athletes, while their echocardiographic parameters proved to be the most characteristic of the athlete's heart. In the present investigation echocardiographic and spiroergometric data of female top-level water polo players were compared to those of other female elite athletes and of healthy, non-athletic subjects. Relative aerobic power in the water polo players was lower than in endurance athletes. Mean resting heart rates were the slowest in the water polo players and endurance athletes. Morphologic indicators of the heart (body size related left ventricular wall thickness and muscle mass) were the highest in the water polo players, endurance and power athletes. In respect of diastolic functions (diastolic early and late peak transmitral flow velocities) no difference was seen between the respective groups.These results indicate that, similarly to the males, top-level water polo training is associated with the dimensional parameters of the heart rather than with relative aerobic power. For checking the physical condition of female water polo players spiroergometric tests seem to be less appropriate than swim-tests with heart rate recovery studies such as the ones used in the males.
