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The athlete's heart syndrome: a new perspective
Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences
|January 1, 1977
Summary
Echocardiography reveals that athlete heart adaptations, like increased left ventricular mass, depend on exercise type. Isotonic exercise increases heart volume, while isometric exercise thickens heart walls.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Sports Medicine
- Physiology
Background:
- Previous electrocardiographic and roentgenographic studies hinted at cardiac differences in athletes.
- Limited understanding of specific cardiac dimension changes in athletes' hearts existed before echocardiography.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate cardiac structural changes in trained athletes using echocardiography.
- To correlate these changes with the type of physical conditioning (isotonic vs. isometric exercise).
- To review electrocardiographic and roentgenographic findings associated with athlete's heart syndrome.
Main Methods:
- Utilized echocardiography to assess cardiac dimensions in trained athletes.
- Compared echocardiographic findings between college and world-class athletes.
- Reviewed existing electrocardiographic and chest roentgenographic data.
Main Results:
- Echocardiography confirmed increased left ventricular mass in trained athletes.
- Isotonic exercise led to increased left ventricular end-diastolic volume without significant wall thickening.
- Isometric exercise resulted in increased left ventricular wall thickness with normal end-diastolic volume.
Conclusions:
- Cardiac adaptations in athletes are significantly influenced by the type of training.
- Echocardiography provides detailed insights into the athlete's heart structure.
- Distinct patterns of cardiac remodeling are associated with isotonic and isometric training regimens.