Left ventricular morphology and function in female athletes: a meta-analysis

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Sports Medicine
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Chronic exercise training induces significant cardiac adaptations.
• Understanding these adaptations in female athletes is crucial for differentiating physiological changes from pathology.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the impact of physical training on cardiac structure and function in female athletes.
• To identify the physiological upper limits of cardiac dimensions in this population.
• To compare adaptations across different sport disciplines.

Main Methods:

• Meta-analysis of 13 echocardiographic studies.
• Inclusion of 890 female athletes and 333 controls.
• Categorization of athletes into endurance, strength/sprint, and team sport groups.

Main Results:

• Significant cardiac structural differences were found between athletes and controls.
• Endurance and team sport athletes showed larger left ventricular internal diameter (LVIDd) and left ventricular mass (LVM) compared to strength-trained athletes.
• No significant differences in left ventricular diastolic or systolic function were observed, except for stroke volume.

Conclusions:

• Exercise training leads to cardiac enlargement in female athletes, mirroring adaptations seen in male athletes.
• Maximum physiological upper limits for LV wall thickness and LVIDd were identified as 12 mm and 66 mm, respectively.
• LV wall thickness exceeding 12 mm warrants further investigation to rule out pathological causes.