Abnormal electrocardiogram in a professional athlete

Highly trained athletes occasionally present with abnormal electrocardiogram (ECG) patterns. Such abnormal ECGs in apparently healthy athletes raise several important underwriting questions: are these changes benign expressions of athletic training or do such patterns represent the initial and subtle expression of cardiovascular disease (especially genetic disorders with delayed phenotypic appearance and potentially adverse consequences)? What is the reliability of the ECG in the various conditions that are known to cause sudden cardiac death in athletes? How does the type of sport, position played and the individual's race and ethnic background influence these changes? This ECG case study addresses these questions.