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Increased p wave dispersion in elite athletes
Raimundo Carmona Puerta1, Ebrey Leon Aliz, Magda A Rabassa Lopez-Calleja
1Department of Clinical Cardiac Electrophysioloy and Pacing, Cardiocenter "Ernesto Che Guevara", Santa Clara, CUBA.
Indian Pacing and Electrophysiology Journal
|May 11, 2011
Summary
P wave dispersion (PWD) is elevated in young athletes due to a decrease in minimum P wave duration (Pmin). This PWD increase correlates with longer training duration and higher resting heart rate (HR) in athletes.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Sports Medicine
- Physiology
Background:
- Limited research exists on P wave indices in athletic populations.
- P wave indices, including maximum P wave duration (Pmax), minimum P wave duration (Pmin), and P wave dispersion (PWD), are important electrocardiographic measures.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate P wave indices (Pmax, Pmin, PWD) in young, high-performance athletes.
- To explore the relationship between PWD and training history, heart rate (HR), and echocardiographic parameters in athletes.
Main Methods:
- A cross-sectional observational study was conducted.
- 38 high-performance athletes (water polo, distance running, weight lifting) were compared to 34 sedentary controls.
Main Results:
- Athletes exhibited significantly increased PWD (57 ± 14 ms vs. 40 ± 12 ms) and decreased Pmin (57 ± 13 ms vs. 72 ± 13 ms) compared to controls.
- No significant difference was observed in Pmax between athletes and controls.
- PWD showed a significant positive correlation with training duration (r = 0.511) and resting HR (r = 0.461).
Conclusions:
- Young, high-performance athletes demonstrate elevated PWD, primarily due to a reduction in Pmin.
- Increased PWD in athletes is associated with longer training duration and higher baseline HR.
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