Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026
12:37
Surgical Placement of Catheters for Long-term Cardiovascular Exercise Testing in Swine
Published on: February 9, 2016
The effect of habitual sustained endurance exercise on cardiac structure and function
R J Northcote1, G McKillop, I C Todd
1Department of Cardiology, Victoria Infirmary, Glasgow, U.K.
European Heart Journal
|January 1, 1990
Summary
Long-term endurance running in veteran athletes leads to significant cardiac structural changes, including left ventricular hypertrophy, which electrocardiography often fails to detect. Echocardiography is crucial for accurate assessment.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Sports Medicine
- Physiology
Background:
- Endurance athletes often exhibit cardiac adaptations.
- The long-term effects of decades of endurance running on the aging heart are not fully understood.
- Detecting cardiac hypertrophy in veteran runners requires sensitive methods.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate cardiac structural changes in veteran male endurance runners.
- To compare echocardiographic findings with electrocardiography for detecting left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH).
- To assess if veteran runners exhibit characteristics of 'volume overload'.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiographic evaluation of 20 male veteran endurance runners (mean age 56 years) with >25 years of running history.
- Comparison with age-matched control group.
- Assessment of left ventricular posterior wall thickness, left ventricular mass, and wall thickness: cavity diameter ratio.
Main Results:
- Echocardiography revealed left ventricular hypertrophy in 50% of veteran runners, compared to only 20% detected by electrocardiography (ECG).
- Significantly greater left ventricular posterior wall thickness and left ventricular mass were observed in athletes, especially when corrected for body surface area.
- No differences in left ventricular performance or correlation between cardiac mass and running ability were found.
Conclusions:
- Veteran endurance runners develop structural cardiac changes, including left ventricular hypertrophy, similar to younger athletes.
- Electrocardiography is insufficiently sensitive for detecting LVH in this population.
- These cardiac adaptations in veteran runners do not align with typical 'volume overload' characteristics.
More Related Videos
07:26Conducting Maximal and Submaximal Endurance Exercise Testing to Measure Physiological and Biological Responses to Acute Exercise in Humans
Published on: October 17, 2018
07:40Impact of High-intensity Interval Exercise and Moderate-Intensity Continuous Exercise on the Cardiac Troponin T Level at an Early Stage of Training
Published on: October 10, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:27Exercise and Muscle Performance
Exercise induces a range of adaptations in muscle tissue, depending on the type and duration of activity. Such physical training can be broadly categorized into two types: endurance exercises and resistance exercises.
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
Endurance exercises
Endurance exercises involve running, swimming, or cycling, which require repetitive movements with low force output. When a person engages in endurance exercise, a few noticeable changes occur in their skeletal muscles. For instance, the number of capillaries...
01:13Structure of Cardiac Muscles
Cardiac muscle, or myocardium, is a specialized type of muscle found exclusively in the heart. Its unique structural and functional characteristics enable the heart to perform its vital role of pumping blood throughout the body continuously and rhythmically. The cardiac muscle cells, or cardiomyocytes, possess an endomysium and perimysium but do not have an epimysium.
Compared to skeletal muscles, cardiac muscle cells are small and mostly have a single nucleus. Additionally, they are usually...
Compared to skeletal muscles, cardiac muscle cells are small and mostly have a single nucleus. Additionally, they are usually...
01:29Pathophysiology of Cardiac Performance
Typical heart performance is influenced by heart rate, rhythm, myocardial contraction, and metabolism or blood flow. The cardiac muscle exhibits distinct electrophysiological features, including pacemaker activity and calcium channel control, which play a vital role in the heart's response to various drugs. The autonomic nervous system, comprising the sympathetic and parasympathetic branches, regulates heart rate. Sympathetic activation increases heart rate, while parasympathetic activation...
01:17Exercise and Cardiac Output
Regular physical activity is essential for maintaining cardiovascular health, with aerobic exercises being particularly effective. According to the American Heart Association, 150 minutes of moderate to intense aerobic exercise per week is recommended for a healthy heart. Aerobic activities may include brisk walking, running, bicycling, cross-country skiing, and swimming, ideally performed three to five times per week.
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be met...
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be met...
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Exercise significantly impacts cardiovascular response, which is crucial for understanding patient health and designing effective treatment plans.
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
01:29Heart Failure II: Pathophysiology
Systolic Heart Failure and Compensatory MechanismsSystolic heart failure (also termed HFrEF, Heart Failure with Reduced Ejection Fraction) is the most prevalent type of heart filure. It results in a decreased volume of blood being pumped from the ventricle. The aortic arch and carotid sinuses have baroreceptors that detect reduced blood pressure, triggering the sympathetic nervous system (SNS) to release epinephrine and norepinephrine. Initially, this response aims to boost heart rate and...