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Updated: Apr 20, 2026
Transthoracic Speckle Tracking Echocardiography for the Quantitative Assessment of Left Ventricular Myocardial Deformation
Published on: October 20, 2016
Left ventricular strain modifications after maximal exercise in athletes: a speckle tracking study.
Amato Santoro1, Federico Alvino1, Giovanni Antonelli1
1Division of Cardiology, University of Siena, Siena, Tuscany, Italy.
Maximal exercise significantly enhances left ventricular twisting and apical circumferential strain, crucial for maintaining stroke volume during intense physical activity. These findings highlight the heart
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Physiology
- Sports Cardiology
- Echocardiography
Background:
- Systolic indexes increase from rest to exercise due to enhanced heart rate and stroke volume.
- Understanding left ventricular (LV) mechanics during maximal exercise is crucial for assessing cardiac function.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the immediate effects of maximal intensity exercise (ME) on LV longitudinal, circumferential, and torsional components using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE).
- To investigate the relationship between LV myocardial deformation and stroke volume during maximal exercise.
Main Methods:
- Twenty-seven male water polo players underwent echocardiography before and after a maximal intensity swimming exercise.
- Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) was employed to analyze LV myocardial deformation, including longitudinal strain, circumferential strain, and torsional mechanics.
- Measurements included LV longitudinal strain (PVLS), apical circumferential LV strain (AVCS), LV longitudinal strain rate (SR), LV twisting (LVT), untwisting (UTW), and apical rotation (Arot).
Main Results:
- No significant differences were observed in LV longitudinal strains (PVLS) between rest and maximal exercise.
- Apical circumferential LV strain (AVCS), LV longitudinal strain rate (SR), LV twisting (LVT), and apical rotation (Arot) significantly increased after maximal exercise.
- Apical circumferential LV strain (AVCS) was identified as an independent predictor of stroke volume (SV) during maximal exercise.
Conclusions:
- Apical myocardial fibers and LV twisting contribute significantly to systolic components during maximal exercise.
- The energy storage during LV twisting, released in early diastole, appears vital for supporting diastolic filling under maximal exertion.
- STE provides valuable insights into the dynamic changes in LV mechanics during and immediately after maximal exercise.
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