[Early repolarization in soccer players' ECG. Prevalence, characteristics and evolution]

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Sports Medicine
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Early repolarization (RP) on the electrocardiogram (ECG) in athletes is often considered benign.
• Some research links RP to an increased risk of sudden cardiac death.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the prevalence of infero-lateral RP in trained soccer players.
• To identify variables associated with RP patterns.
• To investigate cardiovascular events during follow-up.

Main Methods:

• ECG analysis of 210 high-intensity trained soccer players (age 18 ± 4.6 years).
• RP defined as J-point elevation ≥ 0.1 mV in inferior/lateral leads, with or without QRS changes.
• Statistical analysis included chi-square and t-tests for unpaired data.

Main Results:

• RP was present in 40.9% of players (n=86), with the lower subtype in 8.1% (n=17).
• RP was associated with older age, lower heart rate, prolonged PR interval, and lower R-wave voltage.
• No cardiovascular events occurred in the 5-year follow-up.

Conclusions:

• Infero-lateral early repolarization is common in trained soccer players.
• The identified associated variables (age, PR interval, R-wave voltage) are important for characterizing RP.
• This pattern appears benign in this cohort, with no adverse events over 5 years.