Endurance vs. strength training: comparison of cardiac structures using normal predicted values.

Area of Science:

• Sports cardiology
• Exercise physiology
• Cardiac adaptation

Background:

• Cardiac structure adaptation to training stimuli remains debated.
• Individual variability in body surface area complicates comparisons.
• A novel approach using %NPV normalizes cardiac measurements.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cardiac structural differences between strength and endurance athletes.
• To determine the primary training stimulus (volume vs. pressure overload) in each group.
• To re-evaluate the prevalence of concentric left ventricular hypertrophy in strength athletes.

Main Methods:

• Studied 46 strength athletes (bodybuilders) and 57 endurance athletes (runners).
• Utilized a new method calculating %NPV for cardiac mass and volume.
• Analyzed left ventricular (LV) mass, LV volume, and LV wall thickness-to-radius ratio.

Main Results:

• Endurance athletes exhibited significantly higher LV mass (%NPV) and LV volume (%NPV) than strength athletes.
• Both groups showed LV adaptations consistent with a volume overload stimulus.
• The LV wall thickness-to-radius ratio did not significantly differ from normal values in either group.

Conclusions:

• Cardiac modifications are more pronounced in endurance athletes compared to strength athletes.
• The primary training stimulus in both strength and endurance athletes is predominantly volume overload.
• Concentric left ventricular hypertrophy may be less prevalent in strength athletes than previously assumed.