Cardiac function and autonomic cardiac function during a multi-stage cycling event: a brief report

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Cardiology
• Exercise Physiology

Background:

• Ultra-endurance events pose significant physiological stress.
• Exercise-induced cardiac fatigue is a concern in prolonged physical exertion.
• Understanding the interplay between cardiac and autonomic function is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the correlation between cardiac function and autonomic cardiac function.
• To assess cardiac and autonomic responses during an ultra-endurance cycling event.

Main Methods:

• A well-trained female cyclist participated in a multistage ultra-endurance event.
• Daily rest echocardiography and heart rate variability measurements were performed.
• Cardiac and autonomic functions were monitored throughout the 3,345 km event.

Main Results:

• The cyclist completed the event at 65% max heart rate and 39% max aerobic power.
• Progressive improvement in left and right ventricular systolic function was observed.
• Alterations in cardiac autonomic function (sympathetic-parasympathetic imbalance) were noted.

Conclusions:

• No significant correlation was found between cardiac function and autonomic cardiac function.
• No definitive signs of exercise-induced cardiac fatigue were detected.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is recommended to validate findings.