Right ventricular function in athletes engaged in endurance exercise using speckle tracking echocardiography: a...

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Sports Medicine
• Echocardiography

Background:

• Long-term endurance training can lead to cardiac dysfunction in athletes.
• Research has primarily focused on structural changes, with less attention to right ventricular (RV) functional adaptations.
• This study investigates RV systolic function changes in athletes versus controls using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE).

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare right ventricular (RV) systolic function between endurance athletes and controls before and after exercise.
• To analyze RV functional adaptations using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE).
• To identify potential differences in RV strain parameters between athletes and non-athletes.

Main Methods:

• A meta-analysis of 20 studies (1186 participants) published before March 19, 2024, was conducted.
• Speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) was used to assess RV systolic function.
• Weighted mean differences (WMDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated; meta-regression and sensitivity analyses were performed.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in RV free wall longitudinal strain (FWLS) and RV basal strain were observed between athletes and controls.
• RV global longitudinal strain (GLS) did not show significant differences between groups.
• Significant impairments in RV function were detected post-exercise compared to pre-exercise in endurance athletes.

Conclusions:

• Global RV strain analysis alone may obscure segment-specific adaptations.
• Utilizing both global and segmental strain analysis can better identify functional changes in the RV.
• This approach aids in differentiating between endurance athletes and sedentary individuals based on RV function.