Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 8, 2026
Surgical Placement of Catheters for Long-term Cardiovascular Exercise Testing in Swine
Published on: February 9, 2016
Cardiac structure and systolic function in resistance-trained athletes versus untrained male adults
Abigail M Saunders1,2, Rebecca L Jones3,4,5, Joanna C Richards3,6
1Institute for Sport and Physical Activity Research, School of Sport Science and Physical Activity, University of Bedfordshire, Bedford, UK. a.saunders@lboro.ac.uk.
Purpose:
Research examining the Athlete's Heart has often focused on endurance athletes, yet no clear consensus has emerged on the cardiac adaptations observed in resistance-trained athletes. The purpose of this study is to examine cardiac structure and systolic function in resistance-trained athletes compared to untrained individuals.
Methods:
An observational cross-sectional study conducted echocardiographic examinations on male resistance-trained athletes (n = 12; body mass: 93 ± 19 kg [95%CI 82-104]) and age-matched untrained volunteers (n = 12; body mass: 80 ± 7 kg [95%CI 76-84]). Resting blood pressure and anthropometrics were gathered to allow indexing of cardiac parameters to body size and composition.
Results:
Compared to untrained individuals, resistance-trained athletes had greater septal (resistance-trained: 1.2 ± 0.1 cm; untrained: 0.9 ± 0.1 cm; p < 0.001), and posterior (resistance-trained: 1.2 ± 0.1 cm; untrained: 0.8 ± 0.1 cm; p < 0.001) wall thickness, and absolute left ventricular mass (resistance-trained: 275 ± 50 g; untrained: 162 ± 25 g; p < 0.01). These differences in left ventricular mass remained significant after accounting for body size and composition (p < 0.01). Cardiac dimensions of the resistance-trained athletes are greater than the normative range described in current literature. Significant differences in functional parameters including stroke volume, E/A ratio and LV end-systolic wall stress were also observed (p < 0.05).
Conclusion:
Both structural and functional differences in cardiac measures are apparent when comparing those engaged in chronic resistance-trained to untrained individuals. Furthermore, despite these structural differences, no significant impairment in left ventricular function was observed. However, whilst the cardiac dimensions of most resistance-trained athletes do not exceed the upper limits for physiological hypertrophy the exact mechanism for these differences is unclear and warrants further investigation.
Related Concept Videos
01:13Structure of Cardiac Muscles
Compared to skeletal muscles, cardiac muscle cells are small and mostly have a single nucleus. Additionally, they are usually...
01:17Exercise and Cardiac Output
Sustained exercise increases the muscles' oxygen demand, which can be...
01:29Pathophysiology of Cardiac Performance
01:20Exercise and Cardiovascular Response
Light to moderate physical activity initiates a series of interconnected responses in the body. The heart rate modestly increases in anticipation of the workout, followed by widespread vasodilation as oxygen consumption by skeletal muscles increases. This results in decreased peripheral resistance, increased capillary blood flow, and accelerated...
01:27Specialized Characteristics of Cardiac Muscles
Cardiac muscle cells are smaller than skeletal muscles, averaging 10–20 mm in diameter and 50–100 mm in length. However, they have large energy demands for continuous contraction and relaxation. This energy is almost exclusively derived from aerobic metabolism of energy...
01:18Physiology of the Heart: The Cardiac Cycle
Diastole: The Relaxation Phase
During diastole, all four heart chambers relax. The atrioventricular (AV) valves open, and the semilunar valves close. This phase sees the lowest chamber pressures, promoting ventricular filling. Venous blood enters the heart through the...