Atrial cardiomyopathy in endurance athletes

Area of Science:

• Cardiology
• Sports Medicine
• Physiology

Background:

• Atrial cardiomyopathy involves atrial remodeling, increasing arrhythmia and stroke risk.
• Athlete's heart describes atrial changes in endurance athletes, including size and function alterations.
• Endurance athletes have a known risk for atrial fibrillation despite the athlete's heart often being benign.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the clinical features, causes, and consequences of atrial cardiomyopathy in athletes.
• To explore the ambiguity between physiological adaptation and pathology in athlete's heart.
• To highlight the importance of atrial cardiomyopathy in athlete prognostication and management.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of current research on atrial cardiomyopathy in athletes.
• Analysis of common left atrial observations in endurance athletes.
• Examination of the relationship between endurance exercise and atrial remodeling.

Main Results:

• Athletes exhibit larger left atrial volumes, lower atrial volume ratios, reduced atrial strain, and increased atrial ectopy.
• The distinction between physiological adaptation and pathological changes in athlete's heart remains unclear.
• Despite benign perceptions, athlete's heart is associated with increased atrial fibrillation risk.

Conclusions:

• Atrial cardiomyopathy is a crucial consideration for prognostication and management in athletes.
• Understanding atrial remodeling in athletes is vital for differentiating adaptation from disease.
• Further research is needed to clarify the implications of atrial changes in endurance athletes.