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Reduction in Left Ventricular Wall Stress and Improvement in Function in Failing Hearts using Algisyl-LVR
Published on: April 8, 2013
A pilot study on left ventricular dimensions and wall stress before and after submaximal exercise
British Journal of Sports Medicine
|September 1, 1979
Summary
Athletes maintain stable left ventricular wall stress during exercise due to increased heart size, augmenting stroke volume. Untrained hearts adjust dimensions to normalize stress, relying more on heart rate for cardiac output.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Sports Physiology
- Exercise Science
Background:
- Athletes exhibit cardiac adaptations to training.
- Understanding cardiac response to exercise is crucial for performance and health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate left ventricle (LV) dimensions and wall stress changes during exercise in athletes versus control subjects.
- To determine the role of afterload in cardiac performance and hypertrophy in trained individuals.
Main Methods:
- Echocardiographic measurements of LV dimensions and wall stress were taken before and after submaximal exercise.
- 14 athletes and 7 control subjects participated in the study.
Main Results:
- Left ventricular wall stress remained unchanged post-exercise in both trained and untrained individuals.
- Untrained ventricles showed limited dimensional changes, requiring smaller dimensions to normalize wall stress.
- Athletes demonstrated augmented stroke volume due to larger LV dimensions, allowing for increased cardiac output.
Conclusions:
- Afterload is a key factor in cardiac performance and LV hypertrophy in athletes.
- Exercise-induced cardiac output relies on stroke volume augmentation in athletes, unlike untrained individuals who depend more on heart rate.
- The h/R ratio suggests afterload's greater importance than preload in LV hypertrophy for rowers and swimmers.
