Echocardiographic examination of women collegiate softball champions

The cardiac profile of nine AIAW softball champions (SC) was compared with the cardiac profile of 10 sedentary women who were matched according to age and body size (SW). Standard M-mode echocardiography and a maximum graded stress test were performed on each subject. The mean (+/- SE) resting heart rate (50.6 +/- 2.6 bpm) and VO2max (55.3 +/- 2.0 ml O2 x kg-1 x min-1) of the SC were significantly different (P less than 0.001) than the heart rate (71.2 +/- 3.1 bpm) and VO2max (40.3 +/- 1.4 ml x kg-1 x min-1) of the SW. Significantly greater (P less than 0.05) interventricular septal thickness (IST), and left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LVIDd) and volume (LVIDd3) were noted in the SC. The means (+/- SE) for IST, LVIDd, and LVIDd3 for the athletes were 8.9 +/- 0.4 mm, 4.8 +/- 0.1 cm, and 110 +/- 5.9 cm3, respectively; and for the SW were 7.5 +/- 0.5 mm. 4.4 +/- 0.2 cm, and 87.8 +/- 8.0 cm3, respectively. Although there was no difference in the left ventricular cavity/muscle volume ratio, the athletes had an increased (P less than 0.02) left ventricular mass (168 +/- 15 g) when compared with SW (123 +/- 9 g). Therefore, the cardiac adaptations noted during rest in moderate-endurance trained AIAW softball champions included a relative bradycardia and eccentric hypertrophy.