Effects of chronic overload training and aging on left ventricular systolic function

To examine the effects of age and chronic overload training on left ventricular systolic function during static exercise, Doppler echocardiography studies were performed in 14 young (28 +/- 6 years) and 10 older (51 +/- 3 years) weight lifters and also in 14 young (29 +/- 6 years) and 10 older (52 +/- 1.1 years) normal individuals during upright dead-lift isometric exercise, at 30% of maximal voluntary contraction for 3 min. At rest, older weight lifters demonstrated impaired left ventricular systolic function as compared with the other three groups. During exercise, peak and mean velocity values increased significantly (p < 0.05) from resting values in the young groups, but remained unchanged in the older groups. Flow period and acceleration and deceleration times were significantly (p < 0.05) lower in the younger subjects than those observed for the old ones, with the highest (p < 0.05) values obtained by the old weight lifters. This study suggests that the differences between the groups are related to differences in impedance and not to fundamental changes in the properties of the myocardium.