Cardiac hypertrophy, dilatation and performance in top athletes
Bertrand, E.; Bile, A.; Ekra, A.; Touze, J.E.; Le Gallais, D.
Annales de Cardiologie et d'Angeiologie 36(2): 63-68
1987
ISSN/ISBN: 0003-3928 PMID: 2950822 Document Number: 292194
The authors have studied three groups of patients: 12 reference patients (REF) leading a sedentary life; 22 athletes of international fame, practising an endurance sport (END), including 10 long distance and middle-distance runners, 12 cyclists and 12 top (RES) athletes practising a resistance sport i.e. 12 sprinters. There is no age difference between the two groups. The RES have a larger body area than the RED and END. The cardiac frequency is lowered in the athletes without any difference between RES and END. There is no difference as far as the athletes' blood pressure is concerned. On the EKG, the Sokoloff index is significantly higher in END than in REF and RES. Sonographic data were especially analyzed. END present a hypertrophic myocardium and ventricular dilatation. The hypertrophy, more assymmetrical than that of RES, is more marked at the level of the septum. There is a nonsignificant tendency toward an excentric hypertrophy. RES present a marked hypertrophy with little or no dilatation. This hypertrophy is more symmetrical and concentric that in END patients. As far as the pump function is concerned (FR, FE, VES): it is not altered in RES (this fact is found in the literature). On the contrary, in END patients, the pump function (FR, FE) is diminished (this fact is debated in the literature), in spite of an increased systolic ejection volume. The total contraction function is not altered in RES nor in END patients. An increased septal contraction rate is noted, which is significant in RES patients and non-significant in END patients. One may conclude that athletes, at rest, have a cardiac reserve of muscle (END and RES), of output (END and mostly RES) and of septal contractility (END). However, it must be emphasized that a number of top athletes have a heart which is completely normal.