Regarding the influence of the left ventricular (LV) adaptation by sports-specific
factors the supposed endurance training have so far been compared mainly to strength
conditioning. In the present study we investigated the echocardiographic LV measurements
of endurance-trained athletes in different kinds of endurance sports (running and
ball games) by using matched-pair procedures. We examined 22 male soccer players (S)
and 22 male 400-m runners (R) on a regional up to a national level with - each similar
in pairs - the following body mass (S: 75.7 ± 5.0 kg; R: 75.2 ± 5.6), body surface
area (S: 1.97 ± 0.09 m2; R: 1.98 ±0.09), fat-free body mass (S: 68.4 ± 4.6 kg; R: 68.3 ±5.3) and individual
anaerobic threshold as a criterion to determine the running endurance (S: 14.23 ±
0.79 km h-1; R: 14.25 ± 0.80). The body dimensions-related heart volume (HV/lean body mass: S:
14.2 ± 1.5 ml · kg-1; R: 13.4 ± 1.0) as well as the absolute and body surface-related LV internal diameter
(EDD: S: 55.0 ± 3.8 mm; R: 52.7 ±3.3; EDD/body-surface area: S: 27.8 ±1.9 mm m-2; R: 26.6 ± 1.3) were measured significantly higher in S as compared to R (p < 0.05
and p < 0.01, respectively). In both groups, free LV wall thickness, enddiastolic
diameter and LV muscle mass correlated significantly with the body dimensions (fat-free
body mass: r = 0.42-0.48-0.56; p < 0.004, respectively). In conclusion, specific sport-related
strain like frequent exercises in interval form (typical for ball games) and a different
volume/intensity ratio could significantly influence the LV adaptation beside the
endurance performance as well as constitutional and genetic factors.
Key words
Echocardiography - left ventricular muscle mass - athlete's heart - cardiac hypertrophy
