Aldona Bartkevičienė
Abstract
The aim of the study was to assess the impact of long-term physical load on changes in left ventricular morphometric parameters and function and to analyze their relationship with training duration and training volume in child and adolescent athletes.
A total of 167 male athletes aged 12–17 years and 168 healthy nonathletic controls matched for age, height, and weight were involved in this study. Two-dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiography were used to evaluate left ventricular dimensions and function. Absolute parameters and parameters corrected for body surface area and height were calculated. Left ventricular fractional shortening was calculated as an index of systolic function, and E/A ratio was calculated for evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function.
All absolute echocardiographic parameters and parameters indexed to body surface area and height were significantly greater than analogous parameters in the control group, except for left ventricular internal end-diastolic diameter indexed to height (LVIDd/height2.7). There was a greater percentage difference in absolute interventricular septal thickness (IVSTd) and IVSTd indexed to body surface area than in absolute LVIDd and LVIDd indexed to body surface area comparing athletes and control subjects (P<0.001). The fractional shortening in athletes was significantly higher (P<0.01). Diastolic function index – E/A ratio – was significantly greater in athletes compared to controls. Correlation analysis showed the relationships of echocardiographic parameters with training duration (years) and volume (hours/week): all absolute echocardiographic parameters correlated with training volume, left ventricular internal end-diastolic diameter and left ventricular mass also correlated with training duration.
Our study demonstrated that all absolute echocardiographic parameters and parameters indexed to body surface area and height of athletes were significantly greater than analogous parameters in the control group, except for left ventricular internal end-diastolic diameter indexed to height. All absolute echocardiographic parameters related to training volume, left ventricular internal end-diastolic diameter and left ventricular mass also related to training duration.
Keyword(s): echocardiography; left ventricle, training volume and duration, children and adolescent.
DOI: 10.5200/215
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