Differences of left ventricular morphology by gender and sports discipline in Japanese elite athletes

Background The cardiac morphology of elite athletes is related to sports disciplines and race but there have been no studies of the effects of sports discipline in oriental athletes. This study aimed to assess left ventricular (LV) remodeling using transthoracic echocardiography, morphological characteristics, and determinants of LV remodeling in elite Japanese athletes. Methods We retrospectively reviewed elite Japanese athletes who underwent transthoracic echocardiography between January 2011 and December 2021. The athletes were divided into four sports discipline groups (skill, power, mixed, and endurance). We evaluated the differences in LV volume and LV mass between the groups for each sex. In addition, we evaluated the impact of age, sex, body surface area (BSA), and sports discipline on LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) and LV mass. Results Data of 1406 elite athletes were analyzed. The LVEDV and LV mass indexed to BSA in the endurance group (LVEDV BSA: 72.4 ± 11.6 mL/m2 in males and 68.7 ± 11.0 mL/m2 in females, LV mass/BSA: 121.4 ± 19.7 g/m2 in males and 107.5 ± 18.5 g/m2 in females) were significantly larger than that of any other groups (p < 0.05). Both values were affected by age, sex, BSA, and sport type (LVEDV: age, p = 0.049; other variables, p < 0.001) (LV mass: age, p = 0.040; other variables, p < 0.001). Conclusion In elite Japanese athletes, cardiac remodeling is proportional to the type of sport, with a greater effect in endurance sports.