Resistance-trained athletes exhibited greater septal and posterior wall thickness and absolute left ventricular mass compared to untrained individuals (p < 0.001).
Does chronic resistance training alter cardiac structure and systolic function in healthy adult males compared to untrained individuals?
Chronic resistance training in males is associated with physiological concentric cardiac hypertrophy (increased left ventricular mass and wall thickness) without compromising resting systolic or diastolic function.
Absolute Event Rate: 0% vs 0%
Abstract Purpose Research examining the Athlete’s Heart has often focused on endurance athletes, yet no clear consensus has emerged on the cardiac adaptations observed in resistance-trained athletes. The purpose of this study is to examine cardiac structure and systolic function in resistance-trained athletes compared to untrained individuals. Methods An observational cross-sectional study conducted echocardiographic examinations on male resistance-trained athletes ( n = 12; body mass: 93 ± 19 kg 95%CI 82–104) and age-matched untrained volunteers ( n = 12; body mass: 80 ± 7 kg 95%CI 76–84). Resting blood pressure and anthropometrics were gathered to allow indexing of cardiac parameters to body size and composition. Results Compared to untrained individuals, resistance-trained athletes had greater septal (resistance-trained: 1.2 ± 0.1 cm; untrained: 0.9 ± 0.1 cm; p < 0.001), and posterior (resistance-trained: 1.2 ± 0.1 cm; untrained: 0.8 ± 0.1 cm; p < 0.001) wall thickness, and absolute left ventricular mass (resistance-trained: 275 ± 50 g; untrained: 162 ± 25 g; p < 0.01). These differences in left ventricular mass remained significant after accounting for body size and composition ( p < 0.01). Cardiac dimensions of the resistance-trained athletes are greater than the normative range described in current literature. Significant differences in functional parameters including stroke volume, E/A ratio and LV end-systolic wall stress were also observed ( p < 0.05). Conclusion Both structural and functional differences in cardiac measures are apparent when comparing those engaged in chronic resistance-trained to untrained individuals. Furthermore, despite these structural differences, no significant impairment in left ventricular function was observed. However, whilst the cardiac dimensions of most resistance-trained athletes do not exceed the upper limits for physiological hypertrophy the exact mechanism for these differences is unclear and warrants further investigation.
Saunders et al. (Mon,) reported a other. Resistance-trained athletes exhibited greater septal and posterior wall thickness and absolute left ventricular mass compared to untrained individuals (p < 0.001).