The Complex Phenotype of the Athlete's Heart: Implications for Preparticipation Screening

Preparticipation screening is vital to exclude inherited cardiac conditions that have the potential to cause sudden cardiac death in seemingly healthy athletes. Recent research has questioned traditional theories of load-induced, dichotomous cardiac adaptation. We therefore considered whether a one-size-fits-all approach to screening can account for interindividual differences brought about by sporting discipline, training volume, ethnicity, body size, sex, and age.