Among 1,070 Brazilian female football players, 97.1% had normal ECGs, with training-related variants like early repolarization and the African/Afro-Caribbean pattern varying significantly by ethnicity.
Cross-Sectional (n=1,070)
Yes
Does ethnicity influence the prevalence of normal and training-related ECG findings in Brazilian female football players?
While normal ECG findings are the rule in Brazilian female football players, the distribution of common training-related variants is significantly influenced by ethnicity, highlighting the need for ethnicity-specific screening criteria.
Abstract Background Electrocardiogram (ECG) interpretation in athletes relies on data predominantly from male populations. Specific data for female athletes, particularly within highly admixed populations like Brazil, are scarce, creating a gap in defining physiological norms. Objective To compare the prevalence of normal and training-related ECG findings among White, Mixed-race, and Black Brazilian female football players (BFFP). Methods From 2010 to 2025, 1,070 BFFP (338 White, 356 Mixed-race, 376 Black) from 29 professional clubs across all five geographic regions of Brazil underwent cardiovascular screening. ECGs were interpreted using international criteria. Age-adjusted comparisons were performed using Poisson regression. Results An overwhelming majority of athletes (97.1%) had normal ECGs. Key findings and ethnic variations included: Common Training-Related Findings: Sinus bradycardia (34.2%) and early repolarization (35.1%) were frequent across the cohort. Ethnic Variations: Early Repolarization was significantly more prevalent in Black athletes compared to White athletes. Incomplete Right Bundle Branch Block (9.2%) was more common in White athletes. The African/Afro-Caribbean ECG Pattern was identified exclusively in 3.5% of Black athletes. Other findings like voltage criteria for left ventricular hypertrophy (4.8%) and first-degree AV block (1.8%) showed no significant ethnic differences. Conclusions In this large, ethnically diverse cohort of Brazilian female football players, normal ECG findings were the rule. However, the distribution of common training-related variants, including early repolarization and the African/Afro-Caribbean pattern, is significantly influenced by ethnicity. These findings underscore the critical need for ethnicity-specific criteria to optimize the accuracy of pre-participation ECG screening in female athletes (Support CNPq).
Rossi et al. (Mon,) conducted a cross-sectional in Cardiovascular screening (n=1,070). Black or Mixed-race ethnicity vs. White ethnicity was evaluated on Prevalence of normal and training-related ECG findings. Among 1,070 Brazilian female football players, 97.1% had normal ECGs, with training-related variants like early repolarization and the African/Afro-Caribbean pattern varying significantly by ethnicity.