Key result
Endurance training athletes demonstrated significantly lower resting left ventricular twist (6.2° vs 12.0°) compared to strength training athletes, indicating better functional reserve.
Why the study?
Does endurance training compared to strength training alter resting myocardial deformation and left ventricular twist in professional athletes?
Cross-Sectional (n=86)
No
Does endurance training compared to strength training alter resting myocardial deformation and left ventricular twist in professional athletes?
Endurance training induces a unique physiological adaptation characterized by lower resting left ventricular twist and untwisting, representing a contractile reserve mechanism that allows for better cardiovascular performance during effort.
Training type may influence resting LV twist in athletes; extends deformation imaging data but remains hypothesis-generating without outcomes validation.
BACKGROUND: Intensive training induces two morphological myocardial typologies of athlete's heart. Endurance training (ET) induces eccentric remodeling, bradycardia and better diastolic filling. Strength training (ST) determines concentric chamber remodelling maintaining a normal heart rate (HR). Aim of the study was to compare ET and ST athletes' heart using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE). METHODS: 33 professional ET, 36 ST athletes, and 17 healthy controls (CT) were enrolled. All subjects underwent standard transthoracic echocardiography at rest and STE. RESULTS: In ET group, HR was lower than ST group and CT group (p < 0.001; p < 0.01). ET group had higher E/A ratio than ST group and CT group (p < 0.01; p < 0.001). The left ventricular apical circumferential strain in ET group was lower than ST group and CT group (-21.6 ± 4.1% vs. -26.8 ± 7.7%, p < 0.05; vs. -27.8 ± 5.6%, p < 0.01). ET group had lower left ventricular twist (LVT) and untwisting (UTW) than ST group (6.2 ± 0.1° vs. 12.0 ± 0.1°, p < 0.01; -67.3 ± 22.9°/s vs. -122.5 ± 52.8°/s, p < 0.01) and CT group (10.0 ± 0.1°, p < 0.01; -103.3 ± 29.3°/s, p < 0.01). The univariate analysis showed significant correlation between E/A ratio and HR (r = -0.54; p < 0.001), LVT (r = -0.45; p < 0.01), UTW (r = 0.24; p < 0.05). At the multivariate analysis only HR was confirmed as independent predictor of diastolic function in all groups (Beta -0.52; p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In ET there was a better global systolic and diastolic functional reserve at rest observed with strain analysis and it maybe depended on autonomic modulation.
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Santoro et al. (2014) conducted a cross-sectional in Athlete's heart (n=86). Endurance training vs. Strength training was evaluated on Left ventricular twist (LVT) (p=<0.01). Endurance training athletes demonstrated significantly lower resting left ventricular twist (6.2° vs 12.0°) compared to strength training athletes, indicating better functional reserve.
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