Key result
Elite female athletic training linked to ~34% lower LV remodelling index versus controls.
Why the study?
Differentiating physiological exercise-induced cardiac remodelling from pathology is challenging, especially in female athletes where studies using state-of-the-art imaging techniques are lacking.
Does elite sports participation across different athletic disciplines induce distinct extreme phenotypes of exercise-induced cardiac remodelling on contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI in female elite athletes compared to the general female population?
Cross-Sectional (n=173)
Yes
Does elite sports participation across different athletic disciplines induce distinct extreme phenotypes of exercise-induced cardiac remodelling on contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI in female elite athletes compared to the general female population?
In female elite athletes, physiological exercise-induced cardiac remodelling on cardiac MRI primarily manifests as balanced biventricular dilatation rather than isolated myocardial hypertrophy or wall thickening >11 mm, providing sex- and sport-specific reference values to help differentiate healthy adaptation from cardiac pathology.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Supports female-specific CMR reference values for athlete screening; leaves open prospective validation and outcome impact.
AIMS: Differentiating physiological exercise-induced cardiac remodelling (EICR) from pathology is challenging, especially in female athletes, where studies using state-of-the-art imaging techniques are lacking. We aimed to investigate extreme phenotypes of EICR in female elite athletes using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS AND RESULTS: Cross-sectional, multicentre study in female elite athletes using contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI. Left and right ventricle (LV, RV) indices and LV mass (LVM)-to-LV end-diastolic volume (EDV) ratios were investigated, indexed by body surface area (BSA). Cardiac remodelling was determined comparing cardiac MRI metrics to female reference values, stratified by ESC sports classification (endurance, mixed, power/skill). In 173 female elite athletes (median age 25 years, median 18 h training/week, 97% Caucasian), mean LV EDV/BSA and LVM/BSA were 108 ± 13 mL/m2 and 50 ± 10 g/m2, with lower LVM/LV EDV ratios (0.5 ± 0.1) than the general population (0.7 ± 0.1 g/mL; P < 0.001). Most athletes (71%) had isolated LV EDV increases; LVM increases (18%) commonly coincided with LV EDV increases. Compared with the general population (45 ± 7 g/m2), only mixed (48 ± 9 g/m2; P = 0.021) and endurance athletes (53 ± 11 g/m2; P < 0.001) exhibited greater mean LVM with endurance athletes surpassing mixed athletes (P = 0.004). Mixed and endurance showed comparably greater median biventricular EDV compared with power/skill athletes [LV: 109 (103-119) and 111 (101-118) vs. 99 (92-105); RV: 110 (103-118) and 112 (105-124) vs. 101 (95-104) mL/m2; P < 0.001]. Maximum wall thickness > 11 mm was rare (2%). Global T1 time was 968 ± 22 ms; extracellular volume was 25 ± 4%. CONCLUSION: Female elite athletes, particularly endurance-trained athletes, display EICR marked by increased ventricular volumes, without prominent increases in LVM or wall thickness. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NL9328.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Hattum et al. (2025) conducted a cross-sectional in Exercise-induced cardiac remodelling (EICR) in female elite athletes (n=173). Elite athletic training (endurance, mixed, and power/skill sports) evaluated by contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI vs. General female population reference values and comparisons across ESC sports categories was evaluated on Left ventricular remodelling index (LVM/LV EDV ratio) on cardiac MRI (Relative difference -34%, 95% CI -36% to -32%, p=<0.001). Elite athletic training in females was associated with a 34% lower LV remodelling index and 57% higher LV end-diastolic volume than the general population.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: