Cardiovascular Screening in Ultramarathon Amateur Runners

Introduction: The number of people participating in trail running, including ultramarathons, is increasing yearly. Although trail running and ultramarathons demand intense endurance, medical examinations are not mandatory for amateur athletes beforein competitions.Methodology: The study aimed to assess the frequency of symptoms that might suggest cardiovascular diseases and to analyze ECG findings in a group of amateur athletes participating in trail running compared to a control group.Results: The study group consisted of 20 amateur athletes (15 men, 5 women) aged 24-45 years (mean age 34 8 years). Most participants had been engaged in long-distance running for years (mean 5.6 2 years) and had competed in races up to a maximum of 260 km. Athletes reported symptoms inticative to heart disease twice as often (45% vs. 20%) compared to the control group, and more frequently reported a family history of sudden cardiac death (10% vs. 0%). Elevated blood pressure values were observed in 5 athletes (25%) during the study, most frequently in the masters group. Only 2 individuals consulted a doctor about participating in the events. Only one athlete showed abnormalities classified as „abnormal, unrelated to sport,” specifically QTcB > 470 ms. In other cases, the most common findings were sport-related changes: left ventricular hypertrophy (40%), AV block I degree (15%), and incomplete right bundle branch block (15%).Conclusions: Amateur athletes participating in ultramarathons, despite frequently experincing symptoms indicative to heart disease, rarely use diagnostic tests designed to detect pathologies that could lead to sudden cardiac death associated with exercise. In this group, electrocardiographic findings are typically mild and characteristic of athletes.