Endurance training athletes demonstrated significantly lower resting left ventricular twist (6.2° vs 12.0°) compared to strength training athletes, indicating better functional reserve.
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.
Absolute Event Rate: 6.2% vs 12%
p-value: p=<0.01
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.
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.