Intensive exercise training in female athletes results in different patterns of cardiac remodeling compared to males, with females tending to develop eccentric hypertrophy and showing lower rates of sudden cardiac death.
How does physiological cardiac adaptation to regular intensive exercise differ in female athletes compared to male athletes?
Cardiac adaptation to exercise differs significantly between sexes, highlighting the need for female-specific criteria to distinguish physiological remodeling from pathological conditions in athletes.
PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW: For many years, competitive sport has been dominated by men. Recent times have witnessed a significant increase in women participating in elite sports. As most studies investigated male athletes, with few reports on female counterparts, it is crucial to have a better understanding on physiological cardiac adaptation to exercise in female athletes, to distinguish normal phenotypes from potentially fatal cardiac diseases. This review reports on cardiac adaptation to exercise in females. RECENT FINDINGS: Recent studies show that electrical, structural, and functional cardiac changes due to physiological adaptation to exercise differ in male and female athletes. Women tend to exhibit eccentric hypertrophy, and while concentric hypertrophy or concentric remodeling may be a normal finding in male athletes, it should be evaluated carefully in female athletes as it may be a sign of pathology. Although few studies on veteran female athletes are available, women seem to be affected by atrial fibrillation, coronary atherosclerosis, and myocardial fibrosis less than male counterparts. Males and females exhibit many biological, anatomical, and hormonal differences, and cardiac adaptation to exercise is no exception. The increasing participation of women in sports should stimulate the scientific community to develop large, longitudinal studies aimed at a better understanding of cardiac adaptation to exercise in female athletes.
Colombo et al. (Fri,) conducted a review in Athlete's heart. Intensive exercise training vs. Male athletes and sedentary controls was evaluated. Intensive exercise training in female athletes results in different patterns of cardiac remodeling compared to males, with females tending to develop eccentric hypertrophy and showing lower rates of sudden cardiac death.