Normative Values for Sport-Specific Left Ventricular Dimensions and Exercise-Induced Cardiac Remodeling in Elite Spanish Male and Female Athletes

• Published in: Sports medicine - open 2022-12, Vol.8 (1), Article 116
• Main Authors: Boraita, Araceli, Díaz-Gonzalez, Leonel, Valenzuela, Pedro L., Heras, María-Eugenia, Morales-Acuna, Francisco, Castillo-García, Adrián, Lucia, María J., Suja, Pedro, Santos-Lozano, Alejandro, Lucia, Alejandro
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Athletes; Geometry; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Original; Original Research Article; Sports Medicine
• ISSN: 2199-1170; 2198-9761
• DOI: 10.1186/s40798-022-00510-2

Background There is debate about the magnitude of geometrical remodeling [ i.e. , left ventricle (LV) cavity enlargement vs. wall thickening] in the heart of elite athletes, and no limits of normality have been yet established for different sports. We aimed to determine sex- and sport-specific normative values of LV dimensions in elite white adult athletes. Methods This was a single-center, retrospective study of Spanish elite athletes. Athletes were grouped by sport and its relative dynamic/static component (Mitchell’s classification). LV dimensions were measured with two-dimensional-guided M-mode echocardiography imaging to compute normative values. We also developed an online and app-based calculator ( https://sites.google.com/lapolart.es/athlete-lv/welcome?authuser=0 ) to provide clinicians with sports- and Mitchell’s category-specific Z-scores for different LV dimensions. Results We studied 3282 athletes (46 different sports, 37.8% women, mean age 23 ± 6 years). The majority (85.4%) showed normal cardiac geometry, particularly women (90.9%). Eccentric hypertrophy was relatively prevalent (13.4%), and concentric remodeling or hypertrophy was a rare finding (each