Relationship Between Adaptive Morphological and Electrophysiological Remodeling of the Left Ventricle in Young Athletes After an 8-Month Period of Sports Training.

PURPOSE

The aim of this investigation was to assess the influence of an 8-month physical training period on left ventricular voltages identified by resting ECG in relation to changes in left ventricle mass in adolescent athletes.

METHODS

The study encompassed 28 adolescents aged 13 years (14 boys and 14 girls) from a sports secondary school. Clinical assessment was performed on all athletes before and after 8 months of physical training.

RESULTS

Sokolov-Lyon voltage index, Cornell voltage index, and maximum spatial QRS vector magnitude demonstrated statistically significant decline during the study period. The specific potential of the myocardium also significantly decreased during 8 months of training. The Sokolov-Lyon voltage criterion for left ventricular hypertrophy was fulfilled in 9 athletes (32.1%) at the beginning of the observation and only in 3 athletes (10.7%) at the end of the study. On the other hand, mean left ventricular mass and mean left ventricular mass index significantly increased after long-term training. No statistically significant correlations were identified between relative changes in left ventricular mass and QRS voltages.

CONCLUSION

An early period of intensive physical training in young athletes is associated with a decrease in QRS amplitude and a relative voltage deficit over the left ventricle.