A Comparative Study Among Elite Female Volleyball Players and the General Population: Are All Valvular Regurgitations Benign?

BACKGROUND

Despite the global popularity of volleyball as an Olympic sport, there is a relative paucity of research concerning its cardiovascular implications. Valvular regurgitation is a common finding among athletes and may lead to diagnostic ambiguity, particularly in elite female volleyball players.

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we conducted a comparative echocardiographic analysis between elite female volleyball athletes and a control group from the general population.

METHOD

Echocardiographic data of elite volleyball players from the Turkish Sultans League were compared with those of sedentary female controls. The frequency and severity of heart valve regurgitation were evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 31 elite athletes were included in the study and compared to 37 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Echocardiographic measurements revealed that the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was higher in athletes than in controls (48.0 ± 2.6 mm vs. 43.7 ± 2.5 mm, p = 0.04). Additionally, grade 2 mitral (p = 0.04) and tricuspid (p = 0.003) valve insufficiencies were more frequently observed in elite athletes compared to the control group. However, aortic valve insufficiency was not observed as a characteristic of the athlete's heart. All participants were asymptomatic.

CONCLUSION

Elite female volleyball players demonstrated a higher prevalence of mitral and tricuspid valve insufficiencies compared to healthy controls. Moreover, the left ventricular end-diastolic diameter was significantly larger in athletes. However, no significant differences were observed in other echocardiographic parameters, and aortic valve insufficiency was not identified as a characteristic of the athlete's heart. Further studies are needed to provide more sport-specific data on these findings.