Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate Korean elite soccer players’ myocardial function using the conventional and advanced speckle tracking imaging to compare the difference with the normal controls. We used 2D echocardiography speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) to evaluate LV regional strain in 29 elite soccer players compared to 29 age-matched healthy controls. Conventional, tissue Doppler, and STI echocardiography was performed, for strain at base and apex, rotation and torsion. There is no difference in longitudinal strain (−17.6 ± 1.8 vs −17.3 ± 2.9, p = ns), and basal radial strain. However, the significant increases were noticed in basal circumferential strain (−17.5 ± 2.6 vs −15.5 ± 8.9, p = 0.05), apical radial strain (33.1 ± 20.5 vs 22.5 ± 19.4, p = 0.02), and apical circumferential strain in soccer players (−21.4 ± 4.8 vs −16.8 ± 7.6, p = 0.005). Soccer players showed the higher rotation at base (−3.9 ± 1.9 vs −2.6 ± 3.2, p = 0.03), and apex (6.98 ± 2.62 vs 6.21 ± 3.81, p = 0.05), higher torsion (10.9 ± 3.7 vs 8.8 ± 6.3, p = 0.05). In conclusion, the elite soccer players’ heart demonstrated the unique ventricular adaptation. These alterations could benefit the cardiovascular adjustment to exercise without much loss of myocardial energy expenditure.
Highlights
During exercise, the heart endures some alteration as a result of increase heart rate and cardiac output[1]
Athletes show an improvement in myocardial diastolic properties and supernormal left ventricular diastolic function[6]
As a marker of advanced diastolic function with TDI, the septal early diastolic E′was not different, septal late diastolic A′,septal systolic S′were decreased, the ratio of conventional early diastolic flow velocity per septal myocardial early diastolic tissue Doppler velocity of E/E′was decreased in athletes
Summary
The heart endures some alteration as a result of increase heart rate and cardiac output[1]. This is a left ventricular adaptation to long-term intensive strength training characterized by increase in chamber size, wall thickness, and LV mass, as Athlete’s heart[2,3,4,5]. Athletes show an improvement in myocardial diastolic properties and supernormal left ventricular diastolic function[6]. This can exemplify different morphological heart features in consequences to various kinds of practiced sports. Athlete’s heart has not been clarified the myocardial strain alteration at each myofibril direction
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