Effect of Maximal Exercise on the Heart Rate, Blood Pressure and Level of Cardiac Remolding in Elite Athletes

Abstract

Aim / Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine how intense exercise effect the blood pressure, heart rate and the extent upto, which the cardiac remolding may occur in elite athletes. Location of Study: This study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Army Medical College, along with the Armed Forces Institute of Cardiology (AFIC) in Rawalpindi. Methodology: There were 40 control participants and 40 elite endurance athletes. Clinical tests were performed on all the subjects to rule out an underlying medical condition or disease. Auscultatory method was used to measure the heart rate before exercise and immediately after exercise, Similarly the blood pressure was examined before and within 3 minutes after the physical activity. The left ventricular end-diastolic internal diameter (LVIDd), diastolic posterior wall thickness (PWTd), diastolic interventricular septal thickness (IVSTd), and left ventricular mass (LVM) were measured by echocardiography and determined using the Devereux formula. Before breakfast, the participants engaged in maximum physical activity on an electronic ergometer cycle until they were exhausted. Results: It was observed that when compared to the control group, the heart rates and blood pressure of athletes were noticeably lower. In contrast, LVIDd, IVSTd, PWTd, and LVM were higher in athletes than in healthy controls... Conclusion: The long term athletic training causes remodeling of the heart with increased dimensions of the left ventricle which reduces the heart rate and blood pressure in endurance trained athletes.