Author:

Keywords:

Electrocardiography, Electrocardiography, Ambulatory, Exercise, Forecasting, Heart, Heart Ventricles, Humans, Hypertrophy, Left Ventricular, Physical Endurance, Sports, Ventricular Function, Left, Science & Technology, Life Sciences & Biomedicine, Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems, Cardiovascular System & Cardiology, LEFT-VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY, CARDIAC STRUCTURE, CARDIOMYOPATHY, CYCLISTS, RUNNERS, Ventricular Function, 1102 Cardiorespiratory Medicine and Haematology, 1103 Clinical Sciences, Cardiovascular System & Hematology, 3201 Cardiovascular medicine and haematology, 3202 Clinical sciences

Abstract:

Cardiac enlargement in athletes was already recognised by the end of the 19th century through percussion of the chest in cross country skiers, and was later confirmed by use of radiography and evidence from necropsy. The advent of echocardiography allowed investigators to gain a better insight into the heart of athletes, and these findings were in general confirmed by other techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging. The present review will focus on the impact of different sports and training on cardiac structure and function, and on electrocardiographic alterations associated with athlete's heart.