Correlation between ECG changes and early left ventricular remodeling in preadolescent footballers

A comprehensive electrocardiographic analysis for young athletes

ECG-based differences between athletes and sedentary adolescents are a frequently investigated subject in sports medicine. Especially, training-induced ECG variations are common in adult athletes and sustained training often leads to anatomical changes in the heart that can yield abnormalities in ECG. Therefore, ECG screening in athletes is important in diagnosis of cardiac problems of young athletes. The present work investigated the ECG characteristics of young athletes in terms of both gender and sedentary healthy young control group differences. Besides comparison between groups, analysis parameters were also investigated within the groups using correlation analysis. ECG characteristics were extracted using wavelet transform-based adaptive algorithms. Results showed that ECGs of athletes demonstrate differences related to gender and compared to young sedentary. Athletes had significantly lower heart rate; higher QTc, P, and T amplitudes; ST segment; and ST, QT, and RR intervals compared to control group (p < 0.05). Proposed new parameter, namely "scalogram" of each wave, was lower in male athletes compared to other groups (p < 0.05). Negative correlation between T wave amplitude and RR interval could be an indicator of long QT syndrome for male athletes. Furthermore, prolongation of QRS interval in athletes could be the underlying reason of changes in T wave amplitude. Findings of this study can propose indicators for understanding the possible diseases as well as help evaluate the sudden changes in athlete's heart.

Echocardiographic assessment of children participating in regular sports training

OBJECTIVE:

The aim of the present study was to determine the effects of a well-controlled endurance training program on cardiac functions and structures in healthy children and to define whether training hours per week and type of sports affect the training-induced cardiovascular response.

METHODS:

Echocardiographic recordings were obtained in 126 children who systematically participated in sports training for at least 1 year (study group), and the results were compared with the values obtained in 62 normal children who did not actively engage in any sports activity (control group). The two groups were comparable for age, sex, and body mass index. Study group participants were divided into two groups according to the duration of physical activity (training hours per week, <8 h and >8 h) and five groups according to the cardiovascular demand of sports type. Clinical examination, resting electrocardiogram, two-dimensional, M-mode, and Doppler echocardiography were obtained in all participants.

RESULTS:

Left ventricle wall dimensions, left atrial diameters, and aortic measurements were significantly higher in the study group. The mean mitral E/A ratio was also significantly higher in the training group than in untrained subjects (p<0.001). Echocardiographic measurements were similar between different sports type participants in the study group. However, aortic root diameter, left atrial diameter, and left ventricle posterior wall diastolic thickness were higher in children training >8 h/week than in children training <8 h/week in the study group.

CONCLUSION:

The present study showed that the echocardiographic parameters of children participating in regular sports training activities statistically significantly exceeded the parameters of untrained controls. These parameters were mostly dependent on the duration of training hours per week.