LEFT VENTRICULAR HYPERTROPHY IN ATHLETES IS CHARACTERISED BY SUPERNORMAL MYOCARDIAL BLOOD FLOW RESERVE PREDOMINANTLY DUE TO IMPROVED CAPILLARY RECRUITMENT AS ASSESSED by quantitative MYOCARDIAL CONTRAST ECHOCARDIOGRAPHY

Athletes develop physiological left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) as a consequence of enhanced training. Microcirculatory changes consequent to physiological LVH is relatively unknown. We hypothesised that LVH in atheletes is characterised by supernormal myocardial blood flow reserve (MBFR) due to