Predominance of normal left ventricular geometry in the male ‘athlete's heart’

Aims This study evaluated (a) global LV adaption to endurance versus resistance training in male athletes, (b) LV assessment using by modern imaging technologies and (c) the impact of scaling for body size on LV structural data. Methods A prospective cross-sectional design assessed the LV in 18 elite endurance-trained (ET), 19 elite resistance-trained (RT) and 17 sedentary control (CT) participants. Standard 2D, tissue Doppler and speckle tracking echocardiography assessed LV structure and function. Indexing of LV structures to body surface area (BSA) was undertaken using ratio and allometric scaling. Results Absolute and scaled LV end-diastolic volume (ET: 43.7±6.8; RT: 34.2±7.4; CT 32.5±8.9 mL/m 1.5 ; p 2.7 ; p  Conclusions In this comprehensive evaluation of the male athlete9s heart (AH), normal LV geometry was predominant in both athlete groups. In the ET, 30% demonstrated an eccentric hypertrophy with no concentric hypertrophy in RT. Cardiac e data in RT require further evaluation, and any interpretation of LV size should appropriately index for differences in body size.