Effects of High-Intensity Training of Professional Runners on Myocardial Hypertrophy and Subclinical Atherosclerosis

Abstract

To evaluate the effects of long-term exposure to high-intensity training among professional runners on cardiac hypertrophy and subclinical atherosclerosis.Prospective study included runners of both sexes (n = 52) and age and gender matched controls (n = 57), without classical cardiovascular risk factors. Ventricular hypertrophy was quantified by echocardiography by linear method and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT) by 2-D images obtained by ultrasonography. Endothelial function was evaluated by flow-mediated dilation (FMD). Steroid hormones were quantified by HPLC followed by LC-MS/MS. Higher left ventricular (LV) mass index was found in male athletes (p<0.0001 vs. other groups). When adjusted for gender, the degree of left ventricular mass index classified as mildly, moderately or severely abnormal was obtained in 26%, 35%, and 30%, respectively, of female athletes, and in 39%, 14%, and 21%, respectively, of male athletes. Higher ratio of the early (E) to late (A) ventricular filling velocities was found in athletes of both genders. Male athletes presented lower cIMT in the right (p = 0.012 vs. male controls) and left (p<0.0001 vs. male controls) common carotid arteries, without differences in cIMT between female athletes and controls. FMD results were similar among groups. Higher serum testosterone levels were found in male athletes (p<0.0001 vs. other groups) and they were correlated with LV mass (r = 0.50, p<0.0001). The chronic exposure of high-intensity training among professional runners of both genders was associated with increased ventricular mass and adaptive remodeling. Less subclinical atherosclerosis was found in male athletes. Differences in steroid hormones may account in part for these findings.

Vascular Function in Norwegian Female Elite Runners: A Cross-Sectional, Controlled Study

“…Increased cIMT is considered an early sign of atherosclerosis. Our observation of no significant difference in cIMT between runners (0.53 mm) and controls (0.49 mm) is in accordance with previous cross-sectional studies on female athletes [ 19 , 25 ]. Bjarnegård et al [ 25 ] showed similar cIMT in female runners, sedentary controls, and normally active controls.…”

“…Similarly, Rickenlund et al [ 9 ] showed equal FMD-response in eumenorrheic athletes compared to sedentary, while FMD was impaired in amenorrheic athletes. More studies have been conducted on male athletes, reporting both similar [ 18 , 19 ], and improved [ 2 , 20 ], FMD-response compared to inactive controls. However, our observations support that high-level running performance seems not to be unbeneficial for the athletes in terms of endothelial function.…”

Arterial Function after a 246 km Ultra-marathon Running Race

“…The statistically significant correlation between years of training and CIMT indices was expected since the latter is well known to progress with age. Our results disagree with the ones of Bittencourt et al that have reported lower values of CIMT in professional runners compared to controls, although only in male ones [29], but are in complete agreement with other previous publications. Au et al have claimed that 12 weeks of aerobic exercise failed to affect CIMT in healthy young men and women [30] after studying marathon runners and age-and sex-matched healthy controls [31].…”

Influence of Vigorous Physical Activity on Structure and Function of the Cardiovascular System in Young Athletes—The MuCAYA-Study

“…Hemodynamic influences stimulate cardiomyocytes to increase the expression of sarcomeres. Several studies have shown cardiac adaptations to PA in adult athletes (24, 47–50). Sharma et al (7) consider too intensive exercise training as multifactorial risk factor in the course of an athlete's life that only becomes symptomatic in adulthood.…”