Myocardial Adaptation and Weight Fluctuation in College Wrestlers

Abstract

Myocardial adaptation and weight fluctuation of seven college wrestlers was examined during a competitive season. Standard M-mode measurements were used to determine left ventricular (LV) end diastolic and end systolic dimensions, fractional shortening, LV diastolic posterior wall thickness (DPW), diastolic interventricular septal thickness (DIVS), and LV mass (LVM) during preseason (test 1) and four months later at the season's end (test 2). The wrestlers' qualifying weights ranged from 53.6 to 80.5 kg and each competed in an average of 17 meets. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, heart rate, and body weight (BW) were measured at both tests. Daily weight records and qualifying weights were used to calculate seasonal weight fluctuation as a percentage of the highest weight attained between each meet and the wrestler's subsequent qualifying weight. Paired t-tests were used to determine differences between tests 1 and 2. DPW, DIVS and LVM increased from 8.8 +/- 1.0 to 10.3 +/- 1.0 mm, 7.9 +/- 1.5 to 9.9 +/- 0.6 mm, and 171.2 +/- 24.3 to 209.7 +/- 12.9 mm3 respectively while BW declined from 70.3 +/- 9.2 to 67.1 +/- 9.4 (X +/- SD, p < .01) from test 1 to 2. The other variables remained constant across tests. The wrestlers' mean % weight fluctuation throughout the season was 7.5 +/- 1.5 ranging from 4.4 to 9.1%. These findings suggest that significant increases in myocardial mass occur over the course of a competitive wrestling season resulting from increased LV wall thickness. The magnitude and cyclic method of weight loss used by wrestlers does not appear to prevent myocardial hypertrophy.

The effects of dehydration and rehydration on electrocardiographic and echocardiographic parameters in Greco‐Roman wrestlers

“…Several other factors, individual to the patient, such as changes in wall motion and thickness, intramyocardial and transmyocardial conduction abnormalities, and cancelling effects on electrical activity are presumably involved and may explain why ischaemia is associated with differing directional changes in R wave amplitude. Shusterman et al (2007) also stated that the changes in the QRS amplitude might be caused by the development of myocardial ischaemia, changes in body position, or a combination of these factors. For example, an ischaemiainduced chest pain could have led to the changes in body position, which in turn could generate the high-frequency muscle and movement artifacts.…”

“…Although this was reported previously in renal patients after dehydration as a result of multiple haemodialysis sessions (Drighil et al, 2008; Madias & Narayan, 2003) and in patients with peripheral oedema after its amelioration followed by the use of diuresis (Madias, 2006b), to our knowledge this is the first study to investigate the effects of dehydration and rehydration on the sums of amplitude of the P waves (ΣP) and QRS complexes (ΣQRS) in 12‐lead ECG and LVESV, LVEDV, and stroke volume of Greco‐Roman wrestlers. Smith et al (1994) reported that resting left ventricular cavity size and contractility, as demonstrated by the consistency of LVED, LVES, and fractional shortening, does not change during a competitive wrestling season accompanying a 7.5±1.5% mean weight fluctuation (range 4.4–9.1%). Consistent with Smith and colleagues (1994), results of the present investigation revealed that LVESV, LVEDV, and stroke volume were reduced after a 3–4% weight loss through dehydration, all of which returned to baseline values after rehydration.…”

“…For example, an ischaemiainduced chest pain could have led to the changes in body position, which in turn could generate the high-frequency muscle and movement artifacts. Consequently, although some authors have ascribed some diagnostic importance to augmentation of QRS specifically as an underlying ischaemia (Deanfield et al, 1983;Diskin et al, 1981;Ono et al, 1983;Shusterman et al, 2007;Taggart et al, 1972), others have reported it as an epiphenomenon of dehydration (Ishikawa et al, 1979;Madias & Narayan, 2003). In this regard, the threat of misleading diagnosis due to the effect of the gain/ loss of excessive fluid in the ''passive'' body volume conductor is important as it leads to a decrease/ increase in the ''composite impedance'' due to gain/loss of a constituent (water) with the lowest resistivity in the body.…”

“…Then, according to FILA rules they usually have 18 h before the beginning of the competition and so the wrestlers who became dehydrated to weigh in use this time to rehydrate. Thus based on fluctuation in body water weight in wrestlers (Smith et al, 1994) and the possible effect of this fluctuation on ECG and Echo parameters of people (Armstrong et al, 1997;Charkoudian, Halliwill, Morgan, Eisenach, & Joyner, 2003) together with the lack of evidence among Greco-Roman wrestlers, we tested the hypothesis that fluctuation in body water weight (dehydration and rehydration) would change QRS voltage and Echo in Greco-Roman wrestlers, since dehydration would increase QRS complexes and P wave and decrease the Echo parameters. Hence, the purpose of this study was to determine whether dehydration and rehydration affect the sums of amplitude of the P waves (SP) and QRS complexes (SQRS) in the 12-ECG leads and left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), and stroke volume of Greco-Roman wrestlers.…”