Echocardiographic Assessment of Cardiac Chamber Size and Left Ventricular Function in Aerobically Trained Athletes

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Abstract
The echocardiographic assessment of left ventricular function was compared in 20 aerobically trained male athelets (VO2 [O2 consumption] max 61 ml/kg per min) with 20 control subjects of similar age and size (VO2 max 37 ml/kg per min). The left ventricle was larger in athletes and the extent of myocardial contraction (fractional shortening) was reduced. In 9 athletes, fractional shortening was less than the laboratory lower limit of normal (26%) and in 4 athletes the left ventricle was enlarged and fractional shortening was reduced. The peak rate of circumferential shortening was not reduced in athletes. Athletes have normal myocardial contractility but some have a reduced extent of myocardial contraction which could be mistaken for the effects of myocardial disease.