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Pokan, R; Huonker, M; Schumacher, M; Zweiker, R; Eber, B; Starz, I; Klein, W.
ECG of the athlete's heart
Acta Med Austriaca. 1994; 21(3):76-82
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Co-authors Med Uni Graz: Schumacher Martin; Zweiker Robert
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Abstract:: The athlete's heart is characterized by eccentric hypertrophy of all cardiac cavities and there is a close connection to increased tone of the vagal system. As a consequence, not only arrhythmias are observed in the ECG of healthy athletes, but also changes in the QRS complex and in the ST-T-segment. Left ventricular hypertrophy is diagnosed in ECG by a positive Sokolow-Lyon index. The frequent finding of a right ventricular conduction delay is possibly due to hypertrophy of the myocardium in the apex of the right ventricle. The causes of various T wave changes are generally unclear and await further diagnostic clarification. In cases when normalization of the T-wave deviation is observed under stress, such changes are of functional nature. Echocardiography is indicated in any case to establish the heart's size and function; hypertrophic cardiomyopathy has to be excluded. Frequent cardiac dysrhythmias found in athletes are sinus bradycardia and sinus arrhythmia, less often escape rhythms are seen. A arrhythmia more often found in athletes is the respiration-dependent simple atrioventricular dissociation. Also, escape rhythms are observed in some cases with ventricular origin. Finally, a pronounced vagotonia can lead to a prolonged conduction time; AV-blocks of all degrees of severity are observed in athletes. The functional character of these arrhythmias can be easily demonstrated by their disappearance under stress.
Find related publications in this database (using NLM MeSH Indexing): Arrhythmias, Cardiac - diagnosis; Cardiac Volume - physiology; Cardiomegaly - diagnosis; Diagnosis, Differential - diagnosis; Echocardiography - diagnosis; Electrocardiography - diagnosis; Heart Conduction System - physiopathology; Hemodynamics - physiology; Humans - physiology; Physical Endurance - physiology; Physical Fitness - physiology; Sports - physiology
Find related publications in this database (Keywords): Athletes Heart; ECG; St-T-Deviation; Arrhythmias