Abstract

In order to study the different characteristics of left ventricular structure and function in different categories of athletes and to determine the effects of three kinds of exercise on cardiovascular system, three groups of well-trained athletes (ie, endurance, sprint and strength group) and a group of untrained controls were studied by echocardiography. Each group consisted of 28 men aged 18-28. The main results are summarized as follows: (1) The index of left ventricular diameter, aortic root dimension, and the index of left ventricular mass, wall thickness were much greater in the endurance group than in the other three groups (p<0.01), while in the sprint and strength group only the left ventricular mass and wall thickness indexes were slightly higher than in the control group (p<0.0). This closely relates to the different change of cardiac hemodynamics resulting from the long-term and strenuous training of various groups of athletes and reflects the fine adaptation of the change of heart structure to special training. (2) Three athlete groups (especially endurance group) had a lower heart rates and a higher stroke volume than untrained men, which means exercise training had raised the mechanical efficiency of athletes heart. Verf.-Referat