Echocardiographic right and left ventricular measurements in male elite endurance athletes

Echocardiography was used to assess normal values in the rightand left ventricular cavity and wall in 127 male elite enduranceathletes. M-mode and two dimensional measurements of left ventricleand left and right atria were also obtained. All subjects werehigh-performance orienteers, cross-country skiers and middle-distancerunners. They all had a normal electrocardiogram at rest andno echocardiographic evidence of heart disease. With the use of multiple right ventricular cross-sections andtwo-dimensional measurements, we found a significantly greaterright ventricular inflow tract and right and left atrial measurementsin endurance athletes compared with earlier studies of normal,active subjects. The right ventricular free wall was slightlythicker than reported in normal active subjects but the differenceswere small. Left ventricular diastolic diameter was consistentwith previous reports of endurance athletes. Of the 127 subjects,13% had left ventricular wall thickness above 13 mm but noneof the athletes had wall thickness above 15 mm. These data suggestthat cardiac enlargement occurs symmetrically in both rightand left cavities, probably reflecting increased haemodynamicloading, a mechanism by which athletes sustain a high cardiacoutput during exercise.