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. 2014 Feb 26:12:11.
doi: 10.1186/1476-7120-12-11.

Increased longitudinal contractility and diastolic function at rest in well-trained amateur Marathon runners: a speckle tracking echocardiography study

Sebastian Schattke, Yan Xing, Jürgen Lock, Lars Brechtel, Sabrina Schroeckh, Sebastian Spethmann, Gert Baumann, Adrian C Borges, Fabian Knebel  1
Affiliations

Increased longitudinal contractility and diastolic function at rest in well-trained amateur Marathon runners: a speckle tracking echocardiography study

Sebastian Schattke et al. Cardiovasc Ultrasound. .

Abstract

Background: Regular physical activity reduces cardiovascular risk. There is concern that Marathon running might acutely damage the heart. It is unknown to what extent intensive physical endurance activity influences the cardiac mechanics at resting condition.

Methods: Eighty-four amateur marathon runners (43 women and 41 men) from Berlin-Brandenburg area who had completed at least one marathon previously underwent clinical examination and echocardiography at least 10 days before the Berlin Marathon at rest. Standard transthoracic echocardiography and 2D strain and strain rate analysis were performed. The 2D Strain and strain rate values were compared to previous published data of healthy untrained individuals.

Results: The average global longitudinal peak systolic strain of the left ventricle was -23 +/- 2% with peak systolic strain rate -1.39 +/- 0.21/s, early diastolic strain rate 2.0 +/- 0.40/s and late diastolic strain rate 1.21 +/- 0.31/s. These values are significantly higher compared to the previous published values of normal age-adjusted individuals. In addition, no age-related decline of longitudinal contractility in well-trained athletes was observed.

Conclusions: There is increased overall longitudinal myocardial contractility at rest in experienced endurance athletes compared to the published normal values in the literature indicating a preserved and even supra-normal contractility in the athletes. There is no age dependent decline of the longitudinal 2D Strain values. This underlines the beneficial effects of regular physical exercise even in advanced age.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
2D-Strain analysis of the left ventricle in the apical two chamber view with average values for peak systolic strain (Peak S) peak global strain (Peak G) and peak positive strain (Peak P) over each segment.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Age dependence of longitudinal 2D strain (Spearman correlation coefficient 0.073, p = 0.51).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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