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Biomedical subjects

W Kindermann

Publications and source records attributed to W Kindermann.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

[Cardiovascular and metabolic response to dynamic stress echocardiography by patients with coronary heart disease and healthy probands].

25 patients with coronary heart disease (CHD, 62 +/- 9 years) and 18 subjects free from cardiovascular disease (28 +/- 9 years) were tested on a cycle ergometer using a graded incremental test protocol: a) in the common upright position, b) as dynamic stress echocardiography in a semi-supine position. Whereas no relevant differences could be detected between the two conditions for the healthy subjects concerning heart rate, blood pressure, and rate-pressure product (2 x 3 ANOVA, t-tests with alpha-adjustment), the CHD patients showed both significantly higher heart rates as well as a significantly higher rate-pressure product (50 W: 15,300 +/- 2973 mm Hg/min vs. 13,822 +/- 3042 mm Hg/min; 75 W: 18,028 +/- 3479 mm Hg/min vs. 16,337 +/- 2619 mm Hg/min) on equivalent stages during stress echocardiography if compared to the sitting position. There were no differences for systolic blood pressure in this group; the diastolic values were higher in the sitting position at rest and during 50 W. Lactate concentrations (determined only in the healthy subjects) were significantly higher on all stages during dynamic stress echocardiography. The workload at the individual anaerobic threshold (IAT) was significantly lower. In conclusion, we found a higher metabolic along with a similar cardiovascular strain at equivalent workloads in stress echocardiography compared to upright bicycle ergometry for healthy subjects. However, CHD patients have a higher cardiocirculatory load in the semi-supine position. When investigating these patients with stress echocardiography, higher heart rates of about 8 beats/min have to be expected for equivalent workloads if compared to the upright position.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Is determination of exercise intensities as percentages of VO2max or HRmax adequate?

UNLABELLED: Often exercise intensities are defined as percentages of maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) or heart rate (HRmax). PURPOSE: The purpose of this investigation was to test the applicability of these criteria in comparison with the individual anaerobic threshold. METHODS: One progressive cycling test to exhaustion (initial stage 100 W, increment 50 W every 3 min) was analyzed in a group of 36 male cyclists and triathletes (24.9 +/- 5.5 yr; 71.6 +/- 5.7 kg; VO2max: 62.2 +/- 5.0 mL x min(-1) x kg(-1); individual anaerobic threshold = IAT: 3.64 +/- 0.41 W x kg(-1); HRmax: 188 +/- 8 min). Power output and lactate concentrations for 60 and 75% of VO2max as well as for 70 and 85% of HRmax were related to the IAT. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the mean value of IAT (261 +/- 34 W, 2.92 +/- 0.65 mmol x L(-1)), 75% of VO2max (257 +/- 24 W, 2.84 +/-0.92 mmol x L(-1)), and 85% of HRmax (259 +/- 30 W, 2.98 +/- 0.87 mmol L(-1)). However, the percentages of the IAT ranged between 86 and 118% for 75% VO2max and 87 and 116% for 85% HRmax (corresponding lactate concentrations: 1.41-4.57 mmol x L(-1) and 1.25-4.93 mmol x L(-1), respectively). The mean values at 60% of VO2max (198 +/- 19 W, 1.55 +/- 0.67 mmol x L(-1)) and 70% of HRmax (180 +/- 27 W, 1.45 +/- 0.57 mmol x L(-1)) differed significantly (P < 0.0001) from the IAT and represented a wide range of intensities (66-91% and 53-85% of the IAT, 0.70-3.16 and 0.70-2.91 mmol x L(-1), respectively). CONCLUSIONS: In a moderately to highly endurance-trained group, the percentages of VO2max and HRmax vary considerably in relation to the IAT. As most physiological responses to exercise are intensity dependent, reliance on these parameters alone without considering the IAT is not sufficient.

Adult↗
PubMed1999

Sports-specific adaptations and differentiation of the athlete's heart.

Although the sports-specific adaptations and differentiation of an athlete's heart (AH) were first described 100 years ago, the condition is still an area of active debate. In clinical practice, there is often an obvious lack of basic knowledge concerning the prerequisites and well established extent of the structural and functional characteristics of an AH. Some misunderstandings arise from the somewhat misleading term 'athlete's heart' because not every athlete, even if he or she is training and competing at a very high level, develops an enlarged heart. Such a condition can only be expected after years of quantitative and qualitative demanding aerobic endurance training. Although the correlation with competitive performance of endurance events is rather low in trained athletes, the relationship between heart dimensions and ergometric performance represents an important criterion for differentiation between physiological and pathological cardiac enlargement. The assessment of measures exceeding the usual clinical limits, especially concerning volume-dependent echocardiographic parameters, also requires consideration of the strong influence of anthropometric data. The existence of a concentric left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) in strength-trained athletes is still a topic of debate in the literature, but is rejected by most recent well-conducted trials. In our review. only bodybuilders using anabolic steroids exhibited a distinctly higher hypertrophic index compared with all other groups of endurance or strength athletes. Current unsolved issues in clinical sports medicine concern the early detection of myocardial complications in athletes exercising during infectious diseases, and the eligibility for competitive sport in cases of borderline LVH.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1999

Exercise and atherogenesis: where is the missing link?

Cardiovascular disease is the principal cause of death in Europe, the United States, and much of Asia. If sedentary people begin exercising on a regular basis, there is epidemiologal evidence of approximately 50% reduction in their risk of developing coronary heart disease. This article is an overview about epidemiology and pathogenesis of atherosclerotic lesions. It is intended to put forth the hypothesis that exercise modulates monocytes and T-lymphocytes and that this modulation is capable of guarding against atherosclerosis or inducing regression of atherosclerotic lesions. The literature does not provide sufficient data for drawing conclusions, but this article introduces a new direction of exercise immunological research. Prevention of atherosclerosis or regression of reversible forms of atherosclerotic lesions such as fatty streaks is the principal goal of preventive efforts. Sports medicine and exercise immunology may contribute significantly to the knowledge base if the cellular and molecular responses of regular exercise for atherogenesis are discovered.

Arteriosclerosis↗
PubMed1998

[Heart enlargement in an athlete--a diagnostic challenge].

Endurance training can result in an enlargement of the heart. These athlete's hearts are rarer than generally assumed. Pathological causes, resulting in an eccentric hypertrophy, have to be considered. We report on a 32 year old athlete performing approximately 10 hours of endurance training weekly. He consulted a physician because of a drop in performance. The eccentric left ventricular hypertrophy, diagnosed by means of echocardiography, was not interpreted as a solely physiological cardiac adaptation because the ejection fraction did not increase during exercise (stress-echocardiography), the left ventricular diastolic function (maximum E/A-ratio) was impaired at rest, and the ergometric performance was reduced in comparison to the heart size. The invasive diagnostics including myocardial biopsy demonstrate histologically a focal fibrosis as the result of former myocarditis. The fibrosis was possibly involved in the genesis of the eccentric hypertrophy based on structural dilatation through a preferably mesenchymal lesion. It remains open whether the long-term endurance training had forced the dilatation. This case demonstrates that pathological causes must be excluded if in athletes an enlarged heart does not concur together with a clearly increased ergometric performance. Stress-echocardiography and endomyocardial biopsy can considerably contribute to the differential diagnosis between physiological and pathological cardiac hypertrophy.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Ergometric and psychological findings during overtraining: a long-term follow-up study in endurance athletes.

In the present prospective longitudinal study 17 male endurance trained athletes (cyclists and triathletes; age 23.4+/-6.7 years, VO2max 61.2+/-7.5 ml x min(-1) x kg(-1); means+/-SD) were investigated both during a state of overtraining syndrome (OT: N=15), mainly induced by an increase of exercise intensity, as well as several times in a state of regular physical ability (NS: N=62). Cycle-ergometric and psychological data were compared for a period of approximately 19 months. On 2 separate days, each subject performed a maximum incremental graded exercise, two anaerobic tests (10 s and 30 s) as well as a short-endurance "stress test" with the intensity of 110% of the individual anaerobic threshold until volitional exhaustion. The mood state was recorded by a psychological questionnaire including 40 basic items. During OT the submaximal lactate concentrations were slightly decreased. The performance of the 10 s- and 30 s-tests was unaffected. In contrast, the duration of the "stress test" decreased significantly by approximately 27% during OT compared to the individual NS. The submaximal oxygen uptake measured during the incremental graded exercise was slightly higher during OT as compared to NS, whereas the submaximal and maximal respiratory exchange ratio, maximal heart rate and maximal lactate concentrations were decreased. At the 10th minute of the "stress test", ammonia tended to be increased during OT (P=0.048). The parameters of mood state at rest as well as the subjective rating of perceived exertion during exercise were significantly impaired during OT. In conclusion, the results indicate a decreased intramuscular utilization of carbohydrates with diminished maximal anaerobic lactacid energy supply during OT. Neither the lactate-performance relationship during incremental graded exercise nor the anaerobic alactacid performance showed alterations. The duration of the short-endurance "stress test", the maximal lactate concentration of the incremental graded exercise as well as the altered mood profile turned out to be the most sensitive parameters for the diagnosis of OT.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Impaired pituitary hormonal response to exhaustive exercise in overtrained endurance athletes.

The aim of the present prospective longitudinal study was to investigate the hormonal response in overtrained athletes at rest and during exercise consisting of a short-term exhaustive endurance test on a cycle ergometer at an intensity 10% above the individual anaerobic threshold. Over a period of 19+/-1 months, 17 male endurance athletes (cyclists and triathletes; age 23.4+/-1.6 yr; VO2max. 61.2+/-1.8 mL x min(-1) x kg(-1); means+/-SEM) were examined five times on two separate days under standardized conditions. Short-term overtraining states (OT, N=15) were primarily induced by an increase of frequency of high-intensive bouts of exercise or competitions without increase of the total amount of training. OT was compared with normal training states intraindividually (NS, N=62). During OT, the time to exhaustion of the exercise test was significantly decreased by 27% on average. At rest and during exercise, the concentrations in plasma and the nocturnal excretion in urine of free epinephrine and norepinephrine were not significantly changed during OT. At physical rest, the concentrations of (free) testosterone, cortisol, luteinizing hormone, follicle-stimulating hormone, adrenocorticotropic hormone, growth hormone, and insulin during OT were comparable with those during NS. A significantly (P < 0.025) lower maximal exercise-induced increase of the adrenocorticotropic hormone and growth hormone, as well as a trend for a decrease of cortisol (P=0.060) and insulin (P=0.036), was measured. The response of free catecholamines as well as the ergometric performance of an all-out 30-s test was unchanged. Serum urea, uric acid, ferritin, and activity of creatine kinase showed no differences between conditions. In conclusion, the results confirm the hypothesis of a hypothalamo-pituitary dysregulation during OT expressed by an impaired response of pituitary hormones to exhaustive short-endurance exercise.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Overtraining and immune system: a prospective longitudinal study in endurance athletes.

A prospective longitudinal study investigated for 19 +/- 3) months whether immunophenotypes of peripheral leukocytes were altered in periods of severe training. Leukocyte membrane antigens (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD14, CD16, CD19, CD45, CD45RO, and CD56) of endurance athletes were immunophenotyped (dual-color flow cytometry) and list mode data analyzed by a self-learning classification system in a state of an overtraining syndrome (OT; N = 15) and several occasions without symptoms of staleness (NS; N = 70). Neither at physical rest nor after a short-term highly intensive cycle ergometer exercise session at 110% of the individual anaerobic threshold did cell counts of neutrophils, T, B, and natural killer cells differ between OT and NS. Eosinophils were lower during OT, activated T cells (CD3+HLA/DR+) showed slight increases (NS: 5.5 +/- 2.7; OT 7.3 +/- 2.4% CD3+ of cells; means +/- SD; P < 0.01) during OT without reaching pathological ranges. The cell-surface expression of CD45RO (P < 0.001) on T cells, but not cell concentrations of CD45RO+ T cells, were higher during OT. OT could be classified with high specificities (92%) and sensitivities (93%). It is concluded that OT does not lead to clinically relevant alterations of immunophenotypes in peripheral blood and especially that an immunosuppressive effect cannot be detected. Immunophenotyping may provide help with the diagnosis of OT in future, but the diagnostic approach presented here requires improvements before use in sports medicine practice is enabled.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

Adhesion molecules during immune response to exercise.

Cell-cell and cell-matrix contacts are dependent on cell surface density, localization, and avidity state of adhesion molecules. These adhesion molecules are involved in all steps of the leukocyte's adhesion process. Selectins, molecules of the immunoglobulin superfamily, and integrins are necessary for an initial tethering, triggering, firm attachment, and transendothelial migration of leukocytes. Hormones, cytokines, other pro-inflammatory agents, and shedded receptors like the LPS-receptor significantly alter the adhesion process. Infectious and noninfectious inflammatory processes are capable of inducing an altered adhesion of leukocytes to endothelial cells. The result is a preferential homing of leukocytes to sites of inflammation. Acute bouts of exercise may induce a release or secretion of many of the aforementioned substances involved in the adhesion process. The acute immune response to exercise is strongly influenced by the activation of the sympathetic nervous system and the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis. During the first 10-30 min of exercise an almost maximal increase of T and B lymphocytes, monocytes, and NK cells from the marginal pool into the blood circulation is induced. This demargination of cells is likely an effect mediated by beta 2 adrenergic receptors and probably due to a change of the avidity state of adhesion molecules. Strenuous exercise is associated with an increase of serum cortisol resulting in a delayed neutrocytosis and lymphocytopenia. Both phenomena are due to altered circulation patterns. It will be discussed how far adhesion molecules might contribute to this effect. Furthermore an evaluation of contradicting experimental results about surface expression of selectins and integrins will be provided.

Adult↗
PubMed1998

[Sudden cardiac death in sports].

The majority of sudden deaths during physical activity is due to cardiac diseases. In younger persons (< 25 years) the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is most often involved, followed by infectious cardiac diseases (myocarditis). Already in persons up to 40 years the incidence of coronary arteriosclerosis markedly increases. Although the acute risk of sudden cardiac death is enhanced during sport activity, regular physical training results in an overall cardioprotective effect. Demands on the sports medical examination are discussed in the light of the prevention of sudden cardiac death as well as the long-term health care. Based on a careful anamnesis and clinical examination the ECG as well as the echocardiography present non-invasive methods with high informational value. An exercise-ECG is especially recommended to evaluate the eligibility for physical exercise in persons > 35-40 years and in subjects with risk factors for cardiovascular diseases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

Echocardiographic criteria of physiological left ventricular hypertrophy in combined strength- and endurance-trained athletes.

In combined strength- and endurance-trained athletes who are showing both unusual large body dimensions as well as a high physical fitness, the dimensions of the 'athlete's heart' are expected to reach physiological limits. Therefore we investigated 75 male and 77 female competitive rowers by means of doppler-echocardiography. The absolute "critical" heart weight of 500 g was exceeded by 61% of the male and 10% of the female rowers. Maximal values of the left ventricular (LV) muscle mass were measured at 170 (men) and 133 (women) g.m-2 body surface area, respectively. The LV end-diastolic internal diameter was measured to be above the upper clinical limit of 55 mm in 55% of the male and 17% of the female rowers. A LV wall thickness of 13 and 12 mm was only exceeded by 3 male and 1 female athlete, respectively (maximal values: 14 and 12.5 mm). The LV wall/internal diameter ratio did not exceed 48-50%. The systolic LV function as well as ECG and blood pressure did not reveal any pathological finding, the diastolic LV function was always measured within the normal range. The LV wall thicknesses, internal diameter and hypertrophic index (relation between wall thickness and internal diameter) of the rowers were significantly higher than those of 62 non-endurance trained athletes (pairwise matched according to the body dimensions) and similar to 28 male 'pure' endurance athletes (pairwise matched according to the absolute heart volume). In conclusion, upper limits of echocardiographic volume measurements that are considered critical may be clearly exceeded by healthy strength-endurance trained athletes with simultaneously high body dimensions. The clinical limits, however, are still valid in subjects with a body mass up to approximately 70 kg. The LV wall thickness only exceptionally exceed the clinical limits. A specific influence of the strength elements in training on the LV hypertrophy had not be found.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Enhanced expression of HLA-DR, Fc gamma receptor 1 (CD64) and leukocyte common antigen (CD45) indicate activation of monocytes in regenerative training periods of endurance athletes.

The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis whether endurance athletes have distinct expressions of functionally relevant surface antigens of monocytes. Under standardized experimental and laboratory conditions CD 14+ blood monocytes of 55 males (22 sedentary controls [CO], individual anaerobic threshold [IAT]: 2.2 +/- 1.2 W.kg-1, VO2 max: 47 +/- 12 ml.min-1.kg-1; 13 endurance athletes, training: 3-10 hours weekly [E1], IAT: 3.0 +/- 1.1 W.kg-1, VO2max 57 +/- 5 ml.min-1.kg-1; 20 endurance athletes training: > 10 hours weekly [E2], IAT: 3.7 +/- 1.3 W.kg-1, VO2max: 64 +/- 6 ml.min-1.kg-1) were investigated for relative surface receptor expression of CD45, CD64 and HLA-DR (direct immunofluorescence, flow cytometry). E1 and E2 showed significantly (ANOVA, Tukey's HSD test; each p < 0.01) higher relative receptor expressions for CD64 in comparison to CO (E1: +62/E2: +71%; percentage of increase compared to CO value), CD45 (+44/+32%) and HLA-DR (+22/+35%). Cell counts of four monocyte subpopulations (CD56+, CD14bright+CD16-, CD14bright+CD16dim+, CD14dim(+)-CD16bright+) did not show significant differences between the groups. These data suggest that in endurance athletes during regenerative training period circulating monocytes show an enhancement of functionally relevant surface receptors indicating an activation monocytes.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The acute immune response to exercise: what does it mean?

The purpose of this article is to provide information about the exercise-induced alterations of cellular immune parameters depending on the intensity related to the individual anaerobic threshold (IAT) and duration of exercise. Immunological parameters were differential blood counts (CD14, CD45), monocyte subpopulations (CD14, CD16), lymphocyte subpopulations (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD45RO, CD19, CD16, CD56, HLA-DR) and natural killer cells (CD3, CD16, CD56), oxidative burst activity of neutrophils, and phagocytosis of neutrophils (flow cytometry). The main results were: (a) "Moderate" exercise (duration < 2h at about 85% of the IAT corresponding to a lactate steady state at about 2 mmol.l-1, < 30 min at the IAT corresponding to a lactate steady state of 4 mmol.l-1) elicits lower changes in cell concentrations and hormonal responses than strenuous exercise [exhaustive exercise at 100% IAT or above; (exhaustive) long-term (> 2-3h) endurance exercise]. Similar investigations about cell functions to decide about the positive or negative nature of these observations will have to follow in the future. (b) The neutrocytosis following exercise is more dependent on the duration than on the intensity of exercise. Especially exercise sessions that lead to a strong incline of the adrenocorticotropic hormone, beta-endorphin and cortisol are associated with this neutrocytosis. (c) Neutrophils' function during the exercise-induced neutrocytosis indicated by phagocytosis and oxidative burst activity is unchanged or reduced following strenuous endurance exercise, whereas bacterial URTI leads to similar neutrophil counts but significantly increased cell activities indicating the diverse meaning of the leukocytosis in infections (primed cells, enhanced cell activity, stimulated defense mechanism) and following exercise (impaired cell function, suppressed defense mechanism). (d) Regular monocytes (early differentiation stage) are strongly recruited into the circulation during long-term aerobic exercise, whereas mature monocyte cell counts (premacrophages) increase most with highly intensive (an)aerobic exercise above the IAT. Infections induced a maturation from regular to mature monocytes as a response to the infectious antigenic stimulus, whereas exercise does not, indicating the diversity between change of cell counts and function. (e) Long-term endurance diverse meaning leads to increases of activated CD45RO+ T cells (memory cell phenotype) but compared to the incline of cell concentrations and activation levels (% HLA-DR+ T cells) during infections like infectious mononucleosis this effect is small indicating only minor effects on T cell function by exercise. The effect of single bouts of exercise on immune cell counts is large but the effects on the cell function is - i.e. compared to bacterial URTI - relatively small.

Acute-Phase Reaction↗
PubMed1996

Ultrasound of the abdomen in endurance athletes.

This project evaluated, if athletes show adaption of their abdominal organs in response to endurance training. Abdominal sonography was performed in 26 sedentary male subjects [CO; age: 26 (SD 5) years; mass (BM): 78.7 (SD 10.6) kg; lean body mass [LBM): 67.1 (SD 7.4) kg; height (HE): 183 (SD 6) cm, individual anaerobic threshold (cycle ergometry; IAT): 2.1 (SD 0.1) W*kg(-1)], 14 moderately endurance trained athletes [EA1; age: 27 (SD 4) years; BM: 74.0 (SD 5.9) kg; LBM: 64.6 (SD 4.5) kg; HE: 178 (SD 5) cm, IAT: 3.0 (SD 0.5) W*kg(-1)] and 27 well endurance trained athletes [EA2; age: 27 (SD 4) years; BM: 72.1 (SD 4.3) kg; LBM: 65.4 (SD 3.2) kg; HE: 179 (SD 4) cm, IAT: 3.7 (SD 0.4) W*kg(-1)]. One subject of EA2 had cholecystolithiasis and another one renal redoublication. 3 persons showed uncomplicated parapelvine or subcapsular renal cysts (CO, EA1). The transverse area of the large abdominal arteries (abdominal aorta, common iliac arteries) was significantly greater in EA2 than in both EA1 and CO and partly greater in EA1 than in CO. Also, the ratios of sagittal and transverse diameters of the left and right lobes of the liver to LBM showed higher values for EA2 than for both EA1 and CO. These results indicate morphological adaptive processes of the great abdominal arteries in endurance athletes.

Abdomen↗
PubMed1996

Sports-specific adaptation of left ventricular muscle mass in athlete's heart. I. An echocardiographic study with combined isometric and dynamic exercise trained athletes (male and female rowers).

The differentiation of the physiological left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy of the athlete's heart in opposition to a pathological finding may be problematic especially in both strength and endurance trained athletes with simultaneously large body dimensions: 64 male and 71 female rowers of regional up to national level were examined by (Doppler) echocardiography. In addition, the rowers were compared by matched-pair procedures both with 32 male and 30 female non-endurance trained (pairwise similar body surface area) and with 28 male endurance athletes (pairwise similar absolute heart volume). The so-called critical heart weight of 500 g was exceeded by 63% of the male and 11% of the female rowers. 9% of the male rowers showed even an LV muscle mass above the limit of 3.5 g.kg-1 body mass. The individual maximal body surface area-related values were 170 g.m-2 (men) and 133 g.m-2 (women). The LV enddiastolic internal diameter was measured to be above the upper clinical limit of 55 mm in 69% or 23% of the male and female rowers, although a maximal LV wall thickness of 14 or 13 mm, respectively, was never exceeded. The systolic LV function as well as ECG and blood pressure did not reveal any pathological findings, the diastolic LV function was measured within the (supra) normal range. The LV wall thicknesses, internal diameter and hypertrophic index (relation between wall thickness and internal diameter) were significantly higher in rowers than in non-endurance trained subjects, but similar if compared to the endurance athletes. The clinical limits, however, keep their validity until a body mass of about 70 kg. In conclusion, some upper absolute clinical limits, especially those referring to volume measurements, so far considered critical (LV internal diameter, heart weight and LV mass), may be clearly exceeded by healthy strength endurance trained athletes presenting high body dimensions. The LV wall thickness, however, rather exceptionally exceeded the clinical limits. If referring to body dimensions, the cardiac dimensions in rowers are still lower in comparison to highly-trained "pure" endurance athletes. A specific influence of the isometric exercise component on the LV hypertrophy cannot be observed.

Adaptation, Physiological↗
PubMed1996

Sports-specific adaptation of left ventricular muscle mass in athlete's heart. II: An echocardiographic study with 400-m runners and soccer players.

Regarding the influence of the left ventricular (LV) adaptation by sports-specific factors the supposed endurance training have so far been compared mainly to strength conditioning. In the present study we investigated the echocardiographic LV measurements of endurance-trained athletes in different kinds of endurance sports (running and ball games) by using matched-pair procedures. We examined 22 male soccer players (S) and 22 male 400-m runners (R) on a regional up to a national level with--each similar in pairs--the following body mass (S: 75.7 +/-5.0 kg; R: 75.2 +/- 5.6), body surface area (S: 1.97 +/- 0.09 m2; R: 1.98 +/- 0.09), fat-free body mass (S: 68.4 +/- 4.6 kg; R: 68.3 +/- 5.3) and individual anaerobic threshold as a criterion to determine the running endurance (S: 14.23 +/- 0.79 km.h-1; R: 14.25 +/- 0.80). The body dimensions-related heart volume (HV/lean body mass: S: 14.2 +/- 1.5 ml.kg-1; R: 13.4 +/- 1.0) as well as the absolute and body surface-related LV internal diameter (EDD: S: 55.0 +/- 3.8 mm; R: 52.7 +/- 3.3; EDD/body-surface area: S: 27.8 +/- 1.9 mm.m-2; R: 26.6 +/- 1.3) were measured significantly higher in S as compared to R (p < 0.05 and p < 0.01, respectively). In both groups, free LV wall thickness, enddiastolic diameter and LV muscle mass correlated significantly with the body dimensions (fat-free body mass: r = 0.42 - 0.48 - 0.56; p < 0.004, respectively). In conclusion, specific sport-related strain like frequent exercises in interval form (typical for ball games) and a different volume/intensity ratio could significantly influence the LV adaptation beside the endurance performance as well as constitutional and genetic factors.

Adaptation, Physiological↗