Impact of Intense Physical Exercise on Athletes’ Hearts – Adaptation, Risk, and Prevention
Intensive physical activity, especially when performed regularly and at high levels, leads to characteristic cardiovascular adaptations called "athlete’s heart" (AH). These physiological changes include left ventricular hypertrophy, atrial enlargement, and electrophysiological modification...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń
2025-04-01
|
| Series: | Quality in Sport |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/59786 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849729477901287424 |
|---|---|
| author | Pawel Bollin Urszula Szymczak Wojciech Wiesław Lachór Monika Barbara Solarz Julia Piekarska Justyna Maria Solarz Jakub Tomasz Wawrzyńców Weronika Cyrkler Jakub Robak Stanisław Telega |
| author_facet | Pawel Bollin Urszula Szymczak Wojciech Wiesław Lachór Monika Barbara Solarz Julia Piekarska Justyna Maria Solarz Jakub Tomasz Wawrzyńców Weronika Cyrkler Jakub Robak Stanisław Telega |
| author_sort | Pawel Bollin |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Intensive physical activity, especially when performed regularly and at high levels, leads to characteristic cardiovascular adaptations called "athlete’s heart" (AH). These physiological changes include left ventricular hypertrophy, atrial enlargement, and electrophysiological modifications, reflecting the heart’s adaptive response to increased demands during exercise. While typically benign, these adaptations can closely mimic pathological conditions like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), complicating diagnosis and requiring careful differentiation to avoid unnecessary restrictions on athletic participation. Ethnic variability in cardiac remodeling, particularly among athletes of African descent, increases the potential for misdiagnosis and unjustified disqualification from sports. Although generally considered physiological, athlete’s heart may exhibit proarrhythmic properties, elevating the risk of cardiac arrhythmias in some individuals. Prolonged, high-intensity exercise, especially in middle-aged male athletes, is linked to a greater incidence of atrial fibrillation, transient right ventricular dysfunction, and other rhythm disturbances. Diagnostic tools such as electrocardiography (ECG) and transthoracic echocardiography remain essential in differentiating physiological from pathological findings, though newer imaging techniques and biomarkers are being evaluated for better accuracy. Additionally, the use of doping substances and energy drinks poses an added burden on the cardiovascular system, warranting further research and clinical attention. This review aims to analyze current knowledge on both physiological and pathological cardiac adaptations to exercise, focusing on assessing and preventing cardiovascular risks in athletes.
|
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-ac0cc5ed52f14bd5958a44bf78734e90 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2450-3118 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Quality in Sport |
| spelling | doaj-art-ac0cc5ed52f14bd5958a44bf78734e902025-08-20T03:09:12ZengNicolaus Copernicus University in ToruńQuality in Sport2450-31182025-04-014010.12775/QS.2025.40.59786Impact of Intense Physical Exercise on Athletes’ Hearts – Adaptation, Risk, and PreventionPawel Bollin0https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7687-4674Urszula Szymczak1https://orcid.org/0009-0007-6560-6539Wojciech Wiesław Lachór2https://orcid.org/0009-0003-2017-4788Monika Barbara Solarz3https://orcid.org/0009-0008-4476-8755Julia Piekarska4https://orcid.org/0009-0004-7164-2833Justyna Maria Solarz5https://orcid.org/0009-0002-8686-0142Jakub Tomasz Wawrzyńców6https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3716-4784Weronika Cyrkler7https://orcid.org/0009-0002-1214-0249Jakub Robak8https://orcid.org/0009-0009-8830-5717Stanisław Telega9https://orcid.org/0009-0007-2355-5876Medical Univeristy of LodzMedical University of Lodz, PolandMedical University of Lodz, PolandMedical University of Lodz, PolandMedical University of Lodz, PolandMedical University of Silesia in Katowice, PolandMedical University of Lodz, PolandMedical University of Lodz, PolandMedical University of Lodz, PolandMedical University of Lodz, PolandIntensive physical activity, especially when performed regularly and at high levels, leads to characteristic cardiovascular adaptations called "athlete’s heart" (AH). These physiological changes include left ventricular hypertrophy, atrial enlargement, and electrophysiological modifications, reflecting the heart’s adaptive response to increased demands during exercise. While typically benign, these adaptations can closely mimic pathological conditions like hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), complicating diagnosis and requiring careful differentiation to avoid unnecessary restrictions on athletic participation. Ethnic variability in cardiac remodeling, particularly among athletes of African descent, increases the potential for misdiagnosis and unjustified disqualification from sports. Although generally considered physiological, athlete’s heart may exhibit proarrhythmic properties, elevating the risk of cardiac arrhythmias in some individuals. Prolonged, high-intensity exercise, especially in middle-aged male athletes, is linked to a greater incidence of atrial fibrillation, transient right ventricular dysfunction, and other rhythm disturbances. Diagnostic tools such as electrocardiography (ECG) and transthoracic echocardiography remain essential in differentiating physiological from pathological findings, though newer imaging techniques and biomarkers are being evaluated for better accuracy. Additionally, the use of doping substances and energy drinks poses an added burden on the cardiovascular system, warranting further research and clinical attention. This review aims to analyze current knowledge on both physiological and pathological cardiac adaptations to exercise, focusing on assessing and preventing cardiovascular risks in athletes. https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/59786athlete's heartcardiac adaptationarrythmiascardiac hypertrophyscreening testssudden cardiac death |
| spellingShingle | Pawel Bollin Urszula Szymczak Wojciech Wiesław Lachór Monika Barbara Solarz Julia Piekarska Justyna Maria Solarz Jakub Tomasz Wawrzyńców Weronika Cyrkler Jakub Robak Stanisław Telega Impact of Intense Physical Exercise on Athletes’ Hearts – Adaptation, Risk, and Prevention Quality in Sport athlete's heart cardiac adaptation arrythmias cardiac hypertrophy screening tests sudden cardiac death |
| title | Impact of Intense Physical Exercise on Athletes’ Hearts – Adaptation, Risk, and Prevention |
| title_full | Impact of Intense Physical Exercise on Athletes’ Hearts – Adaptation, Risk, and Prevention |
| title_fullStr | Impact of Intense Physical Exercise on Athletes’ Hearts – Adaptation, Risk, and Prevention |
| title_full_unstemmed | Impact of Intense Physical Exercise on Athletes’ Hearts – Adaptation, Risk, and Prevention |
| title_short | Impact of Intense Physical Exercise on Athletes’ Hearts – Adaptation, Risk, and Prevention |
| title_sort | impact of intense physical exercise on athletes hearts adaptation risk and prevention |
| topic | athlete's heart cardiac adaptation arrythmias cardiac hypertrophy screening tests sudden cardiac death |
| url | https://apcz.umk.pl/QS/article/view/59786 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT pawelbollin impactofintensephysicalexerciseonathletesheartsadaptationriskandprevention AT urszulaszymczak impactofintensephysicalexerciseonathletesheartsadaptationriskandprevention AT wojciechwiesławlachor impactofintensephysicalexerciseonathletesheartsadaptationriskandprevention AT monikabarbarasolarz impactofintensephysicalexerciseonathletesheartsadaptationriskandprevention AT juliapiekarska impactofintensephysicalexerciseonathletesheartsadaptationriskandprevention AT justynamariasolarz impactofintensephysicalexerciseonathletesheartsadaptationriskandprevention AT jakubtomaszwawrzyncow impactofintensephysicalexerciseonathletesheartsadaptationriskandprevention AT weronikacyrkler impactofintensephysicalexerciseonathletesheartsadaptationriskandprevention AT jakubrobak impactofintensephysicalexerciseonathletesheartsadaptationriskandprevention AT stanisławtelega impactofintensephysicalexerciseonathletesheartsadaptationriskandprevention |