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Regional and Global Left Ventricular Function Following a Simulated 5 km Race in Sports-Trained Adolescents

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Abstract

The effects of a short, high-intensity bout of exercise on cardiac systolic and diastolic function are not well understood in adolescent athletes. Consequently, the aims of the study were to evaluate global left ventricular (LV) systolic and diastolic function, as well as segmental wall motion responses (cardiac strain), prior to as well as 45 and 225 min following a simulated 5 km cross-country race. Twenty trained, adolescent males (age: 15.2 ± 0.7 years) volunteered for exercise testing. LV fractional shortening and the ratio of early (E) and late (A) peak flow velocities reflected global systolic and diastolic function, respectively. Peak longitudinal mitral annular septal tissue velocities were also determined during systole and diastole. Longitudinal strain (ε) and strain rates were determined across the LV. LV fractional shortening was significantly (P < 0.05) higher at 225 min post-race (37.6 ± 5.8 %) compared to pre-race (34.5 ± 4.7 %) and 45 min post-race (34.9 ± 5.4 %). This difference was abolished after adjusting for post-race heart rates. There was a significant (P < 0.05) decrease in the E:A ratio at both 45 min (2.04 ± 0.57) and 225 min post-race (2.20 ± 0.66) compared to the pre-race value (2.80 ± 0.68). When these data were adjusted for post-race heart rates, these pre-post-race differences in E:A ratio were abolished. There were no significant alterations in either tissue Doppler velocities or longitudinal ε. The evidence suggests that a 5 km race does not lead to any significant post-exercise attenuation in global or regional LV systolic and diastolic function in trained adolescents.

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Acknowledgments

Thanks to Kirsty Woodward, Aaron Sharpes and Thomas Hulme for their help with the organization of the 5 km race and the associated data collection.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Sport, Health and Exercise Research, Faculty of Health Sciences, Staffordshire University, Stoke-on-Trent, UK

    V. B. Unnithan

  2. Department of Pediatrics, Baystate Medical Center, Springfield, MA, USA

    T. Rowland

  3. Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK

    K. George

  4. School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, Loughborough, UK

    M. R. Lindley

  5. Biomedical Sciences Department, Liverpool Hope University, Liverpool, UK

    D. M. Roche

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  1. V. B. Unnithan
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  2. T. Rowland
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  3. K. George
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  4. M. R. Lindley
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  5. D. M. Roche
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Correspondence to V. B. Unnithan.

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Unnithan, V.B., Rowland, T., George, K. et al. Regional and Global Left Ventricular Function Following a Simulated 5 km Race in Sports-Trained Adolescents. Pediatr Cardiol 36, 322–328 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-014-1006-3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00246-014-1006-3

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