Korean Circ J.  2021 May;51(5):426-438. 10.4070/kcj.2020.0484.

Gender Difference of Cardiac Remodeling in University Athletes: Results from 2015 Gwangju Summer Universiade

• Yoon HJ
• Kim KH
• Hornsby K
• Park JH
• Park H
• Kim HY
• Cho JY
• Ahn Y
• Jeong MH
• Cho JG

• KMID: 2515766
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4070/kcj.2020.0484

Abstract

Background and Objectives
There is little data about cardiac geometry in highly trained young athletes, especially female specific changes. We investigated gender difference on exercise induced cardiac remodeling (EICR) in highly trained university athletes.
Methods
A total of 1,185 university athletes divided into 2 groups; female (n=497, 22.0±2.3 years) vs. male (n=688, 22.6±2.4 years). Remodeling of the left ventricle (LV), left atrium (LA), right ventricle (RV), and any cardiac chamber were compared.
Results
LV, LA, RV, and any remodeling was found in 156 (13.2%), 206 (17.4%), 82 (6.9%), and 379 athletes (31.9%), respectively. LV, LA, and any remodeling were more common in male than female athletes (n=53, 12.1% vs. n=103, 15.5%, p=0.065), (n=65, 13.1% vs. n=141, 20.5%, p<0.001), (n=144, 30.0% vs. n=235, 34.2%, p=0.058), respectively, whereas RV remodeling was significantly more common in female than male athletes (n=56, 11.3% vs. n=26, 3.8%, p<0.001). Interestingly, the development of LV, LA, and RV remodeling were not overlapped in many of athletes, suggesting different mechanism of EICR according to cardiac chamber. Various predictors including sports type, heart rate, muscle mass, fat mass, body surface area, and training time were differently involved in cardiac remodeling, and there were gender differences of these predictors for cardiac remodeling.
Conclusions
EICR was common in both sex and was independently developed among cardiac chambers in highly trained university athletes. LV and LA remodeling were common in males, whereas RV remodeling was significantly more common in females demonstrating gender difference in EICR. The present study also demonstrated gender difference in the predictors of EICR.

Keyword

Exercise; Cardiac remodeling; Gender

Figure

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  Figure 1 Gender-specific exercise induced cardiac remodeling in university athletes (A) female athletes, (B) male athletes.LA = left atrium; LV = left ventricle; RV = right ventricle.

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  Figure 2 Gender-specific exercise induced cardiac remodeling according to sports type classified by cardiovascular demand. (A) Any remodeling, (B) LV remodeling, (C) LA remodeling, (D) RV remodeling.LA = left atrium; LV = left ventricle; RV = right ventricle.

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