Electrocardiographic alterations in young high-performance athletes
Abstract
Introduction: Physical exercise is extremely beneficial to health; but in the case of athletes, intense sports training develops morphological and physiological changes in the heart. Many of these changes, called “normal or physiological”, and other “abnormal or pathological” findings –which could suggest the presence of underlying cardiovascular disease– can be detected by an electrocardiogram.
Objectives: To identify electrocardiographic disorders present in young high-performance athletes of a soccer club.
Method: Forty male athletes were studied in the period January to June 2019. The athletes were evaluated by questioning, physical examination and electrocardiogram at rest.
Results: A number of normal electrocardiographic findings –according to the international criteria for electrocardiographic interpretation in athletes– were found. Sinus bradycardia was the most frequent (60%). The isolated appearance of right axis deviation (>120°) and complete right bundle branch block were the only borderline findings. The presence of inverted T waves (10%), intraventricular conduction disorders (7.5%) and anomalous Q waves (5%) were the most frequent pathological findings.
Conclusions: The twelve-lead electrocardiogram remains an important means of detecting physiological electrocardiographic findings related to sports training in high-performance athletes, as well as abnormal or pathological alterations that may be suggestive of cardiovascular disease, in addition to being triggering risk factors for sudden cardiac death.
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