Normative Values for Sport-Specific Left Ventricular Dimensions and Exercise-Induced Cardiac Remodeling in Elite Spanish Male and Female Athletes.

Background: There is debate about the magnitude of geometrical remodeling [i.e., left ventricle (LV) cavity enlargement vs.

Holter-determined arrhythmias in young elite athletes with suspected risk: Insights from a 20-year experience.

Purpose: We assessed the occurrence of rhythm alterations in elite athletes with suspected risk using Holter monitoring, and the association of Holter-determined rhythm alterations with echocardiographic findings.

Methods: A large cohort of Spanish elite athletes ( = 6,579, 34% female) underwent in-depth cardiological examination (including echocardiographic evaluation, and resting and exercise electrocardiogram [ECG]) between 01/02/1998 and 12/31/2018. Holter monitoring was performed in those reporting cardiovascular symptoms, with suspicion of cardiac structural abnormalities potentially associated with dangerous arrhythmias, or with resting/exercise ECG features prompting a closer examination.

Differences in Blood Flow Patterns and Endothelial Shear Stress at the Carotid Artery Using Different Exercise Modalities and Intensities.

Endothelial dysfunction is the first pathophysiological step of atherosclerosis, which is responsible for 90% of strokes. Exercise programs aim to reduce the risk of developing stroke; however, the majority of the beneficial factors of exercise are still unknown. Endothelial shear stress (ESS) is associated with endothelial homeostasis.

There are no differences in brachial artery endothelial shear stress and blood flow patterns between males and females during exercise.

Premenopausal females have a lower cardiovascular risk than males. Sex differences on exercise-induced endothelial shear stress (ESS) and blood flow patterns may explain part of this risk reduction. The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine the differences in brachial artery exercise-induced ESS and blood flow patterns between males and females.

Differences between Males and Females in Determining Exercise Intensity.

Even though there are physiological differences between males and females, heart rate (HR), ratings of perceived exertion (RPE), power output (PO), oxygen consumption (VO), and blood lactate (BL) levels have been used as measures of exercise intensity independently of sex. The purpose of this study was to determine differences between sexes in different exercise intensity models. Thirty (15 females) young, healthy individuals were scheduled for two testing visits 48-72 hours apart.

Characterization of blood flow patterns and endothelial shear stress during flow-mediated dilation.

Introduction: Endothelial dysfunction is considered the first step in the development of atherosclerosis. Flow-mediated dilation (FMD) has been the most common assessment of endothelial function in research but it has failed in obtaining a widespread use in clinical settings due to a lack of standardization and a large inter-subject variability. Normalization of FMD to endothelial shear stress (ESS) has been proposed to solve its technical limitations.

Bicuspid aortic valve behaviour in elite athletes.

Aims: To determine the prevalence and characteristics of bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) among elite athletes and to analyse the effect of long-term exercise training on their aortas.

Methods And Results: Consecutive BAV and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) elite athletes from a population of 5136 athletes evaluated at the Sports Medicine Center of the Spanish National Sports Council were identified using echocardiography. A total of 41 BAV elite athletes were matched with 41 TAV elite athletes, and 41 BAV non-athletic patients from three Spanish tertiary hospitals.

Comparison between cuff-based and radial tonometry exercise-induced central blood pressure.

Purpose: Non-invasive central blood pressure assessed during exercise may provide better cardiovascular prognostic than measurements taken at rest. Radial tonometry is the only technique validated to perform this type of assessment; however, it relies on the experience of the tester. Cuff-based devices have been developed to avoid operator dependency, although these systems have yet to be validated during exercise.