Increased p wave dispersion in elite athletes.

Background: Few studies have been performed on P wave indices in athletes. The aim of this study was to determine the behaviour of maximum P wave duration (Pmax), minimum P wave duration (Pmin) and P wave dispersion (PWD) in young high performance athletes, as well as the relationship of PWD with training history, heart rate (HR) and echocardiographic parameters.

Methods: We performed a cross-sectional observational study in 38 athletes of high performance in sports: water polo, distance running and weight lifting compared with 34 sedentary controls.