[Genetic aspects of the athlete's heart].
Positive myocardial and vascular adaptations can be observed in case of a high physical training practice. These clinical, electrocardiographic and echocardiographic patterns constitute the so called "athlete's heart". These adaptations are linked to hemodynamic and neuro-hormonal factors but also for a large part to genetic factors. The "athlete's heart" genetics aspects are many. These genetic factors play a role not only for the absolute physical performance but also for the cardio-vascular responses to physical training. In other words, it is possible to separate the "high-responders" and the "low-responders" to physical training. A high number of genes seem involved in physical performance and in cardiovascular responses. Among them the renin-angiotensin system genes have been presently the most studied, because of their link with cardiac hypertrophy. The impact of the genes involved in the autonomic nervous system regulation begins also to be explored. In the future, several other genetic ways would be studied to really understand all the genetic aspects of the "athlete's heart".
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Hôpital Pontchaillou, unité de biologie et de médecine, du sport, 2, rue Henri Le Guilloux, 35003 Rennes.
D000222:Adaptation, Physiological; D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D004452:Echocardiography; D004562:Electrocardiography; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000235:genetics* / Q000502:physiology*; D012084:Renin-Angiotensin System / Q000502:physiology; D013177:Sports