Left ventricle changes early after breath-holding in deep water in elite apnea divers.
OBJECTIVE
To study by ultrasounds cardiac morphology and function early after breath-hold diving in deep water in elite athletes.


METHODS
Fifteen healthy male divers (age 28 +/- 3 years) were studied using Doppler-echocardiography, immediately before (basal condition, BC) and two minutes after breath-hold diving (40 meters, acute post-apnea condition, APAC). Each subject performed a series of three consecutive breath-hold dives (20-30 and 40 m depth).


RESULTS
End-diastolic left ventricular (LV) diameter (EDD) and end-diastolic LV volume (EDV) increased significantly (p < 0.01). Stroke volume (SV), cardiac index (CI), septal and posterior systolic wall-thickening (SWT) also significantly increased after diving (p < 0.01). No wall motion abnormalities were detected, and wall motion score index was unchanged between BC and APAC. Doppler mitral E wave increased significantly (p < 0.01), whereas the A wave was unchanged. Systemic vascular resistance (SVR) decreased significantly after diving (p < 0.05). In the factor analysis, filtering out the absolute values smaller than 0.7 in the loading matrix, it resulted that factor I consists of EDV, posterior SWT, SV and CI, factor II of diastolic blood pressure, waves A and E and factor III of heart rate and SVR.


CONCLUSIONS
Systo-diastolic functions were improved in the early period after deep breath-hold diving due to favorable changes in loading conditions relative to pre-diving, namely the recruitment of left ventricular preload reserve and the reduction in afterload.
Pingitore
Alessandro
A
Institute of Clinical Physiology, CNR, Pisa, Italy.
Gemignani
Angelo
A
Menicucci
Danilo
D
Passera
Mirko
M
Frassi
Francesca
F
Marabotti
Claudio
C
Piarulli
Andrea
A
Benassi
Antonio
A
L'Abbate
Antonio
A
Bedini
Remo
R
D000328:Adult; D004242:Diving / Q000502:physiology*; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008297:Male; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D012119:Respiration; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000502:physiology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*