title: Post-exercise left ventricular dysfunction measured after a long-duration cycling event.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In this research, an extension to our previous work published in the Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine in 2009, we studied subjects that differed in terms of age and training status and assessed the impact of prolonged exercise on systolic and left ventricular diastolic function and cardiac biomarkers levels, recognized as identifiers of cardiac damage and dysfunction. We also assessed the possible influence of event duration, exercise intensity and weight loss (dehydration) on left ventricular diastolic function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Ninety-one male cyclists were assessed by echocardiography and serum biomarkers before and after the 2005 Quebrantahuesos cycling event (206 km long and with an accumulated slope of 3800 m). Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography and cardiac biomarkers were assessed in blood serum. Echocardiograms measured left ventricular internal dimension during diastole and systole, left ventricular posterior wall thickness during diastole, interventricular septum thickness during diastole, left ventricular ejection fraction and diastolic filling. The heart rate of 50 cyclists was also monitored during the race to evaluate exercise intensity. Echocardiograph results indicated that left ventricular diastolic and systolic function decreased after the race, with systolic function reduced to a significant degree. Left ventricular ejection fraction was below 55% in 29 cyclists. The decrease in left ventricular systolic and diastolic function did not correlate with age, training status, race duration, weight loss or exercise intensity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Left ventricular systolic and diastolic function was reduced and cardiac biomarkers were increased after the cycling event, but the mechanisms behind such outcomes remain unclear.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Serrano Ostariz
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López Ramón
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Cremades Arroyos
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Izquierdo Álvarez
authors.forename: Pilar
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Catalán Edo
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baquer Sahún
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Legaz Arrese
mesh_terms: D001642:Bicycling; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D004452:Echocardiography; D015444:Exercise; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D018487:Ventricular Dysfunction, Left
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers