title: Increased longitudinal contractility and diastolic function at rest in well-trained amateur Marathon runners: a speckle tracking echocardiography study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Regular physical activity reduces cardiovascular risk. There is concern that Marathon running might acutely damage the heart. It is unknown to what extent intensive physical endurance activity influences the cardiac mechanics at resting condition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-four amateur marathon runners (43 women and 41 men) from Berlin-Brandenburg area who had completed at least one marathon previously underwent clinical examination and echocardiography at least 10 days before the Berlin Marathon at rest. Standard transthoracic echocardiography and 2D strain and strain rate analysis were performed. The 2D Strain and strain rate values were compared to previous published data of healthy untrained individuals.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average global longitudinal peak systolic strain of the left ventricle was -23 +/- 2% with peak systolic strain rate -1.39 +/- 0.21/s, early diastolic strain rate 2.0 +/- 0.40/s and late diastolic strain rate 1.21 +/- 0.31/s. These values are significantly higher compared to the previous published values of normal age-adjusted individuals. In addition, no age-related decline of longitudinal contractility in well-trained athletes was observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is increased overall longitudinal myocardial contractility at rest in experienced endurance athletes compared to the published normal values in the literature indicating a preserved and even supra-normal contractility in the athletes. There is no age dependent decline of the longitudinal 2D Strain values. This underlines the beneficial effects of regular physical exercise even in advanced age.
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schattke
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Jürgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lock
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brechtel
authors.forename: Sabrina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Schroeckh
authors.forename: Sebastian
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Spethmann
authors.forename: Gert
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.forename: Adrian C
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Borges
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Klinik für Kardiologie und Angiologie, Campus Mitte, Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Charitéplatz 1, D - 10117 Berlin, Germany. fabian.knebel@charite.de.
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Knebel
mesh_terms: D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D055119:Elastic Modulus / Q000502:physiology; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006352:Heart Ventricles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction / Q000502:physiology*; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013314:Stress, Mechanical; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*