title: T-wave morphology analysis of competitive athletes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  T-wave morphology has been shown to be more sensitive than QT and QTc interval to describe repolarization abnormalities. The electrocardiogram (ECG) performed in athletes may manifest abnormalities, including repolarization alterations. The aim of this study was to investigate the characteristics of T-wave morphology features in athletes.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty male elite athletes, consisting of 40 Tour de France cyclists (age 27±5years), 40 soccer players (age 26±6years) and 40 healthy men (age 27±5years) were included.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Sinus bradycardia, left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy, incomplete right bundle branch block and early repolarization were documented in 25 %, 20%, 13% and 14% of athletes, respectively. ECG criteria for LV hypertrophy in 12-lead ECG were more common in cyclists (35%) than in soccer players (5%), P<0.0001. Cyclists and soccer players had significantly longer RR interval, and repolarization features than the control group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  T-wave morphology of athletes is different from non-athletes, depending of the sport. Decreased potassium current in cardiomyocytes associated with LVH may contribute to these changes.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Univ. of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish Arrhythmia Research Centre (DARC) for Cardiac Arrhythmia, Univ. of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, P.R.China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hong
authors.affiliation: Gentofte University Hospitals, Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen, Denmark; Herlev University Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen, Denmark; Roskilde Hospital, Roskilde, Denmark.
authors.forename: L J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Andersen
authors.affiliation: Medical Informatics Group, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Graff
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Univ. of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish Arrhythmia Research Centre (DARC) for Cardiac Arrhythmia, Univ. of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vedel-Larsen
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Univ. of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish Arrhythmia Research Centre (DARC) for Cardiac Arrhythmia, Univ. of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Medical Informatics Group, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: J J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Struijk
authors.affiliation: Medical Informatics Group, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark; Aalborg University Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Aalborg, Denmark.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Sogaard
authors.affiliation: Gentofte University Hospitals, Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: P R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Hansen
authors.affiliation: First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University, Dalian, P.R.China.
authors.forename: Y Z
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Statens Serum Institut, Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Christiansen
authors.affiliation: Medical Informatics Group, Department of Health Science and Technology, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark; College of Medicine, Qatar University, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toft
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Cardiology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Univ. of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark; Gentofte University Hospitals, Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen, Denmark; Aalborg University Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Aalborg, Denmark; Herlev University Hospital, Department of Cardiology, Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: jkanters@sund.ku.dk.
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kanters
mesh_terms: D000222:Adaptation, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology; D004562:Electrocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010807:Physical Endurance / Q000502:physiology*; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Athlete; Electrocardiography; QT-interval; Repolarization; T-wave morphology