Ventricular Remodeling Parameters in Mixed-Sport University Athletes Compared with Non-Athletes

Abstract

Background: The term "athlete's heart" (AH) refers to the morphologic and functional cardiac adaptations. When compared to non-athletic people, these symptoms may include an increase in the sizes of the left and right cardiac chambers, an increase in the thickness of the left ventricular (LV) wall, and an increase in the indices of resting and exercise systolic and diastolic function. Objective: This research sought to compare the echocardiographic parameters of the left ventricle of a group of university students who participate in sports to another group that does not. Methods: The study was conducted as a comparative-analytic study in Mosul City/Iraq, from November 2024 to May 2025. Involved a total of 160 participants within the age range of 18 to 25 years old. The participants were divided into two categories: (80 athletic and 80 non-athletic groups), each group contains (50 males and 30 females). Echocardiographic examination was done to measure the dimensions, systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricle. Results: The athletic group showed significantly enhanced diastolic function compared with the non-athletic group. This advantage was reflected by higher E/A ratio (1.75 ± 0.44 vs. 1.53 ± 0.21, p = 0.000), increased septal e′ velocity (16.74 ± 2.77 cm/s vs. 15.26 ± 2.65 cm/s, p = 0.001), and higher lateral e′ velocity (18.79 ± 2.96 cm/s vs. 16.10 ± 2.03 cm/s, p = 0.000). Additionally, athletes exhibited a significantly lower E/e′ ratio (4.24 ± 1.42 vs. 5.40 ± 0.94, p = 0.000), indicating more efficient ventricular filling. A structural difference was also observed in

interventricular septal thickness (IVS), which was higher among athletes (0.94 ± 0.16 cm) compared with non-athletes (0.86 ± 0.14 cm; p = 0.003). Conversely, no significant differences were detected in left ventricular size or systolic performance. The left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVED) showed comparable measurements between athletes and controls (4.91 ± 0.64 cm vs. 4.82

± 0.62 cm, p = 0.365), and the left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVES) demonstrated similar values (2.97 ± 0.50 cm vs. 2.96 ± 0.48 cm, p = 0.972). Likewise, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF%) did not differ significantly between groups (0.68 ± 0.06 vs. 0.70 ± 0.06, p = 0.159). Conclusion: Athletic training had no significant effect on LV dimensions or systolic performance, despite the existence of increased IVS thickness in athletes. In contrast, diastolic function indicators were significantly higher in the athletic group, indicating greater cardiac relaxation. These findings support the hypothesis that young athletes have physiological rather than pathological cardiac remodeling