INTRODUCTION: The relationship between right ventricular (RV) systolic function and cardiorespiratory fitness is complex, especially during exercise, when cardiac output and oxygen uptake (VO2) change in relation to one another. Previous small studies have alluded to a possible correlation between resting RV function and peak VO2 in young athletes. The aim of this study was to investigate this relationship using a large cohort of healthy elite adolescent football players. METHODS: Adolescent male players from an elite football club were included, undergoing a minimum of 12 h per week training and game time. All players underwent a comprehensive cardiac evaluation, including cardiopulmonary exercise test (25 W or 50 W step increments) and baseline resting echocardiography. Relative VO2 was calculated at peak VO2, gas exchange threshold (VO2@GET) and at respiratory compensation point (VO2@RCP). The following RV systolic function parameters were calculated at rest: free wall longitudinal strain (RV-FW Sl), strain rate (RV-FW SRl), fractional area change (RV-FAC), peak tricuspid annular systolic velocity (RV-S`) and tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). Associations were explored using the Pearson`s correlation coefficient (r) and linear regression R-squared. RV-FW Sl and SRl are negative by convention, with higher negative values denoting better function. RESULTS: A total of 81 participants were included, mean age 14.5 ±1 y (range 12.6-16.6 y). All athletes had been screened for cardiac disease and cleared for sport participation. None had noted abnormalities, and all had cardiac normal RV function. Mean peakVO2 was 46 ±6.3 mL•min-1•kg-1,, mean VO2@GET 2 8±4.8 mL•min-1•kg-1 and mean VO2@RCP 40.6 ±5.8 mL•min-1•kg-1. Mean RV-FW Sl was -27.7±3.6%, mean RV-FW SRl -1.5 ±0.3 s-1. RV-FW Sl showed weak or moderate correlations with oxygen uptake measurements: with peakVO2, r= -0.35, R2 = 0.13, (p=0.003); with VO2@GET, r=-0.36, R2=0.13 (p=0.002); with VO2@RCP: r=-0.11, R2=0.01 (p=0.4). RV-FW SRl showed weak or moderate correlation with oxygen uptake measurements: with peak VO2, r= -0.33, R2=0.11 (p=0.006); with VO2@GET, r= -0.27, R2=0.08 (p=0.02); with VO2@RCP, r= -0.07, R2=0.006 (p=0.6). Weak associations were also observed between other RV function parameters and oxygen uptake measurements (r range from 0.001-0.31, p value range from 0.006-0.95, of which TAPSE showed the strongest correlation). DISCUSSION & CONCLUSION: In healthy adolescent elite footballers, RV myocardial function at rest shows weak or moderate correlation to oxygen uptake at different physiological thresholds during a max exercise test. RV longitudinal function at rest explained at most 13% of observed variation in peak VO2 and GET and had no association with VO2@RCP This supports the hypothesis that cardiorespiratory fitness is not well predicted by resting cardiac function in healthy individuals, but rather by RV myocardial function responses during exercise.
© Copyright 2022 27th Annual Congress of the European College of Sport Science (ECSS), Sevilla, 30. Aug - 2. Sep 2022. Julkaistu Tekijä Faculty of Sport Science - Universidad Pablo de Olavide. Kaikki oikeudet pidätetään. / Kääntänyt https://www.DeepL.com/Translator