O2 Pulse Patterns in Male Master Athletes with Normal and Abnormal Exercise Tests

Purpose The clinical relevance of abnormal exercise testing (ET) results (at least 0.1 mV ST segment depression measured during exercise or recovery in three consecutive beats) in athletes without obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) is not well understood. It is unknown whether this phenomenon reflects a physiological adaptation to sport or a truly ischemic response and a concomitant attenuated stroke volume (SV) response. The aim of this study was to investigate if athletes with abnormal ET results without obstructive CAD showed signs of an attenuated SV response using cardiopulmonary ET parameters. Methods A total of 78 male master athletes with abnormal ET results without obstructive CAD underwent cardiopulmonary ET. ΔO2 pulse/Δwork rate (WR), ΔV˙O2/ΔWR, and Δheart rate (HR)/ΔWR were assessed and compared with data from 78 male master athletes with normal ET results, matched for age, sports characteristics, and exercise capacity. Results The ΔO2 pulse/ΔWR ratio beyond anaerobic threshold in athletes with abnormal ET results was lower than that in athletes with normal ET results (0.73 ± 0.41 vs 1.12 ± 0.54, respectively, P
Source: Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise - Category: Sports Medicine Tags: CLINICAL SCIENCES Source Type: research