Open Access
CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 · Int J Sports Med 2024; 45(05): 377-381
DOI: 10.1055/a-2252-1239
Training & Testing

Left Ventricular Hypertrophy in Male and Female Judo Athletes

1   Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
2   Research and Innovation, Centro Medico di Fisioterapia “Villa Sarina”, 91011 Alcamo, Trapani, Italy
,
Roberto Roklicer
3   Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
4   Faculty of Education, Free University of Bozen–Bolzano, 39042 Brixen–Bressanone, Italy, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
,
3   Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
,
5   Internal medicine, cardiology, University of Novi Sad Medical Faculty, Novi Sad, Serbia
6   Cardiology, Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases of Vojvodina, Sremska Kamenica, Serbia
,
Tatjana Trivic
3   Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, Novi Sad, Serbia
,
Antonino Scardina
1   Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
,
Attilio Carraro
4   Faculty of Education, Free University of Bozen–Bolzano, 39042 Brixen–Bressanone, Italy, Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
,
Antonino Bianco
1   Department of Psychology, Educational Science and Human Movement, University of Palermo, Palermo, Italy
› Author Affiliations
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Abstract

Changes in cardiac geometry develop after intense and prolonged training. Left ventricular enlargement, increased relative wall thickness, and growing mass of the left ventricle occur after strenuous exercise. Combat sports such as judo can lead to left ventricular hypertrophy. Previous studies have found that there are differences in left ventricular chamber size and thickness between the sexes, with female athletes having smaller wall diameters and less hypertrophy than male athletes. The research aims to examine heart muscle adaptations and remodeling of cardiac geometry among elite judo athletes and to evaluate differences between males and females. A cross-sectional study included a group of 19 (males n=10, females n=9) professional judokas between 20 and 30 years. Demographic and anthropometric data were collected. Cardiac geometry was determined by two-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography. In terms of left ventricular mass and the left ventricular mass index significant differences were found between male and female judokas (233.44±68.75 g vs. 164.11±16.59 g, p=0.009), (105.16±24.89 vs. 84.66±15.06, p=0.044), respectively. A greater enlargement of the heart muscle is observed in male athletes compared to the female group. Left ventricle enlargement is likely to occur among elite-level judokas.



Publication History

Received: 26 June 2023

Accepted: 13 November 2023

Article published online:
24 February 2024

© 2024. The Author(s). This is an open access article published by Thieme under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonDerivative-NonCommercial-License, permitting copying and reproduction so long as the original work is given appropriate credit. Contents may not be used for commercial purposes, or adapted, remixed, transformed or built upon. (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).

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