Right ventricle best predicts the race performance in amateur ironman athletes

Bernheim, Alain Marcel; Attenhofer Jost, Christine Helena; Zuber, Michel; Pfyffer, Monica; Seifert, Burkhardt; De Pasquale, Gabriella; Linka, Andre; Faeh-Gunz, Anja; Medeiros-Domingo, Argelia; Knechtle, Beat (2013). Right ventricle best predicts the race performance in amateur ironman athletes. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 45(8), pp. 1593-1599. Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 10.1249/MSS.0b013e31828ba558

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PURPOSE

The ironman (IM) triathlon is a popular ultraendurance competition, consisting of 3.8 km of swimming, 180.2 km of cycling, and 42.2 km of running. The aim of this study was to investigate the predictors of IM race time, comparing echocardiographic findings, anthropometric measures, and training characteristics.

METHODS

Amateur IM athletes (ATHL) participating in the Zurich IM race in 2010 were included. Participants were examined the day before the race by a comprehensive echocardiographic examination. Moreover, anthropometric measurements were obtained the same day. During the 3 months before the race, each IM-ATHL maintained a detailed training diary. Recorded data were related to total IM race time.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight IM finishers (mean ± SD age = 38 ± 9 yr, 32 men [84%]) were evaluated. Total race time was 684 ± 89 min (mean ± SD). For right ventricular fractional area change (45% ± 7%, Spearman ρ = -0.33, P = 0.05), a weak correlation with race time was observed. Race performance exhibited stronger associations with percent body fat (15.2 ± 5.6%, ρ = 0.56, P = 0.001), speed in running training (11.7 ± 1.2 km · h(-1), ρ = -0.52, P = 0.002), and left ventricular myocardial mass index (98 ± 24 g · m(-2), ρ = -0.42, P = 0.009). The strongest association was found between race time and right ventricular end-diastolic area (22 ± 4 cm2, ρ = -0.64, P < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, right ventricular end-diastolic area (β = -16.7, 95% confidence interval = -27.3 to -6.1, P = 0.003) and percent body fat (β = 6.8, 95% confidence interval = 1.1-12.6, P = 0.02) were independently predictive of IM race time.

CONCLUSIONS

In amateur IM-ATHL, RV end-diastolic area and percent body fat were independently related to race performance. RV end-diastolic area was the strongest predictor of race time. The role of the RV in endurance exercise may thus be more important than previously thought and needs to be further studied.

Item Type:	Journal Article (Original Article)
Division/Institute:	04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > BioMedical Research (DBMR) > DBMR Forschung Mu35 > Forschungsgruppe Kardiologie 04 Faculty of Medicine > Pre-clinic Human Medicine > BioMedical Research (DBMR) > DBMR Forschung Mu35 > Forschungsgruppe Kardiologie
UniBE Contributor:	Medeiros Domingo, Argelia
Subjects:	600 Technology > 610 Medicine & health
ISSN:	0195-9131
Publisher:	Lippincott Williams & Wilkins
Language:	English
Submitter:	Argelia Medeiros Domingo
Date Deposited:	02 May 2014 09:29
Last Modified:	05 Dec 2022 14:28
Publisher DOI:	10.1249/MSS.0b013e31828ba558
PubMed ID:	23470299
URI:	https://boris.unibe.ch/id/eprint/42241