ULTRASOUND OF THE ABDOMEN IN ENDURANCE ATHLETES

This project evaluated, if athletes show adaption of their abdominal o rgans in response to endurance training. Abdominal sonography was perf ormed in 26 sedentary male subjects [GO; age: 26 (SD 5) years; mass (B M): 78.7 (SD 10.6) kg; lean body mass [LBM): 67.1 (SD 7.4) kg; height (HE): 183 (SD 6) cm, individual anaerobic threshold (cycle ergometry; IAT): 2.1 (SD 0.1) W . kg(-1)], 14 moderately endurance trained athlet es [EAl; age: 27 (SD 4) years; BM: 74.0 (SD 5.9) kg; LBM: 64.6 (SD 4.5 ) kg; HE: 178 (SD 5) cm, IAT: 3.0 (SD 0.5) W . kg(-1)] and 27 well end urance trained athletes [EA2; age: 27 (SD 4) years; BM: 72.1 (SD 4.3) kg; LBM: 65.4 (SD 3.2) kg; HE: 179 (SD 4) cm, IAT: 3.7 (SD 0.4) W . kg (-1)]. One subject of EA2 had cholecystolithiasis and another one rena l redoublication. 3 persons skewed uncomplicated parapelvine or subcap sular renal cysts (GO, EAl). The transverse area of the large abdomina l arteries (abdominal aorta, common iliac arteries) was significantly greater in EA2 than in both EAl and CO and partly greater in EAl than in CO Also, the ratios of sagittal and transverse diameters of the lef t and right lobes of the liver to LBM showed higher values for EA2 tha n for both EAl and CO. These results indicate morphological adaptive p rocesses of the great abdominal arteries in endurance athletes.