Echocardiographic Doppler evaluation of left ventricular diastolic fillingin older, highly trained male endurance athletes

Previously published data have suggested that endurance training does not r etard the normative aging impairment of early left ventricular diastolic fi lling (LVDF). Those studies, suggesting no effect of exercise training, hav e not examined highly trained endurance athletes or their LVDF responses af ter exercise. We therefore compared LVDF characteristics in a group of olde r highly trained endurance athletes (n = 12, mean age 69 years, range 65-75 ) and a group of sedentary control subjects (n = 12, mean age 69 years, ran ge 65-73) with no cardiovascular disease. For all subjects, M-mode and Dopp ler echocardiographic data were obtained at rest. After baseline studies, s ubjects underwent graded, maximal cardiopulmonary treadmill exercise testin g using a modified Balke protocol. Breath-by-breath respiratory gas analysi s and peak exercise oxygen consumption (VO(2)max) measurements were obtaine d. Immediately after exercise and at 3-6 minutes into recovery, repeat Dopp ler echocardiographic data were obtained for determination of LVDF paramete rs. VO(2)max (44 +/- 6.3 vs 27 +/- 4.2 ml/kg/min, P < 0.001), oxygen consum ption at anaerobic threshold (35 +/- 5.4 us 24 +/- 3.8 ml/kg/min, P < 0.001 ), exercise duration (24 +/- 3 vs 12 +/- 6 minutes, P < 0.001), and left ve ntricular mass index (61 +/- 13 us 51 +/- 7.8 kg/m(2), P < 0.05) were great er in endurance athletes than in sedentary control subjects, whereas body m ass index was lower (22 +/- 1.7 vs 26 +/- 3.4 kg/m(2), P < 0.001). No diffe rences in any of the LVDF characteristics were observed between the groups with the exception of a trend toward a lower atrial filling fraction at res t in the endurance athlete group versus the control subjects (P = 0.07). Hi gh-intensity endurance exercise training promotes exceptional peak exercise oxygen consumption and cardiovascular stamina but does not appear to alter normative aging effects on left ventricular diastolic function.