Comparing the Heart Structure and Function of Elite Handball and Karate Athletes with Non-Athletes

Subject Areas : Sports Science and Healthy

Reza Ghanimati ¹ (PhD student, Faculty of Sports Sciences, Kharazmi University, Karaj, Iran )
Mehdi Ghanimati ² (BA., Education Organization, Qom, Iran)
Amineh Taheri ³ (BA., Al-Zahra University, Tehran, Iran)

Received: 2023-05-14 Accepted : 2024-03-05 Published : 2024-03-03

Keywords: Heart, Elite Athletes, Handball Sport.,

Abstract :

As a result of prolonged sports activities, the heart undergoes quantitative and qualitative changes, which ultimately lead to beneficial adaptations in the heart. The aim of this study was to compare the heart structure and function of elite handball and karate athletes with non-athletes. In this research, 30 women with an average age of 24.6±3.4 years were divided into 3 groups: 20 elite athletes (11 in the handball group and 9 in the karate group) and 10 non-athletes. An echocardiography device with Doppler imaging was used to evaluate the structure and function of the subjects' hearts at rest. The data was analyzed using a one-way analysis of variance test. The results indicated a significant difference in the mass of the left ventricle, the internal diameter of the left ventricle at systole, the thickness of the interventricular wall of the heart, the thickness of the posterior wall of the left ventricle, the ejection fraction, and the stroke volume at rest between the non-athlete group and the two athlete groups. However, there was no significant difference between the two athlete groups. Therefore, sports training induces morphological and physiological changes in the hearts of athletes.

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