*Department of Physiology, Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, AMU, Aligarh, India
**Department of Physical Health & Sports Education, AMU, Aligarh, India
1Corresponding author: S. Aijaz Abbas Rizvi, E-mail: aijazrizvi@gmail.com
Online published on 30 July, 2014.
The Electrocardiographic (ECG) changes in athletes are common findings but abnormalities of an athlete's ECG may be the presentation of an underlying cardiac disease. Rarely in such cases during sports activity may vigorous exertion trigger cardiac arrest or sudden death. Pathological ECG findings in athletes require detailed cardiopulmonary investigations. It is important to understand which ECG abnormalities are physiological and which are likely to be pathological.
The objective of present study is to identify the exercise induced electrocardiographic changes in athletes and compare these findings with non-athletes.
30 athletes and 30 non-athletes, healthy adult Indian males were selected and ECG recording was done as per American Heart Association guidelines. The anthropometric characteristics were similar and no statistically significant difference was observed between athletes and nonathletes. Statistically significant change were observed in heart rate, PR interval, QTc interval, and Sokolow Lyon index in athletic group but no significant difference were found in P wave, VAT and QRS duration. The most important clinically abnormal ECG findings observed in athletes were left ventricular hypertrophy (90% cases), sinus bradycardia (10% cases), AV grade I block (6.6% cases) and prolonged QTc interval (6.6% cases).
Electrocardiograph, exercise, athletes, non-athletes
