AUTHOR=Falcioni Lavinia , Gallotta Maria Chiara , Baldari Carlo , Cardinali Ludovica , Campanella Matteo , Ferrari Dafne , Guidetti Laura , Meucci Marco 

TITLE=Influence of training status on cardiac and vascular functioning in young recreational and competitive male rowers

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pediatrics

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pediatrics/articles/10.3389/fped.2023.1162594

DOI=10.3389/fped.2023.1162594

ISSN=2296-2360

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>The aim of the study was to investigate the influence of training status on cardiovascular function in young male recreational and competitive rowers.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>Ejection duration in percentage to the heart rate period (ED%), subendocardial viability ratio (SEVR), augmentation index at 75 bpm (AIx75) and carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity (cf-PWV) of competitive rowers (CR) (age 17.6 ± 4.1 years), recreational rowers (RR) (age 16.7 ± 2.70 years) and athletes practicing other recreational sports (ORS) (age 15.3 ± 1.4 years) were assessed.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>ED% was lower in CR compared to ORS (31.9 ± 3.9% vs. 38.4 ± 4.8%; <italic>p</italic> = 0.026) and cf-PWV was higher in CR compared to ORS (5.5 ± 1.0 m/s vs. 4.7 ± 0.5 m/s; <italic>p</italic> = 0.032). SEVR was higher in CR compared to RR and ORS (165.8 ± 33.7% vs. 127.4 ± 30.4% and 128.3 ± 27.8%; <italic>p </italic>= 0.022) and AIx75 was lower in CR compared to RR and ORS (−15.7 ± 8.6% vs. 1.2 ± 9.9% and 1.5 ± 9.1; <italic>p</italic> = 0.001).</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>Healthy, young competitive male rowers reported higher myocardial performance and better cardiovascular health than recreational athletes. Interpretations of cf-PWV in competitive rowers should be performed alongside other cardiovascular indicators.</p></sec>