Heart failure & cardiomyopathies
Extreme phenotypes of the female athlete’s heart: a sports-specific cardiac magnetic resonance imaging study
Authors' conclusion
Female elite athletes, particularly endurance-trained athletes, display EICR marked by increased ventricular volumes, without prominent increases in LVM or wall thickness.
Study context
- Population
- Female elite athletesfemale elite athletes (median age 25 years, median 18 h training/week, 97% Caucasian)
- Participants
- 173 athletes
- Exposure
- Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) metrics to female reference values, stratified by ESC sports classification (endurance, mixed, power/skill)
- Outcome
- LV EDV/BSA and LVM/BSA
Methodological detailscontrast-enhanced cardiac MRI
- Contrast-enhanced cardiac MRI
Main finding
As reported in the abstract
Mean LV end-diastolic volume (EDV)/body surface area (BSA)
108 ± 13 mL/m²
Mean LV mass (LVM)/BSA
50 ± 10 g/m²
Observational data: associations, not effects.
Further findings
| Outcome | Endurance | Mixed | Power/skill |
|---|---|---|---|
| LVM/BSA by sports classification vs general population | mean 53 ± 11 g/m² | mean 48 ± 9 g/m² | — not stated in the abstract |
| Biventricular EDV/BSA | |||
| LV | 111 (101-118) | 109 (103-119) | 99 (92-105) |
| RV | 112 (105-124) | 110 (103-118) | 101 (95-104) |
— not stated in the abstract
- LVM/LV EDV ratio: female elite athletes 0.5 ± 0.1
- LVM/LV EDV ratio: general population 0.7 ± 0.1 g/mL
- LVM/LV EDV ratio: lower in athletes; P < 0.001
- LVM/BSA by sports classification vs general population: general population mean 45 ± 7 g/m²
- LVM/BSA by sports classification vs general population: mixed vs general population P = 0.021
- LVM/BSA by sports classification vs general population: endurance vs general population P < 0.001
- LVM/BSA by sports classification vs general population: endurance surpassing mixed P = 0.004
- Biventricular EDV/BSA: greater in mixed and endurance vs power/skill; P < 0.001
Remodelling pattern
- Isolated LV EDV increases
- 71%
- LVM increases (commonly coincided with LV EDV increases)
- 18%
Maximum wall thickness > 11 mm
- Maximum wall thickness > 11 mm (rare)
- 2%
Tissue characterisation
- Global T1 time
- 968 ± 22 ms
- Extracellular volume
- 25 ± 4%
Original publication
Extreme phenotypes of the female athlete’s heart: a sports-specific cardiac magnetic resonance imaging study. Eur Heart J Cardiovasc Imaging. Published 2 June 2025. doi:10.
Composed by AI from the published abstract and checked against it. How Briefs are made →