ABC | Volume 111, Nº6, December 2018

Original Article Silva et al Cardiac and vascular features in athletes Arq Bras Cardiol. 2018; 111(6):772-781 Table 2 – Maximum load test results in absolute values and adjusted for body mass PG (n = 16) Mean ± SD (95% CI) RG (n = 24) Mean ± SD (95% CI) p-value Squat (kg) 212.2 ± 46.4 (187.4–236.9) Min 140 and Max 302 98.9 ± 27.1 (87.4–110.6) Min 56 and Max 160 < 0.001 Squat/body mass 2.16 ± 0.27 (2.01–2.30) Min 1.6 and Max 2.6 1.37 ± 0.30 (1.24–1.50) Min 1.0 and Max 2.3 < 0.001 Bench press (kg) 145.5 ± 32.9 (127.9–163.1) Min 110 and Max 220 59.0 ± 16.5 (52.0–66.0) Min 40 and Max 94 < 0.001 Bench press/body mass 1.49 ± 0.26 (1.35–1.62) Min 1.1 and Max 2.1 0.81 ± 0.17 (0.74–0.89) Min 0.6 and Max 1.2 < 0.001 Deadlift (kg) 239.0 ± 66.5 (203.6–274.5) Min 150 and Max 370 102.4 ± 27.8 (90.6–114.2) Min 53 and Max 140 < 0.001 Deadlift/body mass 2.43 ± 0.49 (2.16–2.69) Min 1.5 and Max 3.1 1.45 ± 0.41 (1.28–1.63) Min 0.6 and Max 2.0 < 0.001 Total load (kg) 596.8 ± 137.4 (532.6–670.1) Min 413 and Max 890 260.4 ± 43.8 (241.9–278.9) Min 191 and Max 341 < 0.001 Total load/body mass 6.07 ± 0.89 (5.59–6.55) Min 4.4 and Max 7.4 3.64 ± 0.48 (3.44–3.85) Min 2.6 and Max 4.6 < 0.001 PG: powerlifters group; RG: long-distance runners group. Differences between means were assessed by Student's t Test for independent samples. Table 3 – Hemodynamic and cardiopulmonary parameters PG (n = 16) Mean ± SD (95% CI) RG (n = 24) Mean ± SD (95% CI) p-value Resting SBP (mmHg) 130.0 ± 8.2 (124.5–134.0) Min 120 and Max 140 116.4 ± 8.6 (112.8–120.1) Min 110 and Max 140 < 0.001 Resting DBP (mmHg) 82.1 ± 6.9 (78.1–68.1) Min 70 and Max 95 72.0 ± 6.5 (69.3–74.8) Min 60 and Max 80 < 0.001 Resting heart rate (bpm) 80.4 ± 7.5 (76.0–84.8) Min 69 and Max 94 64.7 ± 10.3 (60.3–69.1) Min 45 and Max 90 < 0.001 Maximum heart rate (bpm) 180.2 ± 13.7 ‡ (173.2–188.2) Min 158 and Max 209 184.3 ± 14.7‡ (178.1–190.5) Min 167 and Max 224 0.403 VO 2 max (mL.kg -1 .min -1 ) 33.9 ± 7.5 (29.6–38.9) Min 24 and Max 43 56.0 ± 7.3 (52.7–62.1) Min 45 and Max 74 < 0.001 VCO 2 max (mL.kg -1 .min -1 ) 36.6 ± 9.3 (31.2–42.0) Min 24 and Max 57 58.0 ± 7.5 (55.2–61.6) Min 45 and Max 87 0.028 Pulmonary ventilation (L.min -1 ) 103.5 ± 17.6 (93.3–113.7) Min 76 and Max 136 112.4 ± 14.9 (106.1–118.7) Min 85 and Max 157 0.106 SBP: systolic blood pressure; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; PG: powerlifters group; RG: long-distance runners group. VO 2 : oxygen uptake; VCO 2 : carbon dioxide production. Differences between means were assessed by Student’s t Test for independent samples. ‡ p < 0.05 vs. baseline value within the same group. Discussion Our study found that, compared with long-distance runners, powerlifters showed greater interventricular septum thickness, LV posterior wall thickness and LV mass. However, after adjusting for BSA, no difference was observed in LV mass.Cardiac function was similar in powerlifters and runners. Together, these parameters suggest that specific cardiac remodeling may occur as a result of training, but with no impairment of cardiac functions. A major finding of our study was similar FMD measurements in both powerlifters and runners despite PVR being higher in powerlifters. 12 Although our findings are comparative and derive from a cross-sectional design, they suggest that high-intensity strength training does not necessarily cause damaging cardiovascular changes as it has been generally believed. Cardiac parameters Regarding cardiac parameters (anatomical structure, and diastolic and systolic function), the echocardiographic assessments showed increased interventricular septum thickness with slight or no chamber diameter reduction and slight increase in posterior wall thickness in powerlifters compared to runners. These changes may be because powerlifting involves a great amount of slow-speed contractions using high loads close to the maximum 13 in daily training sessions leading to LV pressure overload. 775