Sex-Specific differences in Wall Thickness of the HeartIntensive training changes the heart. Just like skeletal muscles, the heart adapts to the demands placed on it, and in elite athletes this can result in a thicker heart muscle wall. This creates an important diagnostic ‘grey zone’: when is a thicker heart simply the result of training, and when could it indicate disease?
Study Shows Sport Type Alone Does Not Reliably Predict an Athlete's HeartThe type of sport an athlete practices does not reliably predict what a healthy athlete’s heart should look like. New research from Amsterdam UMC shows that the long-standing distinction between a “strength-sport heart” and an “endurance-sport heart” is far less clear than previously assumed. The findings challenge assumptions embedded in international guidelines and highlight the need for a more personalised approach to assessing the athlete’s heart.
