Features of functional adaptation of the cardiovascular system in athletes with different levels of blood pressure

Objective. To assess cardiovascular functional adaptation in athletes with different levels of blood pressure (BP) in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).

Design and methods. We examined 147 professional athletes of high sportsmanship (average age 22 (18; 26) years), cyclic and speed-weightlifting sports. All athletes underwent anthropometry, measurement of office BP and daily BP monitoring, exercise test (PWC170), with determination of maximum oxygen consumption, assessment of the reserve capacity of the cardiovascular system, echocardiography.

Results. Masked hypertension (MH) was detected in 40,8% of athletes, normal BP in 59,2%. All athletes showed a high tolerance to physical activity; athletes with MH showed high indices of left ventricular (LV) wall thickness and myocardial mass index compared with athletes with normal BP. The athletes with MH achieve a high level of physical performance due to a less efficient hemodynamic mechanism and energy-intense regimen. A positive correlation was found between LV wall thickness and indicators of cardiovascular functional reserves.

Conclusions. MH was detected in 40,8% athletes. In athletes with different BP levels, quantitative and qualitative differences in ensuring physical performance are expressed by the ratio between the “initial” (rest) and “maximum” (test with physical load) indicators of the functional state. Thus, in athletes with MH, inefficient hemodynamic and energy-intensive processes can lead to overstrain of the cardiovascular system. Indicators of functional reserves of the cardiovascular system positively correlate with indicators of LV myocardial wall thickness and myocardial mass index, which may indirectly indicate the relation between cardiovascular overstrain in athletes with MH and target organ damage (LV hypertrophy).

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