Age-Specific Features of Soccer Players' Heart Dimensions

Abstract

This work concentrates on the analysis of the echocardiographic part of our complex investigation which determined the characteristics of work capacity, the cardio-respiratory system and the nervous system. Professional healthy male soccer players of the best clubs of Estonia (n=236) aged 17 to 31 years were examined. Athletes were divided into three age groups. All tests were performed in the same training period. The statistical analysis of all characteristics (ANOVA-test, Pearson product moment correlation) allows us to conclude that the character of heart development depends on age. Soccer's sport-specific effect on heart produces an adaption where both the dilatation and the wall thickening of the heart occur moderately but not at the same time.