The impact of regular long term physical load on cardiovascular functional parameters in children and adolescent athletes

Abstract

Introduction. Regular physical load determines increase in functional capability of cardiovascular system. On the other hand, the cardiovascular system often appears as a conditional factor, which restricts organism adaptive abilities and limits general organism adaptation to the load. During physical load, not only cardiovascular system is activated, but also complex changes take place in the whole body. Therefore, with the aim to evaluate the functions of various systems, interrelation between them and systemic response of the body to physical load, a complex research on distinctive features of not only functional indices of the cardiovascular system, but also parameters reflecting interrelationship among functional systems of the body and speed of their changes is carried out. The goal of such complex research is the evaluation of adaptive and reserve capabilities of the athlete’s body and individualization and optimization of physical load. The aim of this study was to evaluate the speed of changes of parameters that characterize the functional condition of human organism of children and adolescents athletes and non-athletes controls. Materials and methods. One hundred sixty seven male athletes aged 14.8 (SD1.6, range 12-17 years) participating in basketball, rowing and cycling and168 healthy sedentary controls matched for age, sex and body surface area performed a graded exercise test (Mc. Master) on a cycle ergo-meter. 12 ECG standard derivations were synchronously recorded every second minute. During cycle ergo-meter integrated functional parameters, which could integrally and simple evaluate organism reaction to physical load, were assessed.Results. The present study demonstrates that before reaching the maximum of physical load, the speed of changes JT/RR in athletes and all functional parameters (HR, JT interval, RR interval, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), pulse blood pressure (SBP-DBP), JT/RR ratio) in the control group decreased and in the last step of physical load has increased. That suggests that during intensive exercise training limits of physiological changes can be exceeded in athletes. Conclusions. Analysis of speed of changes in functional parameters during physical load can be applied for the evaluation of functional state of the human body and the cardiovascular system and aiming to optimize and individualize physical load in athletic children and adolescents.