Whilst the health benefits of regular exercise are undisputed, intensive endurance exercise (IEE) is associated with an increased risk of cardiac arrhythmias. This project aims to describe the prevalence and associations between IEE and arrhythmias in athletes of both sexes across a wide age range (16-80yr). From a large database of 500 athletes & matched sedentary controls, established over the last year, we are planning 4 studies. Studies 1 & 2 aim to describe the prevalence of fast & slow arrhythmias and their associations with athletic cardiac remodelling. Study 3 aims to assess the association between left atrial remodelling and atrial fibrillation using cardiac MRI. Study 4 aims to describe the interaction between the heart and thoracic skeletal structures during IEE (using exercise cardiac MRI) and how this interaction may predispose to cardiac arrhythmias . Study 5 is a prospective study using catheter-based electroanatomic mapping to describe the electrical remodelling and scar patterns that predispose to arrhythmias in athletes.
Last updated12 March 2024