Endurance Training Minimizes Age-Related Changes of Left Ventricular Twist-Untwist Mechanics

• Published in: Journal of the American Society of Echocardiography Vol. 27; no. 11; pp. 1208 - 1215
• Main Authors: Maufrais, Claire, MS, Schuster, Iris, MD, PhD, Doucende, Grégory, PhD, Vitiello, Damien, PhD, Rupp, Thomas, PhD, Dauzat, Michel, MD, PhD, Obert, Philippe, PhD, Nottin, Stéphane, PhD
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.11.2014; Elsevier
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aging; Cardiovascular; Diastolic function; Echocardiography - methods; Elastic Modulus - physiology; Elasticity Imaging Techniques - methods; Endurance training; Female; Heart Ventricles; Human health and pathology; Humans; Left ventricular twist; Life Sciences; Male; Middle Aged; Physical Conditioning, Human - methods; Physical Endurance - physiology; Reproducibility of Results; Rotation; Sensitivity and Specificity; Sex Characteristics; Shear Strength - physiology; Speckle-tracking echocardiography; Stress, Mechanical; Stroke Volume - physiology; Tissues and Organs; Ventricular Function, Left - physiology; Young Adult; Percentage of untwist during isovolumic relaxation time; STE; Left ventricular; LV; Endurance training; IVRT; AVC; Diastolic function; Left ventricular twist; Aortic valve closure; Speckle-tracking echocardiography; Aging; Isovolumic relaxation time; UT IVRT; UTIVRT
• ISSN: 0894-7317; 1097-6795
• DOI: 10.1016/j.echo.2014.07.007

Background The aim of this study was to test the effect of endurance training on the age-related changes of left ventricular (LV) twist-untwist mechanics. Aging has been shown to induce a decline of diastolic function and more recently an impairment of twist-untwist mechanics, which constitutes an important factor for early diastolic suction and filling. On the other hand, endurance training has been shown to improve cardiac function. Methods Speckle-tracking echocardiography was performed in 106 endurance-trained male athletes and 75 controls (age range 18–70 years), divided into three groups according to age. Results From the younger to older age groups, progressive increases in LV apical rotation and twist angle and a decrease in LV untwisting rate during isovolumic relaxation time were observed. Athletes had lower systolic twist angles ( P < .01) but higher untwist/twist ratios and LV untwisting rate during isovolumic relaxation time compared with controls, with the largest difference between senior groups (51 ± 24% vs 42 ± 22% in the young and 42 ± 29% vs 24 ± 25% in seniors, P < .001, respectively). The normal timing of untwisting rate occurring before radial displacement was preserved in athletes with increasing age, whereas it was blunted in controls. Conclusions Endurance training does not prevent but minimizes changes in LV twist-untwist mechanics from young subjects to seniors. Athletes showed smaller increases of twist angle with age and smaller declines of LV untwisting rate during isovolumic relaxation time and untwist/twist ratio compared with controls. This training-improved preservation of LV twist-untwist mechanics is likely to play a key role for systolic-diastolic coupling and diastolic filling, particularly during exercise.