TY - JOUR
T1 - Left ventricular morphological and functional predictors of V̇
O
2peak
T2 - A 3-year observational study
AU - Unnithan, Viswanath B.
AU - Beaumont, Alexander
AU - Rowland, Thomas
AU - George, Keith
AU - Iacono, Antonio Dello
AU - Sculthorpe, Nicholas
AU - Lord, Rachel N.
AU - Oxborough, David L.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2025 The Author(s). Experimental Physiology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of The Physiological Society.
PY - 2025/9/11
Y1 - 2025/9/11
N2 - The aim of the study was to identify central determinants of VO2 peak using a 3‐year longitudinal evaluation of left ventricular (LV) morphological and functional (global, tissue‐Doppler and strain) outcome measures obtained at rest and during both submaximal and maximal exercise in a group of highly trained male youth soccer players (SP) and recreationally active male participants (CON). Once a year for 3 years, measurements were obtained in both the SP and CON groups (12.0 ± 0.3 and 11.7 ± 0.2 years of age, respectively, at the onset of the study). Cardiac ultrasound measures were used to identify LV morphological indices at rest and functional parameters during submaximal and maximal exercise. Training status (P < 0.0001) emerged as the only significant independent predictor of VO2 peak, when considering LV morphological variables. At maximal exercise, early diastolic filling (E) was a significant (P = 0.001) predictor of V ̇ O 2 peak, irrespective of the influence of training status. Training status emerged as the significant predictor of VO2 peak across all models that were developed in this study. Minimal LV structural and functional adaptations at both rest and exercise influence VO2 , beyond the impact of training status alone. The broader implication of these findings is that the influence of LV cardiac adaptations on VO2 peak over time is mediated by the stimulus of training; this association occurs independently from the impact of growth and maturation on VO2 peak
AB - The aim of the study was to identify central determinants of VO2 peak using a 3‐year longitudinal evaluation of left ventricular (LV) morphological and functional (global, tissue‐Doppler and strain) outcome measures obtained at rest and during both submaximal and maximal exercise in a group of highly trained male youth soccer players (SP) and recreationally active male participants (CON). Once a year for 3 years, measurements were obtained in both the SP and CON groups (12.0 ± 0.3 and 11.7 ± 0.2 years of age, respectively, at the onset of the study). Cardiac ultrasound measures were used to identify LV morphological indices at rest and functional parameters during submaximal and maximal exercise. Training status (P < 0.0001) emerged as the only significant independent predictor of VO2 peak, when considering LV morphological variables. At maximal exercise, early diastolic filling (E) was a significant (P = 0.001) predictor of V ̇ O 2 peak, irrespective of the influence of training status. Training status emerged as the significant predictor of VO2 peak across all models that were developed in this study. Minimal LV structural and functional adaptations at both rest and exercise influence VO2 , beyond the impact of training status alone. The broader implication of these findings is that the influence of LV cardiac adaptations on VO2 peak over time is mediated by the stimulus of training; this association occurs independently from the impact of growth and maturation on VO2 peak
KW - adolescent
KW - echocardiography
KW - athletes
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105015446198
U2 - 10.1113/ep092871
DO - 10.1113/ep092871
M3 - Article
SN - 0958-0670
JO - Experimental Physiology
JF - Experimental Physiology
ER -