Amsterdam University Medical Center-led researchers have discovered that female elite athletes’ hearts adapt differently than males’, emphasizing the need for gender-specific medical assessments and athlete protection.
In an illuminating new study, researchers led by Amsterdam University Medical Center have unveiled critical differences in how the hearts of female elite athletes adapt to rigorous exercise compared to their male counterparts.
These findings, published in the European Heart Journal Cardiovascular Imaging, offer vital insights for improving medical assessments and safeguarding female athletes.
Gender-Specific Heart Adaptations
The study aimed to fill a significant gap in sports cardiology,
“Women are still underrepresented in heart research, especially when it comes to sports cardiology research,” Harald Jorstad, a sports cardiologist at Amsterdam UMC, said in a news release. “But through our collaboration with the Dutch Olympic team, we have now also been able to gain knowledge from female elite athletes about adaptations in the morphology of the heart.”
The investigation focused on the hearts of 173 female elite athletes analyzed through MRI scans.
The study revealed that female athletes’ hearts primarily show dilation of heart chambers, whereas male athletes typically experience both a thickening and dilation of the heart muscle.
This distinction is crucial for physicians to discern between normal, sports-induced changes and potential heart disease in women.Â
Athletic Disciplines and Heart Changes
The research also underscored variations based on the type of sport.
“Female endurance athletes, such as cyclists, had the largest heart chambers and the most heart muscle mass; more than strength athletes such as gymnasts,” added Maarten van Diepen, a physician-researcher in sports cardiology at Amsterdam UMC.
This indicates that the adaptations of the heart are not only gender-specific but also influenced by the nature of the athletic activity.
Improving Female Athlete Care
Understanding these gender-specific heart adaptations enables better medical assessments of female athletes.
“This prevents heart disease in women from being overlooked,” Jorstad added.
The insights ensure that healthy athletic changes are not misdiagnosed as heart disease, potentially preventing premature retirements from professional sports.
The research emphasizes the need for sports history and biological sex to be considered in medical evaluations. This knowledge will help in better guiding and protecting female athletes, ensuring they receive the best possible care tailored to their unique physiological responses to intense training.