The award recognizes outstanding scientific achievements by young researchers and promotes innovative approaches in diagnostics, therapy, and basic research in cardiology. The publication is part of Dr. Hofbauer’s PhD studies at the Department of Sports Medicine, Exercise Physiology and Prevention at the University of Vienna’s Institute of Sport Science, conducted in cooperation with the Austrian Institute of Sports Medicine (ÖISM).
Background: How Does the Heart Change in Recreational Athletes?
How can we distinguish healthy cardiac adaptations caused by training from pathological changes? To answer this central question in sports medicine, Dr. Hofbauer and the research team led by Univ.-Prof. Jürgen Scharhag, Head of Sports Medicine, Exercise Physiology and Prevention at the University of Vienna and Medical Director of the ÖISM, examined 291 healthy, regularly active adults aged 18 to 35 (44% women).
They used state of the art diagnostic methods:
• 3D echocardiography to precisely measure cardiac structures
• Speckle tracking to analyze cardiac function
• Cardiopulmonary exercise testing (spiroergometry) to determine maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂peak), an objective measure of physical fitness
Key Findings of the Study
The investigation provides new insights into the structural and functional adaptations of the hearts of recreational athletes:
- The fitter the athlete, the larger the heart
- With increasing endurance capacity, the volumes of all cardiac chambers increased.
- Harmonic hypertrophy
- All chambers enlarged proportionally — a sign of healthy, non pathological adaptation.
- Sex specific differences
- At the same fitness level, male hearts were larger than female hearts.
- Stable ratios
- The proportions of right and left cardiac chambers remained constant across fitness levels, further indicating physiological and healthy adaptation to regular recreational exercise.
Practical Relevance
“These results complement existing sports cardiology knowledge from untrained individuals and elite athletes,” explains Prof. Scharhag. The study defines three dimensional reference values for recreational athletes — the group that represents the majority of physically active people.
The study now provides:
• Sex and fitness specific reference values for 3D echocardiography in recreational athletes
• A stronger basis for distinguishing a healthy “athlete’s heart” from pathological cardiac changes
• Improved opportunities for early detection of heart disease
“In light of increasing physical activity in the population, we hope this study contributes meaningfully to sports cardiology and preventive medical examinations.”
