Common ECG patterns in the athlete’s heart

Abstract

Chronic exercise can lead to phenotypic changes in athletes that are directly related to the type, duration, intensity, and years of sport training. The clinical expression can be influenced by the individual’s genetic, gender, humoral, and metabolic factors. Alterations founded in the athlete’s electrocardiogram (ECG) have been considered to be an electrical expression of these adaptations and usually reflect benign remodelling of the heart (athlete’s heart) and autonomic adaptations. In this chapter, we discuss the most prevalent normal features found on the 12-lead ECG of athletes.