New approaches in education and health sciences management

New approaches in education and health sciences management

Comparison of Structural and Functional Characteristics of the Left Ventricular in Post Pubertal Adolescents Male Soccer Players and Healthy Non-athletes by Echocardiography

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
1 Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
2 Associate Professor, Department of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
3 Professor, Department of Physical Education and Sports Sciences, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Lorestan University, Khorramabad, Iran
Abstract
Introduction: Recent studies have shown conflicting findings in left ventricular (LV) adaptitions induced by competitive soccer in adolescent players. The aim of the present study was to compare structural and functional characteristics of the LV in adolescent male soccer players (SP) and healthy non-athletes after puberty using echocardiography (echo).
Methods: The present study was a “causal-comparative” study. Forty-six adolescent male SP from the Khorramabad city junior soccer league in the 2025-2026 season and 20 healthy non-athletic adolescent boys participated in the study, who were selected through simple random sampling. The variables were measured using echocardiography at rest. The data were analyzed using an independent t-test (P≤0.05).
Results: The results showed that in the experimental group (EG) than in the control group CG, resting heart rate (RTr) (P=0.001) and absolute and relative wall thickness (RWT) (P=0.001, P=0.001, respectively) were significantly lower. In the EG compared to the CG, absolute and relative, left ventricular mass (LVM) (P = 0.000, P = 0.000, respectively), left ventricular end-diastolic diameter (LVEDd) (P=0.001, P =0.001, respectively), left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV) (P = 0.001, P = 0.001, respectively), left ventricular end-systolic volume (LVESV) (P=0.013, P=0.001, respectively) and stroke volume (SV) (P =0.001, P =0.001, respectively) and absolute left ventricular end-systolic diameter (LVESd) (P =0.006) and shortening fraction (SF) (P =0.017) were significantly higher.
Conclusion: In conclusion, the findings of the present study showed that LV changes in adolescent male SP are more aerobic in nature than in healthy non-athletic adolescent boys, and these adaptations in the LV of adolescent male SP may depend on the type, volume, and intensity of training.
Keywords

Ethics Approval ID: IR.LUMS.REC.1404.005

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Volume 3, Issue 2
July 2026
Summer 2026
Pages 49-63

  • Receive Date 07 February 2026
  • Revise Date 24 February 2026
  • Accept Date 16 May 2026