Native T1 and T2 mapping by CMR in a cohort of olympic athletes: does sport discipline make difference?

Type of funding sources: None.

Cardiac Magnetic Resonance (CMR) represents the gold standard for morpho-functional assessment and for myocardial tissue characterization. Although Mapping technique provided added value to tissue characterization, data on Mapping in athletes are still scarce and differences between sport disciplines have not been evaluated.

To compare T1 and T2 Mapping values between Olympic Athletes engaged in different types of sport and a control group of sedentary subjects.

A group of Olympic athletes with unremarkable cardiovascular pre-participation screening prior the Olympic games underwent CMR without contrast administration. A group of sedentary subjects was enrolled as a control group. Cine, native T1 and T2 Mapping were analyzed. Athletes were divided in different sports categories according to the ESC classification.

265 Olympic athletes (15% skill, 19% power, 25% mixed, 41% endurance - 58% male) and 21 controls were enrolled. Comparing athletes of different sport categories and sedentary controls, endurance presented the lowest value of T1 Mapping. T2 Mapping was slightly higher in endurance athletes but were within normal limits (referred to local normal range) (Table). Compared with males, female athletes had higher values of T1 native myocardial Mapping [956 (934-981) vs 941 (926-963); p=0,004], while there were no significant differences regarding T2 Mapping values (p=0,874) (Figure).

T1 was lower and T2 Mapping slightly higher athletes engaged in endurance compared to other sport disciplines and sedentary controls. Female athletes showed higher T1 native myocardial Mapping compared with males, while T2 Mapping did not show differences.